Anyone out there have a great "filler" lesson for 5th grade. We are doing printmaking (abstract ) and some kids are ready to print, some still have a lot more work to do before they can print. I want to give the students that are done something fun but relevant to work on. (not just free time) Something non-messy, like drawing. Maybe a neat abstract drawing that wont take a lot of my time to explain.....I'm stuck on any great ideas.....Would love some help!
In a similar situation I came up with an activity where the children traced lightly around their hand and part of their arm on an A3 piece of paper they then turned this into a sort of prehistoric creature or 'where the wild things are' kind of monster by adding teeth between the thumb and pointer finger or made the thumb into a beak. Scales, stripes, spikes etc were added and then a jungle of different types of leaves and vines behind them. All using a soft drawing pencil to create pattern, line, shapes and texures. The kids loves it!
ReplyDeletegood luck!
I keep a basket of gourds (left over from around Halloween) in the back off the room with some 5" X 5" paper beside it. When kids finish early they grab a gourd and some paper and sketch the object, shading the "sphere" and including shadows (that was our first lesson of the year). I then matt the drawings and add to our collection. Looks pretty professional!
ReplyDeleteHave them do a one-line drawing. Start on an edge and they have to fill the paper with that one line curving, zigzaging across and around. No stopping and starting a new line!
ReplyDeletenot an abstract drawing, but sometime i will give my student 3 thing to pick from to draw.. the other day i told them to draw "a scruffy looking nerfherder." which is from Starwars. but they dont know what it is.. and i dont either.
ReplyDeleteAlso i make a list of funny super hero name exp. like sun tan lotion boy, Rope Girl, and have them make the Super Hero outfit. Then i have them write story about thier super hero.. Also they can makeup the arch enemy of thier super hero... it fun.
Last think.. is Flanimals... dont know what they are.. it is a book.. google it.. they are like monster. who doesnt like monsters...
laster.. Mr. R....
Patterned cups, you use ball point pens on styrofoam cups, and have them create the design for the cup that must go all the way around.(An art teacher from my area shared this at a tech in arts meeting) Another thing I do is give drawing assignments like: Draw your ultimate tree house, design the coolest roller coaster, Draw your dream bedroom, draw yourself in twenty years, draw what your favorite song looks like not the words, take off your shoe and draw it. I have list I keep for emergency lesson plans.
ReplyDeleteI've used one lesson with great success from Kindergarten to High school age students. I call it "What will you put in your jar?" It usually involves 3 jars, side by side or overlapping. I draw them on the board as a guide. They place their favorite things in the jars. They can vary the jars' style and size. It poses some thinking as to the placement of the objects. If I am using it as a filler it's an anything goes project. However, sometimes I give more guidance and cover some really important design principles.
ReplyDeleteThe students enjoy the project and get a kick out of stretching some things to fit in their jars.
Another project is to write 5 or more objects on the board and the students have to include the objects in their drawings...it's usually off the wall things that are not normally put together. It's fun for all.
I like all the ideas everyone gave! I have the students write a little bit about what they have learned so far with the lesson. They write that in their sketchbooks, then after they free draw while waiting for others to finish.
ReplyDeleteHow about some printmaking with pencil erasers? They can use their pencil and markers to give the stamped circles some color. Turn it into a lesson about pointellism and patience.
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