Abstract Art 5th Graders

Talked about the definition of abstract art vs. representational art

Watched this VIDEO https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kdzGAjG26s starting at 3:27

Talked about why abstract art is unique and why most people CANT do it. 

Talked about famous artists like Rothko, Pollock, and Frankenthaler and asked students to try to figure out how they made their paintings. 

Talked about what makes an abstract painting successful.

Students silently looked at famous abstract paintings and then wrote down their thoughts. Short group discussion about whether or not it is successful and if students liked it or not.

Experiment time: I gave short demos on how to paint with stick and how to make prints with sandwich bags. Set expectations for how to handle paint. I showed a list of verbs on my powerpoint of things they could do in their art making:

Swirl

Blot

Shake

Drip

Slide

Warp

Scratch

Cut

Splatter

Scratch

Rub

Scrape

Rip

Tape

Mush

Mix

Spread

Then, I played classical music and had students get to work!