On an average day, my students work hard for 6 hrs in their core subjects. For some, it's a struggle. Art is the perfect time for my students to unwind from the rigorous day and express creativity and imagination through color and technique, without the judgment of it being right or wrong.
In a world where students have been taught that test scores, data, and curriculum are of the upmost importance, many have begun to feel the stress and suffocation of "getting it right" in their core subjects.
I, as well as many teachers, have also felt the pressure, using any extra time to get in that last minute Reading lesson, or writing activity. Our schedule allows for 40 min. at the end of the day for creative arts. This year, I have made it my mission to consciously prepare and provide art activities to my students that allow them to use their vision and imaginations to create individual, beautiful works of art. I truly believe that this has been a saving grace to some, as it provides time for them to decompress from a stressful school day. I have noticed over the course of the year, that by providing this time, many students have come out of their shells, and flourished as young artists. I have also witnessed a strong sense of community when praising each others' work.
My Project
Unfortunately, due to lack of funding and supplies, many of the art lessons in my class have been crayon, paper, & colored pencil. With the help of paint, brushes, paper, and other art supplies, I could deliver a 12 week unit, focusing on 8 different artists, their life history, and style. For each artist, we would begin the week with a lesson on the artist's life, famous works, and technique. Students will be shown examples of the art, and discuss the various techniques whole class and in groups. Mid to end week, students will be instructed on how to accomplish each technique with basic instructions, allowing them freedom to also create their own work. The artists we would like to focus on include Picasso, Van Gogh, Pollock, Monet, Matisse, O'Keefe, Michelangelo, and DaVinci. Because of time constraints,12 weeks are needed for this unit to allow for all students to take their time, using their inventiveness and ingenuity to create beautiful art which they can call their own.
Although my students have done an excellent job with all art lessons this year,I believe that with the proper supplies, we'd be able to push the envelope and create art that's well rounded.
I could provide experiences where students would study and discuss monumental and historical artists, while also creating their own art based off of each artists' technique. I have watched my fifth graders take pride in all art completed thus far, and only hope to continue to provide these rich experiences.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Keller and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.