Art extension for metal insets

A while ago we purchase some metal insets at discount prices, and after using them following the Montessori album pages, we started experimenting a bit with them in our art classes.

So what follows is an activity that combines the metal insets with a little play of straight lines vs curved lines in order to create a 3D optical illusion. (This can also be associated with a discussion/lesson on