Springtime Science with Seeds

SPRING SCIENCE with SEEDS

Yesterday was so much fun! I made a 'house-call' to Osseo Elementary up here in north-central WI. To say this was a spur of the moment serenade is only partially true. It had been in the works since last Friday! LOL!!! 

I LUV LUV LUV making my author/illustrator school visits, but its even more *FUN* when its a surprise for the teachers! This was the first, ever of its kind. You've heard of flash-mobs? This was more of a flash-polka-dot!

Left-to-right: Luann, MOI, Amber

Last weekend was my first ever opportunity to present workshops at the UW-Stout campus annual affair. This spring marked their 35th consecutive ECE conference! Also presenting were the rock-star team of "Kindergarten Rocks"...... Amber Osterman and LuAnn Neuenwschwander.

Click your heels three times and I'm in Amber's multi-purpose room with all of Osseo's Kinder-2nd graders! Quite a crowd!! SO MUCH FUN! *I'll see if Amber has any photos to share of our time together and add them later. 

Oh what fun! In the few minutes before and after my presentation I took 497 photographs -- just none of me in action! Those pics of Amber's happy kinder kids sporting their new haircuts have got to be some of my all-time favorites!! Look at how much fun they're having in the photos -- cropped perfectly for spring toupees! 

Just on down the hall, in a fellow kinder room, here's another set of growing grass seeds. It looks like they are adding googlie-eye faces to the cups. I was in such a hurry and this was the only photo I took of these characters, but I think you get the idea! 

Now for yet another nuance to this exercise in delayed gratification. You know that according to Dr. Pam Schiller, the number one predictor of school and life success -- is children who can delay their gratification. Growing seeds is just that reality! Wait. Wait. Wait. Shazam!

Puppet People: Grass seed "HAIR" growing in Vermiculite 

Last week in Dixon, IL (on our way north) I saw this variation of science: grass seeds planted, germinating on the countertop. These little sock people are made using panty hose. Here's a couple of close-ups. 

Next I want to show you a close-up of the water transfer system from the paper cup! So many properties of science. These panty-hose people are first grade experiments. Oh. How I wish I had an 'after' shot to share. I'll have to see if I can get the teachers to take a photo for me in a week or so........ stay tuned! 

***Note to myself. Yesterday my blog had THE.MOST.PAGEVIEWS.EVER in a single day! Today I'm just poised on the verge of the most pageviews in a single month!!! You probably have to be a blogger to grasp how much happy I am with these new milestones. Talk about delayed gratification!!! INDEED! 

ANOTHER MILESTONE FOR ME: I can now embed a photo and link it directly to an earlier article. Just click on the picture above to see what I'm talking about!! It will take you to an earlier article here with seeds!

YES!!! By all means please and thank you for pinning from my article! That is the greatest kindness you can offer. Every pin sends out another ripple and I'm so grateful! 

AMBER ~~ AMBER ~~ AMBER ~~ AMBER ~~ AMBER ~~ AMBER ~~ AMBER ~~ AMBER 

TIME MACHINE ALERT!! 

Here's a RoundUP from the past, that I did earlier with a variety of 'science-type' and growing ideas! The science related ideas and experiments are adaptable for both preschool and kindergarten children and even into the early elementary years, too! 

Here's a RoundUP from the future where I have pulled together a TON of weather and seasons related arts, crafts, graphs, charts and visual ideas for inspiration. 

Now I feel like we're getting started on STEM for early childhood. 

I might as well throw in the math RoundUP, too! 

Also from the way-back machine. 

My one UBBER 'science-song' that has gone digital is: 

"POLLYWOG."

Yup. Metamorphosis in four verses! 

Now, here's the reminder of how you landed here in the first place! 

Needless to say, that has got to be one of the cutest ideas ever. 

Will you be a sweetie and pin if for me? 

Your pin is such a HUGE help in my 'marketing plan.'

Thank you! Thank you!! Thank you!!!

If you are planting seeds, then the End-of-Year festivities can't be too far behind! 

I have two songs that are used all across the country for Mother's Day performances and graduation/moving on/flying up programs. 

Each file is zipped over at Teachers Pay Teachers. 

Each file comes with 2 Mp3s: sung + instrumental, PLUS the sign language chart! 

I also have a new song for graduation slide shows. 

It is in a digital file over at TpT. 

Want to hear my song and watch a poignant slide show? 

-- Debbie -- 

Now at 306 followers!

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and my husband can answer all of your questions. 

visit our website for bulk discounts! 

Art Masters in Early Elementary: Art History 101

 

Children Interpret the Masters: Art History 101 

Kindergarten Picasso Bouquet on Display at Washington School 

ART HISTORY IN THE ELEMENTARY HALLWAY

A special banner-rainbow welcome today to any and all Arts educators. I'm courting those that live in the art room, as well as all those that 'fill-in' as Arts educator, with today's RoundUP. These are brilliant ideas and I'm eager to share the hard work that I have observed in my travels. 

 

I am a former elementary Art teacher now morphed into music lady, evolving still further into an author-illustrator of picture books. I get to visit in lots of schools across the country sharing my own work. 
Whenever I am 'on location' I make an extra effort to photograph the work on display in the hallways to inspire my readers here. If there is enough time, I also do my best to make it to the school's art room to see what inspiration I can share. 

