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Jane - Any ideas about how best to do leaf prints?
Jane - I was thinking of having the kids paint the leaves with watercolor paints, then print them onto white construction paper.
karen - we did that last week, real simple, just colored over them, but the kids liked it
Jane - karen, do you mean you did leaf rubbings? put the leaf under paper and rubbed crayon or chalk over?
karen - yes
Jane - Leaf rubbings with chalk would be easy, and attractive.
karen - oh now I noticed you said prints
Jane - Does anyone make class books, a page contributed by each child? Any title or topic suggestions?
karen - I need center activities
Jane - karen, I'm glad you made me think about rubbings!
Jane - karen, what grade?
karen - 1st
Jane - what center?
karen - well, I'd like all my centers to go along with the season.... I have writing, rdg., math listening, art.......5 centers
reva - I am teaching a unit on magnets now that would lend itself to center activity
karen - what grade does everyone teach
Jane - math-patterning-kids glue beans in rows onto oak tag cut out in the shape of a small cutting board, in a pattern
Jane - kindergarten
reva - 2nd grade-teaching assistant
karen - kindergarten teachers have so many ideas!
Jane - put leaves in the center with a tree identification book, kids look up the leaves and label them
karen - well, my son is kicking me off now!!! (14 year oldsthanks for the ideas!
Jane - put leaf shaped pages in the writing center for kids to write on, make into a class book. assign a topic, maybe where I would like to go if I were a leaf blowing in the wind. non-writers can make an illustration
Jane - what is everyone else doing this season? anything to share? or question?
JD - I'm a first grade bilingual teacher any good ideas for this time of year.
JD - could someone share how they manage their centers.
Jane - themed books created by the class are always a good activity
Jane - I don't do much center management, just establish procedures for proper use of materials, how to clean up. for some centers I post a limit on the number of kids who can use them
JD - Jane could you share what you mean by the themed books?
JD - How do your students choose which centers to go to?
Jane - Those who manage centers more carefully use various techniques. kids put their clothespins (with their names on them) clipped to a sign for each center. some use name tags and Velcro so the kids can commit to a center
reva - I saw a cute idea for a bulletin board for Nov. Put a large turkey in the center. Send turkey feather shapes home and let parents and kids decorate anyway they want. Markers, paint, feathers, etc.
Jane - Center Time for my class is part of the small group instruction time. kids not with an adult are in centers, so there aren't many in centers at the same time
Darcy/Pre-K - let kids choose whatever center they want and move around amongst them, limited by students per center.
Jane - reva, that's a neat idea!
Jane - I've seen teachers send home the outline of a scarecrow for the family to decorate together, glue on features, clothing, anything they can think of
Darcy/Pre-K - last year, I taught K and had a proper center chart for them to choose on. But these kids don't have the attention span to stay at one center the whole time.
Darcy/Pre-K - nice idea, reva
Jane - Some people assign kids, or allow a specific amount of time per center. For ex. after a certain amount of time they ring a bell and everyone moves to another center. I don't care for that method though
okiedokie - I think everyone should make gingerbread houses for the winter and construct a poster researching the first nativity and then decorate it their own creative way. let them experience creativeness and see what they come up with.
reva - Does anyone have need of finger plays and poems for young ones??? I used to be in preschool and have lots saved on the computer.
Darcy/Pre-K - You can also do that, have kids decorate the feathers as a small group activity. I am in head start, and they won't let us copy patterns. argh. I have to cut out everything myself.
Darcy/Pre-K - Reva, if you are willing to share. I'll give you my e-mail.
Jane - okie, we make little gingerbread houses with small milk cartons, frosting and graham crackers. we're in public school so wouldn't do the nativity poster, but that would be nice in private school
Darcy/Pre-K - I would be afraid that the gingerbread would attract mice. I like the idea though.
Jane - reva, sure! would you post them on the early childhood chatboard? you could copy and paste them there
reva - go ahead Darcy. I would like someone to have the use of these. I have lots for all seasons so I would send more later on.
Jane - we don't keep the gingerbread houses long enough to attract mice. that's never been a problem. it's one of my favorite projects all year, the kids really get into it and the result is gorgeous.
okiedokie - well, have them take it home with them and then they can eat it after they show their parents (not cardboard, just graham crackers).
Ms. Bean - we did gingerbread houses last year
Jane - reva, are you on the ec mailring? that would be great place to share them
Darcy/Pre-K - hmmm. That would make a nice holiday present for the parents.
Darcy/Pre-K - and we have millions of empty milk cartons.
