Van Gogh Inspired Starry Night
Fifth graders looked at the work of Vincent Van Gogh and used his famous painting "Starry Night" as inspiration for their own starry night paintings. They started by mapping out their composition with pencil. Then they used oil pastels to create textures and swirls of colors much like the style of Van Gogh. After the oil pastels they painted on top with watercolor paint.

Vikings Pen and Ink
Fifth graders learned about Vikings in their social studies class. They learned that Viking were not just the fierce warriors that people always assume they to be. Many Vikings were also very experienced farmers, fishermen, ironworkers, traders, and writers. But, for fun we decided to draw Vikings the way that they have been portrayed in the myths and legends! Students learned about pen and ink techniques, like hatching, cross-hatching, and stippling and they applied these techniques to their drawings.
MACF: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.2, 2.3, 3.3, 5.1, 10.1

Mayan Mask ~ Complimentary Colors
Students in fifth grade learn about the Mayans in their Social Studies class, so in Art class we decided to create some masks of our own. Using geometric shapes students created an abstract sort of mask. Then using only one set of complimentary colors students painted their mask, then outlined all the shapes with black paint. When they mask we complete they were able to but them out and tie them with a string!
MACF: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.1, 2.2, 2.4, 3.2, 3.3, 5.1, 7.1, 10.1

The Dot
Students read the story "The Dot" by Peter Reynolds. It is a story about believing in yourself and believing in your Artwork. They then created an image starting with only "one dot" on their paper. They could create their down into whatever they wanted, and should just let their intuition guide them. The students used no pencil. They started right away with permanent markers since there could be no "mistakes" in this project. After completing their drawings they filled in color with tempera paint cakes.

Geometric Scratch Board
5th grade students discussed the difference between an organic and a geometric shape. They created an abstract design in scratch-board by using a variety of lines and shapes. They used rulers or shapes tracers to create positive and negative shapes within their design. After their design was drawn they filled in the spaces with patterns and textures.
MACF: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.6, 3.2

Statue of "Me"
Students discussed the importance of the Statue of Liberty and what she stands for in this country. They then created their own statues and included items that are important to them. Some students drew a self portrait, while others personified their objects. The artwork was done using pencils, markers, crayons and watercolor paint. 
MACF: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.1, 2.2, 2.6, 3.3, 6.1, 7.1

Hidden Block Letter Name Design
Students wrote their name over and over again in large block letters within a grid for their project. They learned the difference between positive and negative space. Students are accustomed to focusing on the positive space so for this project they were instructed to add patterns and designs within the negative spaces between the letters of their name. They used oil pastels for the designs. When they were done with the negative space they filled the positive space (all the connecting letters) with the paint color of their choice. The above example shows the name "Emma".

Babushkas
Students learned the history behind Russian Nesting Dolls, also known as Babushkas, and they got to view some examples of real ones.  The created a drawing with hidden doors that revealed smaller dolls nestled within.  They tried to make their Babushka has mirror symmetry and they filled up the dolls clothing with interesting patterns.
MACF: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 3.3, 5.1, 7.1, 8.3, 10.1

Yarn Weaving or Stitching
For this lesson students learned about the historic Lowell, MA textile mills and their process of weaving. They created their own cardboard loom and weaved a small “blanket” out of yarn. They also attempted to create an interesting pattern in their “blanket”.
MACF: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.1, 2.2, 2.5, 3.3, 5.1, 5.2, 7.1, 8.3, 10.1

Printmaking Hands
Students learned about the process of making art called "Printmaking". They discussed the difference between printmaking and painting. The students then drew a design by tracing their hand and filling in the "negative space" with patterns. They transferred their image into their Styrofoam plate, rolled the image with paint, and then printed it onto colored construction paper.
MACF: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.6, 3.3, 4.3, 5.1, 5.2

Quilled Paper Snowflakes
Students looked at examples of quilled paper and I demonstrated how to create different shapes and curls. Students then created their own quilled snowflakes, starting from the center and working their way outward. They used rotational symmetry when creating their snowflake.

