November- December First Grade

Students in First Grade learn about weather and seasons. After their visit to the University of Michigan Museum of Art they created Indian inspired Mehrabs. They made the paper through printing and the assembly of the doorways were well done.

I read the book Owl Moon and showed them different artists who use collage to create. I showed the work by Henri Matisse and Eric Carle.

Where the Wild Things Are From became the inspiration for this project. Students taught each other how to draw.

Students learn about motion as well. I read Giraffes Can't Dance. We discussed the the animals in the book especially the cricket since students would be doing a scientific illustration of one.

Students were able to make a Fall Landscape using a crayon resist. They seasoned their work by crumpling it. 

The clay project students created were owls with patterns on them. They were able to chose either warm or cool colors.

November- December Kindergarten

Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons was the inspiration for this project. Students learned about numbers, counting and subtraction.

Student created a gumball machine with 25 gumballs that cost 25 cents each. Their image was based on the work of Wayne Thiebaud.

I read the story Action Jackson to the students and than they made artwork using Hot Wheels cars. Great fine motor skills project.

We looked at using construction to make snowmen and how working together can be useful. I read The Biggest Snowman.

We talked about warm and cool colors. Students learned that warm colors are yellow, orange and red. The learned that cool colors are blue, green and purple. They applied this knowledge by creating the following work based on Kandinsky's Circles.

I read Mice on Ice. Students created a collage of the book using the cat on ice in the background. We discussed landscape having 3 parts: foreground, middle ground and back ground.

 The Kindergarden students made pinch pots. I surprised them by placing a marble in the bottom that melted to create a glass bottom.

Thank You to the American Heart Association and St. Joseph's Hospital

Thank you to the American Heart Association and St. Joseph's Hospital for the Teaching Garden. The garden has become a great part of Carpenter as well as our Community. Students in 3rd and 4th Grade made a Garden Alphabet to show our thanks.