1Rudy and Claude Splash into Art

Classroom GuideRudy is a curious mouse who wonders, “What is art?” Claude, his feathered friend, tries to teach him. Rudy works on a self-portrait, a still life, a landscape, found art, a sculpture—all with disastrous results! Then he tries to create an artistic masterpiece, but...SPLAT! Has Rudy finally become an artist? Dynamic duo Rudy and Claude bring big personalities to this basic introduction to art.

The following activities will allow your students to explore and discover their own artistic abilities, while teaching the many different forms of art. Your students will gain a better understanding of what it means to be an artist while encompassing the use of motor skills, sensory stimulation, and hand-eye coordination. Rudy and Claude have a funny way of proving that everyone has an artist inside them.

Body Tracing and Labeling Activity:CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.K.1 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.K.1

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.1.2 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.2.1

Rudy and Claude Splash into Art is a book about art. One form of art discussed in the book is the self-portrait. Your students will be able to create a life- size portrait of themselves in a fun and comforting environment. Students will also work on vocabulary and spelling as they label different parts of their traced body.

Materials:• Length of paper to fit child’s height and width

• Children’s scissors

• Felt markers, crayons, or paint

• Index cards

• Fabrics, ribbons, lace, yarn, and glue

Instructions:1. Ask each student to lie down on the paper and

have a classmate trace his or her body, including the outline of clothing and hair.

2. Each student will decorate the outline with paint, crayons, or markers, and even glue on fabric, to create clothing and facial features.

3. Have each student label at least ten body parts/clothing articles using the index cards, and then attach them with glue.

4. When finished, your student can cut out the figure and hang it on the wall.

Pre-reading Questions:CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.K.1 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.1.1

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.2.1

1. What is art?

2. What does it mean to use your imagination?

3. Who can be an artist?

4. What is a self-portrait?

5. What does it take to be an artist?

6. What is landscape art?

7. What is found art?

8. What is still art?

9. How does art make you feel?

10. What is architecture?

The questions above will set the stage for reading Rudy and Claude Splash into Art and introduce your students to some of the concepts in the book.

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Found Art Scavenger Hunt:CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.K.5 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.K.2

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.1.1j CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.1.4

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.2.1 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.2.8

In this science activity, your students will create their own found art by collecting items from an outdoor scavenger hunt.

Preparation: Create a list of items for your students to find. Be sure to include shapes and colors as well. Some examples could be something green or something round.

Materials (per student):List of items to find

Bag to place found items in

Construction paper

Glue

Notebook paper and pencil

Instructions:1. You and your students will head outdoors with

the list of items to find.

2. As your students find an item on the list, have them place it into the bag.

3. Once everyone has found all of the items on the list, head back inside.

4. Have your students empty the contents of the bag onto the table.

5. Have each student write and inventory each of the items found on the hunt.

6. Pass out the construction paper. Your students can then begin gluing all the items onto the construction paper to create their own found art.

7. Have each student write either a brief description of their art or a paragraph description of their art, depending on their grade level.

Garbage Can Sundae:CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.K.1 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.1.1

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.2.1

Your students will create their own edible garbage can sundae. Since Rudy can smell garbage a mile away, be very careful he doesn’t eat your creation before you do.

Ingredients: 8 to 10 (7-ounce) clear plastic cups

2 cups cold milk

1 package chocolate instant pudding

1 (8-ounce) container whipped cream topping

1 (16-ounce) package cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies (crushed)

Decorations: gummy worms, peanuts, candy, etc.

Recipe Directions:1. Pour the milk into a large mixing bowl.

