Sunset Cityscapes - Art Lesson 3rd-5th Grade

In this project we learn about the wet on wet watercolor technique using warm colors to make a sunset.  Then we talk about silhouettes and about using the tips of our brush to color in the fine areas of our buildings and skyscrapers.  Here's the demonstration video:

I think these turned out pretty nice!  It took students about 4ish class sessions to complete.  Here are a few student examples:

How to make a Clay Piggy Bank

Our signature 5th grade ceramics projects at Prairie Ridge are themed piggy banks.  Students combine two pinch pots together to create a hollow form and decorate them in unique ways.  Slots are cut at the top for the coins.  Here is a demonstration video on how to make a ceramic piggy bank:

Once the piggy banks are built, we let them dry (bone dry) and bisque fire them in the kiln.  Then students paint them with low fire glaze for the glaze firing.  The finished products look awesome!

Here are a few examples:

Found Object Sculptures

We tried a new center this trimester called "found object sculptures" using recycled materials.  I've been piling up junk in the art storage for 10 years, so it was time to put that stuff to good use.  It's always a little stressful to just give the kids random materials and let them go.  I think the most important thing is to make sure the students understand the correct way to attach various pieces so the artworks don't fall apart.  So far there have been some very creative pieces!  This activity is best done at 3rd grade or higher.  It would be a great middle/high school project as well.

We started with a teacher example, as usual.  Here's a quick time-lapse video that I showed to the kids of my sculpture:

Teacher example:

Students then completed a found object sculpture assignment built step-by-step with the teacher.  After that, they are free to design and build their own creations.  Once finished, they have the option to paint their piece using acrylic paint.

Some student examples:

 

...and of course...the student who copies the teacher example: