Keller Culture and Art Fair

For the second year, our school has put on a culture event. The staff asked if I would create art projects to be displayed the night of the event that correlated with what continent each grade was studying. Of course I said yes! I love working with classroom teachers and connecting art with other areas of the school. I got an early start and had no trouble doing a different culture/continent with each grade level. I hung the art on our cork strips and bulletin boards around the school which was nice that the art didn't have to go up and come down in one night. The event had families walk through the school to view the art and any other posters/projects the students created in their classroom. We also asked families and staff to bring a dish to sample from their culture. It was a huge success! With a school of about 200 kids, we had about 250 people come!

These first photos are from our Asian hallway created by 5th graders. We made Sumi-e bamboo banners, Ming dynasty inspired vases with cheery blossoms and hanging lanterns with one class doing a cherry blossom design and the other Hokusai's Great Wave. Thanks to my friend Leah at whatshappeningintheartroom for the lantern idea!

The Native American weavings were done by 4th grade I just love the way this display turned out!

Third grade made the papier mache milk jug African masks!

Second graders studied South America and I got this arpillera lesson from the wonderful Cassie Stephens blog! I cannot tell you how much they loved making those origami houses!

First graders did Europe and we painted Eiffel towers! Again, this fun lesson came fro the Cassie Stephens blog!

Last, was probably the most fun art viewing spot of the night, we turned a small room off of the gym into a Keller Cave! Students learned about cave paintings from their continent they were studying and created their own cave artwork. These all hung up in a dark room, with streamers blocking the entrance, flash lights and even a hidden spider made for some good times!

Lots of food, dancing, singing, and art! What a nice event! Already thinking about next years!

Happy Administrators Assistant Day!

The kiddos each added their thumb print to this vase as a gift for our wonderful secretary Nancy!

Clay Texture Charms

I snapped this picture of my first graders holding up their clay necklace charms they just finished in art this week. I love to do this little lesson along with our bigger clay project, (usually a pinch pot). They take a ball of clay and set it on their clay mat on the floor. Next, they step on it-gently! We discuss how the texture from our shoe will print into our clay! They love this! I come around and poke the hole at the top and write their name on the back while they are busy adding texture to their pinch pots. Once fired they used liquid watercolor to paint them, which only added a slight change in color from the terracotta clay, still looked beautiful. They then sponge painted with sax glitter gloss and the last step was to string beads that are symmetrical! Many of them tell me stories about how they gave them to mom or grandma as a gift and that the wear them all the time!