I have done this lesson many times, but this year the results are better than ever before. This year, we had more time to do this project, and therefore their drawings had more detail. This lesson focuses on the concept of foreshortening. This is a hard concept for even experienced artists, so to make it simpler, we traced our hands and feet. The other details were drawn in after. I found the idea for this lesson years ago on the blog Oodles of Art. Over the years, I have adapted this lesson, and this year the results are amazing. I just LOVE these!

Free, fun and useful Kindergarten - 1st Grade, Common Core aligned lesson plans, math games, calendars, behavior charts, materials and more!

Allow your students to explore a variety of different self portrait techniques with this completely done for you unit plan and activity bundle. Bring visual arts to life as the unit plan walks you through everything you need to thoroughly cover all elements of the Australian Year 2 Visual Arts curriculum (version 9.0). Fun for students, easy for you to implement and an irresistible way for students to learn and apply visual arts skills. This unit is designed to compliment our Year 2 Writing Unit: Autobiography. Bring the fun back into Visual Arts as you guide your students through the following Australian Curriculum Year 2 Visual Arts content descriptors: - Explore ideas, experiences, observations and imagination to create visual artworks and design, including considering ideas in artworks by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists (ACAVAM106) - Use and experiment with different materials, techniques, technologies and processes to make artworks (ACAVAM107) - Create and display artworks to communicate ideas to an audience (ACAVAM108) - Respond to visual artworks and consider where and why people make visual artworks, starting with visual artworks from Australia, including visual artworks of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples (ACAVAR109) The content and activities covered in this unit includes: - Sketched Self-portraits - Collage Self-portraits - Lichtenstein Self-portraits - Pop Art Self-portraits - Photorealism Self-portraits - Assessment - Students create their own self-portrait based on skills and artists they have explored throughout the unit Your purchase includes: ✔ Unit plans ✔ Teacher Notes - to help you direct students in completing their artworks ✔ Artwork Timelapses - these videos will save you creating demo pieces. Use the videos to demonstrate to your students how each artwork is to be completed. ✔ Activity Sheets - required for some of the art pieces and activities in the unit ✔ Assessment Rubric ✔ Elements of Art Classroom Posters ✔ Student reflection and peer reflection sheets FAQ Is there a rubric included in this resource? Yes. How long should it take to complete this unit? This Unit is designed to be implemented over 10 weeks (a typical Australian school term). Time has been allowed for an hour lesson each week. If are looking for more ways to overcome the Australian Curriculum overwhelm, check out these resources: Math Centres Folders Bundle - Year 2 Autobiography Writing Unit Don't forget that leaving feedback earns you points toward FREE TPT purchases. I love that feedback!  If you want to connect with me further, check out Ridgy Didge on these social media platforms: - Facebook - Instagram - Pinterest Please feel free to contact me with any questions. Thank you so much, Mel Disclaimer: While careful consideration has been made in the design of this Unit Plan it is a guide only. Teachers should use their own discretion when implementing. Some questions have been given to help guide student thinking but more specific questions should be added to develop conversation and deeper learning. Students should be encouraged to ask questions themselves as well. This is a digital product only. It will be sent to you by email to download once payment has been processed.

Use this fun & free printable chart to track your homeschool year! Awesome interactive & visual way to record your homeschool days.

Visualizing the text is such an important strategy used for building your students’ reading comprehension. It is very versatile as it can be used in different ways with students of all ages and reading levels. I

Four Corners is the perfect way for students to get to know each other while getting their wiggles out! Four Corners is a fun, movement activity where students answer a question and move to the corner with the corresponding number. We play this many times throughout the year to help build our classroom family! There are 14-18 get to know you questions for each product! Each question has 4 answers with visuals. The visuals are perfect for primary students! Included: 1. 14-18 Get to Know You Questions 2. 4 Corner Numbers How to Play: 1. Print and tape the numbers 1-4 in the four corners of your classroom. 2. Display the question you would like your students to answer 3. Students select one answer and walk to the corner with the corresponding number. 4. Repeat until finished!

