2ND GRADE TED HARRISON INSPIRED LANDFORMS

When I found out my 2nd graders were studying landforms in their Social Studies unit, I knew I had to try these Ted Harrison landscapes again. We went about the project in a pretty similar fashion but this time, instead of using glue to trace the lines, the students traced over their lines at the beginning and end with black oil pastel to help their designs stand out. My students were so eager to share and apply their knowledge of landforms and their enthusiasm really shone through on the final artworks.

Chalk pastels are definitely one of the messier mediums but there’s something about their vibrancy and boldness that make each project stand out. I’ve found it helpful to give students a baby wipe after each chalk session–cuts down on clean up time at the sink and encourages the more mess-adverse students to continue knowing that they can spiff themselves up at the end.

2ND GRADE GIRAFFES WITH ADINKRA SYMBOLS

It sure has been awhile since I have updated but here I am! I transferred to a new elementary art position this summer and have been busy these first few weeks of school settling in. I will share more about that adventure soon! For now, I want to continue with my posts from last school year. There are so many wonderful creations to show.

My second grade students created giraffes for their African Art project. We studied some interesting facts about the giraffe through a NatGeo video. Did you know giraffes can crush a lion’s skull with their long legs? Or that their feet are the size of dinner plates? How about that they only sleep for about 20 minutes a day and eat 75 pounds of food daily?? Fascinating stuff. After studying the patterns and details of giraffe faces up close, students began their sketches.

After tracing pencil lines with a Sharpie, students used crayons and earth toned watercolors to give their giraffes a resist texture. For the background, we studied the traditional Adrinka symbols and viewed this video. Students had handouts to reference and created a pattern using their favorite symbols. They look great together!

The student above wanted to draw a baby giraffe too.

2ND GRADE 3D LIZARDS

Here is the continuation of our reptile unit I meant to share before our Spring Art Show took over my life! My 2nd Graders were fascinated by all they learned about chameleons and their enthusiasm definitely carried over into this project. I created a Powerpoint of lizard facts and photos so they could discover the many colors and patterns found on these amazing creatures. The red and blue lizard was one of their favorites–they called it the “Spiderman” lizard!

Students then used this inspiration to design a colorful, patterned lizard on black paper using construction paper crayons for vibrancy. Last year students designed a tissue paper collage leaf that gave a nice, thick base for their creations. The previous year we just used regular construction paper and their sculptures weren’t quite as sturdy. They loved discovering how to bend and fold their 2-D drawing into a 3-D lizard. It really allowed their friendly lizards to come to life!

2ND GRADE COLORFUL CHAMELEON COLLAGES

Continuing with the literature-based art theme, here are some spectacular chameleons created by my 2nd grade students last spring during our lizard unit. During this unit, we read two great chameleon books:

Chameleon’s Colors by Chisato Tashiro

A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni

We also viewed some National Geographic Kids videos of real chameleons changing colors. The kids thought they were pretty much the coolest lizards in all creation.

They prepared their chameleon paper by brushing water over multi-colored bleeding tissue paper squares. They used texture rubbing plates to create a texture for their leaf and branch papers using crayons. These papers were then painted over with watercolor, creating a textured wax resist.

The next class, students practiced their chameleon drawing skills using a step-by-step drawing sheet, a lifesaver for my easily-frustrated students! Yet notice how each chameleon still has its own personality. Once comfortable, students created their final drawing on the prepared colorful paper. After cutting a large branch, leaves, and adding their chameleons to their composition, the masterpieces were complete.

Check back later for the 3D lizards from this unit!

These chameleons were inspired by this drawing lesson found on Art Projects for Kids.

2ND AND 3RD GRADE GEE’S BEND QUILTS

To celebrate Black History Month last year at school, I wanted each grade level to create a collective class quilt, made up of individual squares created by the students. They were displayed during our schoolwide program and really made a statement.

For the 2nd and 3rd grade classes, we studied the colorful, graphic quilts of Gee’s Bend. I created a powerpoint showing examples of these unique quilts, focusing on the many different lines and colors found in each design, as well as their history. My students found it interesting that a lot of the quilts were sewn together using old scraps of clothing, which the artists felt helped to bring the spirits of their loved ones into their creations. We also read Stitchin’ and Pullin’: A Gee’s Bend Quilt, by Patricia McKissack. It’s a beautiful, poetic story of the tradition of the Gee’s Bend quilters through the eyes of a little girl, her family’s and community’s stories, as well as her ancestors’ struggle for freedom. My students were also amazed to hear how these talented women’s quilts were displayed in art museums around the world. Using this inspiration, they planned and designed a quilt square using different types of line patterns and bold colors. I taped each student’s quilt square into one large quilt to display. They all came together so well!

 

2ND GRADE CHARLEY HARPER CARDINALS

2nd grade students read No Two Alike by Keith Baker, about two cardinals at play on a winter’s day. We studied each snowflake illustration in the story and noticed how they all had 6 points. Students then created a background paper using cool colored tissue squares and stamped snowflakes on top. Next class, we viewed the graphic birds of Charley Harper, discussing how he simplified their forms using shapes. Some students discovered his bird prints resembled Angry Birds–so we had a lively discussion about pop culture and art. The students were excited to learn how to create their own shape birds from a circle. We folded the circle into fourths, cut out a triangle, and used fancy scrap paper to assemble our birds and add details.

Inspired by this project on Artsonia.