Hands Across the Curriculum

Just before school started, my mind was racing with project ideas to kick off the year.  I wanted each grade level to have an engaging first project, relevant to our curriculum, but also share a common theme. As project ideas started coming together, I created lessons for: kindergarten, first, fourth, fifth and sixth grade classes, around the theme of hands.

Sixth Grade: Pop-Artist, Keith Haring

Over the summer, I found a t-shirt with a Keith Haring graphic.  The graphic depicted a hand, with fingers crossed, in front of a bold red circle.  Around the hand were Haring's famous marks, and above was his signature.  I knew this could be a great project for sixth grade, as they study Pop Art in the spring.  I decided to incorporate American Sign Language in with the lesson and asked students to illustrate a sign, using Haring's graphic style and mark-making.  Each student chose a sign from printed examples and library books.  Students practiced drawing and coloring their illustrations in their sketchbooks before attempting the finial painting.  Students then painted a single-color circle behind their chosen sign, and used permanent marker to outline their illustration and add Haring-inspired marks for excitement and/or movement.  Each student finished the project with a large artist signature on their paintings.

Fifth Grade: Street-Artist, Michael Owen

I discovered Michael Owen's Baltimore Love Project online this summer.  I thought this would be a great opportunity to introduce students to a contemporary artist impacting his community with a social message.  Fifth grade students looked at photographs  and watched a video clip about the project before creating their own murals.  Paper buildings were made using 9x12" construction paper.  I gave each student a printed example of the alphabet using hand shadows, similar to Michael Owen's murals.  Students were asked to create a mural using hand shadows to paint a word of their choice on their paper building.  Once the paint was dry, students were asked to create an environment for their building.  Buildings ranged from city skyscrapers to country farm houses.  Details were cut and glued on using construction paper scraps.  Students worked together to create a large town map using their finished projects.

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Fourth Grade: Hamsas from India

Fourth grade students begin their study of non-Western cultures by looking at art from India.  A hamsa is a talisman in Indian culture thought to protect the owner.  Depicting the open right hand, this image is found in many cultures throughout the world.  Students carved several symbols to represent themselves and their interests.  We used cardboard, aluminum foil and colored permanent markers to create the artwork.  Once students had completed their foil hamsas, they chose a background color to mount their artwork on.  We reviewed the concept of radial design, one we will continue using throughout the year.

First Grade: Modular Sculpture

First grade students will study sculpture in the spring.  We will look at local sculptures in Oregon, Illinois and compare and contrast famous sculptures throughout history.  I decided to try and create a modular sculpture using each student's hand-print cut from cardboard.  Students traced their hands on a thin sheet of cardboard and cut the shape out.  I prepared a base for the sculpture, using a square of styrofoam and a cardboard wrapping paper tube.  I cut slits into the length of the tube where students could insert their hand-print.  Each student chose the placement of their cardboard hand on the sculpture.  I reinforced their placement with hot glue, to ensure security.  Some students wanted their hand-print to connect with a friend's, or glued onto the tube, rather than inserted.  These decisions helped make the sculpture such a success!  Once each class had contributed their hand-prints, I spray-painted the sculpture red for our school spirit.  I added the white OES letters and our hawk mascot to complete the sculpture.  I think this was a great example of teamwork for students because everyone was represented and helped create such an amazing sculpture!

Kindergarten: Action-Painter, Jackson Pollock

Kindergarten students begin the school year learning how colors are made.  We read the story Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh, about mice who learn how to mix paint using the primary colors.  I decided to try a Jackson Pollock-inspired marble painting with my kindergarten class.  We used the primary colors of paint to begin our project.  Each student was given a plastic box with a sheet of white paper inside.  Then the student rolled a painted marble inside the box until all of the paint had transferred from the marble to the paper.  We repeated this step with each of the primary colors: red, yellow and blue.  Once the paintings were dry, students traced their hand-prints onto the back of the paper and cut the shape out.  We mounted the hand-prints on primary colors of construction paper.