Collaborative Abstract Murals - 4th Grade

 

In April while our 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students were testing, I was out of my room in the mornings while they used it for small group testing.  The first Tuesday I was out of my room, I had only 15 minutes to prep before my first class...  What was I going to do?  There wasn't enough time to get everything together that I needed for the 4th graders new lesson....  I remembered seeing a blog post by Organized Chaos for some great collaborative murals she had just completed with her classes.  She saw the idea on Pinterest and mentioned that the lesson originated from a post on Experiments in Art.

So...  I grabbed 5 large table size pieces of bulletin board paper and started filling 12 cups with black paint.  I then laid each piece on top of the art tables and explained to the students that they were to start by painting circles or squares.  Once they had begun to fill the paper up I stopped them and had them connect all the shapes with any kind of line, straight, zig-zag, wavy, etc...  We let them dry over night.

The following day of classes I had each mural laid out on a table.  Pouring and mixing 40 different colors, each student chose one color which became their color for the whole class. They began painting in the shapes and spaces.  After 5-7 minutes, I had them switch tables until everyone painted on each mural with their chosen color.  We continued to do this for each fourth grade class (I have 6 classes of them) until the murals were completely painted. One day we worked on them in the hallway, as I didn't have room on the tables (we were finishing up another project) and everyone who walked by commented on how stunning they looked!  The kids are really proud of their group effort!  I am saving them to hang up at the beginning of the new school year.



 



I had them drying in the room clipped to the front of my shelves at the end of the day.

 

Close-ups of some of the murals.

 

This one is hanging outside the art room door.

 Another one is outside the school office.

Ready for the 2nd Grade Play

 

My second graders have finished their sea creatures and their ocean mural for their play in music!  They will be performing for the kindergarten, first graders and their families at the end of April.  Here are some photos of their finished ocean mural and some more of their sea creatures!  Everyone who passes the Art/Music room stops in to admire their mural!  They are so proud of it!  They did a great job!



The Music Teacher is going to put blue paper behind it for the paly so everything blends.



 



Left side close - up



Right side close - up



Love,love the fish with the big mouth chasing the little fish!!!



The kids made all these little red crabs for the ocean floor!



Another Close - Up



Baby Jelly Fish!

More Fish



 



Life on the ocean floor



Close - Up of the ocean floor.  Printed with bubble wrap!



 



Center Close - Up



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Getting Ready for the 2nd Grade Musical



Working on the ocean back drop for 2nd grades play in music

Every spring our second graders do a musical play with our music teacher.  This year the theme is the ocean.  We have started to get their props and backdrops ready to be used in their dress rehearsals.  Each class is helping to paint and create the back drop.  I had been thinking for a while how I wanted them to paint the ocean.  At first, I was going to have them each paint some wavy lines to represent the water.  However, after seeing Phyl's post about how her third graders painted in the style of Klee, I knew then it was the way I wanted to go with the water!  I began by creating a grid on pink bulletin board paper (it was the heaviest and better to paint on than the other colors).  By using the blocks each child had a defined space to paint in.  I sent the students back to paint in groups of about six to eight depending on the class size.  I let them choose any of the five colors to paint in their blocks and I encouraged them to blend the colors in their block.  Each student painted three blocks.  The photograph shows the work of three classes (I have seven second grades).  Once we get all the blocks painted I will then add a sandy bottom and have the students help make seaweed along with sea creatures in the ocean.  I will post the finished backdrop in a couple of weeks when it is complete.

 

Each student is creating their own sea creature that they will be holding as a prop during their play.  These just need the tongue depressor added so they can hold on to them.

 

Each child started by decorating a piece of oak tag using oil pastel and watercolors.

 

 

 

 

We let these dry and during the second class the students turned them over and began drawing their sea creature.  I gave them each a packet with directions of what they would need to draw for their sea creature. 

 

 

Each student started with the same size circle shape and then started creating by adding the necessary body parts to complete their chosen sea creature.  They then cut, glued and decorated!  Everyone loves their creations and can't wait to show them off at their play next month!



A few more of their sea creatures!



 

 

 

I will post more sea creatures as the students complete them! The students and I are  looking forward to seeing the completed mural!