Teaching bible class holds a special place in my heart. And creating engaging bible lessons to teach these little ones is an added bonus! I recently signed up to teach our kindergarten bible class on Sunday mornings. Although the curriculum is provided, I can't help but put my own spin on each lesson. We are
A fun and creative elementary school art lesson plan for K-4th grade. This lesson plans is perfect for celebrating International Dot Day. Art teachers and educators can teach students creativity, courage & collaboration with Kandinsky inspired artwork.
Every year in my first year classes (12 year olds) I touch on the principles of perspective, at least in its one point form. We do a little art history, take a look at Masaccio and Mantegna. We mak…
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This is one of my FAVORITE art lessons for 2nd grade!! I LOVE each and every one of them!! (More info. and how they were created below! Plus a little virtual gallery walk video!) &nbs…
Geometric Art
There are so many ways to teach Picasso portraits, I'm working with 3rd grade so I wanted to keep it simple. I'll show them some of Picasso's Portraits and then go into the project - demonstrating each step. I'm going to ask them to create diagonal folds, not even folds that create squares on their page, but more random folds. They should make about 5 folds and then using a ruler go over the fold lines with a sharpie. Looking at the lines on their page and turning it around from different sides they should see the suggestion of a face and they can begin sketching. I'm going to show them how to use the lines to begin the eyes, eyebrows, nose, mouth, chin etc... When they have a face they like they should go over it with sharpie. Now they can use watercolor to finish the portrait. I am going to emphasize complementary colors which is another way to force them to be more abstract, but also something Picasso did in his paintings. Student Work I passed out a copy of this worksheet to help them think of different ways to make the features.
It’s time for The Kids Craft Stars monthly craft challenge! Every month we have a challenge between a few blogger friends and I, to in-cooperate a different craft medium or technique into a simple kid craft. This month’s
So, yesterday I showed you how I got my angle studies kicked off with my students–how I solidified understanding of “right angle”. We had lots left to accomplish–so I’ll try to share some of the different lessons and activities we did over the next days! Tip 1: If you can get your hands on thin […]
Looking for some Good Samaritan craft ideas? If so, today I'm sharing five, fun ideas (and free templates) you can use today!
Easy forest school activities, done-for-you forest school lesson plans and ready-made nature curriculum: save time and teach better!
Ready to "cook up" a great first day of school? It's easy with this recipe for a successful start to the school year! PREP: ➤ Think about how you will set the tone for your classroom on the first day of school. ➤ Plan to keep students engaged and active. ➤ Prepare to build a positive rapport with students from the first instant that they become a part of the classroom community. INGREDIENTS: ➤ Warm-Up Activity ➤ Get-to-Know-You Activity ➤ Game that gets students out of their seats ➤ Get-to-Know-the-Teacher Activity ➤ Writing Prompt ➤ Extension Activity Once you've gathered your ingredients, you can get "cooking!" (CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FREE RECIPE!) PROCEDURE: STEP 1: Begin with a warm-up activity. Place an activity on students' desks that they can complete independently. You might try a simple survey or poster. An All About Me poster is a quick way to learn about students. You can even gather them together for an awesome classroom display. Or, a survey is a wonderful way to collect information about students. You might include questions about where students like to sit, their favorite way to learn, and activities that they enjoy so that you can start connecting with students. Another awesome warm-up activity is an "All About You" name tag. Students answer questions about themselves while coloring in a name tag based on their responses. Then, students can place the name tag on their desks to help you learn your students' names. This activity is particularly awesome if you have multiple sets of students. You can collect the name tags and re-distribute them each day during each class while you learn names. Oh, and as a bonus, you can gather them together and leave them with substitute teachers throughout the year! If you'd like to check out ready-made Back to School Warm-Ups, just click here for the poster, here for the survey, and here for the name tags. STEP 2: Mix in a get-to-know-you activity. Give students a chance to share about themselves and learn about their classmates with an engaging get-to-know-you activity. One of my favorites is a doodle-inspired mini-book. Students transform a single sheet of paper into a doodley mini-book all about themselves. After students make the mini-book it's fun to hang them on a clothesline. Then, as students finish their work during the first days of school, you can encourage fast-finishers to grab a classmate's mini-book and learn about him or her. Check out the doodle mini-book HERE. Or, you could have students create this 3-D About Me Activity. Students create an infographic-style book about themselves. After answering some simple questions, they do a little cutting and gluing to create a 3-D "About