Op Art Name Design
Students reviewed the term "Op Art" that they learned when they were younger and they created a picture that can play tricks with your eyes. They wrote their name in cursive and then traced around and around their name as many times as it took to fill up the negative space on the paper. From far away it may look like a normal picture, but when you get up all close all the lines begin to "move" and play tricks on your eyes.
MACF: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.1, 2.4, 3.2, 5.1

Warm/Cool Cursive Name Design
Students learned about warm and cool colors and they will created a organic design that attempts to disguise their name. They practiced writing in cursive, while also practicing their fine motor skills when coloring in the lines.
MACF: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.1, 2.2, 2.5, 2.6, 3.2

Glass Window Drawing
Students in fifth grade were  given the opportunity to create artwork on the courtyard windows. They needed to plan their artwork to be visible from both sides. They also needed to plan how their artwork would look with light shining through it.

Falling for Foreshortening
Students learn about the concept of foreshortening through this fun drawing activity. Foreshortening is the optical illusion that occurs when a part of something moves from one part of space to another. For example... and bridge travels from right in front of us, to far away from us on the other side of a river. The same thing can happen on a smaller level with human limbs. For this project students traced their feet and hands on a paper. They then drew their arms, legs, body and head to create the illusion that the body was further away then the feet and hands. The images all end up looking like the subject is falling toward the viewer.

Clay Maracas
In this exciting clay lesson students created their own animal maracas. They first forms two pinch pots of approximately the same size. The, before joining those pinch pots togther to form a ball they filled the inside with small balls of clay wrapped in newspaper. After they joined the two pinch pots together they poked a hole in the pinch pot to allow air to escape during the firing process. After the clay was dry the students were able to glaze their maracas to add details.
MACF: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 3.3, 6.2, 7.1, 8.3

Autobiography Book Cover
Students were given the challenge of designing a book cover for their autobiography, but they were told that they could not use their name anywhere on the cover. They had to come up with creative ways of expressing who they were.

Self Portraits
Students in all grades at Hemenway School create Self Portraits in Mrs. Brown's art class.  Self Portraits are a great drawing project because it can teach students to draw beyond just what they think they see... but to draw what is really there.  All students were given a mirror to observe their facial features and look for small details.  As children grow older they progress through the 5 stages of artistic development (named by Viktor Lowenfeld).  Kindergarteners are usually somewhere between the "Scribble Stage" and the "Pre-schematic Stage".  As the students grow older they work their way through the artistic stages of "Schematic", "Dawning-Realism" and "Pseudo Realistic."  Though it can sometimes be tempting, it is very important not to rush young children through the early stages of artistic development.  Students in Grade K, 1 and 2 are full of creativity, and it is important to let students take their time so they can nurture their creative development. There is plenty of time in grades 3 and above to begin teaching them about the more technical aspects of drawing.
MACF: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 4.2

Through a Window
To teach students to look at images in a way they were instructed to create an image with several depths of space.  They created an interior and an exterior within one image by drawing as if they were looking through a window. 
MACF: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 3.3, 5.1

1-Point Perspective Initials
To begin the unit on one-pint perspective students learned the basics about vanishing points. They practiced what they learned by drawing their initials and making the letters disappear off into the vanishing point in the center.
MACF: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.1, 2.4, 2.6, 3.2, 5.1

1-point Perspective City
To continue their lesson on one-point perspective student learned about the horizon line which can be used along with the vanishing point to create a more accurate image depicting space.  After the introduction students were insructed to create a series of rectangles. Then they created a horizon line behind the rectangles. Then they chose their vanishing point somewhere along that line. Using rulers they completed their drawings and even added small details to make it more realistic.
MACF: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.1, 2.4, 2.6, 3.2, 3.3, 5.1