Catch of the Day~Paper Plate Craft

Lesson Summary:
For this lesson we were taught about geometric shapes and patterns. We were asked to create our own pattern using three different geometric shapes. After we had created our pattern we were asked to put our pattern on a paper plate that had a pre-made template for our patterns. We were asked to use three different colors on our paper plate pattern. Our plate was turned into a fish after we cut out a mouth and attached a fin and tail. We colored our fish with three different colors and a fishing line was attached to our paper plate fish.

Extension Activity:
If I were to use this activity in my classroom I would use it for a science lesson. I would teach the students about different species of fish and their habitats. I would then ask the students to create a design on their fish that resembled one of the fish we talked about. I would then have the students write three facts about their fish and were their fish would live.

Wrap Yourself in Memories~ Paper Memory Quilt

Lesson Summary:
This lesson was taught by myself and my partner Reggie Lawrence. For this lesson we introduced the students to different cultures that use quilting. We talked to the students about different types of quilts and about the history of quilt making. We then asked the students to pick out eight different pieces of scrap booking paper. We asked that the paper resemble some sort of memory for the students whether it be a color that reminded them of something or words on the paper. We then went through the steps of cutting out and making four different quilt blocks that the students rearranged on their paper background to create their own memory quilt.The students were given three different square and circle templates to cut out their own squares and circles to make the quilt blocks.  After the students had created their quilts we displayed them on a bulletin board as one large classroom quilt.

Extension Activity:
If I were to use this in the future I would use it for a math lesson. The students are asked to cut out many squares and circles. I would use this activity to teach the students about different geometric shapes and measuring. The students would be asked to measure out their own squares and circles without using the templates.

Clay Pinch Pots

Lesson Summary:
For this lesson we were introduced to a Native American women who did her own pottery work by viewing a YouTube clip about her work. After talking about vocabulary words associate with clay potting we were given our own clay. We were told to knead the clay and then roll it into a ball. After rolling the clay into a ball  we used our fingers to "pinch" it out into a bowl. after getting the shape of bowl we wanted we then used acrylic paint to paint the clay pots. We then were given the choice to carve symbols into our clay pots or wait for them to dry and paint on symbols. The symbols needed to tell a story of our life or something about ourselves.

Extension Activity:
To add to this lesson I would ask the students to do research on different cultures that made clay pots and ask them to make a clay pot resembling the one they researched. I would then ask the students to present their clay pots with the research they did.

Jasper Johns Name Art 

Lesson Summary: 

For this lesson we learned about the Artist Jasper John and patterns. We also reviewed the color wheel and talked about secondary and primary colors. We then created a pattern on a large piece of construction paper using already cut out squares. ( This resembled a checker board.) After we glued down the squares to the construction paper in a pattern form we had to write a form of our name on the paper. We had to create another pattern with our name. Writing the letters of our name in order, writing our last name, or writing our initials. All the squares on the paper need to filled and the letters of our names needed to create some sort of pattern. We wrote our names using oil pastels. We then used water colors to color the white squares to make the oil pastels resist. We were required to use one primary color and one secondary color on our project. 

Extension Activity: 

To add to this lesson I would create the pattern on the paper using the already cut out squares. Instead of writing our names on the squares the students would create math patterns on the paper. The students will be given math problems and they will have to solve them on the paper. This will incorporate more math into the lesson and the students will also be able to draw the numbers and use watercolors to paint it. 

Springtime Printmaking

Lesson Summary:
For this lesson we were asked to create a drawing of something that reminded us of spring. We were then given different materials that could make different textures. We then created prints on our drawings using different items to create texture.

Extension Activity:
To add to this lesson in my own classroom I would make four groups of four students. I would assign each group a season and then ask each group to make an animal or an item that they would find in that season. This would show the students the difference between different seasons.

We're Melting into Spring- Crayon melting

Lesson Summary:
For this lesson we shaved crayons onto and put the crayon shavings on wax paper. We then folded the wax paper in half and used an iron to melt the crayons. Once the crayon was melted we used a bug template to cut out a bug out of our wax paper crayon melting. We then glued the cut out to construction paper and drew designs on our crayon melting. We then cut out the construction paper and our bugs were displayed. Bugs were compared during this lesson as the education aspect.

Extension activity:
To add to this lesson for my classroom I would ask students to present their bugs and to compare them to another bug that was drawn in class. The students would have to be able to explain different life cycles of different bugs drawn in class.

Yard Balloon Eggs

Lesson Summary:
For this lesson we were asked to blow up a balloon and wrap string around it to resemble the circumference of the balloon in several different ways. We glued the string to the balloon using a glue and water mixture. The end result resembled an egg to be used in an Easter display.

Extension Activity:
To add to this lesson in my own classroom I would have the students create drawings of baskets and finding the radius of the baskets. We would then place our yarn eggs in the basket we created to integrate more math concepts into the activity.