Dragon in a Box/Cave

 What do you do when you have a bunch of boxes that you want to get rid of?? 

Well, I come up with an art project to use them with.

This lesson came together 20 minutes before the class showed up. I knew I wanted to do a lesson from this book I have by Denise M. Logan. Check it out on Amazon here.

 

So naturally I changed it out. I googled how to draw dragons and printed out a few different ones for students to choose from. The history behind dragons is pretty fascinating. Apparently they differ according to country of origin. I also decided we would use the empty boxes I had from the new laptops, which really aren't that new anymore...  AND I had these 3D O's to pop out the dragons with.

 

 

 First they drew their dragons and then they drew the stalactites and stalagmites for 

above and below their cave.

 

Then they cut it all out.

And assembled their project.

I did this with my 4th graders, however I have some second graders begging to make them....
Students had the choice of colored pencils or markers and worked on 12x18" white drawing paper.

 

 

 

LOVE THEM!

Figures, just when you come up with a project you love, to use up all your boxes 

you wish you had more of them!!

(I'm not really worried, I'm connected!)

Leaving in the morning for Seattle to attend the NAEA Conference! 

If you see me please say Hello!

Thanks for Reading!

Bunny Time!

 It's kind of crazy the week right before any school break. No one wants to start a new project (I'm talking about us teachers!) So I decided I needed an "Early Finisher Activity."  And since we will be on spring break after this week I decided little bunny puppets would be perfect!

  

My bunny worksheet. Click here for your copy. Or go to my Resource Page. 

You may need to enlarge it slightly when you make copies.

  

The area in which students could grab supplies.

  

 

 Students hard at work!

Basic directions

1- Draw your bunny doing something fun in the box.

2- Color your bunny with colored pencils or crayons.

3- Outline pencil lines with pen.

4- Carefully cut out box and around the ears.

5- Wrap your bunny around a TP roll and use label to tape it on.

The beautiful results!

 Done with my kindergarten and first grades.

If you choose to do it with the whole class, read them a cute Easter or bunny book!

Enjoy your Spring Break!

I'll be in Seattle for the NAEA conference, please say hello!

Thanks for Reading!

Printing With Geometric Shapes

 Gotta love it when the Math Coach cleans out her stash! I snagged a big plastic bin of these wonderful foam shapes from my one day a week school last year.

 

Thought we could make some robot prints with them. I inspired them with this wonderful book check it out here on Amazon.

The first week we used Elmer's to glue the shapes down to a piece of cardboard. (Donated by one of our parents at the school.) I really enjoyed hearing the children ask for the shapes by their correct name.

   

 "Anyone have a hexagon or a trapezoid?"

 

 

The second week we were ready to print. I set up 2 tables with brayers and tempera paint on styrofoam trays.  Had the drying rack ready and waiting for artwork.

  

I demonstrated with my document camera what to do. Then went to the tables to help students print.

 

 They pulled 2 prints, one after rolling on paint and then a ghost print. Which they really loved!

 

I kind of let students do what they wanted the first day, but the colors got muddy in a hurry and I decided they needed to choose one color.  I pulled a few students at a time to do this. That meant the students back at their seats needed something to work on or chaos would be the word of the day.....

They had some worksheets in their art folders and some drawing prompts to keep them busy. Still a little hectic...... but this was kindergarten and 1st graders, not sure what I was thinking. However, the looks on their little faces made it worthwhile.  I will add that I constantly wonder what to do with students that miss the first or second week of a project. This time if they missed the first week that had a choice to make a robot with the shapes or print out one of my samples. Unfortunately if they missed the second week, then they didn't get to print because we had moved on. I feel really bad about this, but I'm one person and they just aren't independent enough to handle it on their own.

 

When the prints were dry I had students embellish their prints with markers. Some came out great and some got scribbled over.  

I loved doing this! It was really amazing for students to learn that we can print without that big thing attached to our computers...........

What's your favorite printing lesson??

BTW anyone interested in buying Gelli plates for printing can save 10%

by clicking on the Gelli Arts button on the right side of the blog.

Thanks for reading!

Leather Craft

 Many, many, many years ago when my children were in elementary school before I was teaching art full time, I worked at a Day Camp. This was a pretty fancy camp because instead of being just an arts and crafts counselor, we had a speciality.  I was the leather craft counselor. Now before taking the job I knew nothing about leather crafts AND this was way before Google! So I learned by going to my local Tandy Leather Shop.  After doing that for a few summers, I invested in my own tools and did workshops as a visiting artist in schools and libraries.

 

 This hands on workshop, where children made a round leather key chain included lots of information on what leather was, where it came from AND what is made out of leather. I would show them part of a hide with the branding mark. I had lots of little items that I made out of leather and other skins that I shared with them.

 

Which included this cobra skin.

 

 I would explain how to use a mallet and stamping tools to decorate their key chain with. The leather used is made specifically for this purpose. To stamp designs you wet it with water. We use sponges and tried not to completely soak the leather. This is done to make the leather soft enough for stamping with the tools.

   

I would model how to hold the tool and use the mallet. I told them each tool was different and could be used to create patterns. When they were done I would dye it one color for them and add a beaded key chain.

When I started working as an art teacher full time I applied for grants to purchase leather to make key chains with my students. I also would buy a bag of scrap leather pieces for students to practice on. They needed that experience  because they would only get one "good" piece of leather.

Now in my quest to clean out both my house and my art room I realized I had some leather available to use with students. They all wouldn't make the same thing and I couldn't do it across all grade levels, but I would match the amount of what I had left to the number of students in a particular grade level. The last time I did this my 5th graders were in kindergarten.

 First grade made different shape pendants (which I see them wearing around school, awww).

 

 My second graders made the round key chains.

Fourth grade made bookmarks, All used Sharpies to color them in.

Now one of the reasons I'm sharing this is that I see requests on Facebook all the time about art teachers getting some money and asking for suggestions on what to buy. This is an absolutely wonderful way to offer something so very different for our students. And it addresses many of our standards: history, cultures, recycling, patterns, using different media, etc.

Many of the tools can be purchased on ebay cheaper than my original cost over 25 years ago.
All you need to start is a class set of mallets (I have 30) and maybe 3 dozen different tools. A leather hole punch if you plan on making key chains. Get some leather and sponges and you'll be ready to start! Seriously I think it can be done for under $200 NOT including the leather. There is a way to order leather in bulk as well as buying the hide and cutting it down to suit your purpose.

Thanks for Reading!

Anyone here do leather crafts with their students??