Documentation...

I LOVE documentation.  This blog is documentation, displays in our classroom are documentation, discussions with the children are documentation.  Documentation is making the learning VISIBLE. 

For example, we are learning about great artists and different styles of art.  Over the next few weeks, you will probably see a good amount of art on here and coming home, as well as all over the walls (and hanging from the ceilings, and in the windows) in our classroom. 

First we asked the children what they know about art, this is what they said....

 

We looked at some pictures of the Pointillism style (at the top of our dry erase board) and talked about how we can make dots.  We decided together (or THEY decided, rather) that we could use Q-tips, our fingers, the dot painters, pencils, or markers.   We read a really good book called "The Dot" by Peter H. Reynolds.  Our first project was using Q-tips....

 
 
 

 

We also did some color mixing and each child made at least one card with their own personal color on it.  I personally think these look amazing together.  

 

 We painted some Kandinsky-style circles--trees and abstracts.

 

Easel painting galore!  I think this particular painting is VERY interesting.  Obviously a square face...

 

 

A little transient art, which is temporary, then left for someone else to add to or change.

 

 

 

More transient art on the light table, with shapes.

 

 

 

Makin' Mud in our outdoor classroom during Gardening time...

 

 

And painting with said mud.

 

 

More outdoor classroom photos--this is the mud kitchen, or should we say the SAND KITCHEN?!

 

 

Reading a story with some good friends outside is really good for whoever wants to join us.

 

And of course, a little art outside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





Valentine's Day Activities and Graphing Fun

We had some fun this week, doing some Valentine's Day activities.  I don't really like to make a huge deal of most holidays, but we do recognize them and try to tailor some of our activities to reflect them. 

We did some graphing using conversation hearts.  I was a little surprised that EVERY child in my class had success with this; it's a pretty advanced concept, but this just proves that children will always surprise you with what they can do.  (Disclaimer: we have done graphing before in our classroom, so this was NOT their first exposure).  First, we sorted the candies into colors, although some of us preferred to leave them in a big pile.  (As we all know, there are many ways to get the same job done.)

 

Next we counted each color and graphed it in the way that made the most sense for each of us.  We could put the hearts in the boxes, make X's or both.

 



 

 

Then the good part...WE GOT TO EAT THEM!

 

 

We did some pretty cool art this week--first was marble rolling in an old heart-shaped candy box.  Put the paper in the box, dip a marble in paint, and roll it all around the box

 

 
 This is what the finished product looks like (still in the box).
 

 

 

We also did some outdoor art, cutting and pasting and drawing from seed catalogs while we were outside playing.

 

 

We decorated Valentine's Bags so our friends have someplace to put all of our valentines.  We spent several days making valentines for our friends, and we had some extra store-bought ones that we signed and passed out.  

 

 

 

We wove some baskets for some fine-motor practice...

 

 

 

We finally finished our IGLOO!  We are using it a quiet reading area for the time being, it's pretty snuggly in there. 

 

 











 

 

Shaving Cream Marbling...



I would like to talk about art a little bit.  In our classroom, art is meant for the children to EXPERIENCE.  The finished product is not the point at all.  You will definitely see some unusual materials, processes, etc. in our classroom, but it's about the process for us.  You probably think I'm crazy to let 20 preschool children have access to all the art supplies all the time.  I'll accept that.  Everything in our classroom (except extra materials) is within every child's reach.  We usually have some method ready for the children to try, but they know they are always free to get other materials out, either at the art table or at another one if the art table is full.  

Sometimes we will set up easel painting with our handy portable "easels"--made by Ms. Amie out of recycled boxes (I'm all about saving the earth...one recycled box at a time)--at the art table with a still life of something from our project or something interesting from out in the garden.  If children choose not to paint, that's okay, they can use other materials if they want to.  Art should be a representation of how that child feels at that moment.  Who am I to tell them that the medium "should be" paint?  I don't want anyone else telling me how to feel, do you?

So....on to something pretty cool that we did this week.  It took a couple of days for everyone to get a chance...like I said, we are interested in the process.  

We did a little Shaving Cream Marbling this week.  First we spread a thin layer of shaving cream onto the trays. 



 Next, the friends squeezed little dots of paint onto the shaving cream....

We used a craft stick to swirl the paint dots around in the shaving cream...

We gently laid our paper onto the tray and patted it down into the shaving cream...

We used recycled gift cards to scrape the shaving cream off the paper...some of the children were disturbed that it looked like a big mess at this point.  But once the shaving cream is scraped off....

This leaves the paint swirls on the paper.  Very pretty!

We displayed them on the Art Gallery Board in our classroom--don't they look wonderful?

I'm always amazed at how different everyone's art looks.  Not that I would really expect them to look all the same, but we all basically did the same method, the same steps, and they are VASTLY different.

I'm sure we will be discussing art again soon, but in the meantime, I want to know if any of you have any comments about art in general or this project in particular.  I am trying to share these with my class, so please leave comments.  I think our class would love it.