A Room 4 Art - Website for Art Classes with Miss K. at Arnold Mireles Academy, Chicago Public Schools

- 4th to 5th Grade Gallery -

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Fourth Grade - Value Scales & Nature Studies

Our first assignment of this school year was about learning to control a pencil - to create Values in an 8-step scale.

We put that knowledge to use in some drawings of items from nature that the class collected. They chose which Media to use: ebony pencil, china marking pencil or vine charcoal in their studies.

Fourth Grade - O’Keeffe Style

Next, we learned about Abstract art and the work of American artist, Georgia O’Keeffe.

She often painted objects from nature but enlarged them so much that they became abstract art - hard to tell what they are! So, our first step was to draw one more natural item - but made them so large, they went off the edge of the paper in at least 2 places.

We then practiced values again, this time using color media: watercolors, chalks and colored pencils. I introduced them to 3 different types of colors, and they chose one to use to complete their drawings with color values:

• Warm - [See 2nd grade Trees project.]
• Cool - [See 2nd grade Trees project.]
• Neutral - Colors not found in the spectrum or rainbow: black, white, gray & brown.

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Fourth Grade - The Buildings Project

One of the kids’s - and my - favorite lessons is this one ;-). We looked at and sketched architecture from around the world, then formed groups and chose one to build together. [While working, they keep track of their progress [or lack of] in a Journal, which is a part of the final grade.]

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• Since these photos were taken in the early stages of their creation, you may not recognize the buildings yet...but you will!
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Every group was also required to present their sculpture to the class, with a few required facts [& anything else they think is of interest!] -

• Where - is the building or structure located?
• When - was it made?
• What - is its purpose or function - and is it still used today?

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• In case you do not already know...
  1. The Willis Tower, Chicago, Il. - USA
  2. The World Trade Center [pre-2001], New York, Ny. - USA
  3. The Tower Bridge, London, UK
  4. The Eiffel Tower, Paris, FRANCE
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We are currently finishing some T-shirt designs...photos soon!

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Fifth Grade - Contour Drawing

We begain this year with some exercises to help us look more carefully at what we are drawing. These Contour drawings were done in 2 ways: Blind [only looking at the object, not the paper] and Sighted [stopping to look at where you’ve been & where you’re heading on the paper].

A final, sighted contour drawing of a hand or shoe was done for the first assignment - students also had to check Proportions to make sure all sizes were as close as possible to reality.

• » Examples of Blind Contour Drawings
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• » Examples of Final Contour Drawings
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Next, as with many of the classes, we reviewed and learned about new color schemes, or color plans - and chose one to use. In addition to Warm and Cool colors, they could also use a Complementary color plan. These are pairs of one warm and one cool color: orange + blue, red + green or yellow + violet.

Once all color was added, artists chose a background color to use as a frame:

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Fifth Grade - Egyptian Cartouche

We have just begun a plaster-casting project that involves designing our own "good luck charms" - necklaces that use Egyptian symbols or hieroglyphs. Before the plaster could be poured, we had to make modeling clay molds, first - cut bits of straws were used to leave a hole in the pieces:

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Everyone released and cleaned their piece, then we charted colors used in Ancient Egyptian artworks and discussed how to mix them with tempera paints. They are all nearly done with the color work, so next we’ll add cords or string in order to wear them.

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• We also discussed using contrast when planning the colors - so the symbol can be easily seen.
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Fifth Grade - New Product Designs

Our first group project of the year was to brainstorm and select an idea for a new product, then build a model of it and present a "commercial" for it to the class.

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• Our Designs are for -
  1. Clean-A-Nator: Robotic cleaner.
  2. Hydro Pack: Flight and Storage
  3. Skyline: Police skateboard
  4. Auto Maker: Instant clothing
  5. Time Pack: To travel or revise
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We are now making coil pottery - just started practicing with modeling clay.

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