Grade 5 Art Lessons

Painting is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to grade five art lessons.

Art classes are an integral part of children's grade-school education. While children's creativity should be encouraged at all ages, they start to come into their own artistically at around grade five. This is an exciting age to teach children about different art media and history through art projects, as they learn what types of art they connect with personally.

Homemade Comic Book

Comics are something that many children start to make on their own at home in the latter grades of elementary school. Give credit to the creative impulse to tell a story through pictures by hosting a similar project in art class. Bring non-violent comics into class as an introduction and pass them around. Talk to children about this artistic medium of storytelling from strips in the newspaper to graphic novels. Give students materials to make their own comics. To help them along, draw blank comic strips on a piece of paper, photocopy and hand out a few sheets to each student to help them get started with the format.

Starry Night

Impressionism is the favorite period of many when it comes to paintings. The dreamlike qualities of works like Vincent's "Starry Night" and Monet's "Water Lillies" captures imaginations. Have children create their own copy of a famous piece of impressionist art. Give them a lesson on color to create and express mood, as well as the use of texture and swirls to imply line and imagery rather than literally painting it. After they've made their own "Starry Night," allow them free reign of colors and oil pastels to create a painting in the impressionist style all their own.

Autobiography Book Cover

Give students paper, colored pencils, crayons and markers and tell them they're going to make a cover for their own autobiography. Explain what an autobiography is and tell them they have to draw a cover that represents who they are, without using their name in the title. Tell them to make up a creative title that represents themselves.

Nature Art

Give students a lesson on artwork made in and of nature. Show them the cave drawings at Lascaux and explain they were drawn with all natural materials. Show students other outdoor long-term installations. Take students outside and tell them to create their own art from nature, using any materials they can safely gather. Take pictures of their art with a digital camera and email or give the students the visual memory of what they made.

References

• Educator's Reference Desk: Creating Comic Strips
• Mrs. Brown Art: Starry Night

Resources

• Scholastic: Art Resources and Activities