Homeroom Teacher - Weekly Lesson Plan & Newsletter
July 10, 2006

Contents:
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Lesson Plan Grades K-1
Lesson Plan Grades 2-4
Lesson Plan Grades 5-6
Connecting with Students
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Lesson Plan: Grades K-1

Make your Own Sand Picture
By: Debbie Haren
Primary Subject: Art
Source: http://www.lessonplanspage.com

Materials:
Ziploc baggies
Glue stick clear
Food coloring
Cardboard flat box
Brown or white paper (construction paper or heavier)
Sand (White)

Discussion:
Talk about the fact that when the children put the food coloring in with the sand the sand is going to change color because the sand is going to absorb the food coloring. Explain to the children that the more they shake it in the bag the more the color will disperse throughout the sand. Talk about the fact that if you add 3-4 drops the color is not going to be as bright as it would if they put 5-6 drops of food coloring in it. Also, the teacher could discuss the fact that if you mix red and blue drops of food coloring you will get purple sand. Also red and blue make green. Sand art can be used to make different pictures and decorations as well as the fact that the sand makes the picture 3-d.

Activity:
Each child should get a baggie and pour about 1 cup of salt into the bag. Then the child can pick what color they want their sand to be. Then the child put 2-3 drops of food coloring in the baggie. Seal the baggie tight and then let the child shake the baggie until the color is dispersed throughout the sand. After everyone has had a chance to make their color they can make a picture with everyone's different colors of sand. All the colors will be a little different because of the amount of shaking and the amount of food coloring in the bag. You could also put more drops in some people baggies so the class can look at dark colors versus light colors. Such as light red and dark red. After everyone hade made their pictures then let dry and hang up to display.

Extension:
For older students you could have them make an outline of a picture with a pencil and then trace over it with the glue stick and then put the sand on it for a crisp more concise picture. Also encourage the children to think first about what they are going to make and then try to follow through with that picture. This just helps with learning to think ahead and make good decisions instead of having to start over again.

Discussion:
Talk about the pictures they made. Ask what the pictures are and how well they liked working with sand instead of paint. What was the same? What was different? What did they like most about it? What did they like the least about it? Would they make another picture with sand? Have they ever seen a picture made out of sand anywhere? Did they like it? What was it of? Many sand pictures are of the beach and the sun setting on the waves. They are very beautiful.

Lesson Plan: Grades 2-4

Paper Mosaic Animals
By: Alberta Johnson
Primary Subject: Art
Source: http://www.lessonplanspage.com

Objectives:
1) To teach students how to work with mosaic pieces
2) To give students more practice in drawing animals

Motivation:
Gather together examples of mosaic art: 2D pictures and 3D objects by old masters and contemporary artists. Show the students the examples and then demonstrate the technique on paper. Give them the animal sheets and let them practice drawing animals before giving them the good paper.

Materials:
Colored construction papers-3 x 6" in size, in various colors, 12 x 18" black construction paper, glue, scissors, pencils, erasers, xeroxed sheets of animals, scraps for practice drawings

Procedure:
1) Use one 12 x 18" black sheet to draw one large animal (rabbits, elephants, turtles, pigs, etc.) that nearly fills the paper.

2) Choose several 3 x 6" colors for your animal's body parts.

3) Take one 3 x 6" color and cut it into 1/2" wide strips.

4) Next, cut a 1/2" strip into smaller squares, approximately 1/2" in size. Now you have a small pile of tiny squares that are about 1/2" x 1/2".

5) Use these small squares to fill in a part of the animal's body. (Spread a small amount of glue where you want the squares to go. Place the squares carefully on the glue, close together.)

6) When one part of the body is filled, choose another part of the body to fill. (If you have squares left, use those squares to fill another part of the body that you want to be that same color.)

7) When you're ready, choose another 3 x 6" color and cut it into the 1/2" x 1/2" squares. Use these to fill the next part of the body that you chose.

