Learn four simple methods forto created textured fabric for your quilt

This post is part 1 in my inquiry series. To learn more about inquiry click through to see my many other posts about inquiry. If you are new to my blog,

In this post I'll share my collagraph, or collograph as it also can be spelled, printmaking process with you. I'm fascinated by the unpredictability of collagraph printing…

Are you looking to elevate your Ecosystems and Biomes unit? This 4th or 5th grade project based learning unit for ecosystems incorporates science, nonfiction reading, research, writing, and the arts! Read to find out how I organized the research project, what our launch activity was, the driving que

I recently shared a project in our Cricut Community Facebook group that used a pen and the drawing feature in Design Space to make a project. You can check out the project here if you're interested! From that project, someone simply asked us, "How do you use the drawing feature?" And it got to me to thinking -- maybe n

Easy dress sewing patterns that are perfect for beginners looking to enhance their wardrobe without the hassle.

When we speak of "automation", people usually think more about major changes in technology and job losses. But there are much more good things about…

If you make your own clothes, or want to start, you will need a dress body to help you make sure they will fit. Now, you could pay a ton of money for an industrial one, or you could make one for less than $15. Get a helper, it makes it a...

Wondering how to profit from your artistic skills? Take a look at this guide on how to get paid to color and tun your passion into profit.

How to plan collaborative project-based learning activities in the math classroom. Check out these engaging PBL ideas for 3rd grade students!

Giving walls rich Tuscan style by applying texture to the surface lends a wealth of depth...

In 6th grade, we talked about how colors can evoke emotions. For example, red can mean love or anger. The students took self portraits with ...

Looking for an exciting science experiments for 7th graders and beyond?? This list of 15 science experiments will catch your attention and will make you...

Try these easy sound experiments -- Elementary & Middle School kids will LOVE testing the science of sound with this fun wave experiment to create a 'gong' and explore how sound waves travel!

3d book, anaglyph, 3d glasses

We have begun our unit on living systems in science (thank GOSH because Earth and Physical science have quite literally killed me this year...seriously, I feel like the most incompetent teacher when I teach science...but I digress...). Our main focus for the past week before Spring Break was the circulatory and respiratory systems. I thought I would share some of the things we have been doing, in case some of you are in the same unit yourselves. To get us started, we watched a few BrainPOP videos about circulation and blood. I found these in the HEALTH section, not the science section. The kids were very enthralled with these videos (they ALWAYS are really) There was quite a lot of information in them, which got us started on the right foot. The videos mentioned how the circulatory system was the delivery system of the body and that all systems were connected to this one. After some discussion, the students created this Circulation Data Disk from the Easy Make & Learn Projects: Human Body (Grades 2-4) (affiliate link) book. The idea of this circular disk was to show how all of the organs in the body played a very special part in relation to the circulatory system. I purposefully whited out the info on the disk so that the kids could do the research themselves. Using our health and science books, the students discovered the role of each organ in circulatory system. We then used the Easy Make & Learn Projects: Human Body (Grades 2-4) (affiliate link) book and created a model of the heart. The kids diagrammed the model to up the rigor a bit. They then placed these in their science journals. Another great find (that the kids had a blast playing) was the Circulation Game from Ellen McHenry's homeschooling website. This is a free download and I am so glad I found it! It took a while to set up and explain, but once they were going, the kids really were into the game. They learned quite a bit about how blood travels through the body and how it disposes of waste. (just a little note, I printed out 5 of these and had each table play. That way, there weren't as many people playing on one game board) Finally, the kids watched the School House Rock video, "Do the Circulation". (I have the actual DVD Schoolhouse Rock! (Special 30th Anniversary Edition), (affiliate link) but you can get it on YouTube if the school doesn't block it....like mine does) I gave them the words and, combining language arts with science, we looked for all of the facts and opinions (as well as figurative language) in the song. We discussed why the writers would put opinions and figurative language in a song intended to teach us about the Circulatory system. The students decided that it was because without the opinions and figurative language, the song would be B.O.R.I.N.G! We also began working on our Body Systems project on Google Drive. I made a template for each body system and the kids all began filling in the information about the circulatory system. This worked out perfect here because the kids had so much background knowledge at this point. They didn't really need to do as much research since we were learning so much as it was! (click here to get the project for your own class!) This is a screenshot of the slide before the kids actually did any work. I forgot to take pictures of them working! To explore the respiratory system (a bit further, as we really were talking about it all along with the circulatory system), we first diagrammed the organs involved. Then, the students did a little experiment to measure their vital lung capacity (how much air can be forcibly taken in and blown out) and the tidal lung capacity (how much is taken in and out during normal breathing). The kids has SO much fun with this one! They really were surprised at how much air they *couldn't* blow. I think they all thought they would pop the balloons in one breath when, in actuality, they hardly inflated them at all! You can find the exact experiment and printables here. So there you have it. Our basic introduction to the systems of the human body. Up next is the digestive system. Wish me luck ;) What experiments have you conducted in your class to teach your students about the circulatory and respiratory systems? Follow me on Snapchat for even more teaching ideas!

Calisthenics are a form of exercise to increase body strength, body fitness and flexibility through movements using one's body weight for resistance. When performed vigorously and with variety, calisthenics can provide the benefits of muscular and aerobic conditioning, as well as balance, agility and coordination. Interested to give it a try? Start here.

