1st grade art Japanese Cherry Blossoms

Japanese Cherry Blossoms

I found this idea from http://mrosartroom.blogspot.com/2013/03/2nd-grade-ming-vases-with-cherry.html?m=1

I changed it a bit to fit the needs of my 1st graders. 

I showed the students many examples of vases from Japan and we discussed the patterns and designs. I also added a couple of Rookwood pottery vases  to show them the pottery around our community. Rookwood pottery is made in Cincinnati which is close to our small community of Monroe.  

We first made our vases out of 12" x 9" white multi media paper. Students folded their papers in half and I taught them various ways to make half of a vase. We discussed symmetry in art and how this was a neat way to make our vases the same on both sides. 

Students used blue tempera paint and painted designs on their vases (remind them to put their names on the back first!). 

 This was day one of the lesson (30 minutes). 

On day two students glued their vases to the bottom of a 12" x 18" piece of construction paper. They painted free hand black branches and added white flower petals. I taught them how to fan their brush out to made the petals (they loved this part and was amazed at the results). The last part was to add a little pink dot in the middle of their flowers. 

color wheel umbrella art lesson 1st grade

Color Wheel Umbrella lesson for 1st grade

Bored with having the kids make a simple color wheel? I found this great idea from http://mrosartroom.blogspot.ie/2015/12/1st-grade-color-wheel-umbrellas.html?spref=pi

Just click on the link to see the original idea. I wanted to change it to fit the needs of my first graders and I only wanted them to do primary and secondary colors. 

Each student traced a lid or CD in the middle of their 12" x 9" multi-media paper. 

I only wanted students to make primary and secondary colors on their color wheel. It was to hard to have them divide it into six sections so I gave them a triangle pattern to trace. I tried teaching them to use a ruler but for this age it didn't work. Their triangles didn't come out all the same size. Next time I teach this I'm going to copy them on the copier.  Live and learn! 

I also had them write the first letter of the colors in each box. Students drew a body underneath wearing a raincoat and boots. 

The next step was to color the primary colors. 

 Students were to use their primary color oil pastels to mix the secondary colors. They then colored their raincoats, legs and arms and added raindrops and puddles with a white oil pastel.
The last step was to paint over the oil pastels with blue and purple watercolors.