This project is an excellent way to kick off the school year in an upper elementary or middle school ELA class. Students will create a timeline that chronicles their personal relationship with reading. They will be tasked with creating unique timelines sharing formative reading memories that made th...
Are your students studying the states? This research based project is so fun and engaging that your students won't even realize they are learning! In this project students will design and create a parade float for any state. Studying the geography of the United States is such a fun topic, and this project is a perfect way to wrap up a unit or the school year. I have my students make their floats out of a shoe box or other small box. Then, students use drawings, pictures, or other items to decorate their float. This is a fun, creative way to assess students' knowledge of a state. This resource also includes a rubric for easy grading.
Hello, friends! I have created a lesson for my students and any kiddos who wish to create titled Behind My Mask! When my students return in the fall (and, yes, I said 'when' as I am very hopeful and optimistic), they will be asked to mask-up. We always seem to start out school year with a selfie so I was bummed when I thought of the idea of my students drawing themselves with their best facial feature hidden. And that's where the idea of this surprise drawing came from. Here's a video! Feel free to use and share (with credit given, please and thank you): I simply used paper, permanent marker, coloring markers and crayons. If I happen to teach virtually this fall, this lesson could also be done by my students at home. This video is a short and simple one...when teaching, I plan to share with my students a variety of self-portraits and talk a lot more about lettering, fonts, skin tones, craftsmanship, good character...the list goes on! As you can see, I'd have a hard time fitting it into a video short enough to capture their attention. So, if you use this video, feel free to add on whatever you wish to include! No one is excited about wearing a mask but...it's for our safety. And the best thing we can do for our kiddos is to put a positive spin on it, right? I hope to do that with this lesson. Enjoy!
Kick off the school year with a creative and engaging activity that helps students express their individuality and learn about each other! The "Start of the Year Identity Portraits" product is the perfect way to build a strong classroom community from day one. What's Included: Detailed Instructions: Easy-to-follow guidelines to help you implement this project seamlessly in your classroom. Editable Google Slides: Customizable slides to guide students through the process of creating their identity portraits. Example Portraits: A variety of student-created examples to inspire and motivate your class. Product Features: Comprehensive Identity Exploration: This activity encourages students to reflect on various aspects of their identity, such as family, hobbies, skills, values, and more. It's an excellent way for students to explore and share their unique stories. Art Integration: By combining art with personal reflection, students can create visually stunning portraits that represent who they are. This activity enhances creativity and self-expression. Community Building: Displaying these portraits in the classroom fosters a sense of belonging and helps students appreciate the diversity within their classroom community. Easy to Implement: With detailed instructions and editable slides, you can easily adapt this activity to suit the needs of your students and classroom environment. How It Works: Step 1: Introduction to Identity – Use the provided Google Slides to introduce the concept of identity and discuss the different aspects that make up who we are. Step 2: Brainstorming and Sketching – Students brainstorm ideas and sketch their portraits, incorporating elements that represent their identity. Step 3: Finalizing Portraits – Students finalize their portraits, adding color and details to make their artwork unique. Step 4: Sharing and Reflecting – Create a gallery walk or a sharing session where students can present their portraits and learn more about their peers. Perfect for the start of the school year, this activity not only brightens up your classroom with beautiful artwork but also sets the stage for a year of mutual respect and understanding. This product comes in a Google Drive file. You MUST have a Google/G-mail account to access the product. Please leave feedback and let me know how the product worked for you! You will earn TPT credits to use on future products! Follow my TPT store for updates on new products, discounted products, and sales. Click on the “Follow” tab on the top of the page! You can also follow me on Instagram for more fun activities and my day to day life in the classroom!
There are more ways to demonstrate understanding than just taking a test! This amazing list has 72 ideas for a project that are...
A few years ago, the staff at my school began learning about inquiry research. We used the book, Comprehension & Collaboration: Inqu...
Do your students have to create timelines to meet academic standards? I'm sharing 10 engaging types of timelines that make this activity FUN for students!
