Today you will make a cute reindeer to hang in the hall. I like to make a little "reindeer team" and put yarn on them to look like reins, then hang a picture of Santa in his sleigh to look like he is driving.
The reindeer head is what you will do for art today. This is one of those rare art activities where it is very adult-directed. You will need brown paint for the head and light brown (I usually mix brown and white) for the antlers. Paint the bottom of each child's foot with brown paint and press it onto white paper. Paint their hands with the light brown paint and press it onto either side of the head to make antlers. I recommend painting their hands and feet, not dipping them into the paint. This will make the hand and footprints drier and it will be MUCH less messy, plus you can go ahead and add the nose and the eyes. Have the children dip their fingertip into red paint and make a nose, then into black paint to make the eyes.
For fine motor, cut out a reindeer body pattern (I will post one later) for each child. Have the children paint the reindeer body with the same brown paint that was used for the head. Once the body has dried, cut out the head and tape it to the body.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Winter Holidays, Day Eleven
I guess today is "candy cane day." For art, give your students a piece of cardstock with a candy cane pattern printed on it (I will try to remember to post a PDF for a pattern later in the week). Have the students cut the pattern out (or precut if you need to for students with physical disabilities), then have them cut or tear red paper (or you could let them use whatever color they would like) and glue it to their candy cane.
For fine motor, you will make candy cane suncatchers. You will need to prep the materials for this activity ahead of time. Cut candy cane shapes out of construction paper, leaving the outline completely intact. You could either cut it so that you have the whole sheet of paper with just the candy cane missing, or you could cut around it so you just have the candy cane outline. Whatever you choose, glue it to a piece of waxed paper, then have your students cut or tear red tissue and glue it inside of the candy cane outline. For students with more fine motor limitations, you could also use Con-tact paper, although this can get rather expensive and sticky! I usually just help them squeeze their glue on. Once the suncatchers have dried, run them through the laminator and cut them out. These really do look great in the window!
For fine motor, you will make candy cane suncatchers. You will need to prep the materials for this activity ahead of time. Cut candy cane shapes out of construction paper, leaving the outline completely intact. You could either cut it so that you have the whole sheet of paper with just the candy cane missing, or you could cut around it so you just have the candy cane outline. Whatever you choose, glue it to a piece of waxed paper, then have your students cut or tear red tissue and glue it inside of the candy cane outline. For students with more fine motor limitations, you could also use Con-tact paper, although this can get rather expensive and sticky! I usually just help them squeeze their glue on. Once the suncatchers have dried, run them through the laminator and cut them out. These really do look great in the window!
Winter Holidays, Week Three Lesson Plan
I am having some issues with embedding the document this week for some reason, so instead I am going to give you the link you to the PDF. If you click on File then Download you will be able to save and print.
https://acrobat.com/#d=5N286iBGxzE-PFDoMcXCjQ
https://acrobat.com/#d=5N286iBGxzE-PFDoMcXCjQ
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Winter Holidays, Day Ten
Today, it’s back to Christmas. We’ll be making paper plate wreaths today. First, either cut the center out of a paper plate for each child or have your students cut their own paper plate. Next, have them request green and red construction paper and glue verbally or using their Boardmaker symbols, a communication device, or a switch. Depending on their ability and/or their (or your) preference, students can cut or tear their paper into small bits. Have them squeeze glue all over the paper plate and cover it as completely as possible with the red and green paper (I give each student ¼ of a sheet of green construction paper and 1/8 of a sheet of red construction paper).
For fine motor, use your Christmas card lacing cards! For math, leave out a supply of construction paper strips. You can use Christmas colors or just leave out all sorts of colors so that students can choose their own colors. Encourage students to make paper chains while patterning or matching colors. They can use glue (glue sticks work best here) or tape to hold the strips of paper together.
For fine motor, use your Christmas card lacing cards! For math, leave out a supply of construction paper strips. You can use Christmas colors or just leave out all sorts of colors so that students can choose their own colors. Encourage students to make paper chains while patterning or matching colors. They can use glue (glue sticks work best here) or tape to hold the strips of paper together.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Winter Holidays, Day Nine
Today is your Kwanzaa cooking activity! Kwanzaa kabobs are the order today. Give your students a variety of fruits-bananas, strawberries, orange sections, apple chunks, pineapple chunks, etc. (be aware of choking hazards, of course). You could put the fruits out in a bowl and let the students pick from the bowls themselves, or give each student a few of each type of fruit on a plate. At any rate, give your students red and green straws or toothpicks to thread their fruit onto.
For fine motor, make a “kufi” or hat. Make a headband for each student to fit their head. I would use black construction paper, posterboards, or sentence strips to do this. Give each student a couple of short strips of red, green, and black paper and have them glue them together in the center into a criss-cross or star shape, then glue it to the sentence strip.
