The Art of Recycling
By: Miss Rainy Day
Children love to recycle and love music. Children can create their own musical instruments from recycled everyday items such as shoe boxes, cereal boxes, cans, balloons, rubber bands, beads, cups, bells, paper plates, etc... Have supplies ready and ask students to create their own musically instruments using the available supplies. Example items may be shown, such as the shoe box rubber band guitar, the water bottle and rice maraca, and/or the paper plate with bells tambourine. Students love creating their own instruments! Student can play their instrument and create songs about what they are learning across the curriculum.
Rubber Stamps
By: Miss Rainy Day
What kid doesn't love stamps? For this activity you will need: *Soft white rubber erasers, enough for each student * Exacto knives, enough for each student * Pencils, for each student * stamp/ink pads, one at each table * Paper or something to stamp * Decorative stamps, for inspiration Alternative materials for those not comfortable with using exacto knives in the classroom: * Potatoes (replace eraser) * Plastic dinner knives (replace exacto knives) * Markers (pencils wont work on potato) Before activity: 1. Set up a demonstration area, include all items listed 2. Divide students into groups and leave an ink pad at each group table. Demonstration: 1. Ask students to gather round the demonstration table 2. Explain what you will be doing 3. Provide a demonstration, including different stamping techniques 4. Show example work from yourself and/or previous students Allow children to explore activity. Stamps can be holes in the rubber eraser or can be raised (cut around a drawing. Rubber stamp: For my rubber stamp, I drew a shoe print. As a child I loved shoe print stencils and had one on a ruler. For my shoe print, i drew a half circle for the heel and a rounded doorway for the toe of the shoe. I then used the exacto knife to cut around the shoe print. I then made a few more cuts around the print, tearing off what I could and then shaving around the print to make it a raised print. I continued until I had it how I wanted it. The first time I tried to do it, I drew the print too small and after I cut out my stamp, it fell apart. The second time, I drew the shoe bigger and it worked great. Potato Stamp: If you use a russet potato, you can cut them in half and give each child half of the potato. The children would then use makers to make a design on the potato to cut their stamp using the plastic knives. The designs should be made on the smoothly cut part of the potato where it has been divided. As a child, I made a potato stamp. My stamp was a heart. Note: If you use the potato stamp, you may also consider paint as opposed to ink.
An Artist Study
By: Miss Rainy Day
Well, you've heard of an author study, but have you ever heard of an
artist study?
When I was in middle school, my art teacher did an artist study, only
she picked the artist. It was memorable in a sense that I learned a
little bit about Pablo Picasso. From what I remember, and some of my
memory could be wrong, as I am looking back 10yrs, is that Picasso found
cubism and had a blue period. I remember thinking that he was deeply
disturbed, yet fascination.
If we allow students to select an artist from a list, or if we group
students and pick an artist ourselves for them to study, I think we
could engage students in art. They would develop a deeper understanding
of the artist and an appreciation of the work. Students should be given
the opportunity to research their artist. Students should also be asked
what they notice about specific pieces by the artist. Students should
be asked to write a list of what they noticed in each piece. They should
then be asked to notice similarities and differences in different
pieces of the artists work. The study should last for a couple weeks,
actual time may vary by classroom year to year. The students should be
given enough time to research their artist and analyze the artwork. At
the end of the study students should share their findings with their
classmates so that everyone has an opportunity to learn something new
about a variety of artists.
I will send more ideas as they come about.
Thank you.
Miss Rainy Day
