Natural Art Project

This week in Transfigurations, the Hogwarts students need to change natural objects into works of art. Here are some fun ideas I found on the Internet.

I love this ideas of taking a regular picture and adding natural objects to complete it! Have fun hunting for your natural items and transforming them into works of art. 

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Footprint Art

For Transfigurations this week the Hogwarts students have to put a little bit of paint on their feet and magically turn it into something amazing.
Check out these fun ideas I found on Pinterest to get your creative juices flowing!

I know it isn't Christmas yet, but this has to be my favorite! Where are some grandchildren when I need them?

Have fun putting those magic wands to work this week!)

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Batik Quilt Squares

We have just finished up learning about the Underground Railroad. I read the students a picture book about slaves who would hide secret clues about the underground railroad and the path to freedom in their quilts. To go along with this unit, I had the students create quilt blocks using a batik process. Since this is another folk tradition, I thought the two things went well together.

I don't have step by step instructions but it is actually very easy.
Simply use a square of white fabric.  You could use a T-Shirt or a handkerchief or even a tote bag. I just ripped a white sheet into squares for my students.

Design your piece. I had my student create images that may have been used as clues in an Underground Railroad quilt: houses, rivers, trees, etc.

Create your simple drawing on the white fabric with Elmer's Gel Glue. Gel glue has a thicker consistency and works well for this project.

Let the glue dry. Then use watered down acrylic paints to cover the square. Cover up everything-- glue and all.

Let the paint dry. Then stick the square into hot water for 5 or 10 minutes. The gel glue will dissolve- leaving the outlines of the picture in white. I love the finished product. This was a fun new art technique to try.

Here is the website where I got this terrific idea.

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Pattern Fish

We just started our new unit on fish and I had the students create these cool patterned fish.

There are no rules: just print out the fish outline and start creating! I told my students that they needed to create at least 10 patterns on their fish and include at least 5 colors.

Creating patterns is such an important math skill so you are using both sides of the brain with this project. Plus it is lots of fun.

You can find patterns in your clothing, in your curtains and bedspreads, on your pillows and towels. Patterns are everywhere!

Set out some Swedish Fish as a snack. Make fish sticks for dinner. Or play Go Fish after your drawing is finished. Have fun with fish today! 

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Native American Indian Projects

We recently finished up our Native American Indian unit at school. Here is a sampling of my favorite projects from that unit.

Indian Dioramas
The students were divided into groups to create some Indian Dioramas. They were to research their assigned tribe and then create a diorama that illustrated the following four things:
The Place the Tribe Lived
Their Houses (Hogans, Long Houses, Tepees etc.)
Their Clothing
Their Food
I provided scrapbooking paper and clay to help the students get started. I think the addition of the specialty papers with sky, sand, forests etc. really helped get their creative juices going. Everything else the students created with materials from home. Aren't you impressed?

 Pueblo Indian Tribe

Iroquois Indian Tribe

 Navajo Indian Tribe

Sioux Indian Tribe

Wampum Belts

We followed a fantastic tutorial by There's a Dragon in my Art Room. Click on the link above. The kids were crazy about this project and several students created two or three different headbands, arm bands, bracelets etc. We used meat trays donated by our local Fresh Market meat department. They worked out great. 

Indian Cave Drawings
Here are some of our cave drawings. Each of the students had to tell a story using the Indian symbols that I provided. They then wrote their story in a circle on a piece of large paper bag. Several of the students crumpled their bags to make them look more authentic!

Find a great printout of Native American picture symbols here.

Finally, here is a gorgeous Sacajawea puppet made by one of my students.

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