JD - who purchases all the supplies for the gingerbread houses
Ms. Bean - our houses were fun but messy
Jane - Darcy, it's really a fun project
reva - Yes I am. I am not sure where they all come from so am afraid to put them on mailring in case of repeats. and do not know who put them up first.
Darcy/Pre-K - Ok, so you have the graham crackers. What do you use to decorate them?
Ms. Bean - I ended up gluing the graham crackers to the cartons first
Jane - JD, we ask parents to send the crackers and frosting. or we ask for $1 for the supplies and shop for the stuff
JD - where do you get all the milk cartons
Jane - decorate with either small candies or do what we do, also use some cereals like fruit loops, lucky charms. the size is better and they're much cheaper than candy.
Darcy/Pre-K - the great cafeteria worker in the sky provides the milk carton.
Darcy/Pre-K - sounds great.
Jane - Our kids save the milk cartons from their snack milk, half pint, wash them, staple the top closed in roof shape
Darcy/Pre-K - Oh! I got a great idea for making cornucopia for Thanksgiving. Let me go find it on my hard drive.
Jane - We sit the gingerbread houses on small plates of heavy cardboard or plastic, the disposable kind
okiedokie - how about instead of wrecking our brains coming up with ideas, we take are classes sledding on a good snow day before Christmas and afterwards have a pizza party (make a day of it). lol
Jane - I also send home a gingerbread boy shape of oaktag (heavy card stock) and families decorate them. we display them on the wall and it's beautiful
Jane - a hot choc and cookies party after snow play is fun
JD - Any one have any family projects for the month of November?
reva - cornucopia----Take ice cream cones (pointed ones), turn sideways and fill with cheese crackers, raisins, dried fruit, etc.
Darcy/Pre-K - where do you get enough sleds, Jane?
Jane - JD did you see the idea posted earlier, each family decorates a "feather" for a big bb turkey?
Jane - I don't remember who posted the idea about the turkey feather family project
Darcy/Pre-K - yes reva, that's the idea I was looking for. lol Another thing to stuff them with is mini m m's.
reva - It was me!!
JD - oh that's a cute idea. thanks!
Jane - thanks reva!
Darcy/Pre-K - Ok, Reva is the queen of holiday crafts. all hail the queen.
Jane - HAIL!
reva - Uh oh Darcy, you and I must have same ideas saved on hardrive. LOL
Jane - children can make a page for a class book related to being thankful
Darcy/Pre-K - or else we are on the same listervs.
Darcy/Pre-K - But do you find that teaching them the idea of being thankful hard for this age group?
Jane - Family can contribute a page telling about a favorite holiday, traditions. child illustrates. bind into class book
Jane - Darcy, yes, for your pre-k kids that would be difficult
reva - Wish we could send song tunes over the net. We had a great Thankful song we sang.
Darcy/Pre-K - I did it with kindergarteners and they couldn't quite get it.
reva - taught preschool for 19years so lots of ideas on file and in my head.
Darcy/Pre-K - how about telling us the lyrics, reva?
Darcy/Pre-K - lyrics
Jane - Darcy, could you kids formulate a relevant response to something like: 'I'm so happy because I have ____." or would that just generate materialistic responses about toys and stuff?
JD - I'm wondering what are the ways you accept the child's paper. What if a student writes but there are mistakes do you have them redo with corrections or accept it the way it is?
Jane - JD, depends upon the age/level
reva - you believe I can't think of how it starts or goes. I am still thinking!!!!!
Jane - and the audience
Darcy/Pre-K - An idea someone sent me is to make turkey's out of oreo's and candy corn. Anyone want the details?
Darcy/Pre-K - sounds good Jane.
Jane - Older kids could write about what they would take if they set out on the Mayflower
JD - sometimes I make things more difficult than they are. lol What about would you accept half written responses half illustrations with dictation.
Jane - Darcy, yes, interested in oreo turkeys
reva - thanksgiving, Thanksgiving, a time we hold dear. A time to say thank you for all we hold dear
Darcy/Pre-K - Kidn of like the Oregon trail game.
Darcy/Pre-K - argh. dracula smiley.
Jane - JD, do you mean rebus?
Darcy/Pre-K - I can't type tonight. Let me find the link, it'll be easier then 'splainin it.
reva - Shux, It is going to drive me nuts. I will have to stop by the preschool and get the lyricks now.
reva - Hooray for the sunshine, hooray for the rain, hooray for lolipops, Hooray for jet planes.