WOW! Is all I can say. Thank you to everyone who has viewed and liked this post. It is by far my MOST POPULAR post ever. I have had quite a few questions about my end of the year gifts and h…
Do you need an engaging End of Year Math Project for your students? Do your students like to color, doodle, and draw shapes? Here is a NO PREP End of Year Math Project for your 6th, 7th, and 8th graders! {Click HERE to DOWNLOAD} What is included? This packet teaches students about tessellation history, how to make and use tessellations, and how to create beautiful art with shapes. How can I use this packet? For bellwork, classwork, extra credit, fast finishers, or homework. {Click HERE to DOWNLOAD} THIS TESSELLATIONS MIDDLE SCHOOL MATH PROJECT FEATURES: *5 different engaging Math Activities *NO PREP, Print & GO Activities! (Only materials needed: scissors, tape, and a pencil). *FUN & rigorous activities centered on reviewing math curriculum *HIGH QUALITY CLIPART is included *Topics covered: Geometry (Translations, Reflections, and Rotations) {Click HERE to DOWNLOAD} Activities Included: -Introduction to Tessellations {with answer key} -Tessellation Art #1 -Tessellation Art #2 -Tessellation Art #3 -Make Your Own Tessellation Project {with teacher directions, rubric and pictures} Happy Tessellating!
Students can travel across the globe without leaving the classroom. Check out these fun geography lessons for any grade and curriculum.
Assessing student learning is often boring, but this post describes creative and fun ways to assess student learning - especially for formative assessment!
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.
Lots of versions of this project, here is what my students are doing: These directions come from art-paper-scissors blog . Chuck Close P...
Materials: - Student Photographs - Pencil - Eraser - Fine Point Sharpie - Extra Fine Point Sharpie - White Drawing Paper
Art therapy uses art to heal people of all ages, and can improve the emotional, mental, and physical state of most people. source Sit together and do gratitude mandelas. source Use a circular cardb…
I love spending the final weeks of school working on projects with my students! While we complete a variety of projects throughout the year, my students become project-making machines after testing!! And we love every minute of it!! At this point in the year, the stress of fitting in curriculum has vanished, students have…
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 project is a great way to get the creative juices flowing for students at the end of the year! This project includes 11 different activities for students to complete. Students create their own restaurant in which they include: - vocabulary - contract - planning page - employee planning page - application - reflection - menu - portrait of the restaurant - creative writing portion - "house special" - blueprint of the inside of the restaurant - advertisement - jingle - advertisement - newspaper ad Great for a week long project or enrichment activity!
Create a Syllabus That Your Students Will Actually Want to Read. Free Resource to download to help you create an Art Syllabus for your art students. Want to try your hand at a visual syllabus? We'll give you three helpful hints. This article will take 8 minutes to read.
Imagination Workout Printable Click the link above to download Attalie’s Imagination Workout free printable art worksheet.
I've run an afterschool makers club at my school for the past two years. Here I share tips on creating norms, balancing guided projects & free time, & more.
This beginning of the year PBL project is designed to set a positive tone for the school year, creating a foundation of mutual respect, collaboration, and a strong sense of community among students. This project is designed to foster a sense of belonging, cooperation, and mutual respect among students. Together, we explore what it means to be part of a community, discussing core values such as kindness, honesty, respect, responsibility, and perseverance. Students work collaboratively to create a classroom charter, establish rules, and set shared goals that reflect these values. Through various activities, discussions, and creative projects, students learn the importance of their roles in maintaining a positive and inclusive classroom environment. ********Over 130 pages of curriculum******* What's Included: 2-8-- Project Guides (8 elements of PBL explaned) 9-- Project Map 10-11-- Daily Student Reflections (Self-Rating) 12-13--Vocabulary Mindsketch 14-21-- Into to PBL Elements for Students (Definition Posters) 22-29-- Random Pairing Cards 30-- Would Your Rather (Teacher Guide) 31-53-- Would you Rather Game 54-- Roll the Dice Getting to Know You 55-- Bingo Get to Know You 56-57-- Lion, Owl, Sheep, Chameleon (Teacher Guide) 58-65-- Lion, Owl, Sheep, Chameleon Get to Know You Game 66- About Me 67-- Learner Profile 68-- Interest Inventory Survey 69-70-- Student Goal Setting 71-73-- Get to Know You Reflection Questions 74-- Writing Self-Assessment Rubric 75-77-- Passion Vision Boarding (What are your Interests, Passions & Goals?) 78- Teacher Guide- Books About Families 79-80-- Inquiry Moment 81-83- Family Profile 84-- Reflection 85-86-- Inquiry Moment 87-88-- Teacher Guide- Books About Values 89-92-- Reading Passages (Abraham Lincoln Oprah Winfrey) 93-97-- Character Profile- Group Share 98-100-- My Values 101- Shared Values 102-103-- Interview a Classmate 104- Societal and Cultural Values 105- Teacher Guide- Suggested Use 106-112-- How Do we Show (Value) In Our Classroom? 113-114-- Inquiry Moment 115-118-- Reading Passages (The First Ever Set of Laws or Rules; The Constitution: The Foundation of Our System of Laws) 119-122-- Class Charter Proposal 123-127-- Shared Values Graphic Design 128-129-- Value Spirit Shirt Design 130-131-- Critical Friends Protocol 132-- Gallery Walk 133-134-- Writing Essay- Umbrella Bodies 135- Teacher Feedback Tracker 136-- Student Project Reflection 137-- Project Rubric Kick off the school year with an engaging and collaborative project designed to foster a strong classroom community, develop essential academic skills, and set the tone for a year of curiosity and exploration!
