Friday, December 12, 2014

Steaming Cups

 
 
Materials:
 
Colored permanent markers
9X12 white paper
Small pieces of batting
 
1. This lesson plan allows the students to choose and draw very simple patterns. You could also adapt this to holiday time and students can make a festive tea or coffee cup.
 
2. Give suggestions to students on drawing very simple patterns in the background and on the cup. Instruct to use basic easy patterns with simple lines and shapes. Also stress that patterns should not be too small and squished together.
 
You may provide one or more types of cup templates for students to use, or guide them in drawing their own. They can add their own type of handle, and they will also draw a saucer underneath. Instruct on drawing the horizontal line halfway across. They will then draw their patterns on the cup, background and foreground.
 
3. Students then use markers to color in designs.
 
4. Take small pieces of batting and roll in your hands and glue securely on, to show steam coming up.
 

 
 

 

 

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Magnified Insects


 
Materials:

12X15 lime, light or dark green paper
Oil pastels in shades of green
Tempera or acrylic paints
Colored markers
Black paper
Images of various insects
A template for a magnifying glass appr. 5 or 6 inches in diameter.

1. Discuss the concept of magnification with students. This applies to science. If you have actual magnifying glasses to let them experiment with, that is awesome, but you could also show images of various objects in magnification.

2. Discuss sizes, colors and parts of insects. Note that insects can be many varying colors. Allow the students to choose which insect they would like to draw, after looking at various images to get ideas. (You will most likely have a lot of girls choosing ladybugs and boys choosing spiders, so it is up to you on how many of those you end up with!) Emphasize to students that the bugs should have a head, thorax and abdomen. It should also fit onto a 5 or 6 inch piece of paper, so that it will be a "magnified" insect. Direct students to draw it large. They can add colors and details with colored permanent markers. They should also color greens around the insect with oil pastel.

3. Students will draw the grass on their green piece of paper. Instruct on how to draw blades of grass with oil pastels without it being too scribbly.

4. Students can them paint some flowers on their grass with acrylic paint. Some of the paint might go thinly over the oil pastel, so they may need to do another coat. They can also paint a tiny insect somewhere in the grass if they wish.

5. Make some templates of a simple magnifying glass shape and have students trace and cut out of black paper, or you can make the magnifying glasses for them. Students will glue magnifying glass onto their insect paper, making sure it fits correctly over the insect, and trim off the excess paper around the black round part.

6. Students will glue the magnifying glass with insect onto their flower background.