My Cube

My fifth graders have been working on multiple projects to put on the faces of a cube sculpture they are going to make.  I found this app called Wordfoto that allows the students to take a picture or upload a picture and add words over it.  There are a lot of fun colors and styles.  It does cost $1.99.  There is a free app called aTypo Picture that has a free version.  I like Wordfoto better, but aTypo Picture is good.  Here are the examples that I made.  Fun!

 Wordfoto

aTypo Picture

  For this project my students are working in centers.  Printmaking is one of the centers.  My students are very engaged, and it makes managing printmaking a lot easier.  I will add the other projects they are doing a little later.  It is a really fun unit! 

My third graders created collograph prints by creating a landscape collage out of cardstock. They used the collage as their printing plate. We discussed foreground, middle ground, background, and how to create perspective on a 2D surface. After they printed they went back into their print with art sticks to add a little color.  It was not an easy process, but I think they turned out great!

Even the printing plates turned out to be a great piece of artwork!

Radial Prints

My fourth graders just finished their printmaking unit.  They created Radial Prints.  They had to use a "wet on wet" technique to paint the paper, so they could create a tye-dye affect.  I wet the paper before they painted and then if they wanted me to I sprayed it with water again at the end.  They could pick it up and tilt it to let the paint drip if they chose.  Next, they had to draw a design (using lines and shapes) on a small sqaure of paper starting from a corner.  Then, they had to trace their design onto a piece of foam to create the printing plate.  I have them trace it one more time after they pull off the paper to make sure the lines are deep enough.  Finally, they roll ink onto the foam and print it four times on their painted paper.  To make sure they print in the right direction each time, I had them mark the corner they started from on the back of the foam.  I told them the mark has to point to the center of the paper each time in order to create a radial print.  For their assessment they had to write a "How-To" paragraph.  They look fantastic!

5th Grade Freedom Quilt Reduction Prints

My 5th grade students studied the history of Freedom Quilts.  They created their own radial quilt pattern.  Then, they carved their pattern into styrofoam.  They printed white first, and they carved into the pattern again.  Next, they printed with black.  Finally, they attached them to a backgorund color to create a frame.  These turned out fantastic!

3rd Grade Pop Art Prints

My 3rd grade students studied Andy Warhol.  They chose something from everyday life or popular culture to be the emphasis of their artwork.  They made a collograph printing plate from cardboard and cardstock.  They printed on colored paper and added more color with colored pencils.  They really enjoyed this lesson and they turned out wonderful!