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Pupils at two Ralston schools might not have been to Cancún, but they know Mexican art.
The students at Karen Western and Blumfield Elementary Schools have been on an academic journey with Jodi Heiser, their art teacher.
The Ralston Public Schools teacher has written her own curriculum, “Art Around the Globe.” It includes a unit on Mexican art, which her classes covered before the winter break.
“This curriculum allows students to explore art from multiple places, create original artworks and understand the connections between social studies, geography, science and literacy with visual arts,” Heiser says at her classroom Web site.
Kindergartners learned about Oaxacan animal woodcarving and did texture rubbings to mimic the patterned carvings. Punched paper, or papel picado, decorations helped first-graders learn about an art form rooted in Mexico's ancient cultures.
Second- and third-graders created their own calaveras, or skeletons, after the students learned about Dia da los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. In the learning process, they read books written and illustrated by Jeannette Winter.
Second-graders worked on creating a background in crayon and then adding a calavera made out of Q-tips. Students enhanced their work with glitter gel. The skeletons are depicted doing ordinary things, which is typical of Mexican calaveras art.
Third-graders also did calaveras in crayon but skipped the three-dimensional aspect of the Q-tips. Instead, these students added hand-drawn borders that emphasized repetition of patterns.
The popular art of Mexican tinware became the focus for fourth-graders.
“The Mexican folk artist found painted tin to be a versatile means for creating decorative, fun and colorful items, as the art of Mexico is known for its use of vibrant color. Their skills in embossing, tin punching and etching enable them to create detailed works of art,” Heiser says at her Web site.
The fourth-graders used copper tooling to mimic tinware and markers to color their artwork.
Fifth- and sixth-graders created self-portraits in colored pencil and bordered them with personal symbols cut from tissue paper.
Inspiring their artwork was their study of Frida Kahlo, a Mexican artist widely known for her many self-portraits. Students practiced correct proportions in their drawings and worked with layering colors for a more realistic effect.
Contact the writer:
444-1165, sue.truax@owh.com
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