Art and books go together like hot cocoa and marshmallows.

Fuller Meadow Kindergarteners have been making up our lack of snow lately with two winter themed projects. Each lesson started with a book and a song for inspiration.

I loved reading Lucky Pennies and Hot Chocolate to my classes, especially when we got to the end! 

This song is from scholastic.com. It went so well with this lesson.

K's created hot chocolate mugs using a resist technique with 

construction paper crayons and watercolor paints. Students even added "marshmallows" to their art to make it authentic!

For their second lesson, they used Jan Brett's The Mitten to inspire their own winter mitten, complete with a favorite winter animal peeping out.
We used the story and this song developed by Nancy Vandenberge to open the lesson.

Next we discussed how each animal can be drawn using different shapes.  The students loved making animals and tucking them in their mittens.

The finished projects were adorable!

What do you think of their winter themed artwork?

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.2: With prompting and support, retell familiar stories, including key details

Gnome Homes!

How can a simple form become the base for a unique sculptural work.

4th Grade artists are busy at work hand building whimsical clay gnome homes.  Students learned to use a basic pinch pot form as a starting point for both the roof and base of their clay sculptures.  Students also experimented with different textures to add designs and realistic details to their works.

Mrs. Magrath's 4th graders turning pinch pots into creative roofs.

The next step was to use the same pinch pot technique to create the bottoms of the homes. Students carved in details like doors and windows. They also learned how to attach pieces of their clay using the slip and score method. Students attached door knobs, curtains, benches, and even tiny pairs of gnome shoes waiting outside the door. I loved seeing all of their creative ideas!

Finally they added color.  Fourth graders choose 3 contrasting colors for their tops 

and used the reverse color pallet for the bottoms.  

The finished projects were adorable and the students were so excited about them!

February Mystery Artist

Thank you to all the students that did research and learned about the January Mystery Artist and designer of the Vietnam Memorial, Maya Lin.  

(The winning guess will be announced tomorrow morning)

Didn't submit a guess?

Don't worry, you can participate in the February Mystery Artist.  

Be sure to submit your guess by the end of the month.

February Mystery Artist Facts:

I was an African American painter.

I lived from 1917 to 2000.

My art showed stories of African American life.

                                                                          

One of my most famous works was called the Migration Series, which consisted of 60 paintings!