Illustrating Dictionary Pages?!!

Hello, and welcome to my blog.  I've been away for awhile, but I am still full of ideas.  Please remember that what you see here is copyrighted by me so give credit where it is due. Thanks.

Illustrating a dictionary page?   Well, yes, it is possible.  The idea following is an adaptation of a lesson I saw from School Arts magazine (trial copy). Check out SchoolArtsMagazine.com online to order your own free trial copy.  Student Teacher, Kimberly Taylor Underdown, from Flagstaff, Northern Arizona University, came up with this cool way to use old dictionaries. I have added my own spin on it of course!

Prep Work:  Scour Goodwill or thrift shops in your town.  You will need to find a few old dictionaries (the old hardback kind are best as the paper is better quality.)  Make your own example for students to see!

The purpose of the lesson is how can students communicate language (words) in art on a dictionary page. Grade level:  2nd-3rd would do best on this.  However, you could do older students, with adaptations.

You'll need pencils, crayons, markers, oil pastels, or watercolors, glue sticks, construction paper (several colors) old dictionaries, notebook paper cut into thirds so you have 1/4 sheets.

NOTE: It's best to have a few pages from each letter of the alphabet taken out ahead of time from the dictionary.  Use an exacto knife to cut the pages close to the spine; tearing would tear the paper.

Randomly (This reduces the time it takes for them to find a page they want) pass out a page to each of your students along with a pencil and 1/4 page of a notebook paper.

Have the students read their dictionary page (front and back) for a word they think they might be able to illustrate on the page. For example, if they received a page with letter G and they found the word giraffe, they might want to draw a giraffe on the page.  Students will write their name, their word on the notebook paper, and the definition.  copyrightLGates2015

Students will then use pencil to draw on the dictionary page to illustrate their word.(If possible try to keep some of the word showing through so it can be read.) After drawing, they can use the media they want: crayons, markers, watercolors, oil pastels, etc. Be sure to demo use of these media first with them--especially watercolors and  how to use little water so the paper will not  warp or wrinkle!


Have students mat their dried dictionary word illustrations on construction paper  with glue stick, and glue their word and definition notebook paper at the bottom of the construction paper, so it hangs like a tag.  Display these wonderful creations!!!


Good luck, have fun, and learn some new words!!!!



 

Getting Students to use Imagination

Well, it is that time of year again. Teachers looking for new ideas.  So, I will share one with you.
Please remember to give credit where due.

Talking Letters and Numbers
 I used this with 2nd graders. Because they can write funny sentences and they were more excited than other grades.

You will need per student:

9 x 12 paper, pencil, crayons or markers and a teacher example

Ask students if they think letters of the alphabet and numbers can talk. Draw on whiteboard a letter or number. Draw a talk bubble.  Have a student give you ideas of what the letter/number might say and where the letter/number might be.  For example: My teacher example is a number 5.  The number 5 is a shoe salesman in a shoe store. I drew racks with shoes, and a sign $5. The number 5 has a hat, eyes, nose, mouth and says:  Special today!  All shoes $5.00!! in his talk bubble. I used lots of bright colored crayons.LGates2015
Pass out paper, pencils and have students write their names on back.  On the front, draw their letter or number and a talk bubble.  Ask them to think of how they might turn their letter or number into an animal, person, etc.  and where the letter/number is.  And what the letter/number might say.

Be prepared for surprises.  I had a student choose the number 10 and they drew 10 different houses.  The number 10 counted all the houses, 1,2,3,4,5,6,etc.  Keep it limited to numbers 1-10 but students can use any of the 26 letters A-Z. 

Birger Sandzen Art Museum

On January 16, my husband and I ventured to Lindsborg, Ks.  Our first stop was the Birger Sandzen Art Museum/Gallery on the Bethany College campus.  I was totally blown away by the BRIGHT colors--some of them almost neon colored. We had a docent, and this helped alot.  Because I had called and told them I was an art teacher, they provided me with a free book about Birger Sandzen (mine to keep), and loaned me a big portfolio of information: palette, brushes, ink pad, reproductions, etc.  for free (this includes a flash drive of the entire portfolio information), as well.  I did, however, have the expense of mailing it back to them at the cost of $9.60.  The museum has a wall of postcards, and books, and other information about Sandzen. It would be a great place to take a group of students.  (Sadly, the cost and travel time would prohibit me from doing this with my students.) Did you know that Sandzen painted nearly 2,800 oils, 500 watercolors, and made over 33,000 prints?  What a busy artist!  He also taught over 60 years. 

