Google Translater

Saturday, March 30, 2013

University of Michigan's School of Natural Resources and Environment (SNRE) Postcard Contest

The University of Michigan's School of Natural Resources and Environment (SNRE) faculty celebrated the essential intersection between art and the environment with the 4th annual postcard contest for K-12 students in the Ann Arbor area on March 27, 2013. This year’s contest prompts students to create art on a 4×6 postcard that illustrates their inspiration/interpretation of “Wonderful Water”. Three of Carpenter's students won. There were over 300 entries submitted in which only 17 postcards came from Carpenter students. We did really well.

Two Carpenter Kindergarten students tied for 1st place and a Carpenter Fourth Grader won the whole competition. Below are images of the winning work.



 







March is Youth Art Month

The Ann Arbor Public School's Art Department partners with the Ann Arbor Downtown Business Association for Youth Art Month. During the month of March selected student art work from each school is hung in local Ann Arbor downtown businesses.

Art work by Carpenter Elementary students  is hanging in Peaceable Kingdom as well as the Black Pearl Restaurant until the end of March.

Below are images of the display at Peaceable Kingdom.




Below are images of the display at Black Pearl.





Thank you to Peaceable Kingdom and the Black Pearl for sponsoring Art in the Ann Arbor Public Schools.

Michigan Art Education Association Region 3 Art Show

One of the best parts of my job is to put my students' artwork in shows, competitions and installations at various locations. My students are so talented. Again this year I had the opportunity to put 5 pieces of work in the Michigan Art Education Association (MAEA) Region #3 Art Show. 

I am pleased to announce that one of my Fourth Grade student's, Olivia, Masai Family Portrait has made it into the State Show which will be touring around the state until the end of April.

Fourth Grader's Masai Family Portrait


Second Grader's Aboriginal Sea Serpent


Fourth Grader's Koi Fish


Fifth Grader's American Eagle


Fifth Grader's Abstract Flower

Art at Balas in February

For the month of February work by Carpenter Elementary students was on display at Balas, Ann Arbor Public Schools Central Administration Building.

First Grade Lions



Second Grade Aboriginal Sea Serpents



Second Grade 13 Moon on the Back of Turtle and Fourth Grade Koi Fish



Third Grade Egyptian Self Portraits and Fourth Grade Scarabs




Third Grade Mummy Cases





5th Grade

My Fifth Grade classes have Art for one hour once a week. And although I do not have them Humanities I take every opportunity I have to infuse their lessons with their Science and Social Studies Curriculum.

My students were introduced to the work the sculptor Mike Libby and Scientific Illustrator Alison Schroeer. We discussed how Libby's work showed how watch gears and parts made insects appear to come alive. We discussed how our own muscles are like gears and pulleys. Inspired by their work my students created their own Insect Robots. This summer I plan on showcasing the Insect Robots at the Henry Ford Museum's Maker Faire July 27th and 28th.








For Constitution Day each 5th Grade student took a pretest in which I asked them to draw an eagle to the best of their ability and to write on the back of their drawing what they knew about the Constitution.

After they were done with the pretest I taught them step by step how to draw a American Eagle and to color it with oil pastels. I also taught them the importance of the Constitution and the Amendments which they wrote about on the back of their American Eagle drawing. Students were very successful with their drawings as well as articulating their understanding of the Constitution.






Fifth Grade students made Oaxacan Clay Animals. Student had to paint using the traditional method of the Alberijes Artist they saw on a PPT. Below are samples of their work.



Next, Fifth Grade students made Day of the Dead skulls to go along with the Body theme. Students had to be aware of the spacing of the eyes, nose and mouth. They decorated their skulls to reflects their own artistic interests.

 


The Fifth Graders looked at the work of Giacometti, an Italian sculptor, who did many pieces on the human body. Giacometti was very interested in documenting how war affect the body as many people in Italy were in need of food and shelter.





This year is the Chinese year of the Snake. My students created their own printing plates. These plates were than used to create Snake prints.




Before the Fifth Graders make their own masks out of paper mache I like to have them make African inspired masks. Students are shown numerous examples of masks from Africa. We discuss why mask are used. Each student created a story to go with their masks.