JD - I meant if the child is at the illustration stage still , I then would have the student dictate his sentence for me and put it in the classbook
Jane - kids could cut turkey body (oval) from the supermarket flyers advertising Thanksgiving foods, then add head, cut out paper feathers
reva - Hooray for elephants, hooray for bananas, Hooray for........., hooray for hugs!
Jane - reva's song is a good way to develop the concept of thankfulness. if you can't get the tune you could use it as a poem
Jane - JD, that makes sense
Jane - hooray for weekends, hooray for summer breaks
reva - and then the chorus again!!
reva - LOL Jane!!!
Jane - sandy, what grade do you teach? I teach k
Darcy/Pre-K - http://www.kidsdomain.com/craft/eatturkey1.html
Darcy/Pre-K - that website has the best crafts
Jane - for math we could have kids count the rows on "indian" corn, older kids count kernals, figure averages, compare # on different corn cobs
Jane - thanks Darcy, I'll bookmark it!
Darcy/Pre-K - but can you get away with taking that many circulars from the market at one time?
Jane - they could roll the corn in paint then roll it on paper
Jane - LOL Darcy, use the ones that come with the Sunday paper
Jane - they could make a book about the growth of corn
Jane - they could grind dry corn kernels with rocks to make corn meal
Darcy/Pre-K - corn's expensive. Can I use the toy corn in the dramatic play center? lol
reva - we made ears of Indian corn by taking corn shape and gluing on small pieces of paper for kernels of red, yellow, etc. They cut two husks our of brown paper and glue on the sides.
Jane - I'm on a corn roll
Jane - corny, eh?
Darcy/Pre-K - that is so great, reva!
Jane - oh, reva, a good idea. you could also use small varied color beans
Darcy/Pre-K - Oh man, I read that as "corn row" argh. I was thinking, why is she talking about hair styles.
Jane - plant corn, pop corn, corn relay, bake cornbread
Jane - LOL
Darcy/Pre-K - oh! beans are good too!
reva - We used tissue paper and wadded it up. Like the idea of putting it on the end of a pencil eraser.
Jane - do you do the pumpkin activities, or is that not a Nov thing? more October I guess
Jane - count seeds from a pumpkin, estimate the circum. of a pumpkin with yarn, etc
Darcy/Pre-K - I found this really cool website with 100 pumpkin activities. It's saved my "gourd" several time this month.
Jane - that would be for older kids
Jane - get one of those little long necked gourds and cut off the top part of the bulbous part, let it dry to form a spoon the way the native Americans did
Jane - LOL Darcy. do you have the url
Darcy/Pre-K - You can do spiders in November.
Jane - use a die cut number 8 for the spider body. add 4 plus 4 legs.
Darcy/Pre-K - Something else you can do with "phallic" gourds is to chop off the bottom and stick cloves in as eyes. Instance goose for a centerpiece!
Beth - Good evening everyone!
Darcy/Pre-K - http://www.abcteach.com/Thanksgiving/ThanksgivingTOC.htm
Darcy/Pre-K - that's a thanksgiving website I bookmarked.
Beth - Okay - we have about 2,000 pumpkin seeds - does anyone have ideas for using them for art - not cooking
Jane - thanks Darcy!
Jane - use the seeds in combo with dried beans to make mosaic-type crafts?
reva - I wonder if you can color them with food coloring and alcohol then dry. Glue on picture for mosaic picture??????????
Jane - just create designs with the seeds and beans
Jane - I wonder if the seeds could be painted over after you glue them in the design?
Jane - would create an interesting effect
Darcy/Pre-K - I can't find the pumpkin site, but I printed them out and have it in the classroom. If you want, send me an e-mail with your e-mail and I'll get it for you.
Jane - Beth, what grade?
Beth - simple enough - thanks - we were thinking of letting them outline halloween pictures on black paper - I thought it would be a bit boring - like the idea of painting them
Beth - Grade 2
Darcy/Pre-K - oops, meant for Jane
Jane - Beth, see if you can find some simple examples of native American art of the mosaic type to inspire the kids, then let them go
Beth - reva - food colouring first and then alcohol
Beth - reva - that was meant to be a question - lol
Darcy/Pre-K - I did this last week. Stick black paper in a tinfoil tray. Stick marbles in white paint have kids drop it in the pan. Roll around and voila! spider webs!
Beth - I am a student teacher in Grade 2. It was my first day in that grade level today - I can't even pronounce some of the kids names - but they are great
reva - Put both in a baggie, add seeds, mix, dump seeds out to dry.