Me" display. These are especially fun because students can set them on their desks and then everyone can tour around the classroom and learn about their peers. (These are awesome for Open House too!) Learn more HERE. STEP 3: Scatter in an activity that gets students moving. Since students crave opportunities to get up and out of their seats, plan to get your class moving on the first day of school. You might have students complete a scavenger hunt or even play a learning game that requires students to move around. I'm a huge fan of this simple get-to-know-you activity that gets students moving (and you can download it for FREE here.) First, students make paper airplanes. They write their name and 3 interview questions on the wings. Then, students line up shoulder-to-shoulder and launch the planes. Next, they pick up a classmate's plane, find him or her, and ask the interview questions. You can repeat the airplane launch as often as you'd like! Find everything you need to do this activity in this FREEBIE. If you'd like to combine movement and learning on the first day of school, then you and your students will love this Back to School Doodle Infographic. First students fill in the infographic with facts about school. There are 21 facts and you can hide them around the room to get students moving. Then, they put together the infographic to make a fun and doodle-y poster! Check it out HERE. STEP 4: Sprinkle in a chance for students to get-to-know-you (their teacher). On the first day of school, students are very curious about you. They want to learn about you, so you'll want to be sure to share about yourself. You can give a simple biography of yourself, or you might try these easy and engaging activities: Create a teacher interview question along with 4 or 5 prize cards for each student in your class. Then, tape the questions and the prize cards under students' seats before class begins. During class, explain to students that they all have something under their chairs. It might be a question and it might be a prize. If they get a prize card, have students keep it quiet. Then, call on students. They can either read a question for you to answer or reveal that they won a prize. If they won, you might give them a pencil, piece of candy, or a homework pass. You can find all my favorite questions HERE. Or, you might have students complete a "Teacher Guess" about you. First, they predict the answers to questions about you. Then, as you reveal the answers, they earn points for every correct prediction. It's a fun activity that students truly enjoy! You can check it out HERE. STEP 5: Add a fun writing prompt to your back to school activities. A writing prompt is a great way to gather a baseline for students' writing on the first day of school. You might give students a simple prompt about their summer or goals for the new school year. However, I love to add a fun creative writing prompt into the mix. For example, with this writing prompt students select a setting, character, problem, and 3 random objects. Then, they need to work them all into a story. It's fun, engaging, and a great way to see where your students are starting the school year. Find this writing prompt HERE or check out this collection of 10 creative writing activities. STEP 6: Top it off with a review of tomorrow's warm-up. Set students up for success during your next day of school by quickly reviewing what they will need to do when they arrive to class. If you're planning to have students work through warm-ups like these This or That ELA warm-ups where students choose to do the "this" or the "that" activity, then you might quickly review what will be waiting on their desks when they arrive. Taking the time to preview tomorrow's warm-up is a great way to set expectations for students! If you're looking for some daily warm-ups, you might want to check out these This or That ELA warm-ups or these This or That Writing warm-ups! STEP 7: Don't forget to have an extension activity just in case your lesson ends early. I love playing games like "Move If You..." which you can find for FREE HERE. While you may never get to the extension activity, it's a lifesaver if you need it! TIPS: When you're following this recipe for a great first day of school, you might want to: ➤ Greet students at the door and answer these questions for students right away: ➨ Where do I sit? ➨ Am I in the right classroom? ➨ What should I be doing right now? ➤ Also, be prepared to manage students' behavior on the first day of school. Ensure that you have a positive classroom management system in place and ready to use if you need it! Well, there you have it, my recipe for a great first day of school. Be sure to download all the ideas with links AND the FREE airplane activity HERE! CHECK THIS OUT! I've put together a 100+ page guide for back to school for teachers. It includes tips, tools, and printables for classroom décor, classroom organization, lesson planning, community building, and planning the first day of school. It's absolutely FREE! Just click here to sign up. When you sign up, you'll get access to 6 mini-courses that cover everything Back to School including classroom design, organization, curriculum planning, and ways to build a positive classroom community. There's also a TON of exclusive freebies, bonuses, and videos! If you'd like to learn more and sign up, just click HERE. Thanks so much for stopping by, Mary Beth P.S. If you'd like MORE free resources for your classroom, be sure to join the Brain Waves Instruction club!
