Paper Lanterns.

After learning about different types of lanterns and their significance in China and Japan, the 5th graders got to paint their own paper lanterns! 

 

Folded Hand Fans.

2012: Year of the Dragon.

After reading The Legend of the Chinese Dragon, by Marie Sellier, the kindergarteners created the scales to form their own Chinese Dragon!  Paper plates and oil pastels were used to create this beautiful, mythical creature!

Chinese Banners.

Koi Fish & Chinese Calligraphy.

All kindergarten, first, and second grade students should now know the story, The Legend of the Dragon Gate, about a koi fish who perseveres through a hard journey and becomes a Chinese dragon!  I've included the video the students were shown, where wonderful illustrations tell the story of that koi fish.  The students then created paintings of koi fish with the Chinese calligraphy symbol for "fish."  I have many Chinese calligraphy symbols displayed in my classroom - - many of the students didn't want to just use the symbol for fish, so they painted a variety of other symbols, too!

VanGogh's Flowers.

In kindergarten we talked about Vincent VanGogh and his famous Starry Night painting.  I also showed the kindergarteners VanGogh's Sunflowers painting.  In my classroom I've hung a copy of the Sunflowers painting that I painted for a class, and told them, "Sometimes if you really like a painter, it's fun to try to paint in the same way they do.  Just like if you wanted to be a good basketball player, you might try to copy the skills of a famous athlete."  After watching a brief video about VanGogh and talking about how he painted with lines, each of the kindergarten students received 3 small pieces of paper that they could draw flowers on (with oil pastel -- or "soft crayons" as some students say).  With our flowers we recreated VanGogh's Sunflowers painting, and now each classroom's "painting" is hanging proudly in their homeroom.  What a beautiful project!

VanGogh's Starry Night

VanGogh's Sunflowers

Students' Sunflowers

Mayan Masks.

Mayan masks were created by people in the ancient Mayan Civilization.  The masks were created from stones and placed over the face of an important leader at their funeral.  The purpose of the mask was the protect the leader after death.  The focus of this project was symmetry (of the mask and headpiece) and using the technique of pointillism (painting with dots).

Mayan Calendars.

The ancient Mayan Civilization (located in Southern Mexico and part of Guatemala) started about 5,000 years ago, and mysteriously disappeared around 900 A.D.  Their calendar was a circle shape, incredibly detailed, and had a sun/face as its middle focal point.  Here are a few Mayan Calendars created by 1st and 2nd graders!

Optical Illusion Drawings.

While learning about shape and form, 5th graders created what I like to call "lava twister" drawings.  The way to start these drawings is fairly simple; ask your 5th grader to show you how!