tactile texture...

The first graders have been learning about TEXTURE! 

First we played the Texture Game with a video I found here. 

(Thanks MiniMatisse... the kiddos loved this, and I don't think they'll ever forget the terms!)

This helped give the students an introduction to the terms tactile texture, and visual texture. 

You're fantastic first grader should be able to tell you that... 

Visual Texture is texture you can SEE!

and

Tactile Texture is texture you can TOUCH!

Next, they got to make some tactile texture using paper sculpture. 

Each student got to choose their color, and their challenge was to tear, or cut out, a line or a shape, and then repeat that all over their small square base. By doing so, they created a tactile texture!

HOW COOL ARE THESE???

wire line sculptures...

This project was so fun, and had all the grades talking.... 

Our Kindergartner's have been learning about all different kinds of lines, 

and we wanted to find a way to make these lines three dimensional. 

Our super talented Industrial Arts classes in the high school agreed

to help us out by making us some wood blocks with holes. 

The Kindergartner's did the rest! 

They were each given four wires, and a bowl of beads. 

They were to make four different kinds of lines, and connect

to the board using the holes that were on the top and sides.

They could add up to three beads to each wire. 

The "big kids" loved looking at these 

(and always guessed an upper elementary grade did them!)... 

and the library was gracious enough to let us display them on the shelves for the month! 

Great job Kindergarten!

calder scuptures...

Third graders learned about Alexander Calder and his wire sculptures!

We then created patterns and designs on small cardstock pieces.

Each student had five pieces, and they were supposed to focus on 

making each pattern different, 

while still having an 

element of harmony throughout their 5 designs. 

Students learned that they could repeat one element 

(a line, a color, or a shape) in each of their designs to create this harmony.

Then we had to do some more problem solving... 

the kiddos could choose as many pieces of straw as they wanted, 

and they had to cut, glue, and assemble the straws and design cards

together to make a sculpture. The only rules were that the final sculpture

had to be just that.... a sculpture. Three-dimensional, not laying flat on their tables. 

This was not an easy task with the materials 

at hand, but the students shined! 

Check out some of the amazing sculptures our third graders built:

 (so proud!)