I have a new favorite chart! I found this on pinterest and knew it would be great to use during the first week with my new little first graders. Amanda (the smartie who made this) from First Grade Garden graciously allowed me to share a printable I made to go along with her anchor chart. I was so busy my first week that I never got around do doing this activity with the kids, so I'm saving it for one of those days when I think they need a big reminder about being good listeners. Also, I may tie it in with a writing lesson on labeling. Click the image to download this document. 

Have you tried using Exit tickets in your kindergarten classroom? I am a HUGE fan of Exit Tickets and have used them for years. They are a quick way to assess student learning. Here are my top five reasons for using Exit Tickets in the kindergarten classroom. I am so confident that you will love ... Read More about 5 Reasons to use Exit Tickets in Kindergarten

Allow your students to explore a variety of different self portrait techniques with this completely done for you unit plan and activity bundle. Bring visual arts to life as the unit plan walks you through everything you need to thoroughly cover all elements of the Australian Year 2 Visual Arts curriculum (version 9.0). Fun for students, easy for you to implement and an irresistible way for students to learn and apply visual arts skills.

Get ready for the new school year with our free Back to School I Spy sheet. Have fun in the classroom and find these 14 school themed items.

Editable Visual schedule cards with real photos to help with preschool transition in three differen sizes (cards, strips and half sheet posters)

Everyone in our school buildings want students to read more....teachers, principals, librarians, paras - and of course parents. We all know the benefits, but

I have a quick and simple tip for you today. Another teacher gave me this tip a few years ago and I love it! (I wish I remembered who gave me this tip and where they got the idea from so I could give the credit.) Do you ever start to give directions and you ... Read More about A quick classroom management tip

This template is to be used only in Canva (https://www.canva.com/). Immerse your students in the revolutionary world of Pablo Picasso with this Art History Presentation Template. Specifically designed for the innovative teacher, this template is a treasure trove of educational value, bringing the essence of Picasso's genius directly into your classroom. 🎨Engaging and Educational Content Each slide is a chapter in Picasso's storied life, from his early Prodigy years to his pioneering work in Cubism. The content is curated to spark curiosity and engage students visually and intellectually, enhancing their understanding of art history and its relevance today. 🎨Time-Saving and Customizable You're a teacher with a passion for art, but not enough hours in the day. This ready-to-use template saves you countless hours of preparation. ❗You can customize the text content and use the fonts of your choice but the collage art work can not be altered❗ 🎨Visual Appeal With a design inspired by Picasso's unique aesthetic, each slide is not just informative but also a visual delight, ensuring that your students' attention is captured from beginning to end. The use of striking images and bold colors reflects the vibrancy of Picasso's work and the era he shaped. 🎨Versatile Use Whether you're introducing Picasso for the first time or delving into a thematic study of Cubism, this template provides a structured yet flexible framework. It's perfect for art classes, history lessons, artist studies, and cross-curricular projects. 🎨Endless Possibilities Use it as a standalone lecture, part of a larger unit, or as a resource for students' projects. The template's flexibility makes it suitable for in-person, hybrid, and remote learning environments. 🎨Invest in this Picasso Art History Presentation Template today and transform your art lessons into an immersive experience that will resonate with your students long after the class ends.

Use this Daily Slides Set to plan out your weekly content AND display in class to make each day run smoothly! Create more effective plans and save yourself time year after year by reusing your slide plans. Add videos and visuals into the slides so you can move through the day with confidence and ease. Your students will benefit from the visuals and rhythm the slides bring to your classroom and YOU will benefit from the ease and confidence they bring you as the teacher! WHAT'S INCLUDED? 80+ premade slides! Enjoy the beautiful neutral backgrounds. White space provided for teaching content. 6 transition timers (copy and paste into slides as you please!) 40+ premade headers (for main subjects & times of the day) Blank slides for adding your own content Must Do/May Do/Ketchup Work slides Editable Header Templates (must have Microsoft PowerPoint.) PDF with font links (for those without PowerPoint.) Tips and Tricks for Slides Google Slides//Can be downloaded as a PowerPoint if desired *Note: Fonts in the PowerPoint have been embedded for you! Mac users may need to use the links provided to download fonts if they do not transfer. FOLLOW ME FOR MORE TEACHING IDEAS ON: INSTAGRAM TIKTOK PINTEREST READ MORE ON THE BLOG JOIN MY EMAIL LIST

