Second Grade Monster Pinch Pots

Students began this unit by examining street artist Phetus who creates bright and dynamic murals of monsters.  We discussed how street artists differ from many graffiti artists because they take the proper legal action and get approved permits for their work to be displayed on public buildings and spaces.

                                                                               Phetus


We spent one day exploring clay and using a variety of tools and textures to make impressions in the class.  To start these sculptures, we created a pinch pot building on the skills we learned from kindergarten.  Then we used the score and slip method to attach different parts to make a monster and finished by adding different textures by pressing a variety of objects into the clay. Students were excited to paint their clay once it came out of the kiln.

Student Art

Free Form Shape Mobile Installation

Second grade culminated their unit working with paper, by creating these free form shape mobiles. In preparation for these paper mobiles, we examined Brooklyn based artist Mia Pearlman and her vast use of paper to create installations (defined as art created for a specific space) inspired by weather patterns. Students learned a variety of paper sculpture techniques and created two types of paper sculptures using a base. The following class we compared French artist Henri Matisse with American artist Alexander Calder and discussed how both of their artworks incorporated shapes hard to describe and often seen in nature.  We defined those types of shapes as FREE FORM and compared them to other shapes such as GEOMETRIC and SYMBOLS.  Next, we used Matisse’s method of drawing with scissors, which he became very interested in during the last part of his life when confined to a wheelchair.  

With created a variety of FREE FORM SHAPES with our scissors by curving or point the edges of our geometric shapes and even adding some NEGATIVE SPACE with some cut outs.  The last part of this project, was to attach them to a string so they could become mobiles.  After closely observing the “father of mobiles” Alexander Calder, we defined a mobile as a type of KINETIC ART (ART THAT MOVES).  Our finished free form shape mobiles were combined to form an installation that hung in our halls. This art piece is also a test for how much self control our little ones have when passing it by in the halls.  

Mia Pearlman

The Creole Dance, Henri Matisse, 1950

Fish, Alexander Calder 1944

Poetry Meets Printmaking

or

Click Here to Hear Recited Poem

                                                                                                                             

I did a similar unit last year with second grade and it was a huge success. This year, we added in a poetry and technology element that really took it to the next level. To get started on this exciting printmaking unit, second graders did observational drawings of rubber insects, paying close attention to replicating the details they saw through different uses of line (short lines, crossed lines, curved,  diagonal etc.)  We started to discuss why people make art? Some students suggested people create for fun, to make other people happy, to or to serve a function.  For inspiration, students became familiar with the life and work of current Latin American artist and print maker Rimer Cardillo. In the 1970's Cardillo started to create artwork in an effort to protest violence occurring against everyday citizens, himself included, by a militant regime. During this time, Cardillo's artwork often combined photography with printmaking and would feature enlarged insects with bright colors to invoke a science fiction feeling.  

Rimer Cardillo working on one of his mixed media prints.

Rimer Cardillo, Cicadas Dog Day Announcer, 1978-1979

For our own prints, we traced our observational insect drawings onto a piece of foam and then redrew all of the lines we saw with a dull pencil, to make sure our design was pressed deep enough into the foam.  

Next, we rolled ink over our foam plates and pulled up to three prints each making sure to have clean fingers at all times!  Students were thrilled to see how much better their final print were after they became comfortable with the amount of ink that needed to be applied.  

The next class, students cut out their prints with funky scissors, labeled properly and mounted to a colored paper.  Before the bell rang, students scuffled around the room trading prints with their fellow artists!  

To add another layer of learning to our art making, students worked on creating poetry about their insect prints with their classroom teachers.  They read the book Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices by Richard Fleischman and acted out their stanzas with a partner. Then, with the help from their classroom teachers and the literacy teachers students wrote a poem about their insect they printed and recorded themselves reading their poetry with a partner. It all came alive, when their recording was turned into a QR code and displayed by their artwork, for viewers to scan and listen to while seeing the print that inspired their pros.

Students using QR code reader on tablets to listen to the poetry for each print.

Student Prints

Balancing the Idea of Sculpture

Nancy Graves


Student Sculpture

Students examined artist Nancy Graves and discussed how her work appears to defy gravity, by looking as if it could fall over at any moment, while at the same time maintaining complete balance! Next, we learned about the three c's of sculpture, which are construction, carving, and casting and even watched a video clip of Nancy Graves in her art studio demonstrating a few of those techniques.  To start our own sculptures, we spent the first day exploring how we could create a sculpture that stands up, but appears to be imbalanced in one or more areas.  Many students realized they could hide where certain objects were being supported, as well as use strong wood glue to help with the construction. 

On the second day, students were able to bring in their own found objects from home to add a more personal touch to their work.  Our young artists also became inspired by Japanese artist Sayaka Ganz and how she, similar to Nancy Graves, uses found objects to construct her artwork with recycled kitchen tools. When it was ready to paint, we explored the color wheel.  Students were able to choose a primary color and a secondary color that are next to each other on the color wheel, to create a tertiary color, in addition to white on their sculpture.  Can you locate where you see a tertiary color?  We will give you a clue:  The six tertiary colors are red-orange,  yellow-orange, yellow-green, blue-green, blue-violet,  and red-violet.

Nancy Graves

Sayaka Ganz

Student Artwork