Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Art? Science? YES!

Last week, Science Geek taught our children about Classification, focusing on the Animal Kingdom.  This week, we made lapbooks , taking up Science and Art time. Ooooo...I love cutting up little pieces of colorful paper...


 


This is our first experience lapbooking as a group, and we are more-or-less novices at it, so we used mostly pre-made printables.   Most of our minibooks came from this free Animal Classification lapbook. Here are a few more lapbooking resources, also here, and shapebooks. Since I had helped with prepping, I was also involved with explaining the how-to's. 



Doing art and science together threw some of the boys off-kilter.  I heard a Science Geek Son asking, "Mom, why is she talking?  This is Science."  
Then another boy answered him, "No, it's not. It's Art."
"No, it's Science."
"No, it's Science and Art."
"You can't have Science and Art."
"Yes, you can."
"No, you can't."



It took all 4 Moms to get across the idea that we were doing Science and Art at the same time.  I think maybe next week I will bring some samples of medical illustration to show how you can do Science and Art at the same time.  Or maybe, for those Star Wars fans (i.e., all the boys), I should just launch into a history lesson on Industrial Light and Magic.  Wait - is that doing Art and History together?

















Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Leapin' Lizards!!!...


...the Sm'Arties are back!...




...and they are drawing and coloring Reptiles!!



Let's warm up by drawing a snake.




Now for something harder:



Can we draw like Mark Kistler?







I think so!



Lunging Lizard!






Get out your black construction paper, your pencils and oil pastels,




...decide what  part of the snake is on top...




...use lots of bright colors...



...and patterns of circles, dots, and lines...


This project inspired by Art Projects for Kids' Aboriginal Snake.