Hello Dolly, Well, Hello Dolly: Dolls as Unit of Study A School-wide, Integrated, World-view of the Doll Presented at the National Art Education Association Convention March 15, 2006 (6:00-6:50) East Suite, 4th Floor Bob Reeker Lincoln Public Schools Lincoln, Nebraska

Lincoln, Nebraska 225,000+ population Home to the University of Nebraska National Volleyball Champions! Located in the Southeast corner of the state Second largest city in the state - Omaha is the largest Capitol of Nebraska

Lincoln Public Schools Total students: 32,505 LPS employees: 7,170—2,803 teachers Students attend: 36 elementary schools, 11 middle schools, 6 high schools, 1 alternative high school; 3 high school focus programs— Science Focus Program (Zoo School), Arts and Humanities Focus Program, and the Technology Focus Program Art Specialists, full & part-time, in all elementary schools but 4 Supportive District Art Consultant - Nancy Childs Collaborative Colleagues - 15 presentations at this National Conference

My Career History Year One (1990) - Art on a Cart :) Two years as an administrator In the last 5 years, in 5 different buildings Nebraska Art Educator of the Year Newly-elected NAEA Elementary Division Director-Elect I am in my 3rd year teaching at Eastridge Elementary as a.5 Art and.5 Integrated Technology Specialist students - ECSE - Grade 5. I see all students twice a week.

Why dolls? Dolls have a universal appeal. From Native American Cornhusk and Kachina dolls to Guatemalan Worry dolls to Russian Nesting dolls as well as modern day action figures to delicate, finely-dressed porcelain dolls, not to mention, historical and today’s paper dolls to Barbie and Raggedy Ann, the doll manifests itself in some fashion in nearly every culture in the world.

Why dolls? Children bond with dolls in a special manner. Whether used as comfort or play or as a tool for imitating life, dolls perform an important roll in the personal and social growth for children. I share with my students that as a four-year old, I developed a need for a baby doll. My family purchased a baby doll for me. This need was the result of the latest cousin born into our family. I was imitating life.

Why dolls? My inspiration for an all-school doll unit came from a presentation at the 2005 National Art Education Convention in Boston. A teacher had based her entire Art curriculum on tea, tea pots, and tea cups. I loved the idea, however, I dislike the taste of tea. And I did not want to focus an entire year’s curriculum on one area, so… I started thought showering about concepts/ideas/items Universal to all people, thus… DOLLS!

Why dolls? In addition, I had just found out I was going to be a new Daddy…adopting a baby from Guatemala. I had collected many Guatemalan artifacts, including the famous worry dolls.

How did I start? I just started collecting images and artifacts. Once you get the word out to your family and friends, colleagues, and students/families you are looking for dolls, you are good to go… Web images, books, actual doll artifacts, postcards, items the students brought in…images just poured to me! Anything dealing with dolls, I nabbed!

Then…

I started each unit with each class explaining this was a school-wide doll unit…to watch for each others’ images or to talk with students other than in your grade about dolls.

Kindergarten - Paper Doll Masks In this age of technology, kids don’t know paper dolls.. We started with defining a paper doll and looking at many images...actual paper dolls as well as images off the net. Each child received a paper plate with pre-cut eye holes. A base skin color was added first. Then, using oil pastels, basic details were added. Art problem: Make a self-portrait mask as if you are a doll.

Kindergarten - Paper Doll Masks Prior to coming in the next class period, I attach elastic for wearing the mask and display the masks. To embellish the mask, students use Elmer’s glue and texture items in baskets on their tables. I encourage them to use at least 3 different types of textures. Finally, we wrap up textures, share the masks, and then go on a Mask Parade through the office. Masks go home then.

Kindergarten - Paper Doll Masks

1st Grade - Kachina-inspired Dolls With any cultural study, I think it is important that children realize that since their heritage is probably not directly connected to the culture, we are only creating images that are inspired by the culture. I’ve made Kachina-inspired dolls with first graders in both ceramic clay and paper mache’. We start the unit looking at Kachina images and viewing a Kachina Powerpoint. Art Problem: Create a doll inspired by the Native American tradition of Kachina Dolls.

Kachina-inspired Dolls

Kachina Dolls were created by Native Americans for several reasons: 1. As good luck charms 2. As toys for children 3. As works of art

We will make Kachina-inspired dolls. We start with a sketch.

Next, we build our form.

Next, we paper mache’ the form.

Next, we paint our form one solid color.

Next, we paint the details.

Finally, we glue on texture items for embellishment.

Our final results are wonderful creations of art called Kachina-inspired dolls.

Tech Connect… Students are introduced to Photoshop Elements using a Kachina image. Using the paint bucket tool and filters, students alter the photograph to create a new image.

2nd Grade - Russian Nesting Dolls Also called Matryoshka Dolls, these dolls that diminish in size and fit into one another, are a favorite of kids! Just as with first grade, we spend time looking and learning about these dolls by looking at images and a Powerpoint.

