2nd and 3rd Graders are continuing their unit on art from around the world. This past two weeks we have been focusing on art from Mexico. Mrs. Estrada, also our schools Reading Coach, was so kind to come to our classroom to teach Herrera students about Dia De Los Muertos. She brought in so many pieces about the art of Dia De Los Muertos. She brought in a Calavera (skull), Pan de Muertos (special bread), her Ofrenda (the offering for the family and friends who have passed), Marigolds, papel picado (decorative paper for the holiday) and a fun book about Dia De Los Muertos to read for the kids. The students had a wonderful time learning about festive Mexican Fiestas!!! We also learned about the differences between Halloween and Dia De Los Muertos. Halloween is known as a scary holiday, while Dia De Los Muertos is a happy and celebratory holiday!
After learning about the Art of Mexico we were ready to create artwork inspired by what we have learned! We started with white paper plates and a pencil. We cut out the center circle and left about 10-15 of the "bumps" from the outer edge of the plate. After that we used a sharpie marker to draw a face and designs on the plate. Next, they glued it on a black piece of paper and we used marker to color the designs and facial features. While they were working I came around to add glitter to the black paper. Lastly, I gave each student two pieces of circle tissue paper to make a marigold to add to the paper. These calaveras turned out so beautifully!!
