Rubberband Painting

Here’s a simple activity to the get the creative juices flowing! Explore colour, patterns. Spot images in the splatter. Create a piece of contemporary art! The possibilities are endless.

Materials:

• Rubberbands
• Paper
• Paint
• plate/tray/cardboard box

If the mess starts to scare you, remember that kids need to practice on-task behaviour and you, as mentors, are there to help them guide their decisions. That impulsivity is something to direct into a positive, absolutely beautiful piece of art (and NOT into a library stained with paint).

Design your own CD Cover

I hope Chelsea doesn’t mind, but this post is definitely inspired by an activity she led with her girls at Verdun Elementary last week (I wish I had pictures!)

Why?

Today’s world is all about representation: what your clothes say about you, what your job says about you, what your Facebook says about you, etc etc! Kids are constantly flashed with images of pop culture. They can associate a picture of Rihanna with fashion, singing, dancing, beauty/sexiness and stardom in seconds…but if you show them a picture of Stephen Harper, well, don’t wait too long for that response. It’s important that these limited representations don’t get absorbed unconsciously and without reflection.

This activity combines art with media literacy and identity development. 

Step 1
Take a look at popular or interesting CD covers. How is the artist representing himself/herself? For example, take this CD cover for Selena Gomez. What do you think she is saying about herself?

Things you could point out include:
1. Her band is called “Selena Gomez and the Scene” but only SHE is on the cover. Thus, she is the star. She is in the spotlight. She is most important. She is independent.

2. She is dressed as a Flapper! Flappers are from the 1920s and they were young women who rebelled against tradition by having short hair, short dresses and learning new dances (etc). Why do you think she is dressed as a flapper? Maybe she is showing her rebelliousness.

3. What colours are used? Are they masculine or feminine?

4. Does the cover look childish/cartoonish or mature?

So, after reflecting, how do you think Selena Gomez is representing herself?

Step 2
Display different CDs. You can look at how different artists represent themselves, but you can also show different styles of art.
For example..

1. Green Day’s Dookie displays cartoon/caricature art

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon uses geometric shapes.

3. One Direction uses photography and self portrait to really show their personalities.

Step 3

Create your own CD Cover! Students can choose their artist name, their CD name and art style. Guide them as they determine what images/colours/texts represent who they are and who they want to be or what kind of music they like.

Materials include markers/crayons/pencils/etc, paper, scissors. You can even use magazines and glue, pastels, construction paper, etc etc. Be creative!

 

Be an Interior Designer and/or Architect

This week at Verdun, we had a simple and entirely engaging activity that let the kids take charge in the role of interior designer or architect.

It’s really quite simple:

(1) With a sheet of paper, you can either show the student technical design (picture one) or perspective drawing (picture two) in order to create a room!

(2) Using pages from magazines, catalogues, newspaper, etc, have the students cut out furniture, accessories, textiles, fabrics. They can show you what colours go together, why they chose what they did, etc.

(3) Then, they simply glue the images onto their floor plan. See? Easy! Kids get to express themselves, take on a different role, and learn a little bit about aesthetics.
And if you want, you can keep the project going from week to week! Add rooms, stick them together to make a giant floor plan! Maybe use boxes to build the house itself that matches the floor plan! Or make the paper itself the wall! The possibilities are endless.

Materials:
glue, magazines, paper, pencils/markers/crayons.