The artist Seurat showed us how a simple dot can create great art! Introduce kids to the science of color with these Georges Seurat art projects for kids.

Don't let people tell you that a china cabinet makeover isn't in style in 2022 and beyond. Hands down, a painted china cabinet is one of the most fun pieces of furniture to refinish because

Are you wondering what astral projection is, or how to astral project? Do you wonder what it feels like to astral project or how to astral project safely? #astralproject Spirituality

Bring on the balance.

You might be making one or more of these Sewing Mistakes. Learn how to fix them quickly and what to do instead.

Cross-stitching has been my couchtime jam lately. I love the patterns in this book (read my interview with Julie Jackson here), and was inspired to try and make some of my own! Read on to learn one technique for making your own cross-stitch patterns (no Photoshop required). You will need:...

What is Hand Reflexology? Hand reflexology is premised on the belief that applying pressure to different points on your hands (top and bottom) will positively influence various other body parts, organs, and functioning systems (digestion,...

Enrich your lives by taking up one of these 30+ fun hobbies for women in their 20s and 30s. The different types of hobbies for females include the best hobbies for women at home, craft hobbies for ladies, hobbies to keep you creative and evolve your mindset, and some interesting skills to learn as a

Recently, a local mom emailed to ask if I would share with you guys a new venture she’s starting. I was so enamored with her project – a new, high quality art magazine just for kids, ArTree – that I immediately jumped on board. Here’s everything you need to know about the new magazine (including …

Upcycled t shirts are a great way to recycle your old clothing into something fabulous! Here are some great ideas and tips!

Selling printables on Etsy is an easy way to earn passive income. Use this article as your go-to guide for Etsy printable ideas you can create & sell.

Step by step comprehensive instructions on how to use the Violet Flame with Reiki; precautions that you must take.

I am considering to turn my tutorial series "Pixel Art Knowledge" in a full and extented artbook. What do you think about it? If you are interested in the project, a printed or an e-version sign up here: https://t.co/M9wmf2ds6O

Giving students opportunities to share their interests, explore their identities and self-assess their personal awareness are essential parts of the new British Columbia curriculum. We found a fun and engaging way for students to tackle these competencies this year. Early in the year, our students worked to cover each others' faces in plaster strips. (You can purchase this at any art store, like Michaels.) It usually comes in large strips, so you'll need to cut them down ahead of time. Students just wet them with water and smooth on. Don't forget to coat the face in LOTS of Vaseline first so the mask comes off easily. We dimmed the lights and played some soothing music. The students were very kind and compassionate to one another. We heard things like: "You're doing great! We are nearly finished." "Do you want me to cover your nose first, or your mouth first?" "Just take deep breaths, you're doing awesome." It was a great strengthening activity for our growing community. The masks sat in the cupboard, tucked away until January. We just had too much going on to tackle this job until then. In the end, I actually think this turned out well, because the students thought deeply for months about the pieces they were going to use to represent themselves. Once it was "go time" they had very little trouble stating what they were going to use and why. As a group, we built criteria for the masks. You can see it in the image below. If you do this task, I encourage you to build criteria with your students as well, but you're welcome to download a PDF of the criteria sheet we used. This is my mask. I shared it with the students as an example of meeting the design element criteria, but also as an example of justifying choices. I wrote 5 different versions of my justification, with varying levels of description and attention to punctuation and spelling. Students had to debate the order from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest). Once determined, these were placed on a bulletin board in the room and used as a reference/self-assessment tool for the writing piece (more on that below) that accompanied their masks. This mask belongs to one of my students. I love the soccer ball background and the fact that he was comfortable enough to add the flowers to honour the nickname his mother has for him. Here are the masks all up in the hallway. You can see in this photo the writing pieces students did to accompany their masks. Students were to write to justify each piece placed on their mask. They had to state how it represented their unique personal or cultural identity. They were not able to say things like "I like to read, so I put on a book." It had to be much deeper than this and really connect to who they were. The majority of the students nailed this job! One of my favourite pieces of writing. This child is so insightful. Although her mask is not as eyecatching as the designs of some others she was accurately able to justify each piece she selected and how it represents her personal and cultural identity. Finally, students used the Positive Personal and Cultural Identity core competency to self assess. I gave them the profiles directly off of the Ministry site. I had a copy under the document camera and we discussed what the vocabulary meant. I was a bit nervous that it would be too wordy for my students, but it really wasn't. Even at grade 3 and 4 they were completely able to understand the profiles. We shared as a class some examples of each others' work that represented the profiles. Finally, students wrote a number in a circle at the top of their paper of the profile number where they felt their work best fit. I was so impressed with how accurately they did this. No one selected the top profile. It was a very powerful little activity! Next year, I'll be sure to do this task again. I loved seeing the masks grace our hallway each day. Such a wonderful way to bring us all together and understand each other a little more. Pin this post.

More #DIY projects: www.wonderfuldiy.com

There are lots of ways to sew a bias binding to finish a garment, so I've put together a series of tutorials to walk you through three of my favorite options! You'll see...

Artist Andy Warhol was an interesting individual and his works reflect his personal quirks! Learn more about him with some fun Warhol projects for kids.