Russian Matryoshka Nesting Dolls Doll Unit

What is a Russian Matryoshka Nesting Doll?  "Matryoshka" are Russian wooden dolls with smaller dolls stacked within the bigger ones.  Nesting dolls are the best known and most popular of all Russian souvenirs.  Matryoshka means “a little Matryona,” the Russian name that means “mother.”  There are many kinds of Matryoshka dolls coming from different areas in Russia.  "Matryoshka" are Russian wooden dolls with smaller dolls stacked within the bigger ones.  Nesting dolls are the best known and most popular of all Russian souvenirs.  Matryoshka means “a little Matryona,” the Russian name that means “mother.”  There are many kinds of Matryoshka dolls coming from different areas in Russia

History  The first Russian Matryoshka was made in 1890 by two men.  It contained 8 pieces: a girl with a black rooster was followed by a boy and then by a girl again and so on. All figurines were different from each other, the last one was a figurine of a baby wrapped in diaper.  Usually the apron was considered the most important part and showed the main design element  Since their invention Matryoshka dolls have become an important symbol of Russian Culture.  The first Russian Matryoshka was made in 1890 by two men.  It contained 8 pieces: a girl with a black rooster was followed by a boy and then by a girl again and so on. All figurines were different from each other, the last one was a figurine of a baby wrapped in diaper.  Usually the apron was considered the most important part and showed the main design element  Since their invention Matryoshka dolls have become an important symbol of Russian Culture.

Making Matryoshkas  First, wood is carefully selected from lime, birch, alder and aspen trees.

Making Matryoshkas  Second Matryoshkas are carefully carved out of wood using a special tool called a lathe.

 Matryoshkas are hand painted with brushes, usually by women artists.  Matryoshkas are hand painted with brushes, usually by women artists.

Making Matryoshkas  After the matryoshkas are painted varnish is applied to finish the doll.

Variations of Matryoshka Dolls  Matryoshkas can be painted many different ways.

Variations of Matryoshka Dolls

Variations of Matryoshka Dolls

Variations of Matryoshka Dolls

2nd Grade - Russian Nesting Dolls Prior to the unit, I put out the call to all 2nd grade student families to borrow these dolls and got a great response. We borrowed 10 different sets of nesting dolls. Dolls were set up around the room with strict orders for no one to touch…and they didn’t! The art problem: Students were required to draw at least 5 dolls but could draw more. Drawings were finished in colored pencil and then cut out and mounted on construction paper.

2nd Grade - Russian Nesting Dolls

Tech Connect… The top image is a pencil color drawing done by hand in the art room. Note the two colors of paper to represent a table and a wall. The second image was done in Kid Pix. Students were given a template, added drawn details, and then a paint bucket was utilized for adding color. The final image is a similar exercise to the first grade Kachina images done in Photoshop Elements.

3rd Grade - Doll Synthesized Portraits “What if you were a doll? What would you look like?” This is the question I posed my third graders at the start of this unit. Synthesis was defined and examples shown from the net. Then I came up with three dolls that American Pop Culture has made popular and famous… Any ideas of which three I chose?

Doll/Human Synthesis Raggedy Ann & Andy Cabbage Patch Kids Barbie & Ken Draw a doll on this side. On the back, draw a self-portrait.

3rd Grade - DollSynthesizedPortraits

3rd Grade - Doll Synthesized Portraits Once they practiced a doll and self-portrait (mirrors were made available for observation of faces), we talked about the special features of each. Those features would make up a doll that looked like them! We had discussed and practiced, prior to this activity, the drawing of a face in proportion. Images were drawn in pencil, colored with crayon, cut out, and mounted on construction paper. The art problem: Draw a doll image that synthesizes your features with those features of a doll of your choice.

Tech Connect… I feel the most fun part of this unit was when we synthesized the faces of their teachers with dolls. Using Photoshop Elements, the face of a teacher and a face of a doll were layered. Then, students used the erase tool to expose parts of the face on the bottom layer. Doll images used were Barbie and Raggedy Ann. Both teachers were VERY GOOD sports about this activity! Images were printed in black and white and then hand-colored with colored pencil. Both the hand-drawn image and computer-generated image were displayed together.

4th Grade - Action Figures Over the last few years, there has been a resurgence of super hero icons and images, with X-men, Spiderman, and the new Superman. With those icons, come dolls called action figures. The unit was started by practicing the proportions of the human body and comparing those to super heroes. Students were taught to measure proportions, then draw a basic stick figure to capture the pose, and then finally, add details. Images were given to students from the net as inspiration to replicate. Art problem: Capture the image of the action figure in drawing. In the future, I hope to find actual action figures to draw as inspiration.

4th Grade - Action Figures

4th Grade - Action Figures

Tech Connect… Using a program called Comic Life, students created their own comic book pages using images found on the net. Titles, thought/speaking bubbles, and captions were used to tell the stories. Images were printed and displayed with the drawings done in art.

5th Grade - Landscape Postcards Just like paper dolls, the postcard has become somewhat obsolete. So, it was important for my 5th graders to learn about postcards, their history, and rich imagery. We started with research in the computer lab on the postcard and looked at a variety of cards. Also in the lab, I asked them to look for landscape images from one of three countries: Guatemala, Russia, and Early America. These were to be used in making our postcards. The landscapes were printed in black/white and taken back to the art room.

5th Grade - LandscapePostcards Practice landscapes were drawn to learn perspective.

5th Grade - LandscapePostcards A postcard-sized piece of posterboard was given to each student. Art Problem: draw a landscape postcard depicting a country’s landscape and include an image of the doll from that country. Images were finished in colored pencil.

5th Grade - Landscape Postcards Students were to write a message on the reverse, adding an address and stamp.

5th Grade - Landscape Postcards

5th Grade - LandscapePostcards

LandscapePostcards

Time for Questions, Answers, and Sharing…

Maskmania: From Paper Plates To Plaster Gauze Saturday, March 17, 2006 (11:00-11:50) Concourse A, Concourse Level

Thank you for coming today. My hope is that you take away things you can use right away in your classroom when you return.