Symmetrical Bugs

Oh ya! These are awesome! My second graders learned all about symmetry. We pointed out symmetrical objects in the room, giggled about my own body being cut in half down the middle (morbid), and sketched the second half of symmetrical shapes as a group on the board. We also got a little wild with science by identifying the different parts of bugs, and looking at the grossest bugs I could find on the Ipad. The kids were very into this project from start to finish, and it really shows in their work.

BAM! Is that beautiful or what!? Once we got through the mumbo jumbo, we did a practice bug on a small piece of paper. We started by folding our paper "hot dog style" (vertically), and I demonstrated how we would only draw half of the bug at first, so that we could easily make a mirror image on the other side of the paper. We reviewed the bug parts we learned about and talked about making nice big shapes with a lot of room to color inside. This was especially hard to grasp when the students were drawing the bug's legs. They of course wanted to make super skinny one liner legs, but we talked about why that wouldn't work, and all turned our skinny mini legs into nice big fat disgusting bug legs.

Once we had half of our bugs drawn, we used our pencil and made our lines super thick (This made them easier to see with wittle eyes, and easier to trace with wittle hands.) We folded the paper in half and pushed hard while tracing over the lines. The fact that the lead from our thick lines was actually printing on the other half of the paper was very hard for the students to understand at first, which is why I am very thankful that we did the practice. The students repeated the process on 11"x17" paper, outlined with Sharpie, and went to work coloring with oil pastels (we spent a little time talking about color variety, making things look interesting, and examining magnified bug's color and texture on the internet.)

This one is my absolute favorite. Can't you imagine this framed on a shelf at Target? Maybe a planner cover or on a laptop case or something, who knows? Anyways, once the bugs were covered in the vibrant colors, the students painted the backgrounds with big blobs of watercolor. Everyone shook their salt shaker on them at the end for some fun texture.

I'm so proud of my little kittens for staying focused and interested while pulling through with these. Frustration was sneaking up on us pretty hard at some points, but they've done it, and we can safely move on with our lives. These will be sent home next week. Perfect mothers day gift don't you think?

Fire and Ice Lions

Hello there!! It has been quite a while! So much has happened since the last time we chatted! I married a smokin' hott hunk, bought a cray cray adorbs house, and landed the most amazing job teaching elementary art at a cozy little school near my home town. My first year teaching has been so amazing and eventful and busy and wonderful and informative and exciting and FUN and.. and.. and! I feel it is time to sit down and share some of these experiences with the world (at least the world of 13 people who will read this post), which is why I am about to lay one of my favorite projects on you.

This is an "Ice Lion" created by a darling first grader. This project was actually sort of stolen from these really great lion paintings that I have been seeing all over the internet, but modified to fit the warm and cool color spiel that I wanted to give my littlest learners. The first day, we talked about warm and cool colors. I started off by asking them: "Did you know that colors actually have families?" Judging from the sound of crickets and bewildered looks, I hadn't quite hooked them yet, so I continue "When ol' Red Crayon leaves a long 12 hour shift at the paper tinting factory, who is at home waiting for him (or her) around the dinner table?" This at least earns me a tiny spark in their eyes, maybe even a sympathy laugh or two. We then talk about the family who lives across the street... The Cools, who are very hip and chill and listen to very relaxing music all the time.

The topic that got the little dudes slapping their knees were the folks who didn't even get to live in a house, but more of a dungeon under the street, which were of course, the Neutrals. After our riveting, but strange discussion of color families, we started by diving into our crayon box and separating all of our crayons into warm, cool and neutral piles (I don't think I would do this again with them. Some of those kids are crayon hoarders, and it took much longer than I wanted.)

Finally we draw!! The students each got an 11"x17" piece of paper and a speech about how to take care of it over the next few classes as we create our lions (Don't be a paper bully! Draw light till you get it right!) We drew these lions step by step together very lightly with pencils, then outlined them with black crayon. I stressed the fact that their paper was HUGE (very true in kindergarten land), so they should use the space! Whiiiiich earned me a few of these...

Now I know that it's a little alien-ish, but I think it is very cool and interesting, and the little guy who made it nearly puffed up to three times his size, he was so proud. Over the next few classes, we reviewed the color families by separating into groups based on their shirt color, and discussing the interests and habits of these fictional lions (the Ice Lion always has a grape slushy for desert and the Fire Lion sleeps inside a campfire, duh.)

When the time came to choose which lion each student would represent, the kids really had a hard time choosing. It was nice to see them take time and make decisions instead of just marching forward to get tasks finished for once. Overall, I think this project was a success that will most definitely be repeated next year. They will look awesome in the hall when parents visit for a program next week! Later Gater.

(Those really great lion paintings: http://flying-crayons.blogspot.com/2012/03/in-like-lion.html)

Lucky In Lunch

I know that we've been hearing about quinoa on every health food blog for a while now, but I feel that some people see it as some scary foreign food. People think that they will have to make a trip to the health food store and buy some cheesecloth and seaweed junk or something. That is definitely not the case.

There are only two ingredients that are required to cook quinoa. The actual grain and double that amount of liquid. If you make one cup of quinoa, you add two cups of liquid. For a fast, easy and super healthy lunch, I make a quarter cup of quinoa and add flavor with half a cup of vegetable stock. Bring the two ingredients to a boil in a sauce pan, reduce the heat, place a lid on top and let simmer for fifteen minutes. That is all that it takes to get a super boost of protein. fiber, iron and magnesium. Once cooked, I usually add a pinch of shredded cheese, a scoop of my favorite salsa, and of course some Sriracha (the nectar of the gods.) Easy (but not hardly as fun) as pie.

Once your quinoa is cooked, the possibilities are endless. You could let it chill in the fridge and add it to a salad later, or just cook it with water and add milk, cinnamon and honey for a hearty sweet breakfast. This stuff is so good for you and so so delicious.

Shiny New Crosley Cruiser

My a m a z i n g future mother in law got me this super cute little doozy for Christmas this year.  It's a Crosley Cruiser. I find this record player to be perfect for a person like me who is just starting to discover the awesomeness that is collecting vinyl.

The compact design is perfect for any space, and the sound is just loud enough to enjoy in my apartment with friends.  The speakers are built right in the unit, so there is no need to make room for bulky hardware.

I should mention that she found this vintage record stand at a garage sale last summer for me, then spray painted it this lovely robins egg blue (She is the spray paint queen).

I just love looking through the records with all of their artwork and charming little details that just arent present with digital music downloads.  My fiance found me a collection of vintage records (mostly classic rock from the seventies) and it is such an experience carefully examining them and thinking about how someone took so much care of them for all these years. 

My hipster status went from about 7.5 to 11 by adding this to my living room. I'm excited to expand my collection, and spend many good times with friends listening to the sounds of the past. 

Gussy boy loves it:)

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The Diana Mini

Hello friends!  I thought that featuring my favorite non-animate thing in the whole world would be a perfect way to kickoff my first blogging experience!  The....... DIANA MINI by Lomography.

Not only is this little chestnut cray cray adorbs (am I too old to say that?), but you can get some super fun and interesting results.  You can juxtapose images on top of each other to create muti-layered, ghostly photos by choosing to advance the film only a small amount between each shutter release.

Another awesome feature of the Diana Mini is that it has this big, beautiful and bright flash on top. The flash comes with tiny cellophane strips that change the color of the light hitting your subject.

When you use both of these awesome features together (layering images/multiple flash filters), you can get some pretty awesome surprises when you go pick up your film.

Kudos to Lomography for creating this little wonder.  It continues to entertain and inspire me.

-RAT