Butterflies are Free

Dr. Kessler ordered us a cup full of baby caterpillars.  We kept a Journal as we watched them grow and grow and grow and then turn into chrysalis'. We moved them into a netted cage and watched them emerge out of their cocoons and fly to the oranges we put in the cage. It was a fascinating process.  After we watched them for a few days, we took them outside and set them free. We learned that their wings are congruent and they have a line of symmetry right down their middle. We made caterpillars that crawled up on the wall and turned into cocoons and then they slowly opened and became butterflies. It was like magic. Their wings were congruent and each child can identify the line of symmetry. Science mixed with art is so cool!

Painting a Matisse

Henri Matisse was a French artist who helped start the Impressionist movement in Art.  The kids learned that he would paint scene with odd or different colors. He would paint a different color each day until he had a work of art. The kids did an amazing job painting their Matisses'.  Welcome to the Impressionist movement kids!

We Became Art Smart

One of the common core objectives for the second graders this year was to compare and contrast two different artists and their art styles. The students studied six different artists and learned about their lives and how and why they became artists.  After learning about them and writing organizers containing facts about each artist, the kids got to actually do four of the different styles of art.  When they wrote their three paragraph papers they could actually explain how the styles were different and how the artists changed the art world. It was a great hands-on learning experience and it showed through in their writing.  Way to go little artists!
George Surrat and Pointalism

Henri Mattisse and Painting with Scissors

Eric Carle and illustrating with tissue paper

Jackson Pollock and the Drip Technique