Every Wednesday we have "Super Special Wednesdays," which are days that we get selected classes for a longer time. This allows classroom teachers to meet for professional development. It also allows special area teachers to have some extra time with their classes. I like to use this time to create lessons that I would not have time for during the regular class time. This lesson, Tasty Color Wheels, is a perfect example of one of those lessons. We use white frosting, food coloring, and vanilla wafers for this project. I have found that wax paper works best to keep the tables clean. I remind students of a few things before we begin... they will get a chance to eat it at the end so please be patient and wait, only touch the food that you will eat, take turns mixing colors, and don't put too much food coloring (your teeth will be blue!!). Also, it is important that after you mix the primary colors (red, yellow,and blue) and you begin to mix the secondary colors (orange, green, and purple) that you only take a small amount of primary colors. For example, if you take all of the red and blue to make purple, you will not have any red left for orange or blue left for green. This is a wonderful lesson about the color wheel and color mixing, as well as so much fun!!!
This year for Easter Kinders and 1st graders discussed the differences between a circle and an oval. We completed this discussion by drawing an Easter bunny. We used a series of circles and ovals to draw the bunny with a black crayon then colored the background any color (most chose blue) and colored the bunny's ears and nose pink. We also discussed how the sky is not only at the top of the paper, but all the way down to the ground line. Lastly we counted how many ovals and how many circles we used to make the bunny. Hoppy Easter!!!
2nd and 3rd Graders created fall leaves before the Thanksgiving Break.First, we used rubber leaves to make a leaf print with white paint and little sponges to apply the paint. We used brown construction paper as a base for the leaves to make fall colors. When we were finished we set them on the drying rack to dry for the next class. Next, we used tempera paint, with warm colors (red, orange and yellow) mixed with copper paint to
Kinder and 1st graders created spiders and spiderwebs for the fall season I use this lesson to teach "Circles and Lines." The web is created from circles and lines, as well as the spider!! First we create the spider web with a white crayon. When they are close to finished, I start going around the room to add glitter!!! We LOVE glitter!!!!! Prior to the next class I prepare a black square and strips of black construction paper. The students cut a circle from the square and glue the circle and the strips to the web. Next, Each student receives a white crayon and they draw the face on the spider. I remind them that they can make the spider any way they choose (scary, silly, happy, etc.). 