Does Benchmark overwhelm you with all its components? It sure did for me. Then I made this visual component matrix and I was surprised how things made sense to me and how things were left out for the week. This cheat sheet will help you get your lessons organized in so much less time. Each unit is on one page. It is divided by 3 weeks and color coded for each type of lesson: Shared Reading, Extended Reading, Concepts About Print, Vocabulary, Leveled Readers, Reader's Theater, Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Decodable Readers, HFW, Poetry Posters, Frieze Cards, and Sound Spelling Cards.

The Color Monster is the story of a monster who, with the help from a little girl, learns about his emotions through different colors. This book companion is the perfect cross-curricular addition to your classroom for teaching your students about their emotions. What is included? • Visual craft with step-by-step real picture sequencing • Writing activity (to go along with the craft - great for bulletin board displays!) • STEM emotion activity • Visual recipe to make monster cookies • 7 differentiated cut/paste worksheets (errorless included) • Task box emotion clip cards When do you use book companions? Book companions are a great addition to any reading or language arts block. They also serve as a great print-and-go lesson for any substitute binder. PLEASE NOTE * 1. You will need to purchase the book The Color Monster - A Story About Emotions by Anna Llenas to go along with the book companion and craftivity. 2. Part of this book companion is included in the January Mini Lesson Plan Pack. Connect with me: • Newsletter • Blog • Facebook • Instagram • Pinterest • Don't forget about the green ★ to follow my store to get notifications of new resources and freebies! Thanks for Looking and Happy Teaching!

The Occupational Therapist came into our class today and did the Mat Man activity with my students today. The students use all the pieces from the “Handwriting Without Tears” program to…

INCLUDES- 26 Printable Baby Art cards in a PDF file { High Contrast - Black and White - Drawings } All of the drawings on my art cards I created by hand using pen and ink or black paint. This set illustrates each letter in the alphabet with animals and natural objects that will captivate baby's attention. You can observe baby's eyes looking at different parts of each image during tummy time or while you an baby flip through the cards during cuddle time. According to Dr. Sears, high contrast images "register powerfully on baby’s retina and send the strongest visual signals to baby’s brain; Stronger signals mean more brain growth and faster visual development." "The development of the child during the first three years after birth is unequaled in intensity and importance by any period that precedes or follows in the whole life of the child." - Maria Montessori { Ways to use Baby Art Cards } Let baby study them during tummy time, use as a decoration on a mobile, or place the cards in a photo album to "read" to baby. - Let baby study during tummy time - Make a mobile - Add to an activity gym - Entertain baby during changing - Visual play for newborns - “Read” to baby - Use in car seat or stroller - Decorate nursery - Dual purpose- use with babies for the high contrast images { Details } After purchasing, you can download and print the PDF file containing the Art Cards The PDF is letter size and is 7 pages long - 4 cards per page. Total of 26 art cards When printed and cut out, each card measures 4.25 x 5.5 inches. How to print: These can be printed on a home printer, or you can print them at your local library or print shop. Print on cardstock or paper and cut them apart easily by following the crop lines. *The last photo shows happy babies using various HelloSprout Art Card sets! **All Art Cards are for personal use only; please do not distribute. { ALSO AVAILABLE } > PRINTED Nature Alphabet Art Cards: https://www.etsy.com/listing/231929739/alphabet-black-and-white-baby-art-flash?ref=shop_home_active_4&ga_search_query=baby%2Bart%2Bcards > INSTANT download, PRINTABLE: Modern Monochrome Design Cards https://www.etsy.com/listing/625441811/modern-designs-baby-art-flash-cards?ref=listings_manager_grid > INSTANT download, PRINTABLE: Baby Faces Art Cards https://www.etsy.com/listing/245552554/baby-faces-black-and-white-high-contrast?ref=shop_home_active_3&ga_search_query=baby%2Bart%2Bcards > INSTANT download, PRINTABLE: Creature Cards: Animals for Baby https://www.etsy.com/listing/612296244/creature-cards-baby-art-flash-cards > INSTANT Download, PRINTABLE: Nature Alphabet Art Cards https://www.etsy.com/listing/228600724/animals-and-nature-alphabet-black-and > INSTANT Download, PRINTABLE: Baby Art Cards https://www.etsy.com/listing/123829284/baby-art-flash-cards-printable-version?ref=shop_home_active_1&ga_search_query=baby%2Bart%2Bcards *All Art Cards are for personal use only; please do not distribute. Art & Collectibles Prints Digital Prints Contrast cards Infant playcards Baby Playcards Contrast flashcards Printable flashcards Baby gift Infant gift DIY contrast cards DIY Flashcard DIY baby playcards Black White Cards Accordion baby cards Accordion flashcards

