Hokusai's Great Wave

Could these be any more wonderful?!?!  3rd graders learned about the Japanese artist Hokusai and looked at his painting, The Great Wave off Kanagawa.  Students then tried their hand at creating a simple replica of the painting. They are fantastic!

The Great Wave off Kanagawa

1832

Pixel Portraits

Pixels are coming back!  Thanks to the game, Minecraft, students are better able to understand what a pixel is.  Pixels are small little squares that make up the images on computer and television screens. The screen is divided up into a matrix of thousands or even millions of pixels. Typically, you cannot see the individual pixels, because they are so small. However, in Minecraft, just like they were back in the 1980's, pixels are enlarged so you can see each square that makes up the picture.  Furthermore, each pixel can only be one color at a time. 

Students created their pixel portraits using a grid I created and outlining their portrait in pencil first before adding color.  Finally students cut little squares of construction paper to complete their pixel portrait.   

The best part about pixels, is that they can also be used in math class!  Student's took their portraits to math class and calculated the area, circumference, and made bar graphs for numbered of squares used per color.

Name Sculptures inspired by Dubuffet

3rd graders learned about 3D sculptures while looking at the artwork of Jean Dubuffet.  We specifically looked at how sculptures must be interesting from all view-points, there is no front or back.  As you walk around a sculpture, it should look interesting from every angle.  We looked at Dubuffet's sculpture, "Monument with Standing Beast" that is outside the Thompson Center in downtown Chicago. 

Students first learned how to write their name in bubble or block letters before coloring them in, both on the front and back of the poster board.  Students then cut out each letter and began the process of learning how science plays a role in sculpture making.  If a sculpture doesn't have a sturdy base, or has too much weight on one side, it will not stand.  The students had a great time making these and I am so proud with how they turned out!