Monday, February 11, 2013

3rd Grade "Dots"

Peter Reynolds Creatrilogy Box Set (Dot, Ish, Sky Color)The first item to make it to my Christmas list year was the new "Creatrilogy" box set including "The Dot", "Ish", and the new "Sky Color" by Peter H. Reynolds. I recently read "The Dot" to my 3rd grade and Kindergarten students. After reading the book, the students started to brainstorm different ways to make a dot. I told the students about all the supplies set out for them- pencil, crayons, markers, oil pastels, scrap paper, glue, and yarn. I also said if they had an idea that required a supply not set out, they should talk to me about it and I would probably get it for them. Several students asked for tempera paint and I obliged. I don't let students dispense their own paint partly because I have to be really stingy with supplies and partly because the pumps tend to squirt paint at random angles, which can be messy! In addition to the consumable supplies, I also had tubes for printing and several circular objects around the room that some students chose to trace.
Most of the students didn't need much prompting and got right to work. They also did a pretty good job of being responsible with the supplies and returning them to their proper place. Since my classroom is not currently set up for stations, I used more of a "buffet" approach. I lined a table with all the supplies that would fit and just pointed out the location of others.
 Below are some of the results. Half my classes had two class periods for this project, the other half just had one. I couldn't show just a few since there were so many different approaches. Some students stuck to one medium like paint or construction paper collage, but some of my favorites were mixed media, often using yarn to highlight a dot. 

I liked seeing all the different solutions and how the students developed emphasis and unity.

5 comments:

  1. I love it! Thank you for sharing!

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  2. These are terrific - I love the 'buffet line' approach; I've done that many times too, and the kids really love making their own choices, don't they? And of course the teacher can control what is actually available at the buffet!

    I'm interested to see the Sky Color book - I've never heard if it, but my family always referred to a certain sky color as 'sky blue-pink'. Isn't it amazing how the sky can contain blue and pink and no violet? Or blues and oranges but no brown? Fabulous nature!

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    1. Sky Color is really cool. The students said they actually liked it better than Ish! Ramon's sister from Ish is the main character in Sky Color. Her class is painting a mural but she doesn't have any blue paint for the sky. She has to learn to think in sky color!

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