Project Description: Students created comics to tell their stories and learned how sequential art has been used throughout history to tell stories.
Concepts explored: Sequential Art
Techniques used: Drawing, coloring, inking
Materials: 9x12” paper, colored pencils, sharpies, pencils
Grades: K-5th grade
Resources used:
Project Description: After listening to the read-aloud “Nico Draws a Feeling” by Bob Raczkya, students drew self-portraits that reflected the way they felt, not the way they looked.
Concepts explored: SEL, line, color psychology
Techniques used: Drawing, coloring
Materials: 8.5”x11” paper, markers, pencil
Grades: K-5th grade
Resources used
Click on image to download worksheet
Project Description: Each student created a felt quilt block inspired by the quilts of Gee’s Bend and the read-aloud of the book “Belle, the last mule at Gee’s Bend” by Calvin Alexander and Bettye Stroud. The middle school Fiber Arts class assembled the community quilt together by sewing each of the blocks by hand.
Concepts explored: Civil Rights, Martin Luther King, voting rights, quilt, balance (symmetry and asymmetry), color
Techniques used: Drawing, coloring, glueing, cutting, sewing
Materials: 4”x4” felt squares, colored pencils, scissors, tacky glue, needles, thread
Grades: 1st-8th grade
Resources used
Click on images to download worksheets
Project Description: Students created a butterfly inspired by Favianna Rodriguez’s “migration is beautiful” printed butterfly and learned about the migration of monarch butterflies.
Concepts explored: Immigration, transformation, symmetry, warm and cool colors
Techniques used: Drawing, painting with glue, water color
Materials: 9”x12” paper, pencil, black glue, water color, water trays, brushes
Grades: K-5th grade
Resources used
The lesson modified the video tutorial. Instead of creating a butterfly print, students painted it with black glue and watercolors.
Project Description: Students worked together to create a collaborative art piece for the school inspired by Jenie Gao’s murals in the Madison, WI community. They brainstormed on what it makes our community beautiful and painted their ideas on a roll of kraft paper.
Concepts explored: Community art, collaboration, team-work
Techniques used: Drawing, painting
Materials: Kraft butcher paper roll, tempera paint, acrylic paint markers, post-it notes
Grades: K-5th grade
5th graders had the opportunity to go on a field trip and visit one of Jenie Gao’s murals. Jenie Gao met them at the site and talked the students about her art process!
Resources used
Project Description: Students created proportional self-portraits using warm and cool colors inspired by Bisa Butler’s work.
Concepts explored: Warm and cool colors, proportion, self-portrait, identity
Techniques used: Drawing, coloring
Materials: 9”x12” paper, colored pencils, pencils
Grades: K-5th grade (modified for Kinder-1st grades)
4th-5th graders had the opportunity to listen to Bisa Butler speak live during a virtual presentation at the School of Human Ecology-UW Madison!
Resources used
Project Description: Students drew a personal story and used a variety of patterns to create a paper quilt inspired by Faith Ringgold.
Concepts explored: Pattern, civil rights
Techniques used: Glueing, cutting, drawing
Materials: Construction paper, glue sticks, thin tip sharpies, pencils, colored pencils
Grades: 2nd-5th grade
Resources used
Project Description: Students learned how Yayoi Kusama uses repetition and form in her abstract paintings, then students created their own, teacher-directed, flower inspired by Kusama’s flower forms.
Concepts explored: Form, abstract, repetition, pattern, color
Techniques used: Tempera painting
Materials: Paper plate, tempera paints, water trays, stamp brushes, scissors, pencil
Grades: 1st-5th grade
Resources used
Project Description: Students learned how Berthe Morisot used value in her impressionist paintings, then students created their own, teacher-directed, flower vase.
Concepts explored: Value (tints), impressionism
Techniques used: Tempera painting
Materials: 9”x12” paper, pencil, tempera paints, water trays, brushes
Grades: 2nd-5th grade
Resources used
Project Description: Students learned how Georgia O’Keefe used space to create abstract landscapes and created their own, teacher-directed, mountain scene.
Concepts explored: Abstract, space, foreground, middle ground, background, value (shades)
Techniques used: Drawing and watercolor painting
Materials: 9”x12” paper, watercolor, pencil, crayons
Grades: 2nd-5th grade
Resources used
Project Description: Students learned about Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” painting and created their own modified version inspired by their home.
Concepts explored: Implied and impasto texure, repetition
Techniques used: Drawing and painting
Materials: 9”x12” paper, tempera paint
Grades: 2nd-5th grade
Resources used
Project Description: Students were inspired by Mondrian’s use of shape and primary colors to create an abstract design.
Concepts explored: Abstract, shape, color
Techniques used: Cutting and glueing
Materials: Card stock paper in primary colors, scissors, glue sticks
Grades: Kinder-2nd grade
Resources used
Project Description: K-5 students were inspired by Joan Miro’s visual language to create personal surreal stories with lines and shapes.
Concepts explored: Surrealism, shape, line, storytelling
Techniques used: Watercolor, glue painting, drawing
Materials: Watercolor, black glue, pencils, brushes, water trays, 9”x12” paper
Grades: Kinder-5th grade
Resources used
Project Description: K-5 students were inspired by Keith Haring’s work to create an art journal using his drawing style and used symbols to explore their identity.
Concepts explored: Identity, line
Techniques used: Drawing, book making
Materials: Pencils, markers, paper, stapler, washi tape, 8.5”x11” paper
Grades: Kinder-5th grade
Resources used
