Recycling Art Project

For this activity we were asked to create a work of art with recycled material. We were given some background information on recycling and how much it really affects our Earth. We were given a pop can and asked to create a fish with our pop can. They had a few examples they did themselves and incorporated at least 3 colors and 2 patterns. I created a blue fish because I had a blue can and then glued on the fins with the different patterns. I also added a simple pattern on the fish. We also were given another activity to do while we waited for the paint to dry on our activity. The instructions painted the cardboard beforehand and then we were asked to glue down the caps according to the color. For example, we used green bottle caps for the seaweed and orange caps for the fish. The picture I have is not the final project but it is a example of the activity. This was a really fun activity and they wrapped up the lesson by telling us that we can all work together to help save the environment just like we did on our projects. They also said they only saved material for this activity for about 1 to 2 months and they gathered lots of materials, this shows us how frequently we use bottles and it takes a long time for them to decompose.

An extension activity for this project would be having each student come up with a different way on how they could help recycle or reuse materials. They would have to write two to three sentences telling about their idea and even as a class they could decide on the best one and do it in their classroom. This could be a activity for science and language arts. 

Scratch Art

For this activity we created a scratch art mitten. We were given instruction to first color a piece of paper with at least 2 different colors. After we colored out sheet we taped it to cardboard and painted it with black paint. The paint was tempera paint with soap in it. After we painted it we needed to wait for it to dry. While we waited for the paint to dry we listened to a book called Mittens and it was about animals and a missing mitten. After we read the story we created a mitten design on scratch paper. After we created our design we traced it on our scratch art paper and transferred our design. This was a lesson plan designed for 2nd graders. It was lots of fun!

An extension for this activity would be to have the students create a story to go along with their mitten. They can either write or draw a story to go along with it. If I had them create a story I would have this activity for third or fourth grade. It was a really fun lesson. 

Totem Pole Activity

For this activity we created a totem pole. We started the activity by talking about what we know about totem poles. We then got a little background information about it, like how they are made, what kind of colors they use, and why they are made. After we finished the background information, we were asked to pick an animal we wanted to incorporate onto our totem pole. I chose to do a beaver and this was my final project. We had to have at least three different colors incorporated into it and at least 2 3D shapes on it. The ears and nose are 3D and I used the colors brown, blue, and purple. It was a really fun activity.

An extension activity for this would be to create the totem pole and then have then make a story to go along with it explaining what your totem pole means. This would be an activity for a language arts lesson. 

Decorative Tiles

For this project we were asked to create decorative tiles from clay. We were taught about the basics of creating clay projects and there was lots of group instructions. We were told to knead and score our projects and we could create whatever we wanted. I created a "K" and wrote me name on the side. I used the colors purple and blue for my tile. It was hard to get the "K" to stick to the tile because we needed to stitch it to the project. It was air drying clay so we didn't need to fire it, which made it really easy to put together and paint. It was a fun activity.

For an extension activity I would incorporate math because I could have the students write numbers on them and they could be hung up around the classroom for the students to see everyday. We could also do it for the alphabet. This would be an activity for younger students. Students would be given the activity at the beginning of the year and for younger students I would have the clay cut out and just have them write or create the letter or number for the clay. Then they can also color it whatever color they like.

Weaving a coaster

For this project we were asked to weave coasters. We learned about weaving and listened to the book called Gathering Blue. They took us step by step through the process and we wove the yarn on a piece of cardboard. It was a fun activity.

For an extension activity, I would include this project with a math lesson. We could integrate patterns in the coaster and patterns in a math lesson.

Greeting Cards Printmaking

This was the lesson Courtney and I co-taught together. We had the class create holiday landscapes and then print them on a sheet of paper and then glue the print on the card. We introduced printmaking and talked about Andy Warhol and his history with printmaking. We then explained the process of printmaking. There were many instructions with this lesson, so we made sure to take the time to instruct on each step.

An extension activity, would be to include a requirement for the inside of the card. We could require students to write three sentences, using correct grammar and capitalization within the card. This would be an activity for art and language arts. 

Paper Mosaic Creations

For this lesson we created paper mosaics that showed the season we were giving. We thought of something for out silhouette that represented out season. I chose to do a pumpkin spice latte for the season of fall. After we came up with our silhouette we needed to start gluing down the paper pieces to create a background for our silhouette. We needed to show some of the colors that represented fall. They cut out all the pieces for us but in a classroom they said they would have students cut it out and maybe use a full piece of construction paper. 

As an extension activity we could incorporate a math lesson with the shapes. They could still have all their seasons pictures on the sheet but they would need to include at least 4 different geometric shapes in the background. So for example instead of just using squares they would need to include a triangle, rectangle, or circle into the drawing.