8) Repeat this process until all parts of the animal's body are filled.

9) Sign the artwork and put away to dry.

10)Hang all finished work after drying for a wonderful display.

Assessment:
1) Did the students follow your instructions on working with mosaics?

2) After practice, were the animal drawings carefully done?

Lesson Plan: Grades 5-6

Self Portrait with Favorite Things
By: Mary Breveleri
Primary Subject: Art
Secondary Subjects: Language Arts
Source: http://www.lessonplanspage.com

Materials needed: any size paper, pens, pencils, markers, anything you have available

Procedure:
Brainstorm and record favorite things of your students on a board or chart paper. You can include things like, favorite superhero, book, sport, movie, fruit, game, musician, artist, animal and so on.

Think of ways to represent them so they form a face, for example student might say "I used a basketball for a head because I play basketball and it's my favorite sport. I used a donut and an egg for my eyes because those are my favorite breakfast foods."

Design a face full of symbols and use markers to color it in. Encourage symbols for all features like hair, ears, lips, teeth, nose, eyebrows, cheeks, etc.

I actually have my students write about what they chose to represent them. I use a skeleton thought sheet with sentences like: "In my portrait I used ________ for my _________ because________________."

I mount the portrait with the explanation for an eye-catching exhibit. (It's cool to see what new trends the students are into.)

Teaching Information: Connecting with Students

Unless you are successful in connecting with students at least to some extent, you may have little success when trying to instruct them as well. The trick, I think is to try and relate to the kids somewhat. Try to collect a little data, as they say, on adolescent and teenage pop-culture. Maybe you can bring up a topic completely unrelated to school, or, if it seems to be going in that direction already, let them perhaps go on a little about whatever they are talking about before class begins. Maybe not right away, but soon try to “fit in” to some of their conversations.

I already know what you are thinking: “but that takes away from our class time”—right? Well, let me ask you this: would you rather have a longer class unable to reach your goals of connecting with students, no matter how hard you try during the lesson, or would you like your students to like you—think of you as “hip” or whatever they call it these days, and pay more attention in class? Of course, you would prefer the latter. So to sacrifice a few minutes of class time before the lesson begins can help you in connecting with students. What are you sacrificing, really, if your students will pay better attention and have more of a respect treat you like family as well as a connection to you as their instructor?

Another method is to be funny:

Try to joke around with your students, think of yourself as an educational entertainer.

When I was in the sixth grade I had a teacher who we all loved, he was funny and his class was the first of the day—which put all of us in a better mood for sure. One of the things he did was create nicknames for many of the kids in class. He said funny things and was very witty. He got into our conversations and put in his own, silly remarks. By the time he asked the class to settle down and read their books or begin the discussion we all had smiles on our faces.

This is the kind of teacher I aspire to be. Really connecting with students by learning their language and, despite the generation gap, be able to understand better where they are coming from.

You want to know them as individually as possible:

It is very important for you, when trying connecting with students, to become as familiar with their circumstances as possible.

I once had a professor who would come to class early (as many of us also did) and even if it cut a bit into lecture time, that was ok. He would walk around the room and ask about personal stuff like “how’s you mom?” if someone’s mother had been sick. Or, “How are you doing, Katie?” in the very least. He went around using everyone’s name and really showing genuine interest in him or her.

In fact, the only students who would leave class on time—at those times when the lecture was still going—were those who had to go to their next class right away. An even larger amount of students would stay to talk to this professor after class had been officially dismissed.

Another luxury of being a professor is than sometimes your student is there to fill a general education requirement, and other students are genuinely interested in the material. The professor of which I speak teaches English Literature, a subject for which he is enormously passionate. Therefore, he was so enthusiastic when he lectured that the class became very involved with the discussion and were full of great ideas and interpretations of their own. I have never seen a teacher so talented at connecting with students—not because he wants anything for himself, but because he truly cares about them.

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