2. Add pudding mix.

3. Beat the mix with a whisk until well blended, about 1 to 2 minutes.

4. Let stand for 5 minutes.

5. Stir in the whipped topping and half of the crushed cookies.

6. Place 1 tablespoon of crushed cookies into the bottom of each cup.

7. Fill each cup ¾ full with the pudding mixture.

8. Top with the remaining crushed cookies.

9. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

10. Have fun and decorate with the toppings.

3Rudy and Claude Splash into Art

Marble Painting Guide:CCSS.Math.Content.K.G.B.5 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.K.2

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.1.4 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.1.8

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.1.1j CCSS.Math.Content.1.G.A.2

CCSS.Math.Content.2.G.A.1 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.2.1f

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.2.8

Rudy and Claude explore many different types of art in the story. Abstract art is art that may or may not use other visual references. For your students this means that anything goes. Abstract art does not need to look like anything else. In this art activity, your students will create their own abstract expression art.

Materials:Aluminum baking pan

White drawing paper

Plastic spoons

Small bowls

Marbles

Tempera paint (3–4 different colors of your choice)

Instructions:1. Place each color of paint into small bowls.

2. Drop a marble into each bowl of paint.

3. Place a sheet of drawing paper in the aluminum baking pan.

4. Have students use the spoons to pick up the marbles out of the paint.

5. Drop the marbles onto the drawing paper.

6. Students can lift up the pan and roll the marbles all over the paper.

7. After everyone is done, have your students pick three different pieces of artwork in the room and answer the following questions:

1. What does this artwork look like to you?

2. How does this artwork make you feel?

3. List three words that describe this piece of art.

Marshmallow and Toothpick Structures:

CCSS.Math.Content.K.G.B.5 CCSS.Math.Content.K.G.B.6

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.K.2 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.1.4

CCSS.Math.Content.1.G.A.2 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.1.8

CCSS.Math.Content.2.G.A.1 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.2.1f

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.2.8

Architecture is the art and science of designing and building structures such as buildings. Your students will create their own architecture using marshmallows and toothpicks.

Materials:Bag of small marshmallows

Box of toothpicks

Instructions:1. Have your students their wash hands.

2. Students will connect the toothpicks to the marshmallows to create shapes and structures.

3. Discuss the differences between two-dimensional and three-dimensional structures.

4. Take a picture of the finished product.

5. Have each student write a paragraph explaining what was the inspiration for the architecture they made.

Enrichment LinksHere are some links to famous artists you and your class may like to research.

Salvador Dali

Salvador Dali Museum

Claude Monet

Andy Worhol

Andy Worhol Museum

4Rudy and Claude Splash into Art

Common Core State Standards Connections for Rudy and Claude Splash into Art and Classroom Guide:

Kindergarten Standards

CCSS.Math.Content.K.G.B.5 Model shapes in the world by building shapes from components (e.g., sticks and clay balls) and drawing shapes.

CCSS.Math.Content.K.G.B.6 Compose simple shapes to form larger shapes. For example, “Can you join these two triangles with full sides touching to make a rectangle?”

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.K.2 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in which the students name what they are writing about and supply some information about the topic.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.K.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.K.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.K.5 Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions as desired to provide additional detail.

Grade One Standards

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.1.8 With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.1.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.1.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.1.4 Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.1.1j Produce and expand complete simple and compound declarative, interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory sentences in response to prompts.

CCSS.Math.Content.1.G.A.2 Compose two-dimensional shapes (rectangles, squares, trapezoids, triangles, half-circles, and quarter-circles) or three-dimensional shapes (cubes, right rectangular prisms, right circular cones, and right circular cylinders) to create a composite shape, and compose new shapes from the composite shape.

Grade Two Standards

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.2.8 Recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.2.1f Produce, expand, and rearrange complete simple and compound sentences

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.2.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 2 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.2.8 Recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.

CCSS.Math.Content.2.G.A.1 Recognize and draw shapes having specified attributes, such as a given number of angles or a given number of equal faces. Identify triangles, quadrilaterals, pentagons, hexagons, and cubes.

5Rudy and Claude Splash into Art

This guide was created by Chris Valcarcel, educational consultant, and Jennifer Messinger, graphic designer.

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