THE 2009 - 2010 SCHOOL YEAR IS HERE!

WELCOME TO OUR
6th, 7th, and 8th GRADE ART CLASS!


*******************************************************


Teacher Website:

http://sites.google.com/site/elsegundomiddleschoolart/

*******************************************************


Course Description:


Fundamentals of Art:

"Students learn about aesthetic perception, creative expression, art heritage, and aesthetic valuing and their applications with experiences in drawing, painting, design, crafts, ceramics, printmaking, graphics, sculpture, design, and/or lettering."

-California Department of Education


*******************************************************


Homework Policy:


There will be weekly homework assigned for this class. In most cases it will be assigned on Thursdays and due on the following Wednesdays. It is due at the beginning of the class period when the bells rings. It should take a minimum of one hour to be completed outside of class. In addition to the weekly homework assignments there will be some long range projects on which the students will be expected to work over several days and/or weeks. Homework may be turned-in one day late only for half credit. After one day late there will be no credit earned.


*******************************************************


Extra Credit (EC)

Due Dates:

Trimester #1
EC #1 Due: Wednesday, November 18, 2009.

Trimester #2
EC #2 Due: Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010.

Trimester #3
EC #3 Due: Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010.

Art Class Extra Credit Assignment:
See the "Current Events in the Art World" hand-out &/or attachment on Teacher website.  Follow all the directions on the handout.  The article must be about Art.  The assignment may be turned-in at any time before (but not after) each due date.  This is an optional assignment.


******************************************************


Please register for eScrip today!


This is the easiest way to raise money for our Art Class!

It costs absolutely nothing and you do not have to do any work!

Please go to www.escrip.com 

The Art Class group id # is: 154626390.

Click on "sign up" and type in our group number.  Then register all your credit cards and grocery club cards - and that's it!  You do not have to do anything else. Ever!

The merchants will automatically donate a percentage of every purchase to our class account.  I registered all my credit cards, ATM card, and grocery club cards.  It probably took about 5 minutes and I was done!  Now every purchase I make the art class account gets money.

It is a win-win situation.  Please register today!  Thank you for your support! 

******************************************************


Art Class "WISH LIST":

Also see: favorite link to www.classroomwishlist.org

~ Paper towels*, liquid soap*, tissue boxes*, & Scotch tape* (clear)  

    (*This is what we need the most!)

~ Buttons, beads, ribbon, yarn, lace, trim.
~ Empty pie tins.
~ Used calendars that highlighted artists.
~ Metal coat hangers.
~ Graph paper
~ Books on various artists
~ Post-it notes
~ Colorful travel magazines
~ Classroom fans. 

Thank you for your support!

******************************************************


ART CLASS PIX

To view the art class photo albums online at Kodak Gallery:

Go to my teacher web page:
(Copy & paste the following address in your browser)

http://www.kodakgallery.com/ms-kaplanis-art-teacher

The password is: esmsARTpix (Password is written all as one word.)


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


2009-2010 ART HOMEWORK STARTS BELOW:


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Art Homework #1A:

Assigned: Friday, September 11.

Due: Wednesday, September 16.


Send Ms. Kaplanis an email with the following information:


1. Your first and last name.

2. Your parents' first and last names.

3. Your parents' email address - (Be sure to check with your parents!)

4. What class period you are in Art.

5. What grade level you are in (6th, 7th, or 8th Grade).


Send this info in an email to:

ckaplanis@esusd.k12.ca.us

(Please write your own name in the subject line of the email message.)


-------------------------

Art Homework #1B:

Assigned: Friday, September 11.

Due: Wednesday, September 16.


Bring art supplies (See course syllabus.)

Three most important items to have are:

2 art pencils, 2 folders with pockets, & 2 sketchbooks.

(Everything else on the list is a 'bonus.' If you don't have them, you will need to share or borrow in class.)


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Art Homework #2.

Assigned: Thursday, September 17.

Due: Wednesday, September 23.

1. Bring all your art supplies with you to class.

2. Rough draft plan of drawing for "Reflections" art contest.

This year's theme: "Beauty is..."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Art Homework #3.

Assigned: Thursday, September 24. 

Due: Wednesday, September 30.

Divide paper into 4 sections.  

Locate, study, & draw 4 different chairs.  

