Self- Portrait Playing Cards

Students learned how to draw 
themselves in proportion and 
profile.  When the self-portrait 
was complete students added 
symbols that represented their 
hobbies, interests, and goals for 
the future.  After learning about 
the history of playing cards 
students tranformed their work 
into their own personal card.  
Each student tranfered their 
drawing to a piece of tag board 
and created a reflection of their 
work so that it could be held in 
either direction.  

How does artwork change depending 
on time and culture? 

Fourth graders explored this idea 
by studying how playing cards got 
their start in China and then 
ended up spreading throughout the 
world.  Each culture/country the 
cards spread to added their own 
unique touches and ideas to the 
cards- finally resulting in the 
cards we're all familiar with 
today!

adding color

Students are currently finishing 
their work by adding color using 
markers.

Skyscrapers

Students learned about the 
tallest buildings in the world 
and the invention that made it 
all possible--steel.  
We studied the designs of 
skyscrapers fromm all over the 
world- noting their use of shapes 
and symmetry.

Becoming an Architect...

Each student then designed their 
own skyscraper using tag board, 
foil and permanent marker.