Kandinsky time...

I did this Kandinsky lesson yesterday with 5th graders. It's an easy lesson to execute, and appropriate for students of all ages. You can find the lesson info. here.

Big thanks to 5th grade artists at Winifred Pifer Elementary!!!!

Fancy "Gettysburg Address"

Image via Wikipedia

"So Mrs. Smith, how long is four score and seven years?"

Hmmmm what is a "score"?

Well, a "score" is an old fashioned word meaning the amount of 20. Not too many common things come in packages of 20, so we don't use the word "score" in this context anymore. (The word "dozen" can be grateful to donuts and eggs, otherwise that word might be a memory from the past too.)

Now, since a score is 20, then four score equals 80, then add 7 and we end up with 87 years.



So if President Lincoln gave his Gettysburg Address in 1863, was he correct in saying that 87 years earlier a new nation was brought forth on the continent? Oh, let's do the math to make sure the President was right..........When was the new nation brought forth - or what year was the United States born?

Yes, 1776 (Yeah, extra credit for saying July 4th too.)

So what's the difference in years between 1776 and President Lincoln's speech in 1863? Ah ha - yes, you heard the clue word "difference" so do we add, subtract, multiply, or divide? Yep, subtract! 1863 - 1776 = 87. Phew, President Lincoln was right!! Of course he was, everyone knows that President Lincoln was very, very, very, very smart.

Okay, done with the math part of the lesson, let's do the art part now:) For Fancy Gettysburg Address, we used one 2 1/2" x 3" piece of white paper, 6"x9" white paper, copies of fancy F's for inspiration, black marker, and lined paper for guide to keep words aligned straight. (Here's more info. on where I find my copies of fancy lettering.)

Step 1: Put small white paper in upper left corner of 6x9" paper, then copy Gettysburg Address.

Step 2: Decorate a fancy "F" on small piece of white paper. Make sure decorations go behind the letter and not in front.

Step 3: Glue "F" onto 6"x9" paper at the beginning of first sentence.

Big thanks to Flamson Middle School 8th graders!

Inspired by Van Gogh Sunflowers

Image via Wikipedia

For this lesson we used Van Gogh's famous painting of a vase with sunflowers. I love to use this painting when students complain about their "Flowers looking funny, or not perfect" because it appears as if Van Gogh purposely chose odd shaped-not perfect looking sunflowers for his painting which is now considered a masterpiece.
Step 1: Draw flowers
Step 2: Draw the "base" of the vase, then the "top" of the vase and connect with sides.
Step 3: Draw a line for the table.
Step 4: Add stems and leaves to flowers.

BIG Thanks to San Gabriel Elementary 3rd graders!!