Drawing with Scissors

After reading the book Matisse: The King of Color students did an amazing job with their collages. This lesson addressed figure drawing, silhouette, emphasis, movement. During bus duty the next day a student walked by and said "The King of Color is Here." A keeper for next year.

DIY Liquid Watercolors

This week I had a need for blue watercolor paint and lots of it. We're talking about 150 first graders painting the ocean. I had visions of little hands gripping mop brushes and dripping the paint all over including the yellow pan. I wished I could just give them blue and nothing else. So I did.

We all know that blue is always the first color gone from the watercolor box anyway. I popped out the remnants from all of my old watercolor boxes and tossed them into shallow water bowls. Pouring a little warm water (enough to cover) into each dish, I left them to soak while I went about my day. Checked on them about four hours later and BAM! Liquid watercolor paint in a dish big enough for 4 mop brushes. I'd like to do this at the end of the year with all my remnants (separate by color) and store them in the little applicator bottles I found. Not sure what the shelf life will be. Sounds like a summer science project.









Backgrounds are done. Next week: Jellyfish!

Weaving

First grade took their weaving projects to the next level, using the finished paper as a checkered tablecloth for a picnic. We talked about food shapes and creating a balanced meal by eating a rainbow. Students then decorated the edge of their plate and glued it onto the tablecloth.

They looks so cheerful in the hallways. This was their recycled project for Earth Day. We used up almost all of the paper in my scrap box. Lesson with introductory powerpoint available here.

Shrinking Arcimboldo

4th grade had so much fun getting their heads shrunk. We studied Arcimboldo and used their photos to create a profile to fill with their favorite things. I think these will be great Mother's Day gifts.

Mosaics

2nd Grade used up lots of paper from my scrap box to celebrate earth day with some beautiful paper mosaics.

Word Palette

Much more fun than a "word wall." I color coded the words to the colors I use for each grade so that when a lesson is over, I can easily spot and take down the key words and add the new ones. I sketched the shape on bulletin board paper and then cut away the palette to show the brown cork underneath. The letters are hand written with a thick marker, but you could cut them out if desired.

I saw a similar bulletin a few months ago on pinterest but apparently didn't pin it! If it was you, I'd love to give credit. Let me know who you are!

Imagine Dragons, Part 2

Second Grade finished their scratch art dragons. We were able to add landscape vocabulary to round out this project. After students colored a landscape background and glued their dragon they were invited to add fire. Using straws they blew orange paint from the dragons nose/mouth. They had so much fun.

Lesson plan available here.