For fine motor, make a “kufi” or hat. Make a headband for each student to fit their head. I would use black construction paper, posterboards, or sentence strips to do this. Give each student a couple of short strips of red, green, and black paper and have them glue them together in the center into a criss-cross or star shape, then glue it to the sentence strip.
Winter Holidays, Day eight
It’s been a few days, huh? Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I am going to be playing catch-up for a few days, I guess.
Today we will be making a Kwanzaa candelabra, also known as a kinara. You will need seven toilet paper tubes for each child (or your could cut paper towel tubes in half). Have your students tape (with adult assistance) their tubes to a piece of flat cardboard. Paint the middle tube black, then paint the tubes on one side red and the tubes on the other side green. Finally, have your students stuff yellow and orange tissue paper into the tubes with a little bit of glue to look like flames.
For fine motor today you will have your students make a Kwanzaa mat, or mkeka. Give each student a sheet of black construction paper. Have them tear or cut red and green squares of paper and glue them to the construction paper. If your students have the fine motor skills to do so, you could give them black paper with small slits cut into it and have them weave red and green strips of paper into the black paper. Whatever you have your students do, laminate their handiwork once it is finished (and dry, if you use glue) and send it home for them to use as a placemat.
Today we will be making a Kwanzaa candelabra, also known as a kinara. You will need seven toilet paper tubes for each child (or your could cut paper towel tubes in half). Have your students tape (with adult assistance) their tubes to a piece of flat cardboard. Paint the middle tube black, then paint the tubes on one side red and the tubes on the other side green. Finally, have your students stuff yellow and orange tissue paper into the tubes with a little bit of glue to look like flames.
For fine motor today you will have your students make a Kwanzaa mat, or mkeka. Give each student a sheet of black construction paper. Have them tear or cut red and green squares of paper and glue them to the construction paper. If your students have the fine motor skills to do so, you could give them black paper with small slits cut into it and have them weave red and green strips of paper into the black paper. Whatever you have your students do, laminate their handiwork once it is finished (and dry, if you use glue) and send it home for them to use as a placemat.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Winter Holidays, Day Seven
Hooray! Today is latke day! I always loved making latkes with my class….probably because I puffy heart love latkes!
I’m going to be really honest with you. I don’t have an authentic latke recipe. I just make them in the way that, um, makes sense to me. If you have a problem with this, or if you have an authentic recipe, then by all means use an authentic recipe. If not…..here’s MY recipe:
Peel and shred some potatoes….maybe 4 or 5 medium potatoes. I use my food processor fitted with the shredder blade to do this. Your students will love to drop the potatoes in the processor, and you can use the Powerlink to let a student control it with a switch. Put the shredded potatoes in a towel and squeeze out the excess water. Work quickly, because if the potatoes sit out too long they will turn grey or pink….yuck!
Now, put the potatoes in a bowl. Crack in a couple of eggs and add a couple of large spoonfuls of flour. Stir it up, then drop spoonfuls of the potato mixture into hot oil (an electric skillet is the best way to do this). This is the only step that your students can’t help you with! Make sure that your latkes are nice and flat so that the potatoes cook all the way through. Once they are “golden-brown and delicious”, drain them on paper towels. Let them cool for a few minutes then serve with sour cream and applesauce.
For fine motor today, give your students a batch of blue baking dough or some blue playdough and help your students roll and shape Star of David sculptures. If you use playdough, put the creations on a piece of waxed paper with their names and let them dry in the window. If you use baking dough, of course, you will want to put them on waxed paper and bake them! The fact that the Star of David is open will make it easy to hang on the tree or make a door hanger.
I’m going to be really honest with you. I don’t have an authentic latke recipe. I just make them in the way that, um, makes sense to me. If you have a problem with this, or if you have an authentic recipe, then by all means use an authentic recipe. If not…..here’s MY recipe:
Peel and shred some potatoes….maybe 4 or 5 medium potatoes. I use my food processor fitted with the shredder blade to do this. Your students will love to drop the potatoes in the processor, and you can use the Powerlink to let a student control it with a switch. Put the shredded potatoes in a towel and squeeze out the excess water. Work quickly, because if the potatoes sit out too long they will turn grey or pink….yuck!
Now, put the potatoes in a bowl. Crack in a couple of eggs and add a couple of large spoonfuls of flour. Stir it up, then drop spoonfuls of the potato mixture into hot oil (an electric skillet is the best way to do this). This is the only step that your students can’t help you with! Make sure that your latkes are nice and flat so that the potatoes cook all the way through. Once they are “golden-brown and delicious”, drain them on paper towels. Let them cool for a few minutes then serve with sour cream and applesauce.
For fine motor today, give your students a batch of blue baking dough or some blue playdough and help your students roll and shape Star of David sculptures. If you use playdough, put the creations on a piece of waxed paper with their names and let them dry in the window. If you use baking dough, of course, you will want to put them on waxed paper and bake them! The fact that the Star of David is open will make it easy to hang on the tree or make a door hanger.