Halloween Art

What's that saying? 

'It's better late than never'?

Today I thought I'd share with you TWO really easy artworks that I have taught to students in Years 3 and 6. These artworks are a great activity to complete around Halloween, however, they're so fantastic that they can be taught at any time!

The Haunted House

This one is so easy!

Students watch the following youtube clip 'How to draw a haunted house' which shows each step. After watching, students create these creepy houses using paper, black markers, a drawing compass (or something round to trace for the moon) and warm coloured pencils (red, orange, yellow).

They can change the design and add in bats to make it even scarier. My students loved drawing in the tomb stones!

I completed this lesson with Year 6, however, I feel that you could probably do this lesson with any age group. You will just have to prep them on how to use a marker correctly.

The Howling Wolf

I completed this artwork this year with Year 3. I showed students the following youtube video 'Drawing a Howling Wolf with Chalk Pastels'. After watching the video, I explained to students that we'd be creating our own version of the artwork. As I completed this with younger students, I printed out templates of the wolf which they stuck on once finished. However, feel free to get students to draw their own wolf.

I used black card (A4), chalk pastels, hairspray, a circle template (or you could use a drawing compass), a wolf template and glue.

The students loved creating their howling wolves. They're hanging up around the room and they look amazing!

As the end of the year approaches, I will be updating my blog with great end of year activities as well as some Christmas art ideas. Be sure to check back here every now and then or join my mailing list to get updates.

NAIDOC week 2016: Songlines

The theme for NAIDOC week 2016 is Songlines: The Living Narrative of our Nation.

But what exactly are "Songlines"?

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, the Dreamtime describes a time when the earth, people and animals were created by our ancestral spiritual beings. They created the rivers, lakes, plants, land formations and living creatures.

Dreaming tracks crisscross Australia and trace the journeys of our ancestral spirits as they created the land, animals and lores. These dreaming tracks are sometimes called ‘Songlines’ as they record the travels of these ancestral spirits who 'sung' the land into life.

These Songlines are recorded in traditional songs, stories, dance and art. They carry significant spiritual and cultural connection to knowledge, customs, ceremony and Lore of many Aboriginal nations and Torres Strait Islander language groups.

Songlines are intricate maps of land, sea and country. They describe travel and trade routes, the location of waterholes and the presence of food. In many cases, Songlines on the earth are mirrored by sky Songlines, which allowed people to navigate vast distances of this nation and its waters.

This information and more can be found on the NAIDOC website.

This theme is perfect for making a small unit of work around! I think it's really important to incorporate the ATSI perspective throughout all teaching… however, it can be very tokenistic if not done authentically. NAIDOC week is a great opportunity for ALL teachers to spend quality time teaching about Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander histories and culture.

I have searched the internet and I have found four brilliant units of work that I'd like to share with you. I also have a few ideas of my own around the theme of Songlines.

I found this on Pinterest- no direct link to anywhere -
but I thought it would be a cute addition to
'The Rainbow Serpent' unit.

Stage 1 (Years 1 and 2):
Reading Australia have created an impressive unit of work around Dick Roughsey's 'The Rainbow Serpent'. I'm in love with this book and this unit has a collection of lessons that help students to develop a deeper understanding of Songlines. You can find a copy of the unit of work HERE.

Stage 2 (Years 3 and 4):

The Australian Curriculum Lessons website have published a fantastic unit entitled 'Aboriginal Dreamtime Stories'. You can find it HERE.

Stage 3 (Years 5 and 6):

The National Literacy and Numeracy week have published and project that they had conducted called 'Dhurri Birrilii-gal Burruguu' (Children Write Dreamtime Stories). Following the project results, is a copy of a simple yet very effective program aimed primarily at Year 5 students. You can find it HERE.

The Western Australian Department of Education have created a program entitled 'Aboriginal Dreamtime Stories'. The program is quite detailed and is an excellent resource for Years 5 through to 7. You can find it HERE.

Finally… I thought I'd share with you what I will be doing with my class.

I have decided to spend some quality time studying 'The Legend of the Seven Sisters' by Mary L O'Brien and Sue Wyatt. This beautiful picture book explains a Sky Path that the Aboriginal people would use to help them navigate longer journeys.

I will start by explaining what the 2016 theme means. I have found a couple of youtube videos that I will show my students to help explain the theme Songlines. 

Video 1: What are Songlines?
Video 2: NAIDOC Week 2016

Alma Nungarrayl Granites - Seven Sisters

Once I am confident that students understand the theme, I thought that it would then be a great time to introduce 'The Legend of the Seven Sisters' and read it aloud to the class.

