4th Grade: Becoming Art Critics

The fourth graders chose an art piece that captured their hearts and minds.  They were asked to research the artist behind the piece, the history of the piece itself, and the art style of the piece.  The kids also had to use the elements of art to critique their chosen piece.  Below are the kids Thinglinks.  Enjoy their work.  They used Chatterkids, PicCollage, Adobe Voice, Google Slides, and Thinglink to create their finished projects.

4th Grade: Perspectives

Many, many weeks ago…maybe even months ago…we read a great story called The Blindmen and the Elephant.  Through our reading and Socratic Dialogue the 4th graders learned that it is important to not jump to conclusions, to consider things from many perspectives, and to gain feedback from others.  We learned that ofttimes our “our knowledge has its origins in our perceptions.” Our experiences can cloud the way we look at or understand something.  Following the discussion, the 4th graders wrote their own perspective stories.  Click below to read and enjoy their work.

4th and 5th Grade: Hour of Code

In fourth grade we have been studying the elements of art and how those elements are used by artists.  For Hour of Code, the kids used the drawing tutorial from Code.org. They then created a spiral drawing on Scratch, following another users directions.  This allowed them to become familiar with each script in Scratch.  Next up is to use what they have learned to create their own drawing game.

Molly       Joel      Evan

In 5th grade we are learning how to add and subtract integers.  It has been a challenge learning how to deal with positive and negative numbers, so to reinforce the rules I had the kids create a game in Hopscotch using a variety of equations involving positive and negative numbers.  They are just in the beginning stages.  But it was fun to see the creative ideas they came up with.  I can’t wait to play their finished games.



4th Grade: Perspectives

In 4th grade we continued our study of art.  We examined a piece by Vermeer called The Music Lesson and took notes based on the Elements of Art, that we researched a couple of weeks ago.  It was fascinating for the kids (and me) to see how deliberate Vermeer was in creating this piece.  We also started researching the different art movements, or isms.  We have briefly covered cubism, pointillism, and realism.  We will finish up our research next week in preparation for a project the kids are going to do on a particular art piece.

Last week the fourth graders puzzled through a Quote Quizzler by DaVinci, “All our knowledge has its origins in our perceptions.”  The kids uncovered the quote and then thought about what it means.  We then read a wonderful poem, “The Blindmen and the Elephant.” The kids read the poem once looking for unknown words.  We discussed these words as a group.  The kids read the poem a second time, making note of comments they wanted to make, questions they had, and connections they found.  We met in a Socratic Dialogue and had a wonderful discussion on the deeper meaning of the poem.  

This week the 4th graders created a plan for writing their own “Blindmen” stories.  They hopped onto their Google Accounts to get started.  I loved all of the ideas that they had, so be on the look out for some great stories next week.

4th Grade: Vermeer

I have mentioned that in 4th grade we are working on Mysteries and Masterpieces, so a great way to jump start our thinking and see patterns between the two is through Chasing Vermeer.  This week the 4th graders had a chance to discover that Vermeer was a real person, a real artist.  I used Google Classroom to share two biographical links about the artist.  The kids had to read both links and take notes using the Depth and Complexity icons.  After researching the artist the kids opened a Google Slides presentation and looked at his art.  They took note of patterns they saw.  They then opened a Google Draw lesson I assigned through Classroom and they record the patterns and drew a simple image that reflected the patterns they saw in Vermeer’s work.  Not all of the kids are finished, but below are a few that were turned in via Google Classroom.

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4th Grade: Mystery Talks

In 4th grade we are studying Mysteries and Masterpieces as we work to discover our own personal gifts and talents and how they will impact the contributions they can make to the world.  To start off the 4th graders grouped up and considered the word mystery.  They created the following projects as they worked to better understand what mystery means.




4th Grade: Guernica Continued

We had early dismissal today, so our time was limited, but still productive. We looked again at Guernica by Picasso.  We looked at the small flower near the bottom and discussed how that could symbolize hope or rebirth in the face of destruction, or as Molly says, “There is hope in every dire situation.”

