Kindergarten:

We will continue with our color exploration by making fish that reflect color and emotion, then we'll make a big mobile to hang in the art room. The focus will be on learning warm/cool colors and primary colors.

 

First Grade:

The students will learn about the very earliest art created by humans. They will learn about the outlines of hands, which are the first evidence of human art, dated from 64,000 years ago. They will then learn about the various themes found in ancient art, including people, animals, and “magical” beings. They will use scratchboards to learn about the creation of petroglyphs, chalk art to make handprints, oil pastels to draw pictographs, and will draw pictures on stones as a means of connecting back to the earliest artists.

 

Second Grade:

The students will review the different genres of painting, including portrait and still life, and then will discuss landscape painting. Will observe effects to create a feeling of depth, and details within the landscape. They will then create their own landscape using multimedia, including collage.

 

Third Grade:

In this unit, we will explore realistic vs. abstract art by way of self-portraits. Students will be introduced to the concept of portraiture, and the use of portraits to display different concepts, emotions, and ideas. Students will be asked to use pencils to create a realistic portrait of themselves. When that is complete, they will be given much freer range of materials to create an abstract self-portrait. They will be able to compare the two styles and note which was easier, which was harder, and which one feels like it better captures who they are.

 

Fourth Grade:

In this unit, we will discuss some of the traditional types of medieval art, with special attention to medieval manuscripts and illuminated lettering. The students will learn about the meaning of illuminated letters via coloring pages. They will then have the opportunity to create a one-page illuminated manuscript, illuminating a poem or quote of their choice. Their first letter will follow the tradition of manuscript illumination, including the use of gold coloring, and the inclusion of illustration and marginalia.

 

Fifth Grade:

This week is all about exploration of value and color using paint! The students will learn about atmospheric perspective, and apply their understanding of color value to a landscape painting. They will then use their knowledge of tints and shades to pull their view back and make a beautiful star-filled deep-space scene. Use of painted shading will allow them to draw planets that look three-dimensional! Other techniques they’ll learn during this unit include sponge painting, color mixing with acrylic paint, brush double-loading, and paint layering to create depth.