The Alphabet of Art

Monday, July 18, 2016

To introduce this week's theme we began a conversation regarding students knowledge of artist's. What is an artist? What does an artist do? Here is what they had to say...

Genevieve: Someone really good at art

Mia: Someone who prints a picture

Sophia: Painting faces

Nora: An artist is a job. Artists break rules

Leo: An artist paints lots of pictures

David: An artist builds with legos

Sarah: I don't know any artists

Aubrey: An artist is when you get your face painted

Farah: Artists build castles

Stephen: Somebody who paints something

Students exploring ceiling drawing outside

Exploring clay and how to flatten, roll and use clay

Watercolor paintings

Exploring wire! What can you do with it? How does it bend?
How can you twist it?

More wire exploring!

Tuesday, July 19,2016

Students continued to build and explore in the block area. Today,a castle was built!

We also explored Joan Miro and art using lines and shapes to complete a picture.We discussed shapes, lines, and color within artwork.  Later in the afternoon , we used water colors to complete the pictures. 

We then explored with clay and clay tiles! Students used different lines within their tiles, as well as imprints and 3D attachments.  Students explored different clay tools to help form their tiles. After our tiles are dry, we will then finish the process by painting the tiles!

Yesterday our students were very interested in ceiling painting. So, today we painted with long brushes outside by taping brushes to long dowel rods. We then attached the large hanging paper to metal beams and students got to free paint!


Wednesday, July 20,2016

Farrah said " I'm going to make lightening ".

Leo said " this is my eagle. Now I need to turn it over for more room for water and mountains"

Joey stated " this is my eagle"

Today we used Matisse as an inspiration for children to explore the technique of " drawing with scissors".

Leo and Carriag building The Tower of Pisa

Nora building The Colosseum

Stephen , Joey, and David working together to build the Taj Mahal

We also explored art within architecture. Some of the students chose to use pictures of famous buildings and structures as an inspiration for block building.

Stephen painted an angel fish and decided to fill up all the while space on the paper

Here Nora is painting the flower shown for inspiration 

Lea also created a flower painting

Children explored using the easel to paint, as well as paint standing up. How is painting standing up different then sitting at a table? Some used the flowers as in inspiration for their artwork!

Lea had " Two different patterns using the different beads" 

 Lastly, we used wire and beads to explore some properties of wire and inspire the children's creativity!

Thursday, July 21,2016

 Mia stated" look at my planet circle".

Today we continued art week with exploring concentric circle art! Students used chalk pastel's to represent shapes within simple art!

Hamzeh said " I'm painting the face. Here is the eye, here is the face, here is the nose. And that is the eye patch".

Students continued to explore clay and sculptures . Today they got to paint their clay tiles from Tuesday using acrylic paint!

Sarah adding pieces onto her mobile!

Students have been exploring wire all week. Today we learned  about Alexander Calder and how he was known  for sculptures, specifically mobiles. This inspired children to use wire, hangers, shapes, beads, paper, and other random materials to create a Calder mobile of their own!

While exploring mosaic tiles David said  " I'm building a treasure house"

Stephen pointed to his "cave" while using rocks and stones to build art!

Friday, July 22,2016

 Farrah said " I made purple"

 Hamzeh painted a rainbow

Stephen painted " a creeper from Minecraft"

Today we got to free paint on canvas'.

We introduced music as a form of art. Students got to explore different types of music along with dancing with scarves! 

 Leo said " yellow and green make a bright green"

 Farrah said " when painting you should put the light color first"

We explored Mondrian inspired paintings, by using white paper, black masking tape, and creating defined spaces. The children had the option to use primary colors , however  mixed and created many more colors!

Children exploring kinetic sand

Exploring Simple Machines

Monday, July 11, 2016

The children used tires on the hill to explore

force and motion by moving the tires

up and down the hill. 

Leo and Carraig pushing the tires uphill



We also made 3D creations by using paper fasteners as a simple lever!

