how bout those kinders?

I like doing a project with my kinders at the beginning of the year that introduces them to the work of Piet Mondrian. I find that using his abstract compositions as the subject allows students to get familiar with a variety of lines and colors in a simple and effective way.

I emphasize two elements of art in this lesson-
1. line types- horizontal & vertical, thick & thin
2. primary colors- red, yellow, and blue

I have followed up the Mondrian project with a collage lesson that is based on Bauhaus architecture.

It focuses on the use of primary colors and geometric shapes that they learned about, but they apply them to something recognizable, a modern looking house.

 

The project requires some simple cutting, so I can gauge what their skill levels are. These brightly colored homes always come out looking sharp. There is always an interesting variety in sizes in the shapes they cut and in the arrangement of the shapes in their collages.

The houses may be made horizontally or vertically.

I think doing these 2 lessons at the beginning of the year is a good one, two punch to get students familiar with basic shapes, lines, and colors.