First Grade Gardens: Using Green Screen and AR to Put Students IN their Artwork

"Our First Grade Gardens" has become one of my very favorite projects in the STEAM Lab. This week was our annual gallery opening and I realized that I never properly shared the project here.

My friend Cara started this project in her first grade classroom.  It started as a mother's day project. When Cara got a grant to expand the project to the other first grade classes, I got involved. While it started with painting the canvases in the STEAM Lab, I came back with a "what if" that would have sent most people running, and Cara worked with me to sort out the details.

Cara and I will be sharing a poster session called AR + Green Screen = App Smashing Success at #ISTE18 but here is an overview of this particular project. (Photo credit to Cara for the awesome posters!)

Each first grade class read the book "My Garden" by Kevin Henkes as part of their author study project.

In the classroom the students designed their own themed garden and then paint their imaginary gardens on canvas. The awesome first grade team delivered the sketches to me and my part of the project began.

In the STEAM Lab each student used his or her sketch to paint the design on a canvas using tempera paint. Students used paint pens and glitter glue to add the details.

Using Google Slides, students typed up their gallery descriptions. These were printed and posted in the gallery next to each painting.

I used the PhotoScan app from Google to take a good picture of each canvas. Using the Green Screen app by DoInk, we recorded a green screen video using the picture of the canvas as the background. Our green screen is a green bed sheet that we hang using clothespins. We drape a second green sheet over chairs to give the illusion that students are sitting on an object in the painting.

Using HP Reveal Studio, I set the photo as the target and the green screen as the aura. The auras are saved to a campaign that is shared with the parents.

The end result is something like this:

This year we were able to work with FAU's University Galleries to display the student work at the Ritter Gallery. It was AMAZING!

We had a family help us with the set up. Both parents are artists and had the skills and equipment that we lacked. They met us at the gallery last weekend to hang all 54 canvases.

Tuesday night was the big night. Our student artists got dressed up and came with their families to view the art in the gallery. It was the third year we have done this, and each year is better than the last. The venue was spectacular. We have already reserved a date for next year.

It was a lot of work, but it was a lovely way to celebrate our students!

First Grade Garden Preview

It is hard to believe that it has been almost a year since my last post! I've been busy with these darlings.

I went back to work just before winter break. Working full time with three kids has been an adjustment, but it is going well. The baby is already 8 and a half months. My oldest finishes kindergarten in just a couple of weeks. Time flies!

I have some posts planned for this summer, but I wanted to share this video before then. I worked with the first grade team on an amazing project the last couple of months. This was the promotional video we put together before the big culminating activity.

I plan to share more of the behind the scenes once the end-of-school craziness dies down, but I couldn't wait to share the preview!

Index Card Self Portrait Collaborative Art Project

I went on Pinterest right before school started to look for some inspiration. I wanted a project for the first day of school. Actually, because I see students on a three day rotating schedule, I needed a good project for the first DAYS of school. I fell in love with this post I found through this pin.

The end result, was this collaborative project.

To start, we practiced drawing faces using white boards and markers. From there I handed students an index card with a colored dot on the back. They went to a bin full of crayons, markers, and colored pencils in the assigned color. Like the original project, my fourth and fifth grade students were assigned two colors to help the colors blend in the finished project.

I placed the cards on a long sheet of black paper. I spent almost two hours using rubber cement to attach the index cards.

 Here are a few up close pictures.

I am in love with this project. It was the perfect way to start the year!

Unfortunately it is still looking for a home! The clothesline was not strong enough to hold it up in hallway traffic. It is HUGE. Right now the plan is to hang it was up high in the school entryway. We'll see how it goes!

In other news, be sure to check back next week. I have a birthday giveaway planned that you will not want to miss!

Fifth Grade Owls

 Every year I end up wrapping up a project the last days of school. Every year I swear I won't do it again. This year was no different!

My fifth graders won't have STEAM classes next year, so I decided to end with a ceramics project. After consulting Pinterest, I decided on this one. We followed the tutorial.

Days later, I loaded the owls in the kiln. It was my first time running the kiln without help.

Thankfully, all came out okay! The original plan  had been to glaze and refire. Due to time constraints, we used acrylic paint and a spray finish.

We were painting up until the day before school was out.

It was more than a little hectic, but I was thrilled with our owls!

 

 

 I'm working on a mini grant for next year that will allow me to do a ceramic project with each of my classes next year. I'm currently researching ways to make ceramics work with the other letters of STEAM. I'm brainstorming ideas involving 3D printed rolling pins. Fun Times!

Whooo is ready for St. Patrick’s Day Linky Party

I am married to an Irishman who moved across the pond for me. Every March I enjoy making a fuss over St. Patrick’s Day for him.

Clip Art: Sonia DeHart, Giftseasonstore

 

I did Irish themed activities with four grade levels. I’ve blogged before about the Tagxedo word clouds that my fifth grade classes made using traditional Irish songs.



Most of the fourth grade was on an overnight field trip, so a few of the remaining students helped me to make Paper Strip Shamrocks.



I love they way they came! I used straight pins to hang them on the giant board outside my rooms.
My kindergarteners made rainbow puff paint pictures. It was a two day project. They started by painting tempra paint rainbows on cardstock.



Once that was dry, they filled in the shamrock with puff paint. I was inspired by this pin.



