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
Email: breeker@lps.org
http://ulhomepage.lps.org/breeker/web/index.html
Lincoln, Nebraska
225,000+ population
Home to the University of Nebraska2006 National Volleyball Champions!
Located in the Southeast corner of the state
Second largest city in the state Omaha is the largest
Capitol of Nebraska
http://www.map-of-usa.co.uk/images/nebraska.gif
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
2004-05 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 215 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.
Art problem: Make a self-portrait mask as if you are a doll.
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.
Kindergarten - Paper Doll 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.
Prior to coming in the next class period, I attach elastic for
wearing the mask and display the masks.
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’.
Art Problem:
Create a doll inspired by the Native American
tradition of Kachina Dolls.
We start the unit looking at Kachina images and
viewing a Kachina Powerpoint.
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
www.babooshkashop.co.uk
What is a Russian Matryoshka
Nesting Doll?
 "Matryoshka" are Russian
wooden dolls with smaller
dolls stacked within the
bigger ones. www.russianlegacy.com
 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.
www.waytorussia.net
www.natashascafe.com/html/doll.html
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.
www.russianlegacy.com/nestingdolls.htm#history
Making Matryoshkas
First, wood is
carefully selected
from lime, birch,
alder and aspen
trees.
www.worth1000.com
Making
Matryoshkas
Second
Matryoshkas are
carefully carved out
of wood using a
special tool called a
lathe.
www.ushanka.com/hm/nd/plain/0_5_634.jpg
www.angelfire.com/art2/petrikovka/images/Paintone.jpg
Matryoshkas are hand painted with
brushes, usually by women artists.
Making Matryoshkas
After the
matryoshkas are
painted varnish is
applied to finish
the doll.
www.angelfire.com/.../images/Paintone.jpg
www.counton.org
Variations of Matryoshka Dolls
 Matryoshkas can
be painted many
different ways.
www.k.d.atkinson.btinternet.co.uk
www.russianlegacy.com
Variations of Matryoshka Dolls
www.russianlegacy.com
http://www.russianlegacy.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=35_21_90
Variations of Matryoshka Dolls
www.tolstoys.com
www.russianlegacy.com
www.tolstoys.com
Variations of Matryoshka Dolls
www.dtgifts.com/snowman-doll05.jpg
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
Barbie & Ken
Cabbage Patch Kids
Draw a doll on this side. On
the back, draw a self-portrait.
3rd Grade Doll
Synthesized
Portraits
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.
The art problem: Draw a doll image that synthesizes your
features with those features of a doll of your choice.
Images were drawn in pencil, colored with crayon, cut out, and
mounted on construction paper.
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
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 Landscape
Postcards
Practice landscapes
were
drawn to learn
perspective.
5th Grade Landscape
Postcards
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 Landscape
Postcards
5th Grade Landscape
Postcards
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.
http://ulhomepage.lps.org/breeker/web/index.html
Email: breeker@lps.org