2nd-Grade
Los Altos Art Docents is a volunteer art program that aims to foster a love for art among elementary school children. Our goal is to provide students with opportunities to explore and appreciate art, develop visual literacy skills, and unleash their creativity. Through engaging lessons and hands-on activities, we strive to make art an integral part of their education and personal growth.
Butterflies & Blooms
Colorful garden scenes are created portraying how plants are pollinated. Using color mixing and wet-on-wet, stipple stroke, pull stroke, and spiral, students’ gardens come to life with a 3-dimensional butterfly. Academic support: science curriculum related to pollination.
Children at Play
Through works of art, students observe how children from the past spent their free time compared to children today. A connection with the past is strengthened by playing yesterday’s games, including hoop & stick, marbles, jack straws (pick-up sticks), and others.
Clay Building Tiles
Students explore the possibilities of clay using incising and add-on techniques. They incorporate the art elements of line, shape, and texture to create a decorative building tile of their own. Academic support: Social Studies curriculum in regard to buildings: representing urban, suburban, and rural areas.
Color of Me
Students are introduced to photographer Angélica Dass’s work and see how she blurs the lines of race by revealing the beauty of human colors. Using color theory, 2nd graders mix complementary colors of tempera paint to create a skin color that matches their own.
Matisse Magic
Students are introduced to Henri Matisse and his cut-paper compositions. Emphasis is placed on the art elements of color and shape. Students learn the concepts of balance, overlapping, arrangement, warm and cool colors, and complementary color pairs. They use scissors to sculpt in paper and create their own Matisse-like composition.
Printing Landscapes
Where art meets geography, discover the beauty of nature through the art of collagraph printing in this exciting and collaborative lesson! Students will dive into the shapes and textures of natural forms as they design and create their own unique printing plates. By combining their artwork with classmates' plates, they’ll help build a vibrant, shared landscape scene that celebrates both individuality and teamwork. Along the way, they’ll learn that art can serve many purposes—from creative expression to storytelling and education—while deepening their understanding of Earth's landforms.
Reflections on Buildings
Stamp your passport and visit buildings around the world and in different periods. Students are introduced to perspective, complementary colors, and light and shadow to create form. Students have the chance to draw buildings in an urban, suburban, or rural setting. A spritz of water is added and a reflection is created for an impressionistic effect.
Wire Trees
Science, math, and imagination come together in this engaging sculpture lesson! Students explore the fascinating difference between 2D and 3D art while learning about the vital role trees play in our environment. Using bendable wire and essential measuring tools, students will apply their math skills to estimate, measure, and construct their very own 3-dimensional tree sculpture. Along the way, they’ll gain valuable insights into plant life and what trees need to thrive.