The Literary Maven is a blog about teaching, books, & teaching books. Find tips and resources for English Language Arts instruction.
Amazing things can happen with just one dot.
First Week Watercolor Portraits 7 comments Back to School, Bulletin Boards, Self Portraits, Tutorials Every year, my second graders paint a watercolor self-portrait. It is truly my most favorite first week activity of all time. After sharing this picture of this year's portraits on Facebook, a sweet reader asked if I had a blog post about them. Well, it dawned on me that while I have shared my annual self-portraits many times, I've never really shared them exclusively in a post. So, here goes! Every year, I have my students paint a self-portrait during the first week of school (an idea I learned while student teaching many moons ago). I hang these portraits in the room, for the entire year. They really brighten up our space and they are such a joy to look at (this is a picture of my students' portraits from last year). I am not an art teacher and I believe that kids should be encouraged to take risks, so when I task my students with painting their portraits, I pretty much let them "have at it." Don't worry, it isn't a total free for all. I do model the process and I also share examples from years past, like the ones shown below. I just make it very clear that I don't expect their paintings to look like an actual photograph. ;) I always begin by pointing out how much of their body/self they will be painting. I tell them to think about the pictures they see in their yearbooks and how those pictures only show people's heads and shoulders. I explain that they will include only their head and shoulders in their paintings. I then show them examples from previous years (sometimes students move and they get left behind, so I have a few on hand). Once the students understand what it is that they will be including in their portrait, I model the drawing process on the board. I discuss how large the head should be in relation to the paper and show them what this looks like. From there, I show them how I draw a neck and shoulders, hair, and facial features. I apologize that I don't have a photo of this, but essentially, I model and narrate the process, one step at a time. And, then...it's the students' turn. I give each student a piece of white card stock (8x10 inches) to work with. Card stock is brighter and thicker than construction paper, and it just seems to hold the paint better, in my opinion. Then, they start their drawing. Sometimes, I have them draw the outline of their pictures with a black crayon (see below). When I do this, there is NO pencil involved. This helps them to really slow down and visualize before they draw because they know that they can't erase. However, this year, I let them draw with pencil first and then they traced over their pencil lines with a Sharpie. Why did I do that? I have no idea, it was just what I decided to do when I was prepping the materials, but the end result was still fab! Once the students draw the outline of their portrait, they get to paint! Using watercolor is a tricky thing for many second graders. They have a hard time always gauging how much water to use, so a discussion about this (and a little modeling) ahead of time is a good idea. Tip: No matter how much explaining and modeling you do, you'll still have a student or two that uses too much water. Let them use a tissue to blot their paper if you notice this happening. I lay the portraits to dry on the floor, in an out of the way spot. They dry within minutes here in the desert. Once they are dry, I flatten them by stacking heavy teacher manuals on them overnight. I could iron them, but my iron and I do not get along. At all. The next morning, I hang them up and admire the sight before me...all year long. :) At the end of the year, it's always fun to repeat this process. You will be amazed at how much growth your students show. Here are a few examples from last year. Amazing, right? We always get lots of compliments on our portrait display, and the kids are always very proud of them. They love seeing if their parents can guess which one is theirs, and it's fun to see how many parents get it right! At the end of the school year, I send the portraits home as a keepsake. Many parents have commented how much they love them, and they are the perfect size for framing! First week self-portraits are a great way to encourage students to take risks, have fun, and learn to use materials. Beyond that, the students take great pride in their creations and enjoy them just as much as I do, and we have something truly magnificent (that they created!) to look at all year long. :) Share It:
5 Creative Uses for QR Codes in the Elementary Classroom
This PDF has two pages. One handout with examples of 20 different kinds of lines and a blank one for students to create their own kinds of line! I like to provide examples for my students but then prefer to give them a space where they can try their own. This year, I used this worksheet with my Kind...
