Silk: Interactive Generative Art

I recently stumbled upon an app for IPhones and IPads that art students will love. The app is Silk Interactive Generative Art and it allows students to create various pictures with lines of light. It is very easy to use and the pictures can be saved for printing. There is also an online version here.  The app is great to teach symmetry and balance. Below are a few examples I quickly created.

Wayne Thiebaud: Third Grade Popsicles

Third Graders had a mini measurement lesson during our study over artist Wayne Thiebaud. The had to measure four popsicles, two on each side, that were exactly five inches long. As a part of this lesson, we talked about symmetry and repetition. They then worked together to add white to various colors of tempera paint to make lighter tints to paint their popsicles. These were displayed as a part of Open House.

 

Symmetrical Butterflies

As a part of our study on life cycles, we discussed how most butterflies are symmetrical - their wings look the same on both side. To help the students visualize this, they cut out a pattern of a butterfly and folded it in half. We then put dobs of paint on just one side of the butterfly. The students then folded the other half on top of it to smoosh all of the paint. They then opened the butterfly to see that both sides now looked the same. I related this mini-lesson back to math and patterns. We talked about how the paint formed a pattern on the butterfly. We then added the butterflies to our garden display in the hallway.