Elementary Art

K4 and K5 students learn the basic skills of coloring, using scissors, and gluing.  This is accomplished through hands-on experiences using a variety of projects during the school year.  Our projects offer opportunities to learn through directional coloring, step-by-step guided drawing (following directions), paper modeling/3D shapes, and painting.

1st and 2nd grade students continue with and build upon the knowledge of coloring, drawing, cutting, and gluing.  The color wheel is introduced, which includes primary, secondary, and complementary colors.  Coloring techniques include thick to thin lines, directional coloring, and light to dark coloring, smudging, and crayon rubbing.  Drawing techniques include guided drawing, basic shapes, animated expressions, motion lines, texture lines, chalk drawing, and shading.  Students also learn paper folding, curling, and cutting techniques such as accordion folds, cut/torn paper collage, folding/cutting (like a heart or snowflake), cutting/curling fringe, silhouette cutting, curling paper, and 3D paper sculpture.

3rd, 4th, and 5th grades continue to advance in their knowledge of the color wheel, adding intermediate colors, neutral colors, and analogous colors.  Students are also learning artistic perspective—overlapping, horizon line, and size/distance relationship.  The coloring techniques are taught including horizontal coloring, dark to light coloring, directional coloring, chalk, underhand grip and smudging.  Drawing techniques include basic shapes, texture lines/drawing texture, overlapping, guided drawing, motion lines, shading, and animated expressions.  Modeling techniques include cutting fringe, foil shaping, paper folding, paper weaving, and paper curling.  Painting techniques include water color (wet on wet and wet on dry), sponge, salt-resist, and chalk (dry on wet).

5th grade Art also includes Art Appreciation

• Artists: Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, Brian Jekel, and Currier and Ives
• Art forms: mobiles, collages, woodcuts, calligraphy, and origami

Elementary Music

Elementary students have music two days a week, Mondays and Wednesdays. They receive a music grade on their report card. Their music grade comes from four sources:

• 1. Participation in class
• 2. Behavior in class
• 3. Homework (given every few weeks)
• 4. Test (one each quarter, 2-5 grades only).