5th Grade: Geometric vs. Organic Shapes

In 5th Grade at the start of the year we reviewed the Elements of Art and took a special look at shape. We learned that shape is a flat enclosed area that is 2-D (length, width) and can be geometric or organic.

For this project we sectioned off a square piece of drawing paper and divided it into 4 sections. They practiced geometric shapes and lines in the two boxes across from each other on the paper and organic shapes and lines on the opposite boxes. I challenged students to use pen instead of pencil for this project because it helps them to practice making strong, confident, and beautiful lines. Not having the ability to erase away a mistake was uncomfortable at first for these little artists, but they soon got the hang of it and grew to enjoy it and excel at it. You should be very proud. Here are some examples of exceptional work: