I had a teaching nightmare last night. I wonder if this happens to anyone else. I dreamt that the new semester had started and my classroom was full of students who wouldn't listen to me. Students of years gone by who were challenging to work with were back in my room in my dream. I did not have the supplies I needed and was teaching a different class than what I had planed. Needless to say I woke up in a cold sweat.
I think a lot of these subconscious fears steam from my middle school classes last trimester. We had a lot of racial based arguing and flat out fights, name throwing and physical interactions. Thinking back to grad school, I have gotten pretty sloppy about building community in my middle school classroom. Just because I have had all the students before, doesn't mean I don't need to keep building community.
So as a I reminder to myself and ideas for others, these are some activities I have used successfully to build community/team work in my art room.
1. Calender puzzle.(I use this one for summer camp and short workshops) Take a dollar tree puzzle. Take as many photos as you have groups. Cut the photo into squares. Keep the squares with their correct counterparts. Before handing the puzzle to the students I give them a big hint. "Good artists are observers. They are like detectives. They look for clues in art to help make sense of what a work of art is trying to tell us. Don't miss any clues with this puzzle."
2. For middle school classes I have been buying murals from Art Projects for Kids. I choose more abstract ones or ones where the color choice is not as important. The students have to work together to make sure their puzzle piece matches all the other puzzle pieces that touch theirs. The kids like this and it usually takes them about 1 1/2 class periods to finish the mural. I like to do a short lesson on the artist featured to go with the mural.
3. Good old newspaper building contest. Every group gets one section of newspaper and a roll of masking tape and is challenged to build the tallest free standing tower they can.
4. Iron Artist. A variation of Iron Chef. Each group is given a box of junk and recyclables from around my house and the art room. I like to have a theme that all groups have to stay with. Things that fly, animals, vehicles...so forth. I like to give the groups two classes to make their object and a poster explaining it. Judging is done by "celebrity judges" like the vice principal and science teacher or some 2nd grade students.
My students like Iron Artist best of all, but it can get kind of crazy. Be warned
What community building activities do you do?
Showing posts with label art room. Show all posts
Showing posts with label art room. Show all posts
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Saturday, January 30, 2010
V-day idea page
Oh Valentines day. I remember having awesome valentines day parties in both elementary and middle school, I loved getting my little valentines and the tiny candies. Making my valentines mailbox out a old shoe box was always the best part, then stuffing my friends and classmates boxes with ORIGINAL 1980's care bear valentines. Or waiting for valentines from friends or a secret admirer to be pushed through the slots of my locker in middle school.
Well, Valentines, like many other holidays is no longer celebrated in many public schools...mine included. Last year, upon learning that we did not allow valentines parties, or the exchange go cards, after kinder and 1st grade at my school, I decided to just ignore the holiday and skip valentines project for anyone over the age of 7. OH the backlash I received. From both students and adults. Apparently the mindset (that was not shared with me till after the fact) was that it was not appropriate to do Valentines day activates in class that it was appropriate for the art room because I could make the projects about the art and the process...not the holiday...yeah whatever.
Much like Thanksgiving and Mothers Day the unspoken rule was "non religious" holidays were to be celebrated in the art room, while "religious" holidays such as Halloween, Easter and Christmas....and ANYTHING even remotely Jewish are not to be touched. (let's not talk about the talking to I received for having a class make six point tin stars that people were assumed were my way of prostlizing my personal religious background when what we were really doing was talking about mirror symmetry!) (another grrr moment) I stupidly got into an argument with someone that Valentine's day is...or originally was a religious based holiday...St. Valentines and all....I lost that argument. I think religion has nothing to do with it....but I digress. Ok so valentines day it is this year. Here are some project ideas and grade level that I might use them for.
this + this
will become a valentines day card for 1st grade
(both from Art Projects for Kids)
kinder and life skills will make the painted paper for this the first week of Feb and then make puffy hearts (link off crafty crow)
good life skills standby (more crafty crow)
I think 3rd grade will like learning how to make 3-D letters and learn about the famous LOVE sculpture from the 60's (art projects for kids)
It is 2nd grade's turn with clay and how easy is it to turn a pinch pot into a heart shape? Easy.
(this is an idea photo...thrown on a wheel by an adult...not a kid made one)
The trick to little kids and clay is to only let them handle it for a little while or else it will dry out and crack. The other part of this class period will go to make monster valentines inspired by these :
torn paper and cut paper (link from crafty crow)
4th grade will look at Jim Dine's heart artwork and do a modified version of this:
(from kids artists)
5th grade will use our painted papers to make a heart bouquets collage. I'll let them make the hearts in the colors of their choice:
from that artist women.
For my 5th grade class that comes twice a week we will make a second project of tin hearts or these stitched heart cards.
middle school....I guess if I'm feeling nice I'll let them make cards on the Friday before V-day....we'll see.
Well, Valentines, like many other holidays is no longer celebrated in many public schools...mine included. Last year, upon learning that we did not allow valentines parties, or the exchange go cards, after kinder and 1st grade at my school, I decided to just ignore the holiday and skip valentines project for anyone over the age of 7. OH the backlash I received. From both students and adults. Apparently the mindset (that was not shared with me till after the fact) was that it was not appropriate to do Valentines day activates in class that it was appropriate for the art room because I could make the projects about the art and the process...not the holiday...yeah whatever.
Much like Thanksgiving and Mothers Day the unspoken rule was "non religious" holidays were to be celebrated in the art room, while "religious" holidays such as Halloween, Easter and Christmas....and ANYTHING even remotely Jewish are not to be touched. (let's not talk about the talking to I received for having a class make six point tin stars that people were assumed were my way of prostlizing my personal religious background when what we were really doing was talking about mirror symmetry!) (another grrr moment) I stupidly got into an argument with someone that Valentine's day is...or originally was a religious based holiday...St. Valentines and all....I lost that argument. I think religion has nothing to do with it....but I digress. Ok so valentines day it is this year. Here are some project ideas and grade level that I might use them for.
this + this
will become a valentines day card for 1st grade(both from Art Projects for Kids)
kinder and life skills will make the painted paper for this the first week of Feb and then make puffy hearts (link off crafty crow)
good life skills standby (more crafty crow)
I think 3rd grade will like learning how to make 3-D letters and learn about the famous LOVE sculpture from the 60's (art projects for kids)It is 2nd grade's turn with clay and how easy is it to turn a pinch pot into a heart shape? Easy.
(this is an idea photo...thrown on a wheel by an adult...not a kid made one)
The trick to little kids and clay is to only let them handle it for a little while or else it will dry out and crack. The other part of this class period will go to make monster valentines inspired by these :
torn paper and cut paper (link from crafty crow)4th grade will look at Jim Dine's heart artwork and do a modified version of this:
(from kids artists)5th grade will use our painted papers to make a heart bouquets collage. I'll let them make the hearts in the colors of their choice:
from that artist women.For my 5th grade class that comes twice a week we will make a second project of tin hearts or these stitched heart cards.
middle school....I guess if I'm feeling nice I'll let them make cards on the Friday before V-day....we'll see.
last week of January: or "why I am leaving this school"
Just to help me keep track of what got done this week;
Monday: mila's class: oil pastel and watercolor resist quilt squares using a shoo-fly pattern left over from Kinder quilts
Elenor's class: finished found object weaving and were required to do a chunk of tabby weave
trying to remember....I think kids who were done early did free draw. (look at how clean my tables are from detention students having to wash them)
3rd and 5th(6-8th graders): glazed Greek pottery with clear glaze and worked on mosaics....all week long. They hate the mosaic project (note to self) getting them to work on it is like pulling teeth and is leading to a lot of unpleasant behaviors. I am making every kid finish one though. I had dreams of doing a real mosaic with them but I don't see that happening any time soon.
Life skills: Mary's class...Line is a dot that goes for a walk wax resist painting...same as kinder last week. Had to go talk to teacher about sending ALL the PARA's to assist, that one could not "stay behind" to do her paperwork. GRRRR
Life skills: Joe's class....cut out tissue paper painting turtle shell, add body parts, glue on ocean colored bloto paper. Cut out oatmeal starfish and added to ocean. I returned students TWO min early and got nasty attitude form the new life skills teacher who asked me, "couldn't you stand in front of them and wave your arms to entertain them?" "NO, we were done with our project, it is hard to time how long it takes with this group of students and I AM NOT a babysitter!" I shot back and walked out. I am the ONLY art teacher in the entire district (we are a huge district) to provided art to low functioning life skills. I am happy and proud to do this, but I will not be used as a babysitting service. Grrr.
Tuesday: 4th grade, one finished their paper plate weaving....about half turned out ok, thank god weaving is now over. The other 4th grade started their Tar Beach story quilt squares.
6-8th same as day before. 5th period received and extensive lecture about minding your own business and let people deal with their own art and life instead of telling them what to do or how it is...amazing how one new student can rock the boat so much.
3rd-Masi: Had a much better attitude and received choice day.
3rd- Hunter: five kids were not allowed to come to art, had a very peaceful class time, did crayon resit quilt blocks.
Wednesday:
prep, 5th period to a Celtic music concert, 5 period work on Mosaic...gets another lecture. 1st grade Drew and painted half circle birds. very very cute. Then took kids to a globe trotter assembly with one solitary Globe Trotter named Dizzy who was in desperate need of a microphone. Chaos.
Thursday:
5th grades: Danielle's: made some painted paper for collage and worked on circle weaves...some turning out right. Told them to take what they had done and give themselves a pat on the back for trying something new.
Kori's class: started story quilt drawings. Turning out nicely.
3rd period (6-8th) making good progress on mosaics...some ready for grid drawing
5th period (6-8th) new 6th grade student that I have been struggling with knocks 8th grade girl in head and calls her a fucking whore under his breath(I learn this later)...she tries to let it go and tells me it's ok(the knock to the head I observe)...till he starts chanting whore, whore, whore! louder and louder till I hear it, girl rushes out of class sobbing, runs into a class of kindergartners who are very distraught that a big girl is crying so hard and several start sympathy crying. Try to kick 6th grader out but can't find anyone in administration (they leave all day long on Thursdays for a out of school meeting, leaving teachers with no back-up plan). Have to keep student in my class. Am so mad I could spit. Bark out that no one is to talk till end of class. They obey. Later a 7th grade teacher comes to me and tells me the students are saying I became unglued. I tell him that is a kind way to put it and they are lucky I didn't flip out even more.
FIRE DRILL just as I am trying to excuse 5th period... it's been a miserable enough class, but no...have to take them out for fire drill. Two kids are kicking each other in the shins, one 8th grader is rolling on the ground like a puppy, five "behavior program" kids are brought over to my line because no one can find the teacher who they are supposed to be with. Like I don't have problems already!
Drill over...drill takes up the 6 min "break" I have to change the classroom from a middle school to a lower elementary room. Am still ushering middle school students down the hall on my way to tell second grade teacher I need five min. Oh look she is already at my door with her incredibly wild class. I say I can not have them yet, I have been outside with another class, I need her to take her class back to her room, get them calmed down and then bring them. she tapes her watch and says, "its past 1:20, they are your problem now" and walks away (unbeknown to me the principal was standing behind me...where did he come from...just half an hour ago they told me he was out for the day! WTF! and watches her ditch her class on me, he tells me this when I confront him at the end of the day about the timing of the fire drill and why it can not be done during passing period times, however, is he going to say anything to her?...that is yet to be seen)
Take wild 2nd grade class into room, turn off lights, put heads down and practice calm breaths, till the class PARA and her student that she shadows show up. With a second set of hands we do a guided line drawing of a bird and paint it. my heart rate has almost returned to normal by now.
last class of the day also 2nd grade: has a sub, one of our building subs who is not afraid of the kids, keeps about five kids who are misbehaving so we have a quiet class of more bird drawing and paintings.
Friday: Kori's class-work more on story quilt drawings.
prep
3rd-demo grid drawings. a few get started, others are still working on mosaics.
5th period...despite my referral and notes to both the vice-Principal and SMS the 6th grader who called the girl whore yesterday comes sauntering into the classroom and gives me a good smirk. I march over to the SMS who says she has been to "busy" to get to it. Yes busy having her DOG go around to the classrooms to announce who had good behavior at lunch this week(***). Anyway doesn't matter because 3/4 of my class is either absent or at an assembly for high school next year. I have a small enough number of kids that I can put one at each table, tell them they can not get out of their seats or speak to anyone aside for me or the people at their tables with them...aka no one. We work in quiet as I fume.
*** (I have watched this women tell a 14 year old that the dog (Flag, a poor border collie who spends his days in a crate in her tinny office or in the back of her truck) can read and write. When the student pointed out that he was a bit old to buy that, she turns to me and asks me to back her up that the dog can read and write....I give her what I think can be described as a perplexed look and declare that I agree the dog is smarter that some of people around the school. (meaning her. The kid got it...she didn't) She just beamed and said that yep the dog could write letters....roll eyes)
***yes I am bitter that I am no longer allowed to bring my dog to school on Fridays and had to get rid of my class pet's because a new district no animal rule but she has decided she doesn't have to follow it because she is the SMS and her dog is her "therapy dog".****
Where were we....oh Friday afternoon, the crush of kindergarten. I am tired. I have good a good art teacher and painted with them the last two weeks and done the really complicated quilt project. So I read them "Don't let the Pigeon Stay up Late" and we learned how to draw birds (pigeons) and decorated them for bedtime. All the kindergarteen teachers have commented on the cute rianforest birds we made...whatever. For once I was not in tears by the end of all three classes.
If for some miraculous reason I forget why I want to switch schools...all I need to do is read about this week and be reminded that the school I'm at is NOT the right match for me. They can get some brand new teacher who is desperate for a job and doesn't know better to put up with their crap next year.
Monday: mila's class: oil pastel and watercolor resist quilt squares using a shoo-fly pattern left over from Kinder quilts
Elenor's class: finished found object weaving and were required to do a chunk of tabby weave
trying to remember....I think kids who were done early did free draw. (look at how clean my tables are from detention students having to wash them)3rd and 5th(6-8th graders): glazed Greek pottery with clear glaze and worked on mosaics....all week long. They hate the mosaic project (note to self) getting them to work on it is like pulling teeth and is leading to a lot of unpleasant behaviors. I am making every kid finish one though. I had dreams of doing a real mosaic with them but I don't see that happening any time soon.
Life skills: Mary's class...Line is a dot that goes for a walk wax resist painting...same as kinder last week. Had to go talk to teacher about sending ALL the PARA's to assist, that one could not "stay behind" to do her paperwork. GRRRR
Life skills: Joe's class....cut out tissue paper painting turtle shell, add body parts, glue on ocean colored bloto paper. Cut out oatmeal starfish and added to ocean. I returned students TWO min early and got nasty attitude form the new life skills teacher who asked me, "couldn't you stand in front of them and wave your arms to entertain them?" "NO, we were done with our project, it is hard to time how long it takes with this group of students and I AM NOT a babysitter!" I shot back and walked out. I am the ONLY art teacher in the entire district (we are a huge district) to provided art to low functioning life skills. I am happy and proud to do this, but I will not be used as a babysitting service. Grrr.
Tuesday: 4th grade, one finished their paper plate weaving....about half turned out ok, thank god weaving is now over. The other 4th grade started their Tar Beach story quilt squares.
6-8th same as day before. 5th period received and extensive lecture about minding your own business and let people deal with their own art and life instead of telling them what to do or how it is...amazing how one new student can rock the boat so much.
3rd-Masi: Had a much better attitude and received choice day.
3rd- Hunter: five kids were not allowed to come to art, had a very peaceful class time, did crayon resit quilt blocks.
Wednesday:
prep, 5th period to a Celtic music concert, 5 period work on Mosaic...gets another lecture. 1st grade Drew and painted half circle birds. very very cute. Then took kids to a globe trotter assembly with one solitary Globe Trotter named Dizzy who was in desperate need of a microphone. Chaos.
Thursday:
5th grades: Danielle's: made some painted paper for collage and worked on circle weaves...some turning out right. Told them to take what they had done and give themselves a pat on the back for trying something new.
Kori's class: started story quilt drawings. Turning out nicely.
3rd period (6-8th) making good progress on mosaics...some ready for grid drawing
5th period (6-8th) new 6th grade student that I have been struggling with knocks 8th grade girl in head and calls her a fucking whore under his breath(I learn this later)...she tries to let it go and tells me it's ok(the knock to the head I observe)...till he starts chanting whore, whore, whore! louder and louder till I hear it, girl rushes out of class sobbing, runs into a class of kindergartners who are very distraught that a big girl is crying so hard and several start sympathy crying. Try to kick 6th grader out but can't find anyone in administration (they leave all day long on Thursdays for a out of school meeting, leaving teachers with no back-up plan). Have to keep student in my class. Am so mad I could spit. Bark out that no one is to talk till end of class. They obey. Later a 7th grade teacher comes to me and tells me the students are saying I became unglued. I tell him that is a kind way to put it and they are lucky I didn't flip out even more.
FIRE DRILL just as I am trying to excuse 5th period... it's been a miserable enough class, but no...have to take them out for fire drill. Two kids are kicking each other in the shins, one 8th grader is rolling on the ground like a puppy, five "behavior program" kids are brought over to my line because no one can find the teacher who they are supposed to be with. Like I don't have problems already!
Drill over...drill takes up the 6 min "break" I have to change the classroom from a middle school to a lower elementary room. Am still ushering middle school students down the hall on my way to tell second grade teacher I need five min. Oh look she is already at my door with her incredibly wild class. I say I can not have them yet, I have been outside with another class, I need her to take her class back to her room, get them calmed down and then bring them. she tapes her watch and says, "its past 1:20, they are your problem now" and walks away (unbeknown to me the principal was standing behind me...where did he come from...just half an hour ago they told me he was out for the day! WTF! and watches her ditch her class on me, he tells me this when I confront him at the end of the day about the timing of the fire drill and why it can not be done during passing period times, however, is he going to say anything to her?...that is yet to be seen)
Take wild 2nd grade class into room, turn off lights, put heads down and practice calm breaths, till the class PARA and her student that she shadows show up. With a second set of hands we do a guided line drawing of a bird and paint it. my heart rate has almost returned to normal by now.
last class of the day also 2nd grade: has a sub, one of our building subs who is not afraid of the kids, keeps about five kids who are misbehaving so we have a quiet class of more bird drawing and paintings.
Friday: Kori's class-work more on story quilt drawings.
prep
3rd-demo grid drawings. a few get started, others are still working on mosaics.
5th period...despite my referral and notes to both the vice-Principal and SMS the 6th grader who called the girl whore yesterday comes sauntering into the classroom and gives me a good smirk. I march over to the SMS who says she has been to "busy" to get to it. Yes busy having her DOG go around to the classrooms to announce who had good behavior at lunch this week(***). Anyway doesn't matter because 3/4 of my class is either absent or at an assembly for high school next year. I have a small enough number of kids that I can put one at each table, tell them they can not get out of their seats or speak to anyone aside for me or the people at their tables with them...aka no one. We work in quiet as I fume.
*** (I have watched this women tell a 14 year old that the dog (Flag, a poor border collie who spends his days in a crate in her tinny office or in the back of her truck) can read and write. When the student pointed out that he was a bit old to buy that, she turns to me and asks me to back her up that the dog can read and write....I give her what I think can be described as a perplexed look and declare that I agree the dog is smarter that some of people around the school. (meaning her. The kid got it...she didn't) She just beamed and said that yep the dog could write letters....roll eyes)
***yes I am bitter that I am no longer allowed to bring my dog to school on Fridays and had to get rid of my class pet's because a new district no animal rule but she has decided she doesn't have to follow it because she is the SMS and her dog is her "therapy dog".****
Where were we....oh Friday afternoon, the crush of kindergarten. I am tired. I have good a good art teacher and painted with them the last two weeks and done the really complicated quilt project. So I read them "Don't let the Pigeon Stay up Late" and we learned how to draw birds (pigeons) and decorated them for bedtime. All the kindergarteen teachers have commented on the cute rianforest birds we made...whatever. For once I was not in tears by the end of all three classes.
If for some miraculous reason I forget why I want to switch schools...all I need to do is read about this week and be reminded that the school I'm at is NOT the right match for me. They can get some brand new teacher who is desperate for a job and doesn't know better to put up with their crap next year.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Chinese new years art projects
Chinese new years art projects
this is the year of the tiger, or will be on Feb 14, a valentines new year. So we will do a week of valentines projects and also a week of new years projects.
Here are some ideas for Chinese new years
Link to carp outline
carp windsocks for 4th and 5th, painting or resist, can we use the large manila envelopes for the carp body? will need packs of pipe cleaners
dragon puppets
dragon puppets for 2nd and 3rd
link to how to make this puppet for 6-8th
fans
and a good old lantern:
although I bet arts and crafts class will do this after school
lucky bowl or oranges....do texture rubbing first to make texture, practice cutting circles, I think a good choice for kinder and 1st
an alternative project for 4th or 5th grade is this draw a tiger lesson from art projects for kids
this is the year of the tiger, or will be on Feb 14, a valentines new year. So we will do a week of valentines projects and also a week of new years projects.
Here are some ideas for Chinese new years
Link to carp outline
carp windsocks for 4th and 5th, painting or resist, can we use the large manila envelopes for the carp body? will need packs of pipe cleanersdragon puppets
dragon puppets for 2nd and 3rd
link to how to make this puppet for 6-8th
fans
and a good old lantern:
although I bet arts and crafts class will do this after schoollucky bowl or oranges....do texture rubbing first to make texture, practice cutting circles, I think a good choice for kinder and 1st
an alternative project for 4th or 5th grade is this draw a tiger lesson from art projects for kids
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Give a Hoot ! Thrid week of October
This week will be a bit different in the art room. Last week four classes got their choice day. This week 9 more classes will have choice time. Life skills with do projects, kinder will do projects and one second, one third, one fourth and one 5th will do projects. I feel like skipping projects for a week puts me off schedule and I get all antsy, but I have to give the choice time as soon as the kids earn it or earning it as a incentive looses its power.
Lessons this week will be:
Life skills 1: Mouse Shapes (shape collage)
Life skills 2: Paper sack pumpkins to go in our sunflower field
Kinder: Mouse Shapes (shape collage) or torn paper apple or pumpkin (tearing is an important fine motor skill for kids to learn)
2nd and 3rd: Where the Wild Things Are (read the book, create your own wild thing) Next lesson will be a collage wild thing and then the boat from the book
4th and 5th: Aboriginal dot painting and practicing our persistence drawing
That is not much in the way of lesson plan ideas so...recently I have been intrigued by owls so I offer as far as I can tell the most comprehensive collection of owl projects and inspiration on the Internet. Enjoy
A little owl how to draw
don't remember the blog...sorry
clay owl made from two pinch pots. I wish my students had the clay skills to do this, but they don't yet.
deep space sparkle
deep space sparkle
can't find the blog...sorry
painted paper (I believe)
That Artist Women
scratch board project
from Art Projects For Kids I like the white ink/marker thing and the literacy tie-in
Guess whoooo? owl, maybe write some owl facts on the wings and tummy
good ol paper bag puppet from Elmer's glue website once again using egg carton parts.
The Crafty Crow (see the little owl made out of a toilet paper tube?)
Little triangle stuffed, fold over owl
another version
this one has a tutorial
and more with another tutorial
even better tutorial
How I want to display a sample of each grade levels owl project in the hallway. I want the rest of the school to see that we are doing a owl unit. UNIT not willy nilly projects.
Not kids art work, but I really liked the collage and painted papers using what looks like newspaper or book pages
an embroidery pattern I am working on right now
Lessons this week will be:
Life skills 1: Mouse Shapes (shape collage)
Life skills 2: Paper sack pumpkins to go in our sunflower field
Kinder: Mouse Shapes (shape collage) or torn paper apple or pumpkin (tearing is an important fine motor skill for kids to learn)
2nd and 3rd: Where the Wild Things Are (read the book, create your own wild thing) Next lesson will be a collage wild thing and then the boat from the book
4th and 5th: Aboriginal dot painting and practicing our persistence drawing
That is not much in the way of lesson plan ideas so...recently I have been intrigued by owls so I offer as far as I can tell the most comprehensive collection of owl projects and inspiration on the Internet. Enjoy
A little owl how to draw
don't remember the blog...sorry
clay owl made from two pinch pots. I wish my students had the clay skills to do this, but they don't yet.
deep space sparkle
deep space sparkle
can't find the blog...sorry
painted paper (I believe)
That Artist Women
scratch board project
from Art Projects For Kids I like the white ink/marker thing and the literacy tie-in
Guess whoooo? owl, maybe write some owl facts on the wings and tummy
good ol paper bag puppet from Elmer's glue website once again using egg carton parts.
