Day of the Dead Sugar Skulls

My 8th graders have been learning about Dia de los Muertos. The Day of the Dead (Spanish: Día de Muertos) is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico. The holiday involves family and friends gathering to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. In Mexican culture, death is viewed as a natural part of the human cycle. It is viewed not as a day of sadness, but as a day of celebration. I love the use of color and pattern in these pieces.

Pumpkins

7th grade did an amazing job on their pumpkins this year!  I love how they used what they've learned about shading with paint and color to make their pumpkins look so realistic!

Candy corn!

6th grade observed real candy corn, studying how the lights and shadows look as they lay on paper. Then used what they noticed to add shading and highlights to their larger-than-life painted candy corn art.  This is one of my favorite projects every year!