Here are 10 end of the year celebration ideas to use in your classroom with direct links to educational resources.

At the beginning of the year, I am always that hot mess teacher; HOWEVER, there is always one thing I make sure I have running smoothly by the end of September... independent work stations. Without independent work, SPED teachers would literally never get anything done. Plus, work boxes are a great way for students to

I must say, it's hard to avoid the Yayoi Kusama dot pumpkin around the fall time. Searching for pumpkin-inspired art project ideas inevitably reveals this contemporary Japanese artist's dimensional, plump and somewhat psychodelic pumpkins. It's been done, again and again, but I felt it was now my turn... despite the hype. Kusama pumpkins White board instructions and guides, with teacher samples I love the graphic quality, and I particularly love the challenge of drawing contours without lines, by using only dots of various thickness. My kids classes (8-14 year olds) have varying degrees of experience with pen techniques since we did a few projects last year and in the last weeks involving stippling, hatching, and adding texture with pen. This no-lines drawing is not too far off, but definitely in a new direction, and I saw it as an extension of our previous illustration and pen work. Win win. Medium choice: I wanted the results to be super neat and crisp, like Kusama's own work. I knew painting dots with brushes would not give us that crisp quality, and I felt similarly about painting or drawing in the background pattern. So I opted for drawing in the dots with permanent black markers in various thickness, on colored paper. Pumpkins would be cut out and pasted on a background which was painted with a foam roller and stencil with black acrylic paint over top a vibrantly colored paper. With this approach we get the bright color of the pumpkins and the background, the neatly controlled lines of dots with the makers (that's the objective, after all), and the clean patterned background with the stencils. Process Day 1 1. Drawing pumpkins Student had visuals of Kusama's pumpkins as well as photos and illustrations of pumpkins to observe the variety of their form and shape. Simple step-by-step pumpkin drawing guides were also at their desk, so they could see how to break down and simply the drawing steps. I also demonstrated how to draw a pumpkin on the white board, and showed them several different options for shapes. Pumpkins are most easily drawn starting with the central 'section shape', them the section shape to the left and the right, and so on. The stem is drawn slightly tucked down into the top, so is doesn't look like it's sitting on the top contour edge, but rather growing out the pumpkin. Students were encourage to try a few different shapes - tilted, plump, oblong and even with wavy sections.... like Kusama's. We practiced a few rounds of pumpkins on scratch paper. Then we chose our colored paper, and began drawing our favorite version in pencil. 2. Dots Each pumpkin section must be filled with dots in a crisp, systematic fashion. Our dots must create the illusion of form. We analyzed Kusama's work and noted how she uses a row of larger dots at the center of her central section, with increasingly smaller rows of dots on both sides. This gives our section a 3-D shape. The tricky part is addressing the next sections to the left and the right. We noted that Kusama uses large semi-circle, or half-dots, along the outer edge of the first section (where we drew our section line with pencil). From there, the lines of dots get increasingly smaller again toward the other edge. This is repeated for each section. The darker intensity of the large half-dots serves the purpose of creating a strong visual line which separates the sections (thereby replacing our 'line' with 'dots'). *Super important for an effective gradient of dot sizes is using differently sized markers. We used permanent markers with hefty fat tips, medium tips (or a sharpie with a good point) and fine liners in various tops. 3. Stem We observed that Kusama did her stem in the same manner, but in the inverse. So dots are white, and the negative space is black. To achieve this effect, we simply drew open circles with our black pen, and colored the space around our white circles. Pencil lines were erased and pumpkins were cut out. We managed all this in a 90 minutes class. Drawing dots Drawing dots Day 1 results Day 1 results Day 2 Background: Student chose a colored paper that complemented or contrasted with their pumpkin color. Then they chose the stencil of their choice. My stencils are from Marabu. We chose stencils that contrast the dot pattern, so those with a different angular of liner quality. We did not, for examaple, use the stencils with hearts, small stars, circles, etc. because they are visually too similar to our dots. We used black acrylic paint and foam rollers to stencil on our colored paper. In many cases, our stencils were not as large as our paper, so we had to carefully reposition the stencil, lining up the stencil with the printed edge, and rolling again to fill the page. Pumpkins were finally pasted on the printed background, for a visually exciting result. My students were quite wowed by their vibrant, dimensional results, and proud of their hard work and dedication to neatness and precision. Hard work pays off. Ages 8-14 Ages 8-10