The Crafty Crow (see the little owl made out of a toilet paper tube?)
Little triangle stuffed, fold over owl
another version
this one has a tutorial 
and more with another tutorial 
even better tutorial 
How I want to display a sample of each grade levels owl project in the hallway. I want the rest of the school to see that we are doing a owl unit. UNIT not willy nilly projects.
Not kids art work, but I really liked the collage and painted papers using what looks like newspaper or book pages
an embroidery pattern I am working on right now
Sunday, October 11, 2009
lessons for second week of october
Into the second full week of October. Two classes have earned all 4 gold stars and will get a choice day in class. One third and one fourth grade class. A bunch of other classes are on their 3rd gold star. I am going to make a pocket for each station and have each kid put their name on a stick and put their stick in the pocket of the station they want to go to. No more than four kids per station. We will switch after 15 min. To make it fair I will have to put their sticks in a cup and pull them randomly so we don't have fighting over stations. When we switch we will go in reverse order so the kids that choose first will choose last and vice verse.
For the rest of the week it will look like this
Life skills: leaf rubbing (hand over hand), tape leaf down with tape doughnut, tape down paper
Kinder: Finish coloring, cutting and pasting fish from two weeks ago
First: Leaf rubbings with side of crayon and fall color tempera wash
2nd and 3rd: Where the wild things are unit
4th and 5th: Aboriginal symbols and dot art, perseverance drawing practice
6-8th: Get all aboriginal art done! Fall leaf ATC, fall batiks
Notes:
1st. Rubbing needs to be done with a dark color, black, purple or dark blue. Paper needs to be removed. If I could melt down old broken crayons in the silicone tray to make chubby crayons that would help. same watered down tempera wash that the 3rd graders used
2nd and 3rd. Read the book. Two art projects, watercolor monsters and sailboat
I would like to add a collage element to these by using goggle eyes and some fun foam shapes maybe.
In the book Max travels home on a sailboat so we are going to do some texture painting, collage and perspective with this lesson. This project is originally for younger kids but I think it will work well for my kids. Pretty high success rate I hope. I like the idea of making texture in the water and sky and the look at perspective by having larger in the front and smaller boat in the back. I think this is about three weeks worth of projects.
4th and 5th: Trying to teach persistence is the new theme for the school. I want the kids to see that much like practicing a sport or a musical instrument that if you practice drawing a object repeatedly you will get better at it. I am going to have about 12 how to draw sheets to choose from and have the students choose something that they find interesting. Then for the first 3 min of class each time they come for the next two months they will parctice drawing their object. I hope they will see improvement (fingers crossed) We will then look at a short powerpoint of aborginal dot art and look at the symbols chart. Then we will play the tell a story table game that I played with the older kids. Next students will choose 1 to 3 symbols and sketch them on paper and paint them in a solid black. Let dry till next class. We will then dot paint them in using rows of solid color around the black images. Only three colors of paint will be used. Hopefully this will produce better results than with the 6-8th graders.
If the kids seem to like the aboriginal art then we will do this project
although I don't think they have the patience to do this project yet.
6-8th: are all over the place getting their scratch boards done. We have had kids gone for entire week at a time sick. Others rushed through (6th grade) while some 8th graders are taking a really long time getting supper detailed
We have been making some fabric and glue fall batiks that have turned out really well. I have the kids practicing for their India unit batik flags. I also want the kids to make ATC using the accordion book that we used for our first project. I want the kids to make little storage books like in this picture.
So we are going to make this collection book and then today we made the textured paper from this project
each student will be assigned a type of leaf or the acorn and will make 5 cards. One they will keep and then the other four they will trade away so that they have five different leaves for their collection book. On the cover we will paint a tree in Klimt style.