Jane - I've always wanted to try marble art, that would be a good way to start
Darcy/Pre-K - it's easy. just make sure the kids have smocks on.
Jane - Beth, do the alcohol thing at home, not near the kids
reva - Doesn't take very much food coloring or alcohol when you do it for macaroni.
Darcy/Pre-K - I've dyed noodles before, and they always turn out with this weird powdery film.
reva - hmmm never had that happen, Darcy.
Jane - Beth, maybe you could add rice to the mosaic project, yet another texture
Beth - Oh, we did a great spider web piece of art in grade 4 last week - it was to do with shading - have the kids draw a fairly symmetrical orb web on a piece of white paper (with pencil). Then give them a big gob of white paint and a small blob of a colour. They mix one brush of the colour into the white and do the inside of the web. Then they add another blob of colour to the white and do the next area of the web, and keep going. When they are done and it is dried, paint on black lines over the pencil marks
Darcy/Pre-K - yeah, it got all over when the kids used them.
Beth - Jane and Reva - good ideas and I am going to try and dye those seeds before Wednesday.
Jane - oh, beth that sounds beautiful and interesting.
Jane - if the dye doesn't work, experiment with tempera paint, or acrylic
reva - Beth, please try a few first. I have never done this but sounds like it would work.
Jane - (paint after they are glued onto the paper)
Darcy/Pre-K - Another idea that worked great was having the kids make fingerprint spiders.
Beth - Jane -it really was nice. When they were dry they ended up with 4 shades of one colour - each a bit darker. I was very impressed and it filled one of the art expectations for the term
Cindy's husband - Cindy is working on her report cards, but I have been reading your chat to her (what a guy!) For using pumpkin seeds, she fold a colors a paper plate red and folds it in half, glues seeds to the insides for teeth and glues the plate to construction paper and it becomes the animal's or monster's mouth, then the child makes the back round face or body. Then the children play a "what am I game".
Jane - reva, I think it will work
Beth - Reva - I'm going to try a small batch at home tonight - I have learned not to wait until the night before - lol
Beth - Cindy - that is an awesome idea! And we were just reading Where the Wild Things Are today!!!
Jane - LOL, that sounds cute. Does the mouth go on so that it protrudes, 3-D?
Jane - Beth, that sounds like just the project you need!
Cindy's husband - You glue the bottom half of the plate on, so that the mouth opens up..
Beth - That is a great idea for Halloween too - I would think the mouth ends up 3 - D
Jane - glad Cindy's husband is such a nice guy
Beth - Cindy - what grade level is this for?
Jane - Beth, your second graders could do that
Cindy's husband - She has done this for first and sec.
Beth - Jane - I realize that - just wondering what grade is was done in. I think this is it?!?
Jane - Beth, always try it at home first!
Jane - sounds like a plan
Beth - Jane - thanks for that advice.
Darcy/Pre-K - Is this chat being archived, anyone know?
Jane - Beth, I was agreeing with your statement that you always try it out at home first.gotta go, thanks for the ideas! bye
Beth - Well Jane, we won't go into the popcorn graphing lesson where I burnt the popcorn in the microwave in the staff room and then had to switch the lesson because I blew it and boy, did the staff room smell
Jane - I'm sure it will be archived, these idea chats always are. IN fact, there are other transcripts full of seasonal ideas in the archives from the past.
reva - I have no idea Darcy???
reva - Nothing smells worse than burnt popcorn!!!!
Jane - ugh, nothing worse than the smell of burnt popcorn! LOL, that's how we all learned, by our mistakes. you're entitled to a few.
Beth - Cindy - do you usually cut out a head shape ahead for the kids to use for the seed mouths?
Darcy/Pre-K - I hope it is, I missed the first half hour.
Darcy/Pre-K - thanks for the heads up, Jane.
Cindy's husband - They glue the plate on the paper and then draw the head. She does not use any patterns.
reva - Well, I gotta go for tonight. Hope to chat with you all again.
Beth - Cindy - okay - do you glue it onto white paper or construction paper - i.e.. coloured paper (note the "our" in colour - I am Canadian)
Beth - bye and thanks reva
Cindy's husband - She uses white construction paper and then the children can fold the mouth down so they can color the mouth to match the animal/monster. Use lots of glue on the seeds or they fall off later.
Beth - okay thanks Cindy - I think I'll bring the old tacky glue it - it works a lot better than the regular school stuff. Thanks for the GREAT idea - this is going to be good
Beth - Thanks again everyone and I hope to chat soon
