Sixth GradeOutlined below is a sampling of projects that are part of my sixth grade curriculum. While I try to fit as much as possible into this 9 week course, student pace, weather, and testing schedules may prevent us from completing every project listed below. Projects are not necessarily in the order we will complete them.
|
Project Descriptions
JAPANESE TEACUP
Students create a teacup using the pinch technique. Teacup walls are pinched to be even in thickness and the bottom is carved out to prevent air pockets. Students also create a lid with a "lip" to secure the top on the cup when moving. Finally, students add detail with extra clay and/or carving into the cup. An important part of this lesson is discussing the Japanese tea ceremony and its significance in Japanese culture.
COLOR WHEEL
Students learn about color relationships with this project. They learn how to take the three primary colors and mix them to make our secondary and intermediate hues. In addition, students learn the difference between value and intensity as well as identify different types of color schemes. Creating their own color wheel and a quiz on color vocabulary round out this unit.
VAN GOGH'S SUNFLOWERS
Students learn about the life and art of Vincent Van Gogh. Texture is the element of art emphasized in this studio project that asks students to recreate Van Gogh's famous painting of sunflowers. Creating movement with their brushstrokes is the principle of design students work to emulate.
CLAM DRAWING
Mark Kistler, host of the Imagination Station, helps introduce shading techniques with a fun cartoon drawing from his award winning series. After his 20 minute tutorial, students expand on his clam drawing to create an underwater landscape emphasizing contrast, detail, and blended shading.
CASTLE DRAWING
In this unit, students learn about the medieval time period focusing on the purpose and construction of castles. Students then create their own castle on paper being mindful to make their structure consistent with medieval characteristics. Creating a stone and/or brick pattern on their structure along with placement of the building in a plausible setting are paramount to the success of this project.
O'KEEFFE FLOWER
Students learn about the life and art of Georgia O'Keeffe. In this unit, students learn how to "crop" their image of a flower to eliminate most of the negative space in the composition. Color and shape are the elements of art we focus on while balance and emphasis are the principles of design we strive for in this lesson. Students add color with pastels thoughtfully choosing hues that evoke a desired mood. The capstone to this unit is comparing O'Keeffe's art and life to that of Vincent Van Gogh pushing students to exercise those higher level thinking skills.
RIGHT HEMISPHERE DRAWING
This drawing exercise applies discoveries in brain research to the teaching of drawing. Taken from Betty Edwards, Drawing on the Right Side of the Brian, this exercise is designed to release creative potential and tap into the special abilities of the visual, perceptual right hemisphere of the brain. I like to keep the details of this a surprise, so be sure to ask your son/daughter what they learned in this lesson!
NicoTEAM POSTER CONTEST
The NicoTEAM Poster Contest is an annual tobacco prevention education event for area schools in grades 6-8. Students are tasked to design posters that address the risks of tobacco and its effects on overall health. A special page provides additional information about this event at the top of the home page. Crestwood has dominated in this event scooping up over half the awards for multiple years! Definitely worth a look!
PREHISTORIC ART
Students learn that our first written language was pictorial created by prehistoric man. Looking at the cave paintings in America's southwest, students learn their significance and create their own pictographs. We end with an activity asking our classmates to decipher the message we created through traditional southwest motifs.