Finally , we got to create  our very own catapults, since catapults
are another example of a lever. After using craft sticks, rubber bands,
and bottle caps students were able to use their catapults to explore
force and distance, and how the two are related.

Students here are using the balance board  as an example of a simple
lever. By varying the location of where they placed certain objects, 
the children were able to explore the force which is needed to move 
the lever up and down. 

Leo and Sarah exploring the balance board using wooden blocks

Tuesday , July 12, 2016

Leo, Ian, and Ivan exploring the co-op board

Aubrie and Nora also exploring the co-op board

We worked outside to explore the co-op board, 

another form of the pulley system, Two ends of the rope

were attached to the board,  the children holding the 

other end of the rope had to balance their force on each 

rope to correctly balance the board. 

Leo, Stephen, and Ian working with the clothesline pulley

Using the zip line pulley, children explored how to transfer 

objects and messages from one area to another. By exploring

this, children were able to explore how the bucket moves across

the line and what is needed to make the zip line move?

Alexa, Norah, and Carraig exploring the milk jug pulley

Children explored the milk jug pulleys using a wooden broom,
rope, and a gallon jug.We investigated how will you move the milk jug up and down?
What happens when you change the weight of the milk jug?

Wednesday, July 13,2016

Today we explored the wheel and axel by working together to construct

a car. The car , wheel and axle were all made from clothes pins, buttons, straws,

and twist ties. Children used their knowledge of simple machines and what type of things they 

know are made with wheel and axles, Students were able to figure out how to connect the straws to the buttons. They also were able to figure out where to put the axles in relation to the clothes pin. 

Stephen testing his car at the incline plane

Next, we got to test out cars down the ramp. This ramp is another type of simple machine that was introduced, an incline plane!

Aubrie and Norah building their winches 

Here the children got to construct their own winch, using recycled materials! This experience gave children the opportunity to use the knowledge they know about simple machines and create a simple machine to take home. By problem solving students had to think : how can you make the object move up and down? What do you need to include to make the wheel move? 

At the carpet, while using blocks and marbles, children worked together to create a structure that would support multiple slats and turns. The children used their knowledge of levers, wedges, and incline planes to create the structure and successfully get a marble to turn a corner!

In the afternoon we had fun in the water!

Thursday, July 14,2016

Some of our classmates worked together to build a spaceship garage with magnet tiles

Children used the PVC pipe pulley and explored how the pulley worked. They used what they knew about spatial awareness and aim to try to accurately hit the bowling pins with the attached ball. Many students had to problem solve where and how to line the bowling pins up.

 Then, while using both paint and spools children tried to manipulate the spools and incline plane to accurately knock down the lego people at the end of the ramp. Nora said " I had to change where the people were. They were too close to the end of the ramp. We should add a block to the ramp. It will hit the people faster".

 Ivan stated " if you line all 3 people 1 behind the other, if one person is knocked down, they will all fall down".

Leo's first try he completely missed all 3 people and said " it was too far to the side". Leo then moved the position of the paint spool. It took him several test tries before he knocked the lego people down.

Students explored an archemedes screw and what you need to do to the pipe to get the water to move. Also, how does the water move?What happens if you turn it the other way?

Finally, we went back to explore the zip line pulley again! Transferring the bucket back and forth using a pulley system!

Friday, July 15.2016

Today we finished off our week of simple machines! We continued to experiment with how to get the marbles to turn the corner!These structures included multiple slats , turns, and levers, and inclines.

Students also explored the revolving easel. They noticed that the easel is a single wheel and a single axle, different than a car or bicycle. Here, some of the girls are drawing while rotating the easel. 

The most exciting thing about our final day of camp was combining all machines together to create a 

Rube Goldberg machine! A Rube Goldberg machine includes several simple machines that work together to complete a final task. Students were very engaged in this , working together to find materials and objects . Then they worked to brainstorm and create their very own Rube Goldberg!