If you have not tried puff paint, you should! All you do is mix equal parts of shaving cream and glue. To make it green, you add food coloring. The “goop-ier” the paint, the better the puff when it dries. It is pretty neat!

For my first graders, I found instructions on how to draw a shamrock on this post. My husband always makes a point to include shamrocks and not four leaf clovers in our decorations, so I decided to go with it.

The first day we used white boards to practice drawing the shamrocks. I went step by step and then let them practice until they were comfortable with it.

Next, students drew shamrocks on tagboard and outlined them with black or green crayons.



The next class, we painted. They first covered the entire page with light green paint. Then, they used dark paint to paint inside the shamrocks.



All together they make up an impressive field of first grade shamrocks.

So, there you have it! These are the activities I have done this year with my STEAM classes.

Do you have a favorite St. Patrick’s Day activity to share? Please link up and tell us about it!  If you do link up, please leave a comment with your e-mail address and I will send you a copy of my Sully Shamrock font. The linky will be open until just after St. Patrick’s Day.

An InLinkz Link-up

Sunday Funday: Tagxedo Word Clouds Using Irish Songs

I’m linking up today with Molly and Deirdre, two of my favorite bloggers. This linky is going to be perfect for me as someone who frequently can’t make it in time for a Five for Friday.

My classes are working on computer projects right now, but being married to an Irishman, I wanted to include some Irish art in the STEAM lab.

I loved this pin I found on Pinterest. I got it in my head that I should add a design to the background. Almost as soon as it started, I was regretting the decision.



We are adding green puffy paint. I’m hoping the finished product look fun and elementary. I’m afraid they are going to end up looking like a political statement. My how times have changed!

While I’m still unsure about my kindergarten project, I am in love with the project I did with my fifth graders.



I have never done word clouds, but after playing around with Tagxedo, I knew I had to find a way to make it fit. I’m thrilled with how it has come out.

I started with a Google Doc that I shared with my students. The file contained a list of Irish songs my Irish husband put together. We were careful to take out the drinking songs and the overly religious songs. Working in teams of two or three, students signed up for the song that they wanted to use. It was our first time using Google Drive, so they were impressed that you could see the other students signing up in real time.

Once each group picked their song, they searched online for the lyrics. The computer part of the lesson was actually using the keyboard short cuts to cut and paste. It sounds simple, but it was a much needed skill.

After watching this tutorial, the students pasted the lyrics and designed their word cloud. We talked about making sure that the design matched the song.

 “Ireland’s Call”

I’ve had a color laser printer in my classroom since August, but it was not connected to the student computers until Monday. Once I approved the design, we printed it on cardstock. The students wrote the name of the song and signed the design. We also posted a thumbnail to our 5th Grade STEAM Lab Gallery Padlet page.

“MacNamara’s Band”

The part of my position that I’ve had the hardest time adjusting to is timing. I see each class for 50 minutes every three days. Adding to that, a number of students are pulled out for SAI instruction for reading and/or math. The students who get extra support in reading only come to my class when it falls on a Thursday or Friday. The students who get extra support in math only come to my class when it falls on a Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. Those who get help in both never come to me. I see a slightly different group of students each time. Add to that the fact that the computers are not set up yet to allow students to save any work, and it is hard for me to do activities that last more than one class period.

One of the students who gets reading and math support came to me after school and asked to make a word cloud like the ones that they did in class. I guess it just shows that they do pay attention to what I put out in the hall. She is going to make her own Monday after school.

I keep thinking of “should have done that” activities. I would have loved to have done more with the songs. We only got to listen to one or two songs. It would have been great to talk about word choice and so on. I keep telling myself that next year I’ll have a better feel for things and how to fit more into my 50 minutes.

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Have you used Tagxedo? I am thinking of having my fourth graders create a word cloud using a content area they are studying back in class. Any other fun ideas?

colAR Mix App Review

A few weeks ago I was on Pinterest when I came across a pin that caught my attention. The picture did not match the description, but it talked about augmented reality coloring sheets. I thought it was a neat idea, so I went to the website and printed a coloring sheet to try it for myself.



I could not believe it. I printed off all the free coloring sheets and took them home to my kids. I told my daughter that these sheets were magical.

My four-year-old’s picture went from this:

to this:

What you can’t tell from the screen shot is that the picture is turning and moving to music. It is really impressive!

I knew right away that I wanted to use this with my STEAM classes. The design above is for Chinese New Year. My kindergarten classes could not wait to see what “magic” I was going to do to their coloring sheets.



I’ve created a poster to go with the student papers to explain how to make the papers come to life. I left it for my sub to hang in the hallway while I am at FETC this week.



The free app and coloring sheets are available at http://colarapp.com. There are free sheets available as well as an in-app purchase to unlock the other coloring sheets. Most of the free coloring sheets are seasonal, but there are a few that you can use year round.

My first grade classes used the bird coloring sheet. They looked doubtful when I told them I was going to do magic, but they all were most impressed when the bird they colored ate their worm. I love that the coloring is exactly the same as the way the child colored it.



I only have one iPad in my room, so I called each student up one at a time to reveal the magic. It actually made it even more special.These are going in the hallway as well. I LOVE our poster printer.



I posted the picture of my daughter on Facebook and someone asked if it was for real. This app is really that good. Best of all? It is free! This one is worth checking out!

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I’m linking up: