Friday, December 13, 2013

120- I brought a group in to papier mache their masks. They are the last mask group and will join me on Monday to paint them, just in time to practice for the Holiday Program.

Robian finished his paper mâché early, so he was given free time to explore the studio. He grabbed four pieces of gray paper and began to draw a city that covered all four sheets. Skyscrapers and houses were drawn side-by -side, with one building extending from the bottom paper to the paper above it.

"This is going to be a city of monsters, like Monsters University," he announces as he works.  A little while later, his drawing is now full of superheroes instead of monsters.

Teacher- Tell me about your superhero city.

Robian- The green lantern, cat woman, bubble man

Edwin- Where's batman? I'm going to make batman. He has a cave.

Robian is interested in this new idea and begins to draw a pretty awesome Batman. Robin is dressed like batman and Robian voices them and says, "what are you doing in my cave, robin?"

Edwin suggests that robin is stealing his stuff.

Robian talks as batman. "That's okay, I am going to hug you. I want to share with you."

Edwin, "why would he be nice? Stealing is bad."

Robian, "but batman is really is really nice, so he would share."

Robian thinks about this and decides that Robin probably wouldn't steal from batman. He draws a new robin and makes the original batman-dressed robin as a bad guy and puts a jail cell around him. He draws robin again, but doesn't like it, so that person becomes another bad guy and a successful robin is added to the drawing at last.

Robin, Batman, the bad guy who was originally Robin and a second bad guy.

The Bat Cave in the context of his large city scene.

116- A small group came in and painted foyer mobile pieces again.  We are really close to being finished with these! 

108- The entire class came in again to create a huge peace sign out of handprints. 

118- I brought the peace project students in and a group who was working on props for their Holiday Program.  They made a giant pencil out of a box I just received.  It is awesome and I kind-of want to keep it forever. :)

This is the before and after for Justin's Peace Project Entry- he's still adding details, but what a difference!

"Peace is a Waterfall of Love" is coming along nicely. 

102- I brought half of the kindergarten class in and we talked about the repurposed mobiles.  They brought up the idea of bubble wrap as packing material, which told me they understood what I was saying.  I assume that packages are arriving in some of their homes and so packing material might be more common at this time of year.  We talked about pattern.  The students were eager to make their mobiles using patterns. 

101- The pre-K students were building gingerbread houses as a special treat.  I went in and worked with some of the students in there. One girl, Kierra, told me that we had to be very quiet because Santa was sleeping in the house.  Later, I wanted to wake Santa up, but she told me he'd already left to "be with Rudolph."  I love that she was telling stories with her gingerbread house- it was more than an art project or a holiday experience for her.  As we were preparing for dismissal, the students laid on the floor, crowded around the radio, listening to holiday music.  It was a nostalgic image- children listening intently to the radio- and I felt like we were back in time.