Elementary Arts Medley

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While teaching Elementary at Richard McBride during 2017, some basic art projects came to light as being particularly engaging and successful.

The focus of these projects was to not only experiment with new techniques and materials, but also allow students to explore their self-expression and unique vision.

One of these projects was the charcoal life drawing session I ran with the Grade 5 students. Students worked on composition and shading, and some of them selected something different from the setup to shade instead. The resulting display was very eye-catching and made them very proud.

Another extremely fun project was a whole class doodle project, in which we explored the power of line as an element after studying examples of it in class.

The oversized wall display had a finding Waldo-inspired game for the viewers, and we hid lots of different elements on it for viewers to find. Recess was always a hit, with students trying to find "22 eyeballs" or "12 cupcakes".

As a way to explore prototype building and incorporate art into science, we designed our own fidget spinners and took them home to paint over the Summer break. This was one of grade 5's favourite project.

The quick project below was based on the work of Edwin Wurm. Students were introduced to a select number of his works, and became really excited about modifying the space around them in an easy and artistic way. After we performed our chair sculpture, students tested different poses holding pens and other objects. Much fun!