Try to find chairs with interesting lines, curves, shapes, spaces. 

Draw using contour lines (outlines).  

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Art Homework #4.

Assigned: Thursday, October 1. 

Due: Wednesday, October 7.

Divide paper into 4 parts. 

Draw the front view of your house -or- school  4 times.

1) with details.

2) with contour lines only.

3) using positive/negative space. (house is positive / background is negative).

4) using negative/positive space. (house is negative / background is positive).

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Art Homework #5:

(*This HW must have a parent signature on it.*)

Assigned: Thursday, October 8.

Due: Wednesday, October 14.

Divide paper into 4 parts. 

Draw a car - 4 times.

1) with details.

2) with contour lines only.

3) using positive/negative space. (house is positive / background is negative).

4) using negative/positive space. (house is negative / background is positive).

 This HW #5 must have a parent signature on it.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Art HW #6:

Assigned: Thursday, October 15.

Due: Wednesday, October 21.

Bring "Current Event" article about Art.

See hand-out.  Attach 4 pages.  

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Art HW #7.

Assigned: Thursday, October 15.

Due: Wednesday, October 28.

(Note: You have 2 weeks to accomplish this.)

1. "Reflections" artwork. Must be 100% finished & fully colored. Theme = "Beauty is..."

2. Return entry form filled out & signed by parent.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Art HW #8.

Assigned: Thursday, October 29.

Due: Wednesday, November 4.

Create a school scene using all candy / snack / food wrappers.  Draw out the scene first on paper, then create (& cover) it with candy wrappers.  It will look like a collage.  You will be using the wrapper (not the candy) for the artwork.  If you do not eat candy (Great!!) then you can use any type of food wrapper.  Look around the kitchen - there are lots of possibilities of packaged items you could use.  You need to include yourself somewhere in the school scene too.

Be creative & clever, but also please be careful so that it does not look like a pile of trash.  Make your artwork with care.  

Have a safe Halloween -&- Don't eat all your candy in one sitting!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Art HW #9.

Assigned: Thursday, November 5.

Due: Tuesday, November 10.* 

(*Note: HW is due Tuesday, not Wednesday this week.) 

Research & describe how visual art is reflected in the culture of the U.S. military.  You can research any branch of the military, and any point in U.S. history.  Describe the connection of how they converge.  Attach your example.  

Veteran's Day is Wednesday, November 11th. 

Thank a U.S. Veteran for your freedom. 

Visual Arts Standard 3.1

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Art HW #10.

Assigned: Thursday, November 12.

Due: Wednesday, November 18.

Create a self-portrait 2x.  These two images are a set that "go" together.  

One shows you in a reality setting & one shows you in a fantasy setting.  

Visual Arts Standard 2.5.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Art HW #11.

Assigned: Thursday, November 19.

Due: Wednesday, December 2.

Complete your Art "Exploratory Time" artwork. 

Must be colored.

Follow outline:

BE open minded.  LOOK at various art books.  FIND a piece of artwork that you like.  DRAW a sketch of the artwork in your sketchbook.   WRITE the artist's name & title of the artwork.   LIST the book title & page number.   ANSWER what is it that you like about the artwork?  LEARN something interesting about that artist &/or artwork.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday 11/20/09 - UPDATE.

RE:  Requesting persmission to display student artwork at local coffee shops. 

Over a week ago I wrote a letter to 5 local coffee shops in ES requesting permission to display some student artwork from ESMS.  I have attached a copy of my letter to the coffee shops on my Teacher Website if you are interested in reading it.  Following is an update on the progress of this request. 

The Daily Grind on Main St. agreed & is currently displaying artwork from my 1st period art students.  Thank you Daily Grind!

The Blue Butterfly on Main St. agreed & is currently displaying artwork from my 2nd period art students.  Thank you Blue Butterfly!

Starbucks on Grand Ave. could not approve the idea of displaying student artwork, so I am really sorry to say that we will not be allowed to show our artwork there. (3rd period)

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf on Sepulveda will not be able to give me an answer until Sunday or Monday.  (5th period)

Seattle's Best Coffee inside Borders in the ES Plaza will not be able to give me an answer until this weekend.  (6th period)

I will try to post an update here as soon as I have one for you. 

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------