Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Springtime Science with Seeds

photo of: Springtime Science with Seeds at Kindergarten Rocks via RainbowsWithinReach

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.

photo of: Spring Science Experiment with Grass Seeds at Kindergarten Rocks via RainbowsWithinReach

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!

Simple Science for Spring: Grass Seed becomes HAIR! via RainbowsWithinReach



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! 

Science for Young Children, Preschool + Kindergarten Experiments (RoundUP via RainbowsWIthinReach)

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. 


Weather + Season Project RoundUP for Early Elementary at RainbowsWithinReach

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. 

Making Math Meaningful: Building a Math Foundation for Young Children at RainbowsWithinReach

My one UBBER 'science-song' that has gone digital is: 
"POLLYWOG."
Yup. Metamorphosis in four verses! 

photo of: Tadpole to Frog Metamorphosis through Song and Fine Motor Supplemental Pages (from RainbowsWIthinReach)

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

Science in Kindergarten: Growing Seeds from Kindergarten Rocks via RainbowsWithinReach

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! 


End-of-Year Performance Songs with Sign Language by Debbie Clement

I also have a new song for graduation slide shows. 


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




-- Debbie -- 
Pre-K, Kindergarten, First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth - TeachersPayTeachers.com
Now at 306 followers!

We are proud distributors of 
and my husband can answer all of your questions. 
visit our website for bulk discounts! 

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Art Masters in Early Elementary: Art History 101

photo of: Art History 101: Art Projects for Early Elementary via RainbowsWithinReach 

Children Interpret the Masters: Art History 101 

photo of: Collage of Kindergarten "Picasso-Inspired" Bouquets via RainbowsWithinReach
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. 

 photo of: Kindergarten Picasso Expression for Spring via RainbowsWithinReach

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. 
photo of: Kindergarten Picasso Expression for Spring via RainbowsWithinReach

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. 

photo of: Kindergarten Picasso Expression for Spring via RainbowsWithinReach

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. 

photo of: Picasso Poster Version of Bouquet
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! 

photo of: Picasso Bouquet Artwork Created in Kindergarten via RainbowsWithinReach

photo of: Mother's Day RoundUP of Resources: Bloghop + LInkie at RainbowsWithinReach

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!

photo of: Kandinsky's concentric circles BLOOM on spring Trees (First Grade Art Project) via RainbowsWithinReach

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

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!'

photo of: First Grade Kandinsky Blooms for Spring via RainbowsWithinReach

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. 


photo of: First Grade Kandinsky Blooms for Spring via RainbowsWithinReach


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. 


photo of: Fine Arts for Children, Mondrian, fine motor, preschool, kindergarten, Head Start, bulletin board

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

photo of: 50 Editions of Fine Motor Meets Fine Arts at RainbowsWithinReach

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. 


photo of: Art projects in Response to the work of William H. Johnson via RainbowsWithinReach

File:Street Musicians, by William H. Johnson.jpg
"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

Art History 102: Elementary School Response to the Masters via RainbowsWithinReach

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

Art History 103: Early Elementary Projects in Response to the Masters at RainbowsWithinReach



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! 

photo of: Art Criticism Bulletin Board in the Art Room via RainbowsWithinReach

photo of: Art Room Rubric for Meeting Objectives via RainbowsWithinReach

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

Here's the link to the third installation. 

Art History 103: Early Elementary Projects in Response to the Masters at RainbowsWithinReach

photo of: Art Room Rules via RainbowsWithinReach

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.}

photo of: Poster on Art room Door via RainbowsWithinReach

photo of: Art Room Bulletin Boards on Elements and Principles of Art via RainbowsWithinReach

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! 


photo of: Art History 101 in Elementary via RainbowsWithinReach

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!

photo of: Pinterest Directory for Artists, Art Teachers, Teaching Artists + Creative types LINKUP (via RainbowsWithinReach)

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 

photo of: ABCs of Arts Integration via RainbowsWithinReach

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!) 

photo of: Art Room RoundUP and Organization via RainbowsWithinReach

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! 



photo of: Art Easel with Degas Quote via RainbowsWithinReach









-- Debbie -- 

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Pre-K, Kindergarten, First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth - TeachersPayTeachers.com
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Thanks for your support! I am so appreciative of your pins!
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