Genius Hour Snippets from 5th and 6th Grade

Upon the completion of a class project, students have been changing their questions from "what do I do now?" into, "May I try this idea?" Genius hour has taken ground at Old High Middle School and students are learning to bring in questions and new ideas to enhance their learning and classroom experience.
Below are some fun products of what my 5th graders have been doing when left to their own ideas. Some students have even had the opportunity take on the role of teacher as they worked together to show other students their creative ideas!

Brooke showing off a new sign from recycled materials.

Margeritte's successful observational drawing of one of our classroom posters.

Vivian and Ella worked together to teach one another how to make a 3D snowflake.

Jake's successful cartoon drawings from memory!

Michael's very interesting "rorschach" style paper cutting design.

It's always fun to see what the students create with our class set of Keva Planks.

5th and 6th Grade Cubism

...

...has been the theme in January as both 5th and 6th grade have been learning about the movement and it's contributions to the art world.

Pictures of finished work below. (5th and 6th grade.)

Here is a link we watched in class which highlights this influential art movement:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHLNXTolTas

6th Grade:

Students created a cardboard project inherently Cubist in nature by the use of fragments and all the accompanying angles.

5th Grade:

Students created a drawing based on the cubist principles of multiple lines, angles, and fractured points of view.

What to expect this February:

February will be another super busy and creative time for us as we explore and create artwork from the following inspiration:

• Robert Indiana's LOVE sculpture.
• To celebrate the spirit of Valentines Day, students will create a mixed-media project inspired by Indiana's sculpture.
• Students will also learn about Indiana's artwork inspired by the signs we see around us.
• February 1st marks the first day of Black History Month and we will explore and create art inspired by the following artists, themes, and poets:
• Langston Hughes, Elizabeth Catlett, Romare Bearden, and Jacob Lawrence.
• The Harlem Renaissance. 

Here is an awesome video created by Google that the class will watch to kick off this exciting month:

https://g.co/doodle/95hskn 

(The timing on this could not have been better as we have recently completed a doodle activity for our school's yearbook theme!)