My heart is so full. So filled to the tip-top with joy. So many WONDERFUL pieces and parts are being quilted into my day-to-day life and I'm grateful for all the zest and color. 

Look at these amazing paintings on display last week at Washington School in Dixon, IL. Everything about this work makes me happy. The colors. The subject. The simplicity. The whole 'project.' I was able to capture them to share while in the midst of my author-illustrator school visit last week. These individual masterpieces would be perfect for Mother's Day gift giving. 

The old Art teacher in me rejoices at the taking of a perennial favorite from one of the Masters and combining it with the meaningful making of response from children. You've seen the original Picasso in some sort of poster version I bet. These children's paintings are brimming with vibrancy from the original inspiration. 

Picasso Work in Pop Poster Version 

*While I was busy taking these photos, my blogging mentor, Zina, was commenting over on Sulia on this exact piece of art and the inspiration it offers in her garage! 

What an utterly elegant response. A simple concept to replicate with your own students -- or with your children in your family room. Any piece of art with your child's hand included has depth of meaning, especially years from now. To use the traced hands in response to Picasso's work is even more delightful. Yeah teachers! Every child has been successful in their effort! 

Here's the link to my recent Mother's Day RoundUP with all sorts of gift ideas, poems and cards. 

Let's move further around Washington School. Here's another masterful response of work also happily on display with the student's lockers. Each of these works are unique yet contribute to the display's theme of exuberant life. I'm so impressed by the effort of these first graders!

These bright trees are in blossom with concentric circles in the style of the master Kandinsky. 

Spring has finally arrived in the upper midwest. The world is twinkling with the promise of blossom and growth ahead. LUV me some 'polka-dots!'

These amazing trees-in-bloom were created in construction paper and as you can see were again completely successful for each of the student artists. 

Last fall I captured these next oil pastel Mondrian - inspired pieces in the hallway in Milwaukee.  They have such a raw quality and are so filled with energy! 

I can feel the pastels path on paper! I had just been waiting for the right article here to share them. 

Behold. They are BOLD! 

Here are some earlier pictures from my files here previously. 
How can you go wrong with Mondrian? 
I'm such a fan of the geometry involved. 
Primary colors! 
Brilliant lesson for the youngest! 

The image below was created by my own "WonderBoy" back when he was in kindergarten. 
As you can see, it became the cover shot for Issue #10 of my continuing series,
Fine Motor Leads to Fine Arts. 

Here's the link to all 52 articles in the series so far! 



Now let's make a couple of stops to the hallways around central Ohio. 
VAN GOGH! 
Van Gogh in all his glory! 
This is a collage of images from Westerville at St. Paul. 
I have made an annual visit there for the last ten years! 
The caliber of the Arts program is unsurpassed. 

I LUV LUV LUV the quality of the student work in these still life portraits. 

Now let's go across town to Pataskala, where WonderBoy goes to school. 
These Van Gogh landscapes were on display this winter. 

Take a good look at the diversity of interpretation! 

Let's conclude this portion of today's article with a much more contemporary feel. 
Let me share the fifth grade work of students, again at St. Paul Catholic School 
responding to the work of William H. Johnson. 

"Street Musicians" William H. Johnson 

If you just LUV'd this installment of Art History 101, 
then you're gonna be pumped to see that I have a second installment in the future! 

Here's the link to Art History 102! 



Here's the link to the third installment in this continuing series. 





From these amazing student projects, now let's take a stop in Nashville and visit the Art room I got to tour. 
I think you'll find these next images inspirational. 
I know that bulletin board ideas are always a big hit! 
Take a look at this one! 

These Art Room Rules are also from the delightful, Ms. Devoe! 

Here's the link to the third installation. 

Now let's just down to Florida for these last couple of vignettes. 
The first is of the art room door's poster in South Daytona Beach. 
{Sorry, I don't know how to direct you to the resource itself. If you know where its available, please leave a note in the comments below my article.}

Thanks for sharing a part of your day with me. 
By all means -- please pin as many images as you need for reminders. 
Your pins are a HUGE part of my 'marketing' strategy and I am forever grateful! 

Let me conclude with a couple of monumental Art responses to my own illustrations. 





I have a TON of resources around here for Arts-minded folks!



Here's an ENORMOUS RoundUP of Children's Art in Response to Eric Carle's Classic work.

- The link to the Pinterest Directory for Art Teachers 
- 75 Favorite Arts + Crafts Projects 
- Color Theory Projects 



- ABCs of Arts Integration  
- Arts Room Organization + Inspiration Bloghop! 
(That's the one with oodles of bulletin boards + decor in Art Rooms, charts for class behavior -- the whole shazam!) 



I have a couple of great articles over at our collaborative, 
PreK+K Sharing
that are also of interest.... 



Article: Process vs. Product with stellar images! 
Reggio Emilia: Italian Inspiration + Columbus Creativity

And now let's wrap up with some quotations! 













-- Debbie -- 

I'm now at 119,155 followers!     

Click this link to go there directly! 

Now at 305 followers!