September, 2016

It's so nice to be back!

We welcomed the students back this week and, as usual, the first thing we ask them to reflect on is "Who am I?" with our identity portraits. These are taking on different looks depending on the grade level or interests of the children.

Kindergarten Portraits

Pre-k used a collage format to create images of themselves. Two of the kindergartens created traditional portraits and collages (two separate pieces.) The third kindergarten is studying shadows, so their identity images will tie into that. The first graders are cutting paper to make portraits. The second graders are doing tiny observational drawings as their self-portraits. There are many ways to explore our identity as we begin the school year.

First Grade Cut Paper Collage Portraits

First Grade Portrait Process

The third kindergarten is exploring shadows. After we traced their shadows, we noticed that one person, a girl who was absent and traced during a different time of day, had a bigger shadow than the others. We also wondered if people are the only things with shadows, or if other things could have shadows. We went outside during the afternoon and measured our shadows and observed. We plan on taking a morning walk next to see if the shadows are different.

Second grade portraits 

The pre-Ks are studying lines at the start of the year. 

Horizontal

Diagonal

Vertical

Curvy

Wavy 

Jagged

We have been making lots of artwork with these lines and today we went on a line hunt to the garden to see if we could find lines outside.

Pre-K line exploration- notice the letters in the lines?
We are making connections between lines and letters.

The students held pipe cleaners and tried to mimic the lines they saw outside with the pipe cleaners. 

Lots of little lines

They correctly told me that these are diagonal lines!

This little bee has lines on his back. They were fascinated by the
honey bees.

Our shadows have lines!