clay tic-tac-toe board

 

Description: For this project use air dry clay. Start by wedging and slamming the clay (teacher demonstrates). Use a rolling pin to flatten the clay into an even slab. The size of the slab determines the size of the board. Have students cut the slab into a square, circle, or any shape they choose. Use a pencil or make lines with clay to make grid on the clay slab. You will need two horizontal lines and two vertical lines. Next create ten pieces to play the game. This can be done by rolling two small cylinders and cutting them into small pieces and making whatever you want your pieces to be. Let the clay dry and then paint the board. Lastly, when the paint dries glaze the board so it stays longer and let dry over night for best results. 

Extension Activity: An extension activty that can be used in a math symmetry and patterns. Ask students to look at the grid of the board. Discuss the symmetry of the board and how each horizontal, veritcal, and digonal respresents a form a geometric symmetry. 

print making camelon

 

Description: For this project we had about ten 4x6 piece of paper and we took a gel tray and put paint on it. We then picked a pattern or stencil we wanted to print and laid it on top of the paint. Once the chosen piece is on the paint the student will lay one of the pieces of paper on the design and roll a roller on it to get the design on the paper. (can look up a tutorial if need more directions). Students will then do that for ten pieces of paper. Once complete and papers are all dry, they will trace the pieces made by the teacher to create the camelon. The students will cut out the traced pieces. Then glue the pieces on in order like the teacher did. Lastly, the students will draw arms, legs, and a face on the camelon. 

Extension Activity: An extension activity for this project could be to give a science lesson on a camelon's life. A teacher could read a book about a camelon or find an educational video on the camelon. Students can then decide a color the camelon will be based on what they learned. The students can also create a background using print making skills to show the ecosystem a camelon belongs in. 

paper weaving

 

Description: For this activity we watch a video explaining what paper weaving is. Students then write down four interesting facts they learned from the video on the bottom of a construction paper. To start paper weaving students need half of a piece of construction paper. Use a ruler and pencil to lightly mark straight lines across the entire sheet of paper. Space the slits about half an inch apart. Use scissors to cut slits along the marks made. Take a strip of pre-cut paper (cut strips out prior-to class). Take one of the strips and slide it under the first slit of the base paper and over the next slit. Continue this pattern (under, over) until you reach the end of the base paper. Glue down pieces of paper that are sticking up. 

Extension Activity: For an extension activity you can integrate geometry concepts such as symmetry, patterns, and shapes. Students will look how shapes and symmetry appear in the paper weaving process and they will incorporate geometric concepts into their weaving designs. Before weaving discuss geometric shapes like triangles, square, and circles. Students will then create their weaving strips with these shapes. An example might be cutting their strips in a zig-zig pattern or create repeating shapes in their weave. 

Finger Painting fall tree

 

Description: Students will create a fall tree using their fingers to paint and their hand the trace the branches. First, students will start by tracing their hand and part of their arm in the middle of the paper to symbolize the branches under the leaves. Then have students draw a circle on either side of the tree. Then students will color the branches and circles brown. Next the teacher will pass a plate around with the colors red, yellow, and orange around to each group of students. The paint will be used to finger-paint the tree and leave piles. Tell the students to cover all branches and make sure no brown is showing. 

Extension Activity: An extension activity for this project is to have students write and tell a story about the tree's leaves. Students will explore how trees change in fall and use their artwork to tell a story about the life cycle of trees and the seasonal changes they undergo. This extension activity integrates art with environmental education and creative writing, encouraging students to think deeply about nature and how the world around them changes in fall.

Monster Drawing

 

Description: (taught this lesson) For this project students will list four features of a monster on a piece of paper. Then they will pass the paper to the peer to their left. Once they have new papers they will draw a monster using the features given to them. The students can always add more features if wanted. When the student is happy with their rough draft they will draw the monster on a larger piece of paper. Once done drawing students will outline monster with black crayon or marker. Students will then pick a color to represent the feeling of the monster (red=mad, blue=sad, yello=happy etc). 

Extension Activity: An extension activity for this project is to use writing. Students cna write a paragraph about the monsters day off and what they do through the day. The paragraph needs to include the monster's name, color, and a hobby they do. Then the students will share with the class their paragraph. 

Van Gogh Collage

 

Description: We picked a piece of construction paper of our choice. We created a background with tissue paper making sure to cover the whole space. We used paint brushes and glue to keep the tissue paper down. We let the glue try overnight. The next day we created a scene of your choice, I choose the mountians. We then cut out black consturction paper to glue onto the tissue paper to create more texture. 

Extension Activity: An extension activity for this project could be to relate the project to weather or seasons and science. Students create landscapes inspired by Van Gogh's paintings of nature during different times of the year, like winter, spring, or fall. This helps students think about how weather can affect the feeling of a landscape.

safari animal

           

Description: For this activity we drew a safari animal upside down while looking at the animal we are copying upside down as well. Once we were done drawing our animal we choose a color that is a warm color (red, yellow, orange). With these colors we drew patterns over top on the safari animal covering and making sure our drawing is not showing. Then we will take our construction paper we choose and glue our drawing onto the construction paper. We also wrote down hints to guess the animal we drew and glued that onto the construction paper. We made special glasses as well. We traced a special cut out of the glasses shape then we cut it out. Next we glued the red lens on so we can see our safari animal under the colors. 

Extension activity: An extension activity that could go with this project would be a science lesson on animals. In science when learning about the different ecosystems and animals in a specific ecosystem. Students can complete this activity and allow the clues to determine what they learned about the specific animal. Can also have students draw the animal in the ecosystem.