Snake and Tree: Fantasy and Reality

This is a fourth grade project that works on drawing skills using overlapping. The students look at famous works of art done by Salvador Dali and Thomas Cole. Comparing and contrasting the two landscape paintings students discuss the art styles of realism versus fantasy. They are then introduced to the first part of the drawing which is a realistic rendering of a tree. After discussing the ways trees and branches grow, the students are given specific requirements in order to create realistic looking trees. Students are then told that their trees must grow at least one thing, and this can be realistic like leaves or flowers or fantastic like money or candy. After completing this part of the drawing, the snake is then introduced. The snake curls up or down the tree and students practice making the snake disappear behind the tree and re-appear in front of the tree. The snake also needs to have a skin pattern which can be realistic or fantastic. After a discussion on color and how decisions on material used can help emphasize their realistic or fantastic drawing students complete the drawing by adding in a
background.

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Name Transformations

For the first mini drawing project, students were asked to write their first names in bubble or block letters and transform them into objects that reflect their unique personalities. Here are some amazing examples!!

3rd and 4th Grade Symmetrical Name Aliens

Third and Fourth Grade started the year off with a lesson on symmetry and pattern. After writing their names on a folded piece of paper, the names were cut out and details added. Patterns were introduced and added to their name aliens.

Pattern Names

The pattern name project was the initial piece for a larger unit of study. Student's were challenged with writing their names in block or bubble capital letters. All letters had to overlap the previous one. After sketching out their names, they had to fill each letter with a different pattern. The spaces where the letters overlapped also had to be different patterns. Students were challenged to create interesting and varied patterns. After creating their patterns, students erased the lettered outlines and colored their patterns with sharpie. Once they were finished, the patterns created the forms of their letters in unique and bold ways.

Ms. Edwards' Art Room

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