This was a perfect end of the year project. It didn't take too long to finish, and it kept the kids engaged. I traced a large circle onto sheets of smooth 8 x 11" cardstock. Students used watercolour and painted it generously with lots of water and paint to create little puddles of pigment. Then they laid plastic wrap over-top. Let these dry overnight and you will be left with a beautiful watery pattern from the plastic wrap.
On a separate sheet of paper, students drew an underwater creature of their choice.
They coloured them using either watercolour or coloured pencils. Cut out the water circle, then the object and glue it on top. These took about 2- 40 minute period to complete.
Hi there,
ReplyDeleteThis looks like a cool project. Just wondering, where do you get your students reference materials for drawing their creatures? Do they draw completely from memory, or do you have some kind of resources for them? It is my first time teaching Gr 4 - 8 art and I am overwhelmed and not sure where/how to get the kids good source materials, other than using tech, but our school does not have tech in our art room, and I can only borrow about 6 Chromebooks per class. Just curious to know how you overcome this hurdle. Thank you for any insight you can share!
Steph In Canada
Hi Steph,
ReplyDeleteGreat question! Yes, I always try to provide reference material- it helps the kids draw so much more successfully imo. For this project you could make a double sided handout of clip art of various underwater creatures. In my case, the students just come up to my desk one at a time and ask me to look up a picture for them. I will type in something like "narwhal clip art", or "narwhal colouring page". The students picks which image they like and I print it for them. This definitely takes some time but the laptop cart at my school is always booked solid by other classes and a hassle to get to my room. Hope this helps! In your case I would have the kids just share the chromebooks or make a handout.
Thank you so much for taking the time you respond! That helps a lot. Each classroom has about 6 Chromebooks, so I will borrow those during the art period and they will have to share. I have the same problem with the Chromebook carts, so frustrating. Good idea on the clip art as well. Any particular sites (other than Google images) you recommend for that?
ReplyDeleteThanks a bunch again!
Steph
Thank you so much for taking the time you respond! That helps a lot. Each classroom has about 6 Chromebooks, so I will borrow those during the art period and they will have to share. I have the same problem with the Chromebook carts, so frustrating. Good idea on the clip art as well. Any particular sites (other than Google images) you recommend for that?
ReplyDeleteThanks a bunch again!
Steph
Yes, laptop/chromebook carts are the worst! In my case you have to pre-book them online, then find time before class to go get them (and wheel them down a hallway through hoards of kids then load it into an elevator and do it all again at the end of class -----> a headache! This is why I try to make handouts.
ReplyDeleteI only use Google images for all my images. You could also sign out animal books from the school library and have kids use those for reference material.
Good luck!