8th Grade Sketchbooks

I like to have all my students create sketchbooks. Over the years, I have finalized a solution that doesn't cost my entire budget. Last year, all three grades had those pocket portfolio folders, with the three-prong inserts. I create a set of intro papers, including a Welcome to Art with reminders on clean up and procedures, a drawing ideas list and warm up boxes.

Since I only have one 8th grade section this year, I could afford to buy them real sketchbooks vs. the kind we created first trimester. We spent the first week or so working on a collage for the front cover. It had to have a theme and unity. They turned out really well! We covered them with mod podge a few times, and it gave a glare on the camera

Dia de los Muertos

I've always loved Dia de los Muertos and the art and history around it. Last year we did a small alter in our community room and some of my classes contributed some work. This year we planned a much bigger alter and display, working with the Spanish classes and our community liaison. My eighth graders made sugar skulls. I did this last year so I already had the mold and recipe. They turned out pretty cool. We didn't use frosting to decorate, just glitter glue and sequins and feathers.

decorated sugar skulls

the only time I allow glitter in my classroom

For seventh grade, I tried something new. We made air-dried calaveras figures. They turned out awesome! We painted them with tempera and used markers as well. I will definitely be doing this again!

My favorite

The gang!

More feathers!

Sixth graders did scratchboard sugar skulls. We talked about symmetry and the use of the skull in art for Dia de los Muertos. A lot of my students are familiar with this holiday and have family that celebrate it and it was cool to hear them talk about it to the rest of the class.

Name Tags/Bins

I am lucky enough to have big cabinets with shelves and bins in them. This is where my students store they sketchbooks and projects. I used to have them just make any old nametage for the front. 6th graders would spend the most time on it while 8th graders would quickly scribble down their name.
I came up with the idea to make nametags, using postive/negative space and pattern. We usually do it in the beginning of the trimester when I assign bins. I have them do a warm up worksheet, based on Mona Brooks' Drawing for Older Children & Teens book. Then we look at examples and talk about what they see (how the letters go off the page, the patterns, etc.) and I do a demo on how to make "hollow" letters.

Welcome!

Welcome! I've finally succumbed to blogging. I'm a middle school art teacher in the Portland Metro Area. This is my 5th year teaching. Before that, I was a graphic designer. I am currently on the board for the Oregon Art Education Association and am actively involved in that organization. I hope to post lessons, ideas and "Tales from G14A" (my art classroom) on here.

Classroom (G14A)

I came in a few weeks before summer ended and tackled my tables. While they are nice and big, classes last year had REALLY destroyed them with writing. I wanted to paint them each a different color. I had some leftover acrylic paint and decided to go for it! I tried sanding a few down, to get most of the sharpie off. Then I gave up on that. I got a water-based polyurethane to coat them. However, once I put the poly on, you could see all the writing that I wasn't able to remove. I'm not sure why! So then I decided to label the tables with the color that they were painted, to cover up spots that had a lot of writing left. I think the end result turned out pretty good! It also makes it easier to move students ("Go sit at the blue table") and do group activities.
*Note: this picture was taken before school started. My room is never this clean!