My 7th and 8th graders spent a good chunk of first quarter working on a human sculpture project. They learned about the proportions of the human figure (we measured ourselves in class and compared the measurements to the 8-Head Scale–super fun!), how to draw a person to make it appear as if they are in motion, and the proportions of the face.
All of that information got combined into a sculpture project where the kids created a “historical” figure. I was pretty loose on the definition of historical (something I will change for next time) so most the figures are famous people, some are characters from movies and a handful are actually from the past.
Either way, the sculptures turned out pretty fun. We started by creating a wire armature and then wrapping it in aluminum foil and tape to make it 3-D. Next, the kids worked with air dry clay to create their specific person. The air dry clay turned out to be a total disaster since it shrank as it dried and then cracked in the process. The kids handled it well though and tried to smooth out the cracks the best they could. As frustrating as the medium was, I think it was a good lesson in patience for everybody.
The finished sculptures are on display with short descriptions giving hints as to who the people are.
Can you guess who they are?!
(click on the pictures to enlarge so that you can read the descriptions more easily)
My students are creating website portfolios again this year so they photographed their sculptures to add to their websites. Here are a few in our black photo box before they were placed on display.
All of that information got combined into a sculpture project where the kids created a “historical” figure. I was pretty loose on the definition of historical (something I will change for next time) so most the figures are famous people, some are characters from movies and a handful are actually from the past.
Either way, the sculptures turned out pretty fun. We started by creating a wire armature and then wrapping it in aluminum foil and tape to make it 3-D. Next, the kids worked with air dry clay to create their specific person. The air dry clay turned out to be a total disaster since it shrank as it dried and then cracked in the process. The kids handled it well though and tried to smooth out the cracks the best they could. As frustrating as the medium was, I think it was a good lesson in patience for everybody.
The finished sculptures are on display with short descriptions giving hints as to who the people are.
Can you guess who they are?!
(click on the pictures to enlarge so that you can read the descriptions more easily)
My students are creating website portfolios again this year so they photographed their sculptures to add to their websites. Here are a few in our black photo box before they were placed on display.
da Vinci painting the Mona Lisa on an easel that the student made out of wooden sticks.
Britney Spears had the most elaborate costume ever. This student was super meticulous with all the details in her attempt to recreate Britney.
Yuna Kim is a famous ice skater that the students love.
A Russian ballerina who’s name I am forgetting at the moment.
Our final display
From Russia with Love 