They're finally DONE. Whew. These "surreal hallways" were made by my 5th graders, a sweet group of kids who unfortunately have trouble following directions, so I'm really glad to see these (mostly) done, so we can embark on a papier-mache project - flying pigs!
We painted the checkerboard halls with watercolor, cut open doors and windows, used magazine images behind them, and finally put floating silhouettes in the hall cut out of foam. I wanted black silhouettes, but the kids were really into using color so I decided to let it go. Here's a batch on the bulletin board.
Those are awesome! What a great project.
ReplyDeleteOoooooooooh, nice, Phyl! I've never seen that one before. I love it as a grouping. jan
ReplyDeleteThose make a spectacular display!!
ReplyDeleteWow that is a lot of hard work! I am really impressed 5th graders did them:)
ReplyDeletedewd. these are SICK! I'm so trying!!
ReplyDeleteAmazing! Not sure my K-4 could do it...but will file this project away for a high group in the future!!
ReplyDeleteWOW!!! They look so great! I'll show them to my students today, they will love to make them too!
ReplyDeleteVery cool Phyl! I can see me pinching this idea in the near future. I like the sound of the flying pigs very much too!
ReplyDeleteAwesome! How many class periods did that take?
ReplyDeleteFun Falling Images!!! I love them. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteFantastic project Phyl! I bet the 5th graders loved creating these.
ReplyDeleteLoooooooove these, we're finishing semester one - hope to use this lesson w/ my new students:) THANKS!
ReplyDeletep.s. Your journal turned out super fun, congrats.
This is absolutely amazing. I would never have guessed that these were made by 5th graders. They are just awesome.
ReplyDeleteWhat a cool continuation of their surrealism study! They won't ever forget surrealism. How did they cut those windows, they are so good. . . do they use an exacto or did you exacto them? I think you'd have to right?
ReplyDeleteThis is so cool and really middle school level work. Brilliant.
Lordy, I never expected this little project to generate so many comments. I'll try to answer some questions:
ReplyDeleteWe spent one class on basic 1 point perspective review. Most don't REALLY understand it at this point anyhow, at least not this "young" group of 5th graders.
Then we all drew together - me on the white board. They used T-squares and pencil for the basic hallway. We outlined the main lines with Sharpie but not the squares on all the walls. This was all pretty much done in the 2nd class (4o minute classes).
We painted with pan watercolors; I like the Prang semi moist. I stressed doing ALL of one color first, starting with outlining the edge and then filling in. Once they got the method down, it went surprisingly fast. No wet next to wet! Most had them painted in two classes. I have a couple days of week for a lunch-bunch and they end up getting a little artwork done then when done eating. It helps the slowpokes keep up.
We cut the windows and doors with Exacto knives. I gave them all the rules, and told them there were no 2nd chances if caught fooling around. I had no problems. Next year they will be in 6th grade and will be taking technology class, using power tools, so I figure they are old enough. The cutting was done very quickly. I cut the windows for one special ed student, and another student who said "my mother doesn't let me use knives". (He's a Boy Scout, and his mother even thinks the pocket knife, a staple of scouting, is "inappropriate".)
Hunting through magazines to find pictures to put in the windows sucked away the most time, surprisingly. I think it was just too much fun.
Finally, the sillhoutte people were cut out of sheet foam. I showed them how to make a person with ovals ("sausage links") and we cut around them. They were done quickly.
SO - all together - about 6 class periods. Too much, maybe. I see them twice in a six day cycle. I might next time do EITHER the silhouettes OR the cutouts, but not both if I'm pressed for time. The cutouts if the focus is surrealism, or the people if the focus is perspective and size relation to depth.
I did this project previously using tempera, with just the cutouts, and the painting took FOREVER. The watercolors worked out great, much faster!
Thanks for all the postive comments. I was so ready to see them DONE that I started to wonder if I'd given them too much to tackle.