What Does A Feeling Look Like?

Believe it or not this lesson creation was inspired by my 3rd grade students.  When we were doing this Georgia O'Keeffe project we watched a Brain Pop video that discussed how she was inspired by colors to express her feelings and moods.  I had some really disappointed 3rd graders when they found out they wouldn't be painting their feelings.  Thus, the creation of this lesson.

To start class we discussed emotions and came up with a long list of different ones, then I went around the room and gave each student an emotion from this list assigned at random.  3rd graders only job was to paint their emotion using only colors, lines, and shapes.  I didn't give the students any restriction of what colors to use, but they had to have at least two and no more than five.  The students loved it, I was so impressed at the thinking involved as students really wanted to portray their emotion.  

The next class we came back and each student picked one color of construction paper that they felt went along with their emotion and did some paper weaving.  The original plan was to have students paint two conflicting emotions and weave those together--but with the end of the school year we simply ran out of time!  Instead, students further embellished their paintings with puffy paint and construction paper.

I absolutely loved this lesson--it was a home run--the 3rd grade crowd went WILD. 

Joy

Excited

Anger

 Calm

Confused

 Depressed

Fear

Gloomy

Happy

 Sad

Surprised

Am I the only one who sees the seahorse on the bottom left?

It's officially summer for me (except for 15 days of summer school--but that's nothing!)  Hang in there as your school year winds down!

Steal Like An Artist--6th Grade Clay Looms

I'd consider myself to be what you call "trendy."  I really live life on the edge...I mean you might see me in socks and sandals one day and the next I'm wearing stripes on plaid.  Okay, so maybe our definitions of trendy are different, but I'm definitely not afraid to own a really bad style or trend, or to even try a new one!  But the art trend (which really isn't really a trend, but really popular in which students love) that I just haven't jumped right on board with is weaving.  It seems a little strange means I can make every design of a friendship bracelet and loved making a good God's Eye  in my youth (I used to even sell them at garage sales and lemonade stands).  I just wasn't confident and doing this with my students for some reason--WHICH WAS SO CRAZY OF ME, because I found it to actually be quite simple and fun.  After watching the weave-lovin' Cassie Stephens YouTube video like a trillion times I felt good to go.  Because of my low weaving self confidence, I totally stole this lesson from Beth over at It's Art Day!  Like straight up stole, so thanks Beth!

I used my favorite air-dry clay coloring technique--oil pastels with liquitex clear gloss over top.  This lesson was actually kind of amazing.  I had planned several days for students to do the weaving portion, as I knew it would take some time.  I kid you not, without me asking just about every single 6th grade student (except for like 5) almost begged to work on their project outside of class time. Yeah, that was real life. Amazing.  I was almost getting sick of the students coming down to my classroom to get more yarn!  It was simply awesome to see them so excited about it.  I know this was a rather simple lesson for 6th graders, but prior to my arrival (3 years ago) they only had art once every 16 days, so we still have a little catching up to do in some areas.

Don't forget to steal like an artist: