Second Grade Art
Curriculum Focus: Famous Artists in History
The second grade artist is an independent thinker, and developing control of his or her motor skills. With an increasing collaboration of both cognitive and physical development, second graders truly begin to present them own unique strategies for problem solving and critical thinking in art.
The second grade curriculum focuses on introducing students to some of the most well known artists of ancient and modern history, and the evolutionary talents they contributed to the art world.
The second grade curriculum focuses on introducing students to some of the most well known artists of ancient and modern history, and the evolutionary talents they contributed to the art world.
Welcome to Art Class
On the first day of art class, students will listen to a read aloud of The Dot by Peter Reynolds about a young artist who struggles with the creative process, and is frustrated by the challenges of self expression through art. Yet, the simple motivation to "make a mark and see where it takes you" leads this young artist to embark on a creative journey that all began with a tiny dot.
Student Activity: Students will be encouraged to not be stifled by their creative limitations, and to develop a work of art that begins with a simple dot.
Student Activity: Students will be encouraged to not be stifled by their creative limitations, and to develop a work of art that begins with a simple dot.
Project 1: Seurat the Dot
Artist Spotlight: George Seurat
Medium: tempera
Elements: color
Concepts: pointillism
Skills: drawing; painting
Description: Inspired by the story, The Dot, students will create their own pointillism artwork in the style of French post impressionism artist, George Seurat, the founder of the movement. Students will use q tips and tempera paint to create their artwork
Medium: tempera
Elements: color
Concepts: pointillism
Skills: drawing; painting
Description: Inspired by the story, The Dot, students will create their own pointillism artwork in the style of French post impressionism artist, George Seurat, the founder of the movement. Students will use q tips and tempera paint to create their artwork
"Seurat the Dot"
Click the link above to go to a webpage that introduces our young artists to the pointillism artist, George Seurat and some of his famous works.
Project 2: Kandinsky's Colorful Concentric Shapes
Artist Spotlight: Wassily Kandinsky
Medium: cray pas
Elements: shape, color
Concepts: abstract art, composition
Skills: layering, gluing, printing
Description: Students will take a single shape, a circle, inspired by the story, The Dot, and create their own version of Wasssily Kandinsky's abstract composition of colorful concentric circles
Medium: cray pas
Elements: shape, color
Concepts: abstract art, composition
Skills: layering, gluing, printing
Description: Students will take a single shape, a circle, inspired by the story, The Dot, and create their own version of Wasssily Kandinsky's abstract composition of colorful concentric circles
Project 3: Picasso Portraits
Artist Spotlight: Pablo Picasso
Art Movement/Style: cubism Medium: oil pastel; watercolor Elements: line, shape, color Concepts: abstract art, portraits, cubism, geometric shapes, warm vs cool colors Skills: drawing, color Description: Students will create a cubism portrait in the style of modern artist, Pablo Picasso. Using geometric shapes, students will draw abstract portraits with exaggerated features, and shown from various perspectives |
Cubism Art Lesson Video Link
Project 4: Rousseau Jungle Drawings
Artist Spotlight: Henri Rousseau
Art Movement/Style: portrait-landscape Medium: colored pencil, marker Elements: line, shape, color, space Concepts: sketching, contour line drawing Skills: drawing, coloring Description: Students will observe the work of post-impressionist art Henri Rousseau and his tropical jungle scenes. Selecting a rainforest animal, students will create their own portrait-landscape by drawing a picture of their animal, then adding the jungle landscape surroundings, in the style of Rousseau |
Project 5: Van Gogh Vases
Artist Spotlight: Vincent Van Gogh
Art Movement/Style: post-impressionism Medium: chalk; paint Elements: line, shape, color, space Skills: drawing, coloring Description: Students will observe the work of post-impressionist artist Vincent Van Gogh and discuss the difficulties of his life as an artist. Highlighting Van Gogh's series of sunflower paintings and vase paintings, Students will then create their own flowers in a vase mimicking some of the stylistic details of Van Gogh's work. |