In this article, I outline survival tips for first-year special education teachers. My survival guide includes advice about planning, IEPs, networking, prioritizing, and more with lots of resources.

Get ideas for teaching your preschooler from this list of preschool themes.

Tired of showing your students where to turn in their homework or sharpen their pencil? Here are 17 ways to review classroom procedures that won't make you tear your hair out! P.S. The kids love them too!

I was on a mission this year to make my documentation easier. Special Education requires a lot of documentation, so efficient is what I was looking for. I had paper documentation, plus online documentation, plus

Kindness demonstration to give students a visual representation of how kind acts create a ripple effect in the school community!

There has been a lot of talk about bullying the past few years. Kids are being taught strategies for what to do when bullying comes to play in their lives. One very good visual is to read the book Chrysanthemum. I love this book because it shows that mean words can and do hurt. They hurt hearts. As Chrysanthemum enters school she is bullied by classmates about her name. As I read the book to the class, I pass around a large paper heart. Everytime one of the characters in the book makes fun of Chrysanthemum, the kids take turns crumpling up the paper heart. As it turns out, at the end of the story Chrysanthemums teacher has an interesting name as well. She announces that she might name her child Chrysanthemum! The other characters stop bullying Chrysanthemum! In class we try to smooth out the crumpled heart, but it never is quite the same. I let the kids put bandaids on the heart and hang it up as a yearlong visual to the importance of using kind words!!

Explore Martin Luther and the Reformation with this craft and writing activity! This one or two-day lesson will give your elementary school students an overview of an important part of the liturgical calendar as they celebrate Lutheran theology.Craft activities are a fun and engaging visual way to l...

These stop signs are a fantastic non-verbal reminder for students to make a positive behavior change and are perfect for PBIS classroom management. Instead of using a public clip chart as you head back to school this year, this tool serves as a private visual cue to students to refocus and correct their behavior. After I implemented this tool in my second grade classroom, I found myself spending less time stopping to deal with behavior issues and more time teaching content! :) I don't find myself engaging in arguments with students about behavior either. I can give them the stop sign, walk away, and then silently monitor their behavior for a positive change. Remember, PBIS says to acknowledge the behavior you want to see! So once your student makes that positive change, don't forget to PRAISE them! :)

This is an amazing art and math lesson that I got from a teacher at a conference who did teach a district over from me, but is now getting h...

Are you looking for behavior management posters to use with your students during carpet time? These posters are perfect for back to school and to help visual learners when they are sitting on the floor during carpet time or any other school activities. Students are reminded how to sit "criss cross a...

Children will solve five word problems by determining the duration of intervals of time to the nearest quarter hour.

Looking for a visual school schedule for your classroom or even homeschool schedule? Here you go! These visual schedule cards are free to download and print. *This post contains affiliate links. **The free download can be found AT THE END of this post. Click on the teal download button. Free Visual School Schedule One ... Read More about Visual School Schedule {Free!}

No matter what your age, you may, without realizing it, be enjoying the very last chapter of the relationships that matter most to you. Make it count.