Funnest project ever! Sidewalk chalk: "I wish I could..."

70 degrees and sunny? Play outside at school? Don't mind if I do!  Such pretty weather called for class outside. Luckily art class let's you do that kind of thing =) We did sidewalk chalk! But with a special goal in mind.

In the past I had done sidewalk chalk drawings with my students, but I really didn't know what to tell them to draw.  It was sort of a free for all and I'd end up with people writing junk like "i love justin beiber" and "ur mom"  (right outside the principal's office!! Bad Mrs. Chinn, very bad)

So rather than us drawing random crap, they had to draw their answer to "I wish I could..."  This was my favorite day.  I was inspired by this photo I found on pinterest:

After they finished their drawings, I went around with a ladder the custodians let me borrow so I could get a decent perspective over them.  I think climbing up on the ladder for pictures gave me a small phobia of ladders. Scary! But worth it for fun pictures. Check it out!

Collaborative project: 7th grade line drawing

I wanted something up on the walls by parent teacher conferences a few weeks ago.  I had only had my students for about a week, not enough time to make much. So in one day we made some massive butcher paper abstract line color drawing thingies for the hallways.  I looove them! They are so bright and colorful.

All of this was done within a 45 minute class period.  Each of my 7th grade classes made 4 long strips of butcher paper pieces.  We talked about line and color a bit and then they traced a partner with crayola washable markers.  Everyone in the class was traced, making sure to overlap their bodies (not while the other person is still laying there of course).

After the lines had criss-crossed everywhere, making lots of shapes, I told them to start filling in the shapes with different patterns of line.  Sort of like a zentangle. They did this for about 8 minutes and then we brought out the paint! 

I use these tempera cakes palettes a lot now.  It's quick clean up, they last forever! The brush comes in the palette. I used to hate tempera and I still don't like the texture much.  But when you have 35 students and 3 sinks...the less clean up the better.

After filling in with lines, they started painted inside the shapes.  Because we used crayola washable markers, when the wet paint touched it, the markers started to bleed, but I loved the effect.  It was a welcomed accident.  So in just 45 minutes, we had lots of huge colorful papers to hang on the walls. =)