Gnome Sweet Gnome

In this project, fifth graders first thought about what materials a gnome might use to build his or her house in the woods- moss, sticks, acorns, mushrooms, leaves, bark, etc. After sketching out a design, students learned how to roll clay using a rolling pin and wooden slats to create a slab of consistent thickness. Most students then stood the slabs up to create cylinders that became the walls of their gnome house (a few other methods were used depending on the design). Additional slab roofs and other details were carefully added and beautifully glazed later. The results were whimsical and fun!

Tree and Foliage Printmaking

In this printmaking project, fifth grade artists first learned to draw a realistic tree. These drawings were later re-imagined with a stylized aesthetic. The stylized design was transferred to a rubber-like material and students used special carving tools, called gouges, to carve away the negative spaces around their tree. When the carving was complete, students used various colored inks and papers to print their trees. In the final phase of the project, leaves were gathered from outside and students used markers to create colorful foliage prints on top of their relief-printed trunk and branches. I love the results- the delicate marker prints were transparent enough not to cover the trunk completely, which happened the other time I did this project and the students used carved leaves and printing ink...

 

African Mask Webquest!

(My fifth graders are making African inspired masks out of clay and I made this webquest for them to gather information and see examples before creating their own design. It won't make as much sense to those of you reading it without a handout of questions to answer!)

Africa is a continent of cultures with a rich history of masks. Although Africa is a huge region, masks have been worn and used in village ceremonies throughout the continent for different occasions. Follow the links below to learn about the purposes of African masks and the designs and materials used to make them. Use the readings to help answer the questions on your handout:

1. (Click Here) to first read a brief introduction about African masks. Use this information to answer questions 1-3 on your handout.



Kuba masquerade, 1900, Kasai, Congo

2. (Click Here) to watch a video clip of some animal masks in action during a masquerade in Nigeria. Answer question 4 on your handout.

4. (Click Here) to read about how African masks are made. Answer questions 5 and 6 on the handout.

5. (Click Here) to learn about the artists who create African masks and use the reading to answer question 7 on your handout.

6. (Click Here) to see many examples of African masks. You can click around on any of the tribe names to see their masks. Clicking on individual masks will make them appear larger. After you have spent some time exploring the masks of several tribes, answer question 8 on your handout.

Ceremonial Mask, Congo

Congratulations on completing your web quest! Please wait for Mrs. Kamp to give you further directions :)

Prints inspired by the Aztec Sun Stone

The Aztec Sun Stone is a revered Mexican artifact that is said to be perhaps the most famous symbol of Mexico besides its flag. The Sun Stone was discovered and excavated in 1970. The original basalt version measures 12 feet by 4 feet thick, weighs 24 tons, and is on display at the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City. Because of the carved hieroglyphs, with the names of the days and the cosmogonic suns, the Aztec Sun Stone was first incorrectly identified as a calendar stone. Actually it has been a "temalacatl“, a round stone used to tie captive warriors in gladiatorial sacrifices. Only recently deciphered, it actually tells the history of the four great disasters which caused the migrations of the Native Americans who would ultimately build the great Tenochtitlan (Mexico City, today).

Fifth graders used the Sun Stone as inspiration to create their own sun designs for printmaking. They used graph paper to create designs that were stylized, simplified and symmetrical which they transferred to a rubber-like printing plate. Using a tool called a gouge, students focused on balancing the positive and negative space in their carving. Finished plates were printed with colorful inks and papers to create a series of prints for display!