Saturday, March 12, 2011

Random pics, 6th grade

Sydney's diver
My 6th graders are an intense bunch, and took this project WAY beyond what I expected. As a result, some kids are STILL finishing their sculptures. So as they get done, I'll show you a few more.

Sarah's Doodle 4 Google entry
Last year the kids all participated; this year I just gave the forms to those who wanted to work on them on their own. Sarah (6th grader) never ceases to amaze me.
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Below, Ethan is flexing his trihexaflexagon, a work-in-progress combining math and art.
These are 2 views of the same side, with one rotation. (I'm sure you don't know what I'm talking about, but I can't really explain except to say these are REALLY COOL and a long time fave of my 6th graders. I'll show you more when they are done, and attempt a better explanation of the magic of flexagons.)

Wingless Lucy is climbing the walls.
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Leaving the school parking lot, Fri. at dusk

8 comments:

  1. how do you handle the "I'm done, now what?" in your art room? my middle school-ers have a sketchbook with ongoing assignments they can pick up whenever, but I know I am going to hear this on Monday when some 3rd graders are done coloring Mona Lisa portraits while other are still drawing. (I have some ideas, but I'm curious to know what others do)
    Thanks!
    Sarah

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  2. I love the empty parking lot! I went to the school at 4;45 yesterday and our parking lot was bare too. I think everyone is spent with CMT's and ready for spring. Except the art teacher of course.

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  3. Sarah, it's always a problem. I overlap projects and with the 6th graders I usually start a less intensive paper project while the stragglers finish. For example, after the altered books, we did the surreal lockers. Some kids finished them at home to catch up. After the people sculptures, we began flexagons, which can be done rather quickly and independently. A couple of days a week the 6th graders are also allowed to come to art during study hall and the kids who are the most intense are usually the ones who show up, or they'd NEVER get done.

    For my 4th and 5th, they have a couple days a week they can come to art during lunch, and while there's not much time, they still can get a little done on projects. I struggle with what to do with the kids who take FOREVER, or the ones whose parents take them on vacation mid-project, or are "sick" all the time.

    For the kids who finish quickly, when I can no longer get them to do more on their current project, I do a few things. There's often "free choice" materials available, I have "drawing prompts" (kind of like story starters), and I often hand out jobs - scrubbing sinks, cleaning brushes, taking down displays, sorting artwork and delivering to hand back, etc. Even watering the plants (oh no, I just realized I forgot to water them on Friday!) Once in a while I have "famous artist coloring sheets" (though I'm not a big fan) and pages from an "anti-coloring book". I also have a huge puzzle that kids can work on - currently it's a Picasso. And there's a how-to-draw animals book that the kids just love. Hope that helps!

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  4. I absolutely LOVE that diver sculpture. Very impressive for 6th grade.

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  5. Thanks, Holly, I love the diver too, and the girl who made it is really special. I put out an all-staff email for styrofoam hunks for bases for the sculptures, and someone brought me an old styrofoam cooler chest. It was perfect for the cutaway pool. Then another 6th grader remembered I had a bunch of old tile in my closet, and Sydney used them on the top edge. Love the details. Wait till you see the SCUBA diver!!

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  6. I love that diver, too. I am still anxious to see the basketball player and see how that artist solved the balance problem.

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  7. The flexagons seems really interesting. I'd love to see it in detail.

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