The plan is to then show students a variety of artworks about the Seven Sisters. The Japingka Gallery have a wide selection of beautiful artworks, including the one pictured right. I've actually fallen in love with them and that's why I thought it would be a great idea for students to paint their own version.

As we live in the Sydney area, I thought it would be a good idea to study some of the constellations in our night sky and paint them using dots. Students will use dotting techniques to portray important constellations, such as The Southern Cross and The Big Dipper. 

We will be celebrating NAIDOC week during Week 5 of Term 3. I will update you all with how my lesson went and what the artworks look like, once we're complete. 

So stay tuned for more! Feel free to join my Mailing List so that you can be updated about future posts!

I have a Poll <--

Hi there everyone,

I've just created a poll (to the left) and it would be greatly appreciated if you could read it and click on all of the options that are appropriate for you.

Just wanted to know what you're all interested in and what you'd like to read in the future.

The poll will close the 31st of July 2016.

Thanks in advance! :)

Aboriginal-Inspired Artworks

Artwork One: Nature Installation Artworks

I taught this lesson a couple of years ago now, but it has left an imprint on my memory. It was such a fun unit to teach and the students LOVED IT.

We actually started off by studying Andy Goldsworthy the installation artist, while studying Aboriginal culture and history. Goldsworthy's artworks are stunning. He uses only things found in nature to create his artworks and then he films/photographs them as "nature itself" destroys the artwork. 

Students were encouraged to explain their own message through a nature installation. This could be easily adapted so that students are explaining a Dreamtime story or a moral. Students are given a certain amount of time and can only use things found laying around the playground. They could not pull anything off trees or destroy bushes and plants.

Like Goldsworthy, we photographed the artworks being destroyed by nature over time.

Artwork Two: Vivid Opera House Design

This is another fun art lesson and is very appropriate as Vivid Lights are currently on in Sydney's CBD.

For those who haven't heard of Vivid, it's a light show in Sydney that projects images on some of our iconic buildings and structures. It's absolutely beautiful. Every year, the Opera House gets covered in lights and there's usually an Aboriginal design in amongst other designs.

For this lesson, I merged the Vivid lights show with NAIDOC week. Students were encouraged to paint an Aboriginal design onto an Opera House template. We then cut it out and glued it onto a piece of paper that was coloured in oil pastels and then painted over in black paint. Students then etched fireworks into the background.

I can't take credit for this lesson idea... It actually came from my Brother and Sister-in-Law but I can highly recommend it. It's such an easy lesson that looks very impressive in the end.

Artwork Three: Bark Paintings

I actually organised this lesson for Years 3-6 to complete when celebrating NAIDOC week at my school.

Students were given brown paper which they ripped around the edges to give a bark-effect. Students then chose a Darug Totem (Aboriginal Countries have different totems which are special to them) and sketched it out on the brown paper. Using a cu-tip, students dot painted their animal and the surrounding. They were also given oil pastels to draw designs on their animals.

The final results are impressive.

For more Aboriginal-Inspired artworks, games and activities... Check out my Pinterest Board: http://pin.it/KUjMPe-

Artwork Four: Aboriginal-inspired Stencil Handprints

I have been teaching this lesson to the whole of Stage 2 (Years 3 & 4) in our CAPA rotations time. It's been such a great lesson! I started by informing students about WHY Aboriginal people use stencil handprints and we looked at a variety of artworks that include stencil handprints. We then discussed different totems, symbols and traditions of the Darug people (we had an excursion only weeks before to Muru Mittigar which was perfect). Students already had knowledge about this, so they felt like experts. And then we got straight into making and creating.

I bought some spray bottles from a $2 Store in the 'Hair' section. I mixed paint with water so that we had a watery mixture and that's what students sprayed over their hand template.

A very quick and easy lesson that produces an effective piece of art.

I'm so happy that they're hung up and ready for NAIDOC week 2016.

Well I hope you found these ideas helpful and/or inspiring. I'd love to hear about any of your ATSI CAPA lessons and/or teaching ideas. Feel free to comment below or email me at rach.sellen@gmail.com

Visual Art

Over the past year, I have been instagramming some of my classroom ideas. I particularly love art so I thought I'd share some of the artworks I have taught to Stage 3. Sometimes it's hard to come up with the ideas... so hopefully this provides you with some inspiration!

Self-Portraits

My class created this artwork this year. It was an artwork that I got them to work on during the first week of school. Firstly they sketched out their portrait, then they transferred their ideas onto canvas and painted. The hardest part was mixing skin colour but as you can see below, they got the hang of it!

Operation Art - Tree

Last year my class created an artwork for the Operation Art competition. For those who don't know about this competition, students can enter an artwork into the competition and if their artwork is chosen, it is displayed at the Art Gallery of NSW. The competition supports Westmead Children's Hospital.

