ROBOTS & ROCKET SHIPS: TGE K-4th ART SHOW

So this marks the 15th K-4th art show I've done at TGE! Time flies so quickly.  It is also pretty amazing how much you learn over time to help with such an enormous task (this year 530 pieces of art hung).  Unfortunately...there are also things I never seem to learn & stress out each year(I think I live on stress some times?!?!).

This post I'll show you the whole sha-bang!  My plan is to break grade levels down...as well as tips for putting on a successful art show, and I place that in a series of blog posts.  I'd love to hear how you handle doing an all school art show as well!!  This old dog likes to learn new tricks!!! 

I'm in charge of the main hall boards...self promotion at its finest!!

My kids acting silly in front of the inflatable robot (something we already had at the school... thought it was a great way to advertise for the show!!)  

We are a Title 1 school (80%+)...so it is important to keep records of how many people attend our functions.  Plus..I like to see how the numbers stack up to years past.  The baskets contain THANK YOU cards that the kids made for those who attend.  We only had two left over...pretty good!! 

Activity table!!  I started doing activities at my art shows a few years ago. I love seeing the kids make things along side their parents/grandparents!!  

Here is the end product of the activity table!!
SO FUN!

KINDERGARTEN

Kindergarten did a mixed media project. They used crayon, water color, and construction paper.

1st GRADE

1st Grade did tempera paint robots with a pattern background (construction paper crayons). 

2nd GRADE

There are three different projects I displayed for 2nd grade.  There was a real struggle for consistency in this grade level's projects.  I ended up doing several under the theme...and letting them select their favorite. 

3rd GRADE

I hate to play favorites, but this project was my favorite out of the whole art show. The variety blows me away...and level of craftsmanship is WONDERFUL!  The students spent about three weeks on it.

The first week we painted alien landscapes.  The second week they created a unique rocket ship.  The third week they used colored pencils to add detail and "FINISH" the picture off.  I want to take half of them home with me!!!! ha ha 

4th GRADE

4th grade has two different projects they chose from.  I liked both lessons..and really was happy with their choices.  I feel it shows a great level of accomplishment, and that they are ready for 5th grade!  

Robot Blue Prints: 4th Grade

I had my 4th graders design a robot that would fulfill a need in their life.  It might make their bed, cook, do their homework, play....whatever!  We looked at blue prints and discussed the need to think things out completely before production begins.  They were asked to write a paragraph explaining the function & details of the robot, and why they made the choices they did.    They were required to draw a front, back, and side view of their creation.  It was challenging for some, but I really enjoyed helping them wrestle through the process.  

My Venting System

YA KNOW...WE JUST MAKE IT WORK SOME HOW! Haha

I decided to spray paint my 1st grade pinch pot robot heads silver...it was a cheaper & faster option for what I needed out of this project!  I don't have a vent system of any kind....even for my kiln. So I improvised!  I have two small windows in my room that open to the courtyard between two wings of our school.  I placed my drying rack on a level surface & then placed a flat plastic container on top with the clay evenly spaced.  I hung out my window and spray painted them...quickly shutting the window.  Not the most sophisticated method..but it worked.

ET PHONE HOME: Tints & Shades

I think I'm having flashbacks to my childhood....E.T. reaching up and pointing to the night sky!!! ha ha   I decided to have my 4th grade use complementary colors with tints & shades to create these other worldly sky paintings w/ cityscape & robot.    The kids really enjoyed the project...painting is a crowd fav!!! Over all they did well, but I noticed many of my students struggled to apply the paint in smooth brush strokes.  I kept telling them if it sounded scratchy..they did not have enough paint on their brush.  It is a skill we need to continue to develop!  

Pinch Pot Robot Heads: 1st Grade

So here are some of the first completed Pinch Pot Robot Heads created by my 1st graders.  I decided to spray paint their pots silver to speed up the process a bit.  We have several projects we need to finish, and if I can do complete 2 in one day....I'm going to do it!!  I allowed the students to use pipe cleaners (they created holes where they wanted them to go when we made the pinch pots).  I secured them in with hot glue.  The students used acrylic paint with Q-tips to paint the details on their robot heads.  I'm excited to see how the other classes do on finishing up this project!!  

How do you do pinch pots in your room??  

 

The Last of the Miro Robots: 3rd Grade

This last batch has some really interesting characters!!!  I was so happy to see some fresh ideas from my students, and that they weren't just copying Ms. Howell or I's example.