5th Grade Musical Cubism

This lesson was the second of the Picasso unit for my Fifth Grade Students!  These kids are so open minded when it comes to art!  I presented a little power point showing them some of Picasso's more musically themed paintings.  I could not get them to stop talking about all the things they saw in the images.

On the next class day I set up musical instruments and a few other objects around the room.  I had a guitar, a mandolin, a viola, a trumpet, a flute and a trombone. I added an apple, a manikin, a styrofoam skeleton and a Puerto Rican inspired mask.  The kiddos were to divide their paper first using lines and geometric shapes.  They were then allowed to walk around the room and draw the musical instruments of their choice.  They could use just a piece of one or three.  They had to have at least three objects total and then they had to balance the space using color, cut-outs of keyboards and sheet music and/or pattern.  The cubism aspect helped the kids be a little less self-conscious about their drawing "ability".  All in all I consider it a success.  I have hundreds of these posted in the hallway!