Monday, September 29, 2008

Creating a Kandinsky (the 2nd grade version)

First begin with color copies of a few Kandinsky paintings.

Next, have the students gather elements from nature.
Place the elements on white 8 1/2 x 11 paper and trace around
the natural elements in an abstract manner. We used at least 9 elements such
as pine cones, leaves, sticks, moss, blossoms and rocks.
Then, after you have traced the elements in an abstract manner, using tempura paint
begin painting with fall colors each of the traced elements.
We paid attention to foreground and background.
Let each color dry before trying to paint the next color, especially if they overlap.

This one is drying. This one is complete except for the background color.

After the painting has dried, the students choose a darker background color.

This one is finished and mounted on white and then black construction paper with a student label.Finished
A collection with an color copy of an original Kandinsky.

To see each photo up close, click on it!

To learn more about Kandinsky, click here.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

I don't post . . .

I have a blog for my classroom, which all the parents can log into and it is updated about twice a week. It would seem that I could update this blog at the same time, but no, for some reason I choose to correct homework, do dishes, do laundry, correct homework, plan school work or sleep. I am going to make an effort to blog, if for no other reason than to just talk out my day. At school we had our first library (off campus) visit and I must say, I was very impressed with my students. They handled the fact that there were a lot of high school students (with green or purple hair) visiting the library today. (Did I mention the dog collars or the piercings?) Let's just say that taking 9 students from a private school to a public library during a half day at the local high school, was quite an eye opener for a lot of my students!

I am now three weeks into my third masters class. For some reason, I could really care less about this class than the other two. This class is about teaching reading, my least favorite subject to teach. I am doing well in the class with a B+ average so far. Apparently a B is considered graduate level work. I think a B will be just fine this time around.

Funny kid story: My students bring lunch to class and eat in the room. We have a microwave and a refrigerator. After heating up a meat and cheese sandwich for a girl she began eating. She quickly set down her sandwich and said, "Oh, my mom forgot to peel the cheese!" Needless to say (because I had heated the sandwich) she didn't eat her very melted Kraft single cheese and meat sandwich!