Started finding a lot of links for Minecraft curriculum. What could be better than homeschooling with Minecraft?
This Science Saturday, we learned to classify herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores with a new game - Animal Sort! Make learning fun!
I'm a literacy lover...getting my Masters of Education in Reading makes that pretty evident. So, when it comes to teaching math in the classroom I often felt like I was doing a terrible job. My brain does not go the math route. And trying to convince my learners that math was amazing got a little
So, lately my kids have been making some really great observations about numbers. They’ve been noticing patterns in our hundreds chart and they’re pros at skip counting {by 5’s & 10’s, anyway ;)} I really want to start adding the concept of odd & even numbers to our calendar routine, but before I started with …
These 3D shape puzzles are a fun way to practice all sorts of shapes such as cubes, spheres, triangular prisms, cones, and more!
Read how I carried out an experiment on weathering and erosion with my upper elementary class. Students get to use background knowledge to make predictions!
I took the girls to the zoo this weekend and I had some fun FINALLY experimenting with my zoom lens. It was cool to take some photos of something other than the kids for once.
I love learning about arrays because they are so visual which allows for a lot of really fun rectangular arrays activities and practice! I l...
LEGO is by far one of the favorite toys of children of all ages and genders. My kids enjoy building with them and I’m sure yours do to. But did you also know that they are an amazing learning tool? We use them all the time as a math manipulative and in our reading and […]
Build your own atomic models with a few simple supplies. YOu can even turn them into mobiles! This is a great way to teach chemistry in a hands-on way!
Keep baby stimulated with this huge list of busy 1 year old activities for kids. Keep them learning, growing, and exploring...
This exciting equivalent fractions game is a twist on the classic "Spoons" game. Learn how to play and get your FREE equivalent fractions cards to use in your classroom!
The Ocean Preschool Centers contains a collection of 17 math and literacy printable activities for preschool and kindergarten students.
I know I seem to say this about every math concept I blog about but I LOVE FRACTIONS. Well, the first grade version of fractions :) ...
Your child will love creating with these alphabet lego cards, they are a free printable download.
Ton Schulten is one of my all time favorite artists! I discovered him years ago when I found a calendar full of his paintings when visiting the Toledo Museum of Art. I was hooked! I love his amazing colors and abstract style. I created a Prezi of his landscape and cityscapes to share with my classes, (Ton Schulten Prezi). I find it very interesting how he adds lots of vertical lines to his landscapes, a composition usually created with more horizontal lines. This lesson was a COLOR VALUE lesson. Students used pre-mixed colors and various TINTS to paint in city buildings. The students mixed their own tints of blue for the sky portion. The last step, we used India Ink to outline and decorate our city buildings. This was a great lesson for every student. It was hard to chose which ones to photography! They will look great later in a group hanging in our hallways!
An easy peasy way to draw an exceptionally tall giant! Age: Upper primary Resources: paper, pencil, eraser, watercolour paint, ruler What you do: STEPS 1- 4 I have drawn in pen so you can see! You do it all in light pencil because you are going to need to rub some lines out before you paint. 1) Using a pencil on A4 white paper draw a point in the middle of the top and one at the middle of the bottom. Join these lines using a ruler. Then draw a line from the top middle to each bottom edge. 2) Next, draw a line about 2 cm from the top and one about 5 cm from the top. These are for the head and the waist lines. Then draw a head, a waist and arms. 3) Now add curved trouser bottoms and curved shoes. 4) Draw the sides of the boots and the soles then add the eyelets and laces. Add the sleeves of the shirt, braces and curves lines for the waist. Draw the giants face. Erase all the lines you don't need now. 5) Paint with watercolours. Add a background. This idea came from Usborne Art Ideas: Big Book of Things to Draw
Learning through play is always great, this I Have, Who Has Ten Frames up to 10 Game is a perfect introduction to ten frames. I Have, Who Has Ten Frames up to 10 Game This game features
These Katsushika Hokusai Art Projects for Kids are perfect to help us learn about the amazing Japanese artist who made great waves a thing!
Using fraction number lines to build fraction understanding and develop math talk and reasoning skills is one of the best math teaching strategies!
Building number sense in first grade can seem daunting but with the right number sense activities and lessons, it can be a lot of fun! In th...