The students shared what caused them to feel true outrage.  They considered how they could represent growth and renewal in a Guernica-like art piece.  Each student sketched out a plan and then started to create.  It is interesting to see their varied perspectives.

4th Grade: Mystery, Picasso, & Guernica

“Art for him is something puzzling.”

-Calder (Chasing Vermeer)

A terrific line from a main character from our novel, Chasing Vermeer.  A perfect way to connect back to a most PUZZING artist, Picasso and his statement that “Art is a lie, but a lie that tells the truth.”  I had the kids study one of Picasso’s most influential paintings, Guernica.  The kids used Padlet to share some of their observations about the painting.

Next we read some of the history behind the painting and how it came to be.  The 4th graders used the Depth and Complexity icons to take notes on their thinking.  This week we will look at Picasso’s painting again, with our new knowledge.  We will also consider the idea of Rage versus Anger.

The fourth graders continued to work on their Mystery Talk projects to help introduce them to the concept of Mystery.  Many of the groups started working on their presentations.  Hopefully most of them will be done this week.

In time for Halloween??? Some of my 4th grade girls decided to stay in for recess to have a little fun with iMovie.  Enjoy!

4th Grade: Mystery

The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious.  It is the source of all true art and science.  

-Einstein

In 4th grade we focus on developing our gifts and talents and to understand how these gifts can impact and give meaning to our future.  We do this through a study of mysteries and masterpieces, so what better quote is there to start off our year than the one above.  Einstein’s quote will weave it’s way throughout everything we do this year.

Last week we brainstormed everything that came to mind when we thought of the word MYSTERY using Padlet.  It was exciting for the kids to see the fluency of ideas and how they could be organized in so many different categories.

This week, the 4th graders broke into groups to think more about Mystery.  They researched the definition, created a symbol to represent mystery, researched examples of mysteries in the world, etc.  Next week they will create a finished project that shares what they have learned.

We have also begun our first novel, Chasing Vermeer.  This is an excellent way to connect both art and mystery into our class.  The 4th graders participated in a quote quizzler, “We all know that are is not truth.  Art is a lie that makes us realize truth; at least the truth that is given us to understand.’ by Picasso.  We discussed what we thought this might mean and most of the kids agreed that it is all about perspective and the way that we see things through different eyes. It connected beautifully to Chasing Vermeer.  The kids also found a way to connect it back to our initial quote by Einstein.

We have had a busy couple of weeks in 4th Grade GT.  I have loved working with these amazing kids and look forward to all the learning and discovering we do throughout the year.

4th Grade: Shakespeare Redone

If you have been following our blog, then you realize that we have been having some fun playing with Shakespeare.  My only regret is that we did not have more time on the Bard, because these 4th graders really seemed to have fun with him.  To close our study of Shakespeare, the kids chose to create a parody of one of his plays.  They chose between Romeo and Juliet, The Tempest, and Macbeth.  The kids had their choice in how they recreated his work, but they had to bring the theme of their chosen play to a new or unusual setting.  I think they did an amazing job.  I had several kids that chose to use GoAnimate and a few others that used App Smashing and iMovie. I was BLOWN away by their creativity, especially because they were all created in one day, our last day!

Caitlin, writer, director and actor, did an amazing job creating her version of Macbeth.  I am a little worried about what is happening with Student Council. 🙂 Caitlin also used app smashing, or really technology smashing.  I loved her clever use of the SmartBoard and Reflector.

I have to say that I would never have thought about School Supplies falling into the theme of Macbeth, but Jackie proved me wrong.  Somehow a Post-it Note was Macbeth and the Three Rulers were the Three Witches.  I am not sure what Shakespeare would have to say about Jackie’s adaptation, but I found it beyond clever.  I also loved her use of App Smashing!

The following kids used a favorite animation tool: Go Animate.  I loved their work!


Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate for Schools.


Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate for Schools.


Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate for Schools.


Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate for Schools.