We also went to a shop called Hemsljod.  (Pronounced Hems-loyd).  They handpaint Dala horses there.  Dala horses signify welcome. There were cool wooden sculptures outside this business. Handcrafted Horses, an article in the Salina Journal (in Kansas on Sunday, January 25, 2015) features Shirley Malm, an artist who paints the horses. For more information on this article, contact Deputy Editor, Sharon Montague at 1-800-827-6363 ex 129 or email at smontague@salina.com.

 Lindsborg has many art-related places to visit.  We even found a large mural that emcompasses a whole wall on a building. Food was another matter.  Don't go at the normal eating time 5:30-6:30.  Pick an off hour, because the whole town shows up when you do.  We ate at a really good place.  I still am wondering how they make money when they served both of us atleast 2 lbs or more of tator tots.  I am serious!! We stayed at a hotel, which served a Swedish breakfast. I have grown fond of that round rye cracker! Delicious!!

If you want more information on getting the portfolio, or visiting the museum, check out www.sandzen.org. or call them at (785) 227-2220.  Email:  fineart@sandzen.org.  The museum is open Tuesday -Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 -5  p.m.  

"Linking " Art and Math: 3 Minutes to Win It! Challenge

One cold and "wintry" November day at one of my schools, I was desparate for something to help my students work off their indoor recess energy, plus be creative.  I searched our school office supply room drawers. Aha!  Loose leaf rings.  (The kind used to link together hole-punched papers.)

What could I do?  Then it hit me:  Pattern chains, teamwork, challenge.  So, I gathered up 3 boxes of 1 inch; and 3 boxes of 1 1/2 inches rings.  (About 600 rings!) Then, the TV show, One Minute to Win popped into my head.  I'd do 3 Minutes to Win It! for this project. 

In the classroom, I drew a pattern on the whiteboard.  Students were instructed to begin their "pattern chain" with big, small, big, small, etc.  I demonstrated how to open the big ring, slide on the small one, close it up. Student only had to open the large rings.

Students each had a role in their teams.  Encourager, chain checker, opener(s) , linker(s), math person.  Students were told they had 3 minutes to complete the task. I'd let them know minute by minute and when 30 seconds remained. I dumped a mixture of big and small rings on the table.  Then I began timing. (Boy, those kids really worked hard to get it done.)

The encourager kept the team motivated, the chain checker made sure the team was creating the pattern correctly, the opener(s) opened the big rings, and the linkers linked individual chains together.   The math person was the one who would go to the whiteboard, add up (prove their answer) the sum of their chains inches in length. Any chain not in the correct sequence of big, small, etc. was automatically disqualified.  

We did 2 heats.  We wrote team math persons' names on the whiteboard and made a grid to keep track of each heat.  I used a yardstick to measure the chains. The math person kept track ie. 36 + 36+ 12. Then went to the board, added up their numbers, and wrote it in the grid for their team.

Teams then took apart their chains. Each of the rings had to be removed, closed and put back in the pile (this way there was no cheating.) The second heat was the sum we used for winners.  (However, if a team was disqualified in one heat, we used the qualifying heat sum.)  Winning team got a prize.

I took photos, and a newspaper article was created for our local newspaper.
The students learned teamwork, creativity, demonstrated adding quickly 2-3 numbers and proving their answer, had fun, and enjoyed the challenge.  I used this with 2nd graders, 3rd, 4th and 5th.  2nd graders chain length was 69 inches; 3rd was 99 inches; while 4th was 93; 5th was 139.
Here are photos.

3rd graders. He is handing her an opened ring

Chain checker making sure pattern is correct

I used this project at one other school and the students went wild!  The principal thought this was a great project! :-)

Creativity & Talking in the Art Room

Creativity in the art room doesn't just happen when students sit quietly and think, then draw or paint.  At least not in MY art room.  Students are free to talk but only when I am not talking  ie. giving instructions or demonstrating.  They know what my  rules are:  If I clap my hands, they are to stop, look, and listen.  Bunny ears is another favorite of the students, and they love this hands-on tool for showing me they are listening.  (See my post on more my rules, procedures and classroom management tools from my August post.) 

This year I am doing a lot of collaborative team projects.  This includes using  recycled materials, mixed media, drawing, painting, etc. to stimulate interpersonal, creative and high-order, problem-solving thinking skills.  Students need to learn to work together.  But, they need to talk first.  Honestly, I have never been in an art room that was totally quiet !!  Someone was always talking.  Many of my students want to talk to others about what they are doing.  Sharing is how they  learn from each other.  Some students want music, which I pick, and it helps them focus.  Sometimes I'll play music just to inspire them while they work. I love it that our superintendent acknowledged the fact that playing music is okay in art. :-) 

I welcome any parent, administrator or teacher to come to the art room at any of my four schools.  It may be an eye-opening experience for you. And I think it was for the three "guests" that came to one of my schools today.  They jumped right in and helped, and no, it was NOT quiet. It was students, guests, and the teacher working and sharing. My class is well-managed for behavior and the students talking does not mean they are not being observed and disciplined as necessary.  I am  simply saying to those that come to my art room:   Please don't expect it to be quiet.  There are times it will be, not most of the time not. Art is free, and if we stifle their spirits, they cannot grow. I want my students to learn and experience art in the best way possible and be successful!  

