Science and Art Predictions

This Friday the art club learned how to chart predictions just like scientists. The lessons involved a bucket of water and five items. The items were a paperclip, a seashell, a piece of tissue paper, a sponge, and a cork. Using the chart, the students predicted if each of these items would float or sink. They then tested their predictions by placing the items in the bucket of water to see if it would sink or float. 

We had rich discussions about why certain items sank and why certain items would float. The students discovered that items that were light and filled with air and holes would float while other denser items, such as the seashell, would sink. The next part of the discussion was about which item would make the best material to build a boat. The class agreed that the cork would be the best.

After our experiments the students began to design their sail to attach to their cork boats. On the same paper as their predictions chart the students came up with a name, colors, and a design for their sail. I was so impressed with the variety of ideas form the students.

Next art class the students will assemble their cork boats by attaching three corks together with a rubber band and setting up the sail with a wooden skewer. We hope to fill a bath and race the boats!

 

photo resource of completed boat: http://mamapapabubba.com

Mixing Paint and Drawing Bugs!

  

This past week I had my kindergarten and first grade mixing the primary colors to create the secondary colors. We watched this fun video from the band Ok Go about the primary colors. By the end of the class, all of the students were singing along and able to name the secondary colors! Not only did the video help the students to name the primary colors, but actually mixing their primary colors on a paper plate to create the secondary colors really solidified their knowledge of color theory. Actual experiences are much richer for student learning and engagement then just talking about the subject.

The prekindergarten students also watched a video book last week, but it was not about the primary colors, it was about bugs! The video was a story book called Bugs, Bugs, Bugs by Bob Barner. It is super colorful and engaging for my young students. At the end of the video the students learn about each type of bug that was talked about in the story. Fun little facts about each one.

Next, I taught the young students how to use observational drawing to create bugs. I showed the students how to hold the bug in your hand while drawing it with your other hand. I was so impressed at how my three and four year olds grasped this wonderful skill so quickly. Their bugs were to interesting to look at and the students really caught all the small details of the plastic bugs! I have a lot of great future artists in my prekindergarten class!

 I also had an extra special kindergarten class this week that was able to experience warm and cool colors whoile painting in the hallway! We had a weird thing happen with the heat in the building and my art room was literally freezing. So, being flexible we moved art class into the hallway!

  

I introduced the students to warm and cool colors and how they can make us feel. Next, we taped large poster paper the wall with painters tape and created boxes and triangles. Inside these spaces we painted warm and cool colors. Pictured here is  partner group of two who experimented with the cool color green and the warm color yellow. The results are so fun and cheery!