Wednesday, November 3, 2010

5th grade works on VALUES





My 5th grade students are required to know about VALUE before they leave us and go to middle school. One great way to teach it is through pencil drawing, learning to create shadow and light, and make a two dimensional drawing pop out into a three dimentional illusion. Almost every students is amazed at what they can do when it is finished and they step back and take a look.

* Students first observed many examples of pencil drawings and discussed the value scale that was used. We discussed high and low value and all the "in betweens."
* A blank value scale was passed out and the student practiced different pressures on the pencils to achieve the different values between black and white.
* We then put the values to work practicing how to use them on "3D forms" drawn on a 2D piece of paper (see above). Here they really had to learn how to "see around" the object, determine a light source, and create the illusion of mass and volume by applying a full range of values.
* Then came the crushed paper bags (crushed soda cans work as well). Students had to carefully draw the lines they saw and then apply the value to the drawing.

This is not an easy concept, but these 5th grade students did exceptionally well. Having to visualize FORM really uses the RIGHT side of the brain!

2 comments:

Dee Dee Tamburrino said...

Snead...I want to learn about value. I've never understood how you can make something that has been drawn on a piece of paper look like it is 3-dimensional. That concept just boggles my mind.

Wm Chamberlain said...

I am loving these awesome projects. I want to commend you for blogging the students' work with your explanations. Such a great way to share what you are doing and how you are doing it.

Mr. C
Noel Elementary
NoelTigers.com