DLC #9: The Dot

           This final challenge was a challenge to get to the posting point!  I am so hoping this works!  it was a great project and the dot illustrations were VERY successful!  Plus the first graders learned a bit about George Seurat and the pointillism technique so popular in the mid to late 1800s.                                                               
Title:  Understanding an Artist’s Perspective


Standards Addressed:
  ELA: PreK-2
 2.1  students will contribute to a discussion in order to develop a topic for a class project
 3.2  students will maintain focus on a topic
 4.1  students will identify and sort common words into various classifications (attributes)
 4.2  students will describe common objects and events in general and use specific  language
               
General Goal(s):
            To expand understanding of a literary selection, A Great Artist and His Dots in the first grade Reading Street

Specific Objectives:
            To introduce students to the technique of pointillism
            To enhance knowledge of the work of George Seurat (1884)
             To understand the character of Vashti in "The Dot"
Required Materials:
            Reading Street Selection: Reading Street Grade 1:  Unit 4.2:  The Dot
            You Tube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orjJmLwbnR0
            Kid Pix –pencil tool and the medium dot

Anticipatory Set (Lead-In):
First grade students have read the selection:  “The Dot” in the first grade anthology in Reading Street.
Students have been introduced to the work of pointillism artist George Seurat
Step-By-Step Procedures:
Read selection: “The Dot”
View link on You tube of work of George Seurat
Discuss technique of artist
Using Kid Pix, students work to create their own illustration using pointillism technique

Closure (Reflect Anticipatory Set):
Students share work with their peers
Students will compare themselves to Vashti (character in The Dot) –project challenges and successes

Assessment Based On Objectives:
students will complete illustration of their choice using pointillism technique
students will participate in classroom discussion/sharing
 
Adaptations (For Students With Learning Disabilities):
  Visuals for directions
   Restate directions
   Teacher assistance with mouse
   Alternative medium

Extensions (For Gifted Students):
  Opportunity to explore technique using other mediums
   Explore how the artist might have illustrated a park today

Possible Connections To Other Subjects:
Art History
Cultural Understanding- France
Math: attributes
 

DLC# 6: posting in the real world

I am a serious fan of two bloggers in the fiber world.  I have posted on both of their blogs --Baby Cocktails (knitting designer Thea Colman) and Lisa Bonegan's blog--the owner designer of Primitive Gatherings Quilt Shop in Wisconsin.

Both of these women have active and interesting blogs--they have my admiration that they are able to be successful designing and marketing their work!

http://lisabongean.wordpress.com/
http://www.babycocktails.blogspot.com/

visit them!

DLC #3: word clouds with first graders

the challenge was to agree on a list of words for recycling--as a group of 14 there were many ideas!  We did this as a group and printed our success--it now hangs mounted on a trash can on the wall--this was one of our first of many group projects in the computer lab!

Voice Thread-DLC#8

What a great tool to share classroom experiences and projects with parents and others.  I may explore how we might use this to do so.  I liked typing my comments rather than speaking them  --it gave me an opportunity to reflect on my thinking before it was public!

DLC #7

well I have explored a number of sites suggested in this new challenge and really find very few that would apply to the first grade classroom environment--possibly Pandora but not many of the others for this young age.  we do use Google to find answers to questions but this is solely a teacher event with 6 and 7 year olds observing. 

I looked at Shelfari--it would be fun but if I am to choose how to spend my time--I would rather be reading the books I select than commenting on them online--teacher down time is a precious commodity!

DLC #2--I DID IT!!

 

oh-h success!!!  this had been quite an adventure on the pc at home!!

  However with first graders and the apple we were very successful with the word cloud as a group during a recent recycling project in the classroom! 

DLC #5: pandora and itunes with first graders

i successfully use music in my classroom to set the mood for quiet work times-I keep a stash of cds of mostly new age artists for this and play them on a boom-box set up in the corner--the Red Cat mike is set near the speaker so that we have surround sound!  

i successfully set up a Pandora account just now and customized my station with a few artists.  it was much easier than I had thought it would be!

itunes--it took a bit to get to what seemed appropriate in the k-12 portal but i found some podcasts on kids and gardening.  When this group of students is with me in second grade, we do New Plants--this might just have something for us.  I think it is often hard to find pod-casts that are geared for very young kids--it is careful territory!!