You've volunteered to help, now what?
Thank you for signing up to help with the monthly art program in your child's class! If you have not done this before, never fear--we have step by step instructions for you for each of the projects in your child's grade level.
Don't be afraid to ask for help! There are plenty of parent volunteers ready to assist you. You can also click the contact links at the top of this page (for email or our facebook group page) to ask questions.
NAVIGATING THE WEBSITE:
To start, check out the links at left. If you click on your grade level, images of all that grade's projects will show up. Click on the project you are interested in for all the details of what and how to prepare and teach. Alternatively you can hover over the grade level at left and a sub-directory will appear, where you can directly access the page you wish.
Each page will have artist or culture/style information as background for the art project, referencing either one famous artwork or a selection of works. You should be able to use the teacher's laptop (if available) to project from this website in the classrooms to show these images, or bring in your own portable digital device. Many of the projects will have a hard copy reproduction in the art supply room as well.
CHOOSING PROJECTS:
Take a look at the projects and take your pick (you probably won't have time to do all the projects). Be sure to consult with your teacher, who may have ideas about which months to do certain projects in order to correlate them to their classroom curriculum. For the younger grades, especially K and 1, pay attention to those projects that might require skills better suited to the end of the school year (we'll try to mark them for you).
PREPPING YOUR PROJECT:
Instructions of what supplies you will need and how to do each project are here on the website. You will need to access and prep your art supplies in the Art PREP room, and keep them in one of the bins provided (with your identifying info - fill out the slip), until your presentation date. Always make sure to make A SAMPLE of the project so you know better how to explain the steps to the students in your class.
WORKING WITH ART MATERIALS:
If you have never done art before and are not familiar with working with the various media (what the art is made out of--paint or pastels, for example), click on the MEDIA link at the top left. We'll teach you not only about using each media, but also how to care for them, especially the paint brushes! Art supplies can be pricey, and we want to make sure ours are as effective, and last as long as they can. Thanks.
To start, check out the links at left. If you click on your grade level, images of all that grade's projects will show up. Click on the project you are interested in for all the details of what and how to prepare and teach. Alternatively you can hover over the grade level at left and a sub-directory will appear, where you can directly access the page you wish.
Each page will have artist or culture/style information as background for the art project, referencing either one famous artwork or a selection of works. You should be able to use the teacher's laptop (if available) to project from this website in the classrooms to show these images, or bring in your own portable digital device. Many of the projects will have a hard copy reproduction in the art supply room as well.
CHOOSING PROJECTS:
Take a look at the projects and take your pick (you probably won't have time to do all the projects). Be sure to consult with your teacher, who may have ideas about which months to do certain projects in order to correlate them to their classroom curriculum. For the younger grades, especially K and 1, pay attention to those projects that might require skills better suited to the end of the school year (we'll try to mark them for you).
PREPPING YOUR PROJECT:
Instructions of what supplies you will need and how to do each project are here on the website. You will need to access and prep your art supplies in the Art PREP room, and keep them in one of the bins provided (with your identifying info - fill out the slip), until your presentation date. Always make sure to make A SAMPLE of the project so you know better how to explain the steps to the students in your class.
WORKING WITH ART MATERIALS:
If you have never done art before and are not familiar with working with the various media (what the art is made out of--paint or pastels, for example), click on the MEDIA link at the top left. We'll teach you not only about using each media, but also how to care for them, especially the paint brushes! Art supplies can be pricey, and we want to make sure ours are as effective, and last as long as they can. Thanks.
Need even more information? Check out these additional links:
* Coordinator and Helper Responsibilities * Additional Art Prep Guidelines * Tips for Teaching Art in the Classroom * Clay Projects and Schedule * Art Showcase |
Please note: THIS IS A FOOD-FREE CURRICULUM. There are no coordinating snacks or tasting items. Art is the treat!
|
Orientation PowerPoint:
|
|
THE UPDATED PROGRAM:
The Picture Person program we have been using for many, many years has served us well, but the curriculum was woefully outdated and even illogical in some cases. We wanted to update the art program at Oak Ridge to make it easier, as well as more fun, relevant and meaningful.
The Picture Person program we have been using for many, many years has served us well, but the curriculum was woefully outdated and even illogical in some cases. We wanted to update the art program at Oak Ridge to make it easier, as well as more fun, relevant and meaningful.
For each grade level we wanted to incorporate these ideas:
- Self portraits - every student should make a different self portrait each year
- Iconic Works of Art - each year will feature at least one notably famous work of art that the students will try to replicate fairly literally.
- Broad range of important artists, including non-Western art
- Understand key visual elements and principles, both in reading an existing painting and interpreting those elements in their own work.
- Coordinate at least one project with grade level curriculum.
- Exposure to a variety of media and techniques.
- A clay project for each grade level (these are essentially the same as before)
To achieve these goals, you will notice less emphasis on the artist's background information, except in cases of the iconic work of art, and more on stylistic and technical concerns. We want the children to make stronger connections between the artists/styles and the project they will be doing. We also want to give them some rudimentary skills to "read" a work of art and to explore the creative spirit within each of them.