Perfect for independent study projects! Unlock your students' passions! I have been trying to wrap my mind around how to implement passion projects in my classroom all year long. I LOVE the idea behind allowing my students to research topics that interest them, but I also wanted to create some gui...
Are you looking to foster student creativity? This strategy supports higher order thinking through monthly SCAMPER activities. On their own or in design process, the template offers a cooperative learning brain break! An engaging way to start during back to school! ☝ CLICK HERE for the MONEY SAVING Creative Thinking Bundle ☝ As more creative thinking products are created, they will be added to the bundle. My goal is to add one creative thinking task per month until it reaches 12 tasks. Students choose an object- either tangible or a photograph- and they think creatively to change the original idea into something new! You can differentiate the activity by having students complete a specified number of components of SCAMPER. This Resources Includes: ♦ S.C.A.M.P.E.R.: 8 Classroom Posters with Acronym (full sized, color) ♦ S.C.A.M.P.E.R. Interactive Notebook Sized: 4 to a Page ♦ Blank Brainstorming Graphic Organizer ♦ 12 Monthly SCAMPER Brainstorming Projects (color + blackline versions) ♦ Bonus SCAMPER Projects: Tennis Ball, Umbrella, and Light Bulb Organizer with Question Prompts ♦ SCAMPER Writing Report Are you Looking for other CREATIVE THINKING Posters? Check These Out: ⭐ Creative Thinkers: Character Traits Posters ⭐ Thank you for reviewing my product! ♥ ♥ ♥ Please consider leaving feedback. I value your input! ♥ ♥ ♥ ~Spivey Sparks~ Let's Keep in Touch! ⭐ Follow Spivey Sparks on TpT! ⭐ Pinterest ⭐ FaceBook
Looking for a fun way to wrap up the year after testing with MINIMAL PREP? This project is one of my favorites! Have your students show all that they have learned by creating an End of Year Book. Students get creative and really enjoy this project. Perfect for Math class after testing! The ideas and content topics listed in the directions are aligned to elementary aged students. Teachers can easily EDIT to fit their own needs. Product includes: -Simple, Editable directions for students -Editable Rubric for easy grading -Pictures from Sample Student Work ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< Check out this parent letter of math ideas for summer break to keep your mathematicians sharp and ready for next year! Click here to follow me for more fresh ideas!
These all about me, back to school art activities for kids are engaging icebreakers. Encourage creativity and build community during the first week back
Pre-K & Preschool activities for the first days of school. Find more Beginning of School Activities for Pre-K In the beginning of the year, we spend a
Happy Saturday everyone! Today, I wanted to share a new writing rubric that I created with my students this week for their personal narrativ...
For a get to know you or end of the year activity, this one is always a hit! This activity allows students to be creative, share themselves through music, and even discover new songs! This activity includes 10 questions or "tracks" for students to fill in. Each track has a prompt to help guide them, and at the end they can sketch out their own album cover! Out of all my activities I think this one is turned in the fastest year to year. For a bonus, you can even take the responses and create a class playlist! Included in this resource: Soundtrack to My Life Student PDF Worksheet Project PowerPoint slides
3rd grade teacher blog- New teacher tips, lesson ideas for K-4, & freebies for elementary teachers, like a customizable lesson plan template!
