project 2 of our nine week session: third grade made native american "deerskin" paintings by using pictograph symbols for a border pattern that spelled out a "title" for their stories ("men hunt deer," "rainbow spring blossom," etc.) and then illustrating the stories in the center with a depiction. the "skins" were crumpled and treated with wax paper and crayon.

first grade made a sailboat collage using construction paper and cutting and tearing technique.

second grade made more 3-d poinsettias that i could have imagined, to decorate their holiday concert in big swaths of stage curtains.

and fourth grade is contiuing the drawing lessons with individual animals, the first and easiest being a duckling. we did this one on the board together; individually they are observing step by step shape analyses and then refining their lines on the last page. they do three sketches and then a final; we will be making individual books of their final drawings for them to keep, after the first of the year.