To create this artwork, students sketched a tree onto watercolour paper. Students then painted the background with watercolours. Once the painting was dry, students then painted the tree black and used a permanent marker to neaten up the edges.

One of my students' artwork was chosen to be shown at the Art Gallery.

Vincent Van Gogh

Last year, students in my class were studying Vincent Van Gogh. We then created this fabulous artwork using oil pastels and watered-down paint on art paper. The art lesson was very simple and very effective. Every student was proud of what they had achieved.

ANZAC/ Remembrance Day Cinquains 

In the lead up to ANZAC Day, students wrote cinquains about war. Cinquains are beautiful, short poems. They're simple to write and are very effective. We then published our poems onto a background of poppies. Students then stuck a poppy onto the front, made out of red paper. They made an absolutely stunning display.

Rainforest Animals

Last year we were studying the Rainforest for a HSIE unit. Students created this artwork by researching animals that live in the rainforest. They then printed off their favourite pictures, which were no bigger than a standard photograph (actually most were smaller). Students then sketched out their animal on black paper and once they were happy with it, they coloured it in using chalk pastels. 

Operation Art - Sunset

This was the Operation Art competition artwork that I made in 2012. This year I also had a students' artwork from my class chosen to be shown at the Art Gallery.

To make this artwork we used watercolour paints on watercolour paper. It's a very simple art lesson with a brilliant result.

Operation Art - Australian Landscape

This is yet another Operation Art competition submission. This was from 2011. We were reading 'Home to Mother' (the children's version of Rabbit Proof Fence) and tried to replicate the rabbit proof fence. For this artwork we used chalk pastels and chalk pastel pencils on pastel paper. It's a bit of a costly artwork but it is so beautiful!

This was the first year that I had my class work on an artwork for the Operation Art competition. In 2011 not only did I have a students' artwork shown at the Art Gallery of NSW, we were both invited to the launch and her artwork then went on tour with the other 20 odd artworks around NSW. I was very, very proud!

Gustav Klimt

We were studying Gustav Klimt and so we made our own interpretation of the Tree of Knowledge. Don't they look fantastic? We sketched out the trees on black paper, and then painted the tree using gold paint. Students then touched up their tree and added simple designs using metallic gel pens. It was a little bit fiddly when painting, but students quickly got the hang of it.

I've since taught this artwork again and again.

Blogs to Watch!

I've compiled a list of blogs/ websites that I think are worth following. 

Some people have some AMAZING ideas out there... so rather than reinventing the wheel each time, check out some of these brilliant teachers and their great ideas...

In no particular order:

1. Omnipotent Particle Theory - One of my favs! Cory McDonald has put together some amazing FREEBIES around 'Habits of Mind'. He also has some great ideas with how to further use Class Dojo in the classroom.
2. Science Notebooking - SO MANY amazing ideas! I could spend hours just flicking through all of the posts and getting inspiration!
3. That's So Second Grade - I'm not a Year 2 teacher, however, Ashley Pennell is one organised teacher. I have gotten so many great ideas from her blog... but let me just say one thing... I have no idea how she does it!
4. The Autism Helper. - We all have students from time-to-time who have particular needs. This blog is jam-packed with amazing teaching ideas, in particular, ideas that will benefit students with disabilities. You MUST check this one out!
5. Pink and Green Mama - This is actually a blog written by a stay at home mother. She is a trained art teacher and she has tonnes of amazing ideas. Absolutely brilliant.
6. The School Supply Addict - A great all-round blog. However, the blog has amazing themes and ideas for how to set up your classroom. Here is the direct link for classroom set ups: http://www.theschoolsupplyaddict.com/room-setup.html
7. Teacher Bits and Bobs - Another great all-rounder blog. This one also has great FREEBIES!
8. A Teacher's Treasure - A great blog with brilliant ideas and lots of FREEBIES. I particularly like her back-to-school posts. I will be using some of her ideas, particularly the 'Welcome Back Goodie Bag'.
9. The Nest Effect - I have been referring to this blog for a couple of years now. Tiffany has heaps of great ideas, especially around motivation and rewards. Since browsing her blog, I now have a slight addiction to Vista Print. Tiffany prints business cards and uses them as little motivations for students to aim for. Absolutely brilliant. Here's a direct link to motivations and rewards: http://www.thenesteffect.com/2012/03/motivation-rewards-in-my-classroom.html

And while you're checking out these great blogs... why not look around mine? 

OR check out my Pinterest boards: http://www.pinterest.com/rasellen/

I hope these blogs have been helpful!