I think this quote sums up what I'm trying to say.   "If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him." John F. Kennedy

Art Rules and Procedures: TEACH AND SHOW them!

I stand among you to teach you.

To begin the year, I have made sure students are TAUGHT not TOLD the rules and procedures in my art class. I played a trick on them. I asked them to listen to the instructions, not do them. To my surprise  all but 2 (yes, two) students stayed in their seats. The rest of the class jumped up and began doing what I had said they needed to LISTEN to.  "Freeze," I said, "Stop."  I told them to sit down. "Two people listened, the rest of you did not." It was a good lesson for them in listening.   How well do your students really listen?

A new thing at some of my schools is implementing the old box on the whiteboard discipline tracker (A box drawn on the board that is empty:)   It's just waiting for those names of who create a disturbance, don't follow directions/talk and interrupt, etc.  I ask for a Name and give a tally mark, then another if they continue, then a final 3rd tally mark is their last chance. Then it's an office referral form. Out of 3 days of teaching only one student made the box with a name and a tally mark.  The listening has improved and directions are being followed.

Returning at some schools this year is the incentive for good behavior:  Secret Student.  I "randomly" pick from the pool of good students in one class, and t he secret students gets a special pencil.  You'd be surprised what students will do for that pencil.  But my main point is to maintain order, discipline and respect in the classroom so we can get some art done.  Students also develop their skills in  listening and doing as directed, plus some pretty cool art..

When talking to your students, remember: There is a BIG DIFFERENCE in SHOWING instead of TELLING students what to do.  Remember that when you give instructions.  That is why I show students WHERE to put pencils, art, etc. not just tell them. That visual is powerful!

Some wisdom to share to end this post. At our recent district inservice, we had a speaker, Kevin Honeycutt, who said, and I quote:  "If you had a year to live, what would you do to make a difference?  Help kids?"  Well, yeah, that is my hope for this year, not only teach them art, but help them find as Kevin says: "Your greatest weakness is your greatest strength waiting to be found."  And I think this applies not only to our students, but us as well.

 Happy Teaching!

Teacher Reflection and Planning

Yarn line projects: Creativity focus

Well, at last I am writing again!  Here's to summer almost over, and planning and reflecting on last year and what will be for the future.  At the end of the year I asked my 2nd-5th grade students to fill out a postcard  and on it, write about their favorite projects and what they learned. After reviewing 400 or so of them, I wrote down tally marks for each project completed, noting which were favorites, and any comment students made.  Then, I asked myself the following questions.  You see, as a result of my Masters class, I have learned it is always a good practice to reflect and improve my teaching methods/lessons.   Here are the questions and my answers. 

Year End Reflection

1)  What projects were most successful?  Why?
Mixed media; watercolor pencil, team projects, oil pastel, food projects, unusual techniques. 
Why?  Most had never used media before, Projects most successful had no parameters, but focused on creativity. Team projects!

2)  Why did some of the schools (I have 4) embrace the project while others didn't?
Attitude toward school in general, students' individual needs (Special Ed), Not sure. 

3) Why did I chose not to do some of the  projects I had on my Year Plan?
Lack of time, lack of resources (supplies),  was certain some schools it wouldn't work  due to students' special needs, not able to do because of space restrictions.

4) What could I do better to choose more engaging projects?
Pretest to find out what they know? Use more links to artists/art history, technology, think more creatively, find more resources (not just technology).

5)  Did I meet my goal I set  (real world applications)?  
Yes for some of the schools. 

6)  What goal should I address this next year?
The Learner   How they learn.

7) Will I use the goal to plan my lessons toward achieving it?
Yes

Then I made notes.  Find new books, put a creative spin on projects I've done before, but try it out on a few schools, keep incorporating new media, promote recycling, appeal to parents and teachers to help save recycled projects for art projects:  boxes, used bulletin board paper, pop bottles, used file folders, any used colored paper, etc.  Decorate rooms according to school theme. 


So, ask yourself some questions to this end. I hope this has helped you think and reflect and plan for the new year coming up.  I'm kind of excited about trying out some new projects on my students this year. Onward!