2nd Grade Penguins

This fantastic project that I will definitely be doing again I have to give 100% credit to Deep Space Sparkle via a Pinterest Post. The second I saw it I knew I had to do it. The only thing I really changed was not adding the snow over the top of everything.

I follow the lesson on DSS almost exactly including what I did each day, so I won't get to into it here.

Day 1: I read them an interactive version of one of my favorite books of all time Tacky The Penguin via my iPad and the visualizer. The app was (I think) $4 but very worth it to me because I love the book so much! To start our backgrounds we talked about blending colors into the next when we paint and I demonstrated this. At McDill we used tempera cakes because I haven't used them much and wanted to try them out and see how rich the colors were. Pretty happy with the results. Used watercolors at my other two schools because we didn't have the cakes and they were too big to bring with. Still happy but the colors just weren't as vibrant. The only rule was to fill the page and keep the lines the same direction. Careful not to say "One Direction" or you will get fan girl or "i hate them" responses. Even from 2nd grade :)

Day 2: We continued our discussion from our last project about 3D into this with the iceberg and adding things to our penguins. Then everyone got all of the supplies and we did a draw along. Everyone cut, assembled, and glued to their background on their own.

Day 3: This is when the magic happened! I found a large variety of supplies like yarn, sequins, felt etc. and let them go nuts. The only rule was to not cover your penguin or add extra things just to use them. Have a function and purpose for everything. Per-usual I had a few who did not follow either of those rules and got too carried away. I did end up having a few students who did not want to add anything to their penguins because "penguins don't wear clothes" (SO SERIOUS!) and those who missed this day just didn't get to add anything either because their project still was a completed piece without it.

All in all. SO happy with these guys, they look great! Wish I could of hung every one at every school!

 Kennedy Elementary...

Inside my Room :) I had to hang them all!

 McDill Elementary...

Jefferson Elementary...

K & 1 Printed Snowy Trees

A few weeks ago before I started hating winter even more for not being over and refused to do any more winter projects, I finished up on this beautiful printing project with my Kindergarteners and 1st graders. I was planning on doing a printing project with all grades but things transitioned elsewhere. I already posted the 3rd grade monoprints and I did do a printing project with 4th too (I will post that as soon as I get them all hung up) but that is as far as I got with printing!

Pretty positive this project was my own idea and not from Pinterest which I am pretty excited about because they turned out beautiful! Maybe I was inspired by this Pin to use the cardboard for the trees. Projects like this are always exciting for me because I know many students have not done anything like this so they really get excited, even those who aren't normally as engaged as the rest of the class.

Day 1: First I read a story about winter with excellent outside winter illustrations (of course I can't remember the book because it was from the school library). Then we discussed what printing was, of course many tell me from a computer out of a printer but then we get to the bottom of it and talk about that kind of printing versus printing in art. My go-to is asking if any of them have used a stamp or done hand print art work and talk about how that is printing! (Oddly enough my 4th graders said a lot of the same things. Which makes me think that they have not done much printing with past teachers.) Then I demonstrated painting the trunks and branches with cardboard pieces and STAMPING not spreading the paint around. My Ah-ha! moment for this project with putting the paint on magazines and when they were done all I had to do was tear off the top page. Genius right!?

Day 2: Reminder discussion about what printing was again and then demonstrated printing the snow on the ground with 1 "show me 1" finger and a marker cap for the snowflakes. After students finished their snow I let them use up their white paint and other objects to experiment more with printing. 

McDill Elementary...

Jefferson Elementary...

 Kennedy Elementary...

Olympics!

GO USA!

A few of my classes were really ahead last week so to celebrate the Olympics 2nd-6th worked on this awesome collaborative project! Kinderbeaners and 1st had an individual project that was also an option for 2-6 to do if they did not want to participate in the group collaborative...

I started each class off with the image in a powerpoint slide of the Olympic Ring flag asking if they knew what it was. Almost all did! With K-2 I just asked them to share what they knew about the Olympics and then we talked about the meaning of the colors and the amount of rings. This is one of those fun times where I researched and then got to teach what I learned which always makes it more exciting for me because it awakens my fun fact inner nerd :) 3-6 had more slides about the history of the Olympics and Olympic Rings being designed. We also talked about the meanings of the rings and colors.

For the older students, groups started working to collage the rings that I had pre-draw by tracing my garbage can (resourceful I know!) Wherever the last class finished the next picked up. By the time we finished these I had 3 sets at 2 schools and 1 at another due to catching up on other projects. I did the cutting and assembling, mostly for time sake.

Jefferson Elementary...

Kennedy Elementary...

(the 3rd set will hang in my room)

McDill Elementary...

My Kinders and 1st graders (and individual workers in 2-6) made mini olympic flags and I challenged them to try to do it without drawing lines. Most messed up on the first and second but by ring #5 they were all awesome at making the "doughnuts" as they called them. When they finished they were supposed to draw their favorite winter olympic sport on the back. They took these home same day, so I made sure I took pictures, they were just too cute not to share! The rings were about the same on everyones but some of my big kids went the extra step to embellish them a bit!

Ice skater who is balancing a dog on her head....

Davis and White! GOLD! 

Ski Jumping?

Bobsledding!

 GO USA!