Oldenburg-Inspired POPsicles

Instead of doing a clay project with my fifth graders this year, I decided to have them do small sculptures, a la Oldenburg. I found this lesson via Pinterest and knew I wanted to try it!

Miss Caruso (my student teacher) taught this one from start to finish and did a great job! To begin, she shared with the kids some Pop Art, including photos of works from famed soft sculptor Claes Oldenburg. She did an awesome job getting the kids to guess what materials were used, and how big the sculptures are in person. We found this video, which the kids loved:

Next up, she had the kids make their very own twin pops!

Using a toilet paper roll (or paper towel roll cut in half lengthwise), each kid smashed and folded their tube, then cut it to the proper shape:

Then closed off the entire top and bottom middle with masking tape:

Stuffed it with paper towel pieces to give some body:

And glued in some popsicle sticks to finish 'er off:

On the second day, kids painted their first coat of acrylic paint:

While the first coat dried, students worked on brainstorming their own proportion-funky sculptures via a worksheet that Miss Caruso developed. By the end of class, second coats had been added.

On the third and final day of the project, kiddos added other colors to finish off their Pop Art popsicles!

The majority of pops aren't very realistic (despite discussing this point and encouraging students to make a popsicle that a grocery chain might actually want to sell) and some of them are sloppy, but the kids liked making them and were thoroughly exposed to Oldenburg, sculpture, and Pop Art. So while I might alter the painting stipulations if I do it again, overall, I'm happy with the results.

And now I'm hungry. Again.

Chameleon Sculptures!

My student teacher is working on Chameleon Sculptures with the second grade, and I'm just as nuts for them this year as last! It's great for working those tactile skills, forming a sculpture that the kids TOTALLY DIG, and studying a little science. (For next year, I've ordered Chameleon's Colors and A Color of His Own to use, adding a literary connection.)

This is a popular project that I've seen on several blogs: Artolazzi, smART Class, and Art with Ms. Gram are a few.

Taking a cue from other teachers, we used the following video to get pumped!

That music gets me every time.

Assembling the chameleons is a little time consuming and can be difficult for some kiddos, but it's totally worth it. For step-by-step instructions, I highly recommend any of the websites mentioned above; Ms. Gram provides a nice graphic for assembling these little lizards.

At one point, a group of girls all started to whine about the folding part, saying, "we can't do this!" So I said:
Mrs. Connell: "Oh good, that's what every teacher wants to hear--I can't!"
2nd graders: "Haha, noooo, you're being silly!"
Mrs. Connell: "You're right. I was being sar--"
2nd grader: "Casket!"

It's true; I am very sarcasket.

On the second day, kiddos finished decorating and cutting their bodies before creating legs...

Making eyes...

And adding a tongue to finish 'em off!

For whatever reason, we had very few early finishers this year, whereas last year the kids were manufacturing these suckers like nobody's business. In that instance, I told kiddos to make their new pet a birth certificate. Not only does this incorporate a little writing, but it's hilarious!

This project is awesome. Go do it right now! And if you need any more visual encouragement, here are two videos that my kids love:

I have major doubts about that last one being legit, but MAN-O-DAY, is it cool to watch! Does anyone else say "man-o-day"? My mother has said it for years and it makes zero sense to me. But now I say it. Uh oh.

Trapeze Artists

Holy daylight saving time, Batman! Anyone else teaching half-awake today?

Maybe this project will wake you up. It was a Pinterest find (from Use Your Coloured Pencils), and hits a lot of goodies--figure drawing, design, and sculpture, to name a few.

We started out talking about the art of trapeze, and looking at photos and video of trapeze artists in action! I showed a portion of this video clip, which is from one of the Cirque du Soleil shows. Despite discussing why fitted clothing and athletic bodies are important parts of trapeze, some of my kiddos couldn't control their giggles when they saw the tight costumes and muscular booties--but you'll have this with 8-year-old boys.

The kiddos' creativity really kicked in when it came to designing their trapeze artists--they were seriously PUMPED about this part! Reminds me of all the fun I had with paper dolls as a child.

Once the designing was done, the coloring began. Like Use Your Colored Pencils, we used oil pastels-- the kids loved the bright, bold finish. We had some smudges, but from a distance, it's just fine. Coloring took us into the second day. Please enjoy the following: Miss Trunchbull's trapeze twin, a man with jaundice, and Kermit the Frog, also known as a typical day in elementary art.

When the front was colored, kiddos cut out their performers and worked to make the backs match.

Then it was time to assemble (which took some students into a third day)! I showed the kids how to make the trapeze by threading pre-cut yarn through a clear straw. Other than that, they were on their own for figuring out how to get these things together. Staplers seemed to be the number one choice for attaching people to bars--ouch!

Our school's alarm system is highly sensitive (so I'm told) and therefore I couldn't dangle these from the hall ceilings, so they're swinging high in the art room instead!

The third graders LOVED these and my other students remain quite envious!

By the way,  I debated having my third graders trace a figure or make their own, and ultimately decided that drawing their own would be too time-consuming and probably quite frustrating for all parties involved. Instead, I made a stencil that they traced. If you have tried this project or plan to in the future, what route did/will you take?

I think this project is a total keeper. I also think that I need a nap.

Update: As some of the kiddos finished early, I challenged them to design a poster that would advertise and entice people to come to their very own trapeze show. Some of the results were fabulous (and hilarious!) and I cannot help but to share!

From one of my favorite children of all time... what a ham.