My 6th grade students seemed excited about the card trading idea. My 8th grade students (I only have one 7th grader per class...go figure) are not so thrilled about having to give away their "good" art and take the 6th graders "baby art" (direct quote from one kid). It is rude but she had a point. I have some 8th graders that have taken art with me full time, everyday for almost two years now. Their work is far far superior to the work of the 6th graders that are coming to art for the first time. The music teacher and I both teach two sections of 6-8th grade electives. We keep pushing to have a beginning and an advanced level class each term. We will see if it happen.
PS. the school secretary STILL has not put in my supply order from the start of the year. We are totally out of supplies. I'm begging her to do it but she says she is too busy and will get to it when she gets to it.
For the rest of the week it will look like this
Life skills: leaf rubbing (hand over hand), tape leaf down with tape doughnut, tape down paper
Kinder: Finish coloring, cutting and pasting fish from two weeks ago
First: Leaf rubbings with side of crayon and fall color tempera wash
2nd and 3rd: Where the wild things are unit
4th and 5th: Aboriginal symbols and dot art, perseverance drawing practice
6-8th: Get all aboriginal art done! Fall leaf ATC, fall batiks
Notes:
1st. Rubbing needs to be done with a dark color, black, purple or dark blue. Paper needs to be removed. If I could melt down old broken crayons in the silicone tray to make chubby crayons that would help. same watered down tempera wash that the 3rd graders used
2nd and 3rd. Read the book. Two art projects, watercolor monsters and sailboat
I would like to add a collage element to these by using goggle eyes and some fun foam shapes maybe.
In the book Max travels home on a sailboat so we are going to do some texture painting, collage and perspective with this lesson. This project is originally for younger kids but I think it will work well for my kids. Pretty high success rate I hope. I like the idea of making texture in the water and sky and the look at perspective by having larger in the front and smaller boat in the back. I think this is about three weeks worth of projects.4th and 5th: Trying to teach persistence is the new theme for the school. I want the kids to see that much like practicing a sport or a musical instrument that if you practice drawing a object repeatedly you will get better at it. I am going to have about 12 how to draw sheets to choose from and have the students choose something that they find interesting. Then for the first 3 min of class each time they come for the next two months they will parctice drawing their object. I hope they will see improvement (fingers crossed) We will then look at a short powerpoint of aborginal dot art and look at the symbols chart. Then we will play the tell a story table game that I played with the older kids. Next students will choose 1 to 3 symbols and sketch them on paper and paint them in a solid black. Let dry till next class. We will then dot paint them in using rows of solid color around the black images. Only three colors of paint will be used. Hopefully this will produce better results than with the 6-8th graders.
If the kids seem to like the aboriginal art then we will do this project
although I don't think they have the patience to do this project yet.6-8th: are all over the place getting their scratch boards done. We have had kids gone for entire week at a time sick. Others rushed through (6th grade) while some 8th graders are taking a really long time getting supper detailed
We have been making some fabric and glue fall batiks that have turned out really well. I have the kids practicing for their India unit batik flags. I also want the kids to make ATC using the accordion book that we used for our first project. I want the kids to make little storage books like in this picture.
So we are going to make this collection book and then today we made the textured paper from this project
each student will be assigned a type of leaf or the acorn and will make 5 cards. One they will keep and then the other four they will trade away so that they have five different leaves for their collection book. On the cover we will paint a tree in Klimt style.
My 6th grade students seemed excited about the card trading idea. My 8th grade students (I only have one 7th grader per class...go figure) are not so thrilled about having to give away their "good" art and take the 6th graders "baby art" (direct quote from one kid). It is rude but she had a point. I have some 8th graders that have taken art with me full time, everyday for almost two years now. Their work is far far superior to the work of the 6th graders that are coming to art for the first time. The music teacher and I both teach two sections of 6-8th grade electives. We keep pushing to have a beginning and an advanced level class each term. We will see if it happen.
PS. the school secretary STILL has not put in my supply order from the start of the year. We are totally out of supplies. I'm begging her to do it but she says she is too busy and will get to it when she gets to it.
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