2nd Grade Desert Landscapes

As I'm on my way back from New Mexico I felt it only appropriate to share this lesson.  I've just spent the last five days in 90 degrees and sunshine, needless to say I'm SO READY for summer.  If I could grow a cactus in my yard in Nebraska it would already be done.  My sophomore year of high school my job in biology was to water the cactus.  I KNOW, I KNOW easy job right...give it a little sprinkle of water every month or so and done.  Yeah...about that I forgot about it the entire year and needless to say it's end came much shorter than anticipated.

Enough about my glory days of high school and more about the rockstar work of these 2nd graders!  The concept here was space, here is last years lesson where we explored foreground, middleground, and background.  A little magic with some salt and watercolors really sold 2nd graders on this lesson.  

Well I've still got a few days left of Spring Break and I'm going to enjoy every second of it. But first please do enjoy my favorite cacti from my New Mexico vacay.

And to end things on a good note please enjoy this photo for the next several seconds. Does anyone have a thigh master I can borrow? 

It's a Winter Wonderland

CAUTION: WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO SEE MAY OVERLOAD YOU WITH IMAGERY

This winter (starting in November) has really brought in some cool temperatures for us.  The little snow that we've had is long gone because of a couple of 60 degree January days--weather man when is the next big snow storm?  But really when I was a kid growing up in the 90s snow forts, sledding, and snowmen were a regular phenomenon.  And when I say snow I MEAN SNOW. Nebraska hasn't seen a real snow fall (over a foot) since 2009.  I wear my snow boots with pride, even without snow, but every once in awhile they like to meet up with an old friend too (so bring back that 90s snow).   

Anywho, here are a few of the winter themed projects done by the primary grade students throughout the season.  

This is a lesson I did last year with kindergarten.  But instead of just using blue construction paper students made some painted paper to use instead. And WOWSER I love this version! There is just something about that added texture and dimension the background gives.

And who doesn't love a good snowman massacre?  I also had another one that I didn't get a picture of, but let's just stay my buddy P got a little heavy handed with the red oil pastel--there was quite a scene.

Kindergarteners made these fun little penguins too:

1st graders had a lot going in.  It seemed like whenever there was an early out, "cold day," assembly, or I had a sub a 1st grade was hit.  So each class had about a zillion things going on and ALL OF THEM were different.  

With this lesson, that most started, we explored how you could create space.

The idea for this lesson was sparked by another elementary art teacher in the district.  Using the primary colors students mixed colors to create a rainbow.  The teacher I got the lesson from then had her students draw snowmen on top of the background, I wasn't really feeling the snowmen vibes so I went with a polar bear instead.

and to finish it off this group was just out of wack with our schedule so why not draw OLAF????

But really 1st graders drew these.  Are you amazed? Because I am

Here's another lesson I did last year and again this year with 2nd grade, it's quite popular in the Pinterest community and brings a lot of traffic my way.  I really enjoy doing this lesson, it gives a fresh take to the snowman or as I like to call him the SNOWcone.  

Maybe one day I'll have so much free time on my hands that I'll be able to illustrate and write a children's book--I think this guy would be my main character.  Have any good character names?