The first thing my Kindergarten students said when they entered the art room was "Six more weeks of winter, Oh No!" They were quoting a little poem we had used as inspiration for a drawing of the groundhog leaving his burrow. They had begun the drawing last week and today added color to the composition. I initially read them the book
Go to Sleep Groundhog by Judy Cox. A quick overview of the book: Groundhog goes to sleep just as he always does on Columbus Day but can't get to sleep. He tosses and turns and finally gets up out of bed to go for a walk. This happens repeatedly through the story and the groundhog "sees things he has never seen before" on Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Each time he is assisted back to bed by a character who would be found out and about on those days. After Santa escorts him to bed, tucks him in, reads him a bedtime story with a cookie and milk, he finally settles down and falls to sleep. Alarmingly, time speeds by and it's time for him to wake up for February 2nd. Lots of opportunities to have students make predictions while reading. Good use of repetitions and a fun catchy story. After the reading, I have students brainstorm other holidays or events that the groundhog might not normally be involved in. They discuss what he might see on those days such as Birthday Party...kids, cake, hats, streamers, and presents or Fourth of July....Uncle Sam, a parade, bands and fireworks. With a directed draw, shapes are used to draw the groundhog just peeking up out of his burrow. I then go into horizon line, background, and foreground with the students to clarify understanding. Together we add a horizon line making certain to "jump over" the groundhog and not draw through him. For here they are on their own to complete their composition allowing groundhog to discover whatever they want. Here are a few of the completed works:
The first thing my Kindergarten students said when they entered the art room was "Six more weeks of winter, Oh No!" They were quoting a little poem we had used as inspiration for a drawing of the groundhog leaving his burrow. They had begun the drawing last week and today added color to the composition. I initially read them the book Go to Sleep Groundhog by Judy Cox. A quick overview of the book: Groundhog goes to sleep just as he always does on Columbus Day but can't get to sleep. He tosses and turns and finally gets up out of bed to go for a walk. This happens repeatedly through the story and the groundhog "sees things he has never seen before" on Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Each time he is assisted back to bed by a character who would be found out and about on those days. After Santa escorts him to bed, tucks him in, reads him a bedtime story with a cookie and milk, he finally settles down and falls to sleep. Alarmingly, time speeds by and it's time for him to wake up for February 2nd. Lots of opportunities to have students make predictions while reading. Good use of repetitions and a fun catchy story. After the reading, I have students brainstorm other holidays or events that the groundhog might not normally be involved in. They discuss what he might see on those days such as Birthday Party...kids, cake, hats, streamers, and presents or Fourth of July....Uncle Sam, a parade, bands and fireworks. With a directed draw, shapes are used to draw the groundhog just peeking up out of his burrow. I then go into horizon line, background, and foreground with the students to clarify understanding. Together we add a horizon line making certain to "jump over" the groundhog and not draw through him. For here they are on their own to complete their composition allowing groundhog to discover whatever they want. Here are a few of the completed works:
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