Nothing But a Hound Dog : Absolutely Adorable Art Project
As an educator with a passion for arts integration, I've had the privilege of teaching in diverse settings, including a school with a unique connection to the King of Rock 'n' Roll himself, Elvis Presley. Just imagine how often we listened to and sang Hound Dog during the school year!
Anyway, picture this: a group of enthusiastic kids, gathered for a week-long art "camp" at my place, enraptured by a furry friend named Alli, my brother’s hound dog. Initially seen as a distraction, Alli soon became the star of the show, inspiring a unique learning experience.
Now, before you start thinking you need to bring your own pet to school, let me reassure you – there are plenty of ways to infuse creativity into your classroom without the need for furry companions. For instance, imagine using a captivating children's book like "Charlie the Ranch Dog" or the iconic tunes of Elvis Presley to spark interest and set the stage for a memorable lesson.
Using My Pet Hound Dog as Art
It was only when I realized that this was the perfect opportunity to engage them as learners that Alli became the focus, not the distraction.
Now, if you are a teacher who is looking for projects for your classroom, don't fret! You don't have to take your dog to school. You can use supplemental materials as a hook to this lesson, But, hey, if you have a hound dog handy, it might be fun to paint a real life subject!
Charlie the Ranch Dog is excellent. I would definitely use the Elvis Presley song as a prompt as well. We would do some movement and reading before the visual art activity. There are a number of things you can do. Simply put, use your creativity and have fun!
How We Completed the Art Activity
Timeframe: 2 hours- small group setting
Grade Level: pre K +
Here's how I turned my Alli into an art activity:
Basic shapes were used to draw the face of a dog. The top of the head is a soft square, the ears are long ovals, the nose is a soft rectangle etc. I use the word "soft" when talking about shapes with no sharp corners. They also used black permanent markers to trace their pencil lines.
Next, they used white crayons to color clouds in the background and blue watercolors to create a resist. This looks like clouds in the sky behind the dog. You can also let your students choose whatever kind of background they want to do. Some may opt in for polkadots, stripes, or a solid one.
Lastly, they painted the dog using pearlescent watercolor cakes. I like the Yasutomo brand. I use them a lot in my art lessons.
Conclusion
As we reminisce about this project, it's bittersweet to recall that Alli has since crossed the rainbow bridge. Yet, her spirit lives on in the joy and spontaneity she brought to our artful endeavors.
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