Art Teaching
Building for Theatre: grade 11-12
Students transformed a small historical painting into a theatre set. The project was animated by projecting the original source image upon the set and with the help of the dance department’s performance.
War Dioramas: grade 10
Students recreated a WWII photograph as a diorama. Materials: kraft paper, glue, wood, cardboard; black and white paint and chalk.
Paper Sculptures
Projects demonstrate how students have worked with coloured papers, thin and thick cardboard and cardstock to make 3D sculptures. Students are encouraged to consider possible textures and details.
Making Machines: grade 7-8
Students worked in small groups to create a machine that could stir a cup of coffee. Groups made preliminary drawings, used a variety of materials and a 9 volt battery. Prototypes were tested.
Flying Machines: grades 5-8
Groups of students work together to make large flying machines. Sculptures are made of wood. Paper is stretched over their frames and painted.
Automata & Art History
Grade 11 students worked with photocopies of artworks from their art history textbook. Artworks were animated using cardboard gears, levers, sliders and other pop-up book mechanisms. Waves rolled, wings and arms flapped.
Reduction Block Prints gr.10
Reduction block prints in 2-3 colours plus white paper requires careful planning. Postcard size prints, ‘battleship linoleum.’
Linocut Printmaking: grade 7-8
Students have created wild and wonderful beasts and animals. Other classes recreate First World War photographs after learning about the First War in history class. These postcard size prints use reduction-block print techniques.
Medieval Town: grade 4-5
This class recreated a house or business in a medieval town. Students researched, made rough drawings and constructed their dioramas using cardboard, collage, printmaking and painting techniques. Students mapped their town on the last day.
A Painting Transformed: grade 10
Students selected a painting from art history. Then with cardboard, collage and monoprint, transformed it into a diorama.
Ancient Reliefs: grade 9
Using cardboard, papier mâché and some white chalk, students recreate a relief sculpture from ancient history.
City in Ruins: grade 11
Students created miniature dioramas of their downtown after imagining it abandoned or destroyed.
Plasticine Paintings
Primary colours plus black and white makes all the colours you need. Learn to make skin tones and different browns with the primaries. Another kind of finger-painting!
Printmaking, Drawing, Sculpture: grade 1-3
Students use lino-block stamps and freehand drawing to create panoramic views on large sheets of paper. Hot air balloon images were created using drypoint printmaking processes and an etching press. See a class of animal heads made by cutting and folding construction paper; also self-portraits made with oil pastels.
Shakespeare’s Theatre
Students work as a group to recreate Shakespeare’s theatre in miniature. Students practiced mapping, measurement and building techniques.
Canadian History: grade 7-8:
Students recreated some aspect of Canadian history: a 19th century fort, First War trench, school house, factory or general store. They used cardboard, paint, mono-printing and collage in their designs.
Paper & Glue
Paper bags and cardboard boxes; scissors, coloured paper, white glue and hot glue built these projects. Watering down white glue and brown kraft paper makes even more complex objects such as this aircraft carrier.
School Drum Set
Cardboard sauna tubes, acrylic paint and duck tape. Lots of kids dropped by and took a turn building and painting this project at Sir Sam Steeles P.S. (Whitby).