Ohhhhhhh my goodness! This might be my favorite new project! You've probably seen this or a similar Banyan Tree project in Dynamic Art Projects for Children, or maybe another blog. But I'm going to post it anyway because it is just that fabulous! Banyan trees grow primarily in India, though you can find some in Florida as well. From its branches grow aerial roots, which stretch downward and plant themselves back into the ground. They're amazing to look at! source source My fifth graders worked with oil pastels on their Wayne Thiebaud-inspired cakes project and really loved them. I think I significantly facilitated the sale of oil pastels at the local arts and crafts stores with that project. This project upped the oil pastel ante, as kiddos had to use their previous experience with the medium and further their technique in the form of blending colors. To begin, I walked the students through the tree-drawing process. Despite giving each class essentially the same spiel, every tree was very different. I love that about art, don't you? After drawing, kiddos painted their tree trunks and branches with black tempera paint. All that jazz took at least one full 45-minute class; some kiddos had to finish painting at the start of the next class. As far as coloring goes, most of my fifth graders used up two classes' worth of time (90 minutes total) to color. Every section had to include two analogous or like colors blended together. Some students went the random route, while others chose a specific color scheme or order. For the bottoms of the artwork, more colors could be used. Some students 'planted' their tree in water, which allowed for a reflection. I highly recommend using the reflective format, as the results are totally stunning! (The photos do NOT do these projects any justice. The vibrancy of the colors will knock your socks off in person!) This sweet kiddo lacks a lot of fine motor skills... yet this project was her JAM! This one is nicer than my example... it's humbling to be outdone by an 11-year-old! I'll do this project again and again--the kids loved it, they learned a lot, and WOW, are these babies gorgeous! Also, two nights ago I watched "Life of Pi," and there's a Banyan tree in one scene! I'm 28 years old and that alone made me so excited that I accidentally woke up the dog... and my husband. Whoops.
Well, in my 14 years at Zamo we never had rain to contend with during our Celebration of Art festivities... until last night, that is. I must say, that although unusual for San Diego in July, the rain did not dampen the spirit of the event at all:) Attendance was robust and their were tons of smiles to brighten any gloom that drops from the sky may have brought. Again, our incredible classroom teachers and staff were amazing while leading 10 different activities for our community to participate in. Our PTF rocked ticket and food sales. Our administration hung tough in the wet silent auction area. We were visited by our School Board President, the San Diego County VAPA Coordinator, and this morning our SDUSD Superintendent stopped by too. I am so proud of what our kids accomplish every year. It's so great to be able to share the creative work of our students with our school community and VAPA decision makers at the district level and beyond. Thanks to everyone who lent a hand in making the event another great evening of art making and art appreciation! We couldn't do it without you. our school musicians kicking off the evening. rain! Superintendent Marten with Principal Murchison and Mrs. Liggins:) one proud dude! observing and reflecting by writing fan letters to student artists:) from left to right- Principal Derek Murchison, artist in residence Danielle Guimond, VP Robert Vera, School Board President Marne Foster, art teacher Melony Vance, SD County VAPA coordinator Russ Sperling, artist in residence Kathi Arinduque (and her grandson:), and me A peek at some of the hands on activities that kids could participate in. All of the projects below were done by classroom teachers with their classes. Each student is represented on campus in these class displays. kindergarten owls! 2nd grade scratch art! 2nd grade hot air balloons! 4th grade rotational symmetry! 5th grade self portraits! 3rd grade oil pastels! Here's a little video I put together after the event. I think the music suits the spirit of the night pretty well:)
Paint Van Gogh's Starry Night using forks! Learn about creating movement and texture in painting like Van Gogh with this fun and engaging art project that will have your kids wanting to paint with forks over and over again! A great process art project.
Pencil Names - Name Building Practice Printable comes with eight editable pages, containing two pencils. Each pencil has pieces for two letter names up to nine letter names. Getting Pencil Names - Name Building Practice Printable
DIY: 6 Reisespiele für die Autofahrt selber machen / 6 Beutel mit Spielen für eine ruhige Autofahrt in den Urlaub - speziell für Vorschüler
How to use sound boxes in kindergarten and first grade. Learn more about elkonian boxes and grab a free printable
These free skeletal system worksheets are a great addition to your study of the skeletal system. Labeling sheets, build-your-own-skeleton & more.
