Toucan't Miss Out On These!

 

Continuing with our theme of "Travel the World in Art" we "visited" Central America and discussed toucans! We began by reading a hysterical book called, "Toucan Toucan't" by Peter Francis-Browne. My pre k-3rd graders made these fabulous birds by coloring beaks with oil pastels or crayons, and cutting, tearing and gluing shapes from construction paper to make a collage.



 

 

 

 

 

The toucans were a bit ambitious for my little ones, but wow! did they look fantastic when we finished! Way to work hard my little artists, it paid off!

 



Shimmering Aztec Suns

Okay, fellow art teachers.... DON'T JUDGE: I just used glitter. Yep, glitter, the art teacher equivalent of handprint turkeys and macaroni rooster. BUT... Look at the end result!]

My 3-5 graders did excellent Aztec Suns. We first looked at the Aztec Sun Calendar and discussed Aztec Culture. This collaborated (ding! ding! ding!)  perfectly with the fifth grade social studies curriculum. The students then drew circles, a sun with a face and radially symmetrical designs around it.

 

Using construction paper crayons, they colored in the designs.

 

And finally.... THE GLITTER! It doesn't matter how much, how often or what color,

 

KIDS LOVE GLITTER...

and I'm beginning to like it a little more.

 

Fancy, Schmancy.

 

 

Happy Friday Folks!

I have to unabashedly brag on the latest contribution to one of my schools... Thanks to a fundraiser night from Zoe's Kitchen, generous parents and extremely talented students, I was able to purchase and fill ten large frames with student art work. Voila! AN ART GALLERY!

 

The plan is to change out artwork every 6 weeks with the help of parent volunteers and the Student Council. Come by and visit. It even has free admission!

 

 

Super Secret Native American Bandolier Bags

 

My fourth and fifth graders learned a lot about Native American bandolier bags this week. As usual, we looked at examples on the ACTIV board and discussed details and pattern.

 

 

 

My students also learned some pretty interesting facts about how the medicine men of the tribe carried bags with very sacred, secret items in them. These bags were so special that no one in the tribe was allowed to look in them, and the medicine men were actually buried with their bags.

The students really took ownership in their bags and did a marvelous job of decorating them with traditional Native American symbols as well as creating their own symbols.

 

 

Great job kids! One more country checked off our list!