Line Design with Zentangles

Students in grades 3-5 studied line design in creating this Zentangle project. The children were taught specific stokes to use on their hand design and then they invented their own specific decorations. In the lesson, classmates who use Hindi designs for holidays and celebrations, spoke about their culture and the patterns they used when they were painted with henna. The students loved the zen music and the peaceful environment in this project. It is a great relaxing tool at this very stressful time of year!

Pop Art with Uncle Andy

Third, fourth and fifth grade students studied Pop Art and one of  its founders, Andy Warhol. The children learned that Warhol believed that anything could be art. They read the book, Uncle Andy by James Warhola, Mr. Warhol's nephew. The story was a first hand account of the art and life of the Pop Art icon. The students selected items from everyday life and elevated them to the status of "art" in recreating their designs. They now believe that "Art is Everywhere!"

Harold and the Purple Crayon

Pre-kinder - second grade students read Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson. This book is over fifty years old and children love it! After reading the book and watching the video, the students worked together to create a mural depicting Harold's adventures. This was a terrific project allowing the students to use their artistic skills to summarize the story. 

Dinosaurs Galore

Pre-kinder - second grade students studied dinosaurs in a special unit. They compared and contrasted fiction and non-fiction books while learning about different species of dinosaurs. The children studied the books Dinosaurs Galore by Giles Andreae and Saturday Night at the Dinosaur Stomp by Carole Diggory Shields. The students learned about carnivores, omnivores, and herbivores in their reading. The children also looked at the environment of the dinosaurs. They practiced drawing different species and then chose one to portray in an artwork. The students used construction paper crayons to complete their drawings. 

Pout Pout Fish - Pinch Pots

Creating a pinch pot is a very easy task for children to do. Creating a fish out of a pinch pot takes on a whole new twist. With inspiration from blogger Art with Mr. E, primary students read the book Pout, Pout Fish  by Deborah Diesen. The children practiced making a pinch pot using clay. When the students finished, they turned their pinch pots into fish by adding eyes, fins, and a tail. Mrs. Stewart fired the creations in the kiln. The children painted their "pout pout fish" and took them home - a "big catch" indeed. 

Let's Rodeo - 2014

The 2014 Houston Livestock and Rodeo Show was a successful venture for Benavidez Elementary art students. One student was chosen as a finalist among hundreds of works presented at the judging. Many Blue, Red, and White Ribbons were also awarded to the art students. Congratulations to all that participated.