7th Grade: Value of Words

Constantly being aware of your pencil pressure can be a real challenge if you are not used to it. So, 7th Grade has been sharpening their value skills by undertaking a project called 'Value of Words'.

Students first had to use their math skills to measure out an evenly spaced grid. Then, they had to think of two different words that would fit on the top and far left row. The length of their word depending on how many column and rows they created. (Only school friendly words were excepted.)

Each letter was repeated down/across the column and row, rotating the letters as they went; this lead to some interesting division space within their rectangle. We found that capital letters that touch the edge of our boxes worked best.

When students were ready for shading, I offered two different options for filling in their spaces.  They could fill their spaces with a gradient or within the square spaces they shows a varied of values as solid tones.

Some students challenged themselves by picking colors pencils to show value. 

Those that struggled seemed to find some relief if they traced over their lines first in marker before shading. The marker helped keep their lines in places when they needed to erase or adjust their spaces.

1st Grade: Crazy Birds

First grade has created birds for the world of folk art. This project was a combination of tempera painted bird shapes with multimedia details for the feathers, claws, beaks, etc.

My key objective for this project was to *create patterns (not just the shape of the bird). The first graders took a day to paint the bodies of their birds with thick patterns and colors. I love the colors they used! After the paintings were dry, students added their multimedia (coffee filters, feathers, buttons, beads, pipe cleaners, gems...)

*folk art usually has fun personalized patterns

Iowa Catholic Radio: Saint Poster Voting is up!

Happy to announce website winners for Iowa Catholic Radio's Saint Poster Contest!

Great job to everyone that was involved with creating these masterpieces! I might be a little bias, but I think my kids are the best. Way to go Anna, Jack, Kelly, Kevin, Mairan, and Nicole!

One student winner from each school's division is featured.
So, VOTE for the grand prize winner by going to Poster Contest! 

There are 3 division  (K-3rd), (4th-6th), (7th-8th).

Voting is easy.

Simply click one (or all) of the divisions below and fill out the short form highlighting the art you're voting for. The theme for the contest is "Saints" and the winning art in each division will be printed on a folder and distributed to every student during Catholic Schools Week.

Ready? Set? Vote!

5th Grade: Op art

Fifth grade looked at the op-art works of  Bridget Riley and Victor Vasarely. Op-art is art work that fools the viewers eye into seeing reality change either by giving the impression of movement, color-changes, vibrating patterns, hidden images, swelling, or warping.

Our assignment was to create an image that appeared to go backwards in space with spheres that seemed to pop out at the viewer.

Students were given few options to test which would give the best illusion of a warped space.
They could choose to color in their background like a checkerboard board or rings, add gradation to some spaces, or change the directions of their curves throughout the background.

Many discovered that the best spheres were ones with curved lines; straight lines were discovered to make the sphere look flat. Also. as their lines went to their vanishing-point their stripes should get thinner and closer together.
I am so proud my fifth graders willing to experiment with the unknown. When they do the testing themselves it seems to stick better than when I tell them 'just do it.'

Kindergarten and 8th Grade Buddies: Collaboration Art

I can not take all the credit for this lesson. That credit goes to BusyMockingBird. She and her 4 year old daughter collaborate during their art project to create some that is truly unique and imaginative.
The mom starts the drawing by drawing a face, then her daughter takes over by drawing the body and background. Finally, BusyMockingBird adds extra color to complete the collaboration.

Here at SFA our 8th graders have been teamed up with a Kindergarten Buddy. Together they have made some awesome pieces of art.
Mrs. Heath, our middle school art teacher here at SFA, had her 8th graders practice drawing faces using proportions. Their faces were then turn over to my little ones for the finishing touches.
Kindergartners were not allowed to change their partners marks, but they could add around them. They have great imaginations! 8th grade decided that the pictures turned out way better when gave up some control and let things just be creative.
Later, 8th grade will be writing short stories about the images and reading them to back to their Kindergarten buddies. I know these stories will be amazing!

"Day of the Dead" Through Spanish/Art Collaboration

Do you know the words "Calaveras", or "Papel Picado"? Ask a our students and they can tell you! The Spanish and art classes collaborated to teach our students about the popular Mexican holiday called "Dia de los Muertos" or "Day of the Dead" which takes place place October 31 - November 2. Far from being a sad time, it is a celebration of the lives of those who have died. It pays tribute to the circle of life and death and ensures that the stories of ancestors are passed down. Families gather and put out favorite foods, flowers and candles for the spirits' yearly visit.

The students at the school have built an "ofentda"  or "altar" to show honor and to celebrate those who have died. It is located down by they school office.

• Kindergarten used coffee filters to create colorful marigolds, also called cempasúchitl, symbolize death. Their strong fragrance also help lead the dead back to their altars. Marigold petals may also be sprinkled on the floor in front of the altar, or even sprinkled along a path from the altar to the front door, so that the spirit may find her way inside.
• First grade created candles to welcome the spirits back to their altars and families.
• Second grade studied how bones worked to create poses for their calacas, skeletons doing everyday activities.
• Third grade painted rocks to appear as sugar-skulls, calavera, which are used as offerings and tasty treats.
• Fourth grade drew images of people or pets they would like to honor for the holiday. They included a small paragraph about who they chose and why.
• Fifth grade built monarch butterflies out of mix-media. Why butterflies? Monarch butterflies arrive at their winter home around the same time as Day of the Dead. They symbolize the souls returning to earth for their yearly visit.
• Sixth grade learned how to create papel-picado, paper cut images, banners depicting Day of the Dead symbols.
• Seventh grade worked metal foil to create a relief of calavera images.
• Eighth grade built relief sculpture masks.

2nd Grade: Leaves and Ripples

Second grade took some time to carefully study leaves. We did some observation drawing to capture the rips, tears, spots, and colors that help make each leaf unique. Students started in pencil then switched to crayon to sealing in their marks with wax. (My rule was no tracing!)

Next, we studied what would happen if our leaves fell into a puddle. Ripples, of course! The students discovered that ripples started around each leaf then grew into the other ripples as they went outwards. 

Our ripple lines were created by using water-soluble markers. We used expo overhead markers, but crayola washable markers would work just fine. Carefully, we circled around each leaf in turn until we could not get our marker through without crossing over another line; when that happened we treated it as a single item and traced around both objects. 

After tracing we 'painted' over our marker lines with water. The water caused the markers to bleed giving the appearance depth with in artwork. Some were worried about the water destroying their leaf drawings, but the wax in the crayons helped to keep their leaf marks safe.

Lastly, we added white painted lines following along with our ripples lines to give the illusion of light reflecting off the water and back into our eyes.

Students had great predictions about ripples, and how water and wax would react with one another. They proved to be real scientist as they experimented to test their theories to find out the answers to their questions.