Add elements of sight, sound, touch, taste and smell to your preschool centers to integrate science and play while students explore their senses.
Math crafts are fun! Add art and crafts to your math lessons to make them more fun! Download a FREE math craft project. #mathcraft #firstgrademathactivities
I created this culture jars art lesson for an Art and World Cultures class, and continue to use it in art classes because it is so well received. The word
Use this collection of Paul Klee teaching resources and complete Klee Famous Artist Unit lesson plans to teach elementary art class.
The Kindergarten artists and PreKinders also created some artwork inspired by Mondrian. The PreKinders glued down black lines creating squares and rectangles they then colored some of their shapes …
I'm going to give you 5 Frida Kahlo art lesson ideas that you can use to create art projects with your students in your classroom. No matter if your kids are primary or elementary, middle school, or in high school, I have some amazing Frida Kahlo art project ideas that you can use and I will even give you links to Frida Kahlo art resource is that you can use this year in your classroom.
Easy Matisse Art Project for Kids - A Henri Matisse art idea for kids of all ages with inspiration shape templates to inspire, draw or cut out.
Download our free tree template that's perfect for making seasonal crafts for kids - or a whole four seasons craft!
Teach children art history through a variety of fun art projects and lessons. We love using artists as inspiration for our own creations.
These all about me, back to school art activities for kids are engaging icebreakers. Encourage creativity and build community during the first week back
This is a great project adaptable for distance learning! The assignment was designed as a project for my year 1 high school class, but would be great for middle school too. It's a way for them to tell a little about themselves through drawing of personal ideas. Like a self-portrait about them. It en...
It brings me so much joy knowing that my daughter loves art as much as I do. My five-year old spends the vast majority of her free time drawing, painting or crafting. It is wonderful to be able to share this with her. I introduced her to the great artists early on and her curiosity […]
These all about me, back to school art activities for kids are engaging icebreakers. Encourage creativity and build community during the first week back
Try these 15 easy fall Sunday school craft ideas at your church as part of your lesson! Use them to teach your children about Jesus at home too!
Get to know your students on the first day of art with this art lesson for kids that includes a self-portrait with 3 descriptive words.
These classroom art activities inspired by artist Romero Britto are a great art project to help students join the Happy Art Movement.
Unleash the potential of creative minds with our Imagination and Creativity Worksheets. Designed to nurture artistic talents and inspire imaginative thinking, these worksheets are perfect for artists of all ages. This super fun pack of 10 Imagination Workout worksheets is designed to help students unleash their inner imagination and creativity. Each sheet includes 6 blocks filled with some sort of line or shape and simply asks students to finish the drawing themselves. Discover the joy of self-expression as you dive into the vibrant world of art. Create stunning masterpieces, experiment with new techniques, and let your imagination run wild. With our Imagination and Creativity Worksheets, you'll experience the thrill of bringing your unique ideas to life. Explore, create, and unlock the endless possibilities that lie within your imagination. It's time to let your creativity soar!
Please Note: All images seen below are of my students artwork only. These photos/lessons are not posted in any particular order regarding the flow of my curriculum. Hot Air Balloon Collage Hot Air …
Roy Lichtenstein name art, featuring Ben-Day dots
This Claude Monet craft for kids is a fun way to make art in your homeschool or classroom! Children will enjoy creating a fingerpainting that mimics his style.
Kandinsky Inspired Apple Art for Kids - A fun art and craft for early Autumn that explores colour mixing - Apple Template Available
Use this collection of Vincent Van Gogh teaching resources and complete Famous Artist Unit lesson plans for elementary art classes.
Collaborative art is a fun, unique way to encourage a group of people (kids or adults) to work together and create something beautiful! Group art projects can take so many different forms and there is no right or wrong way to make art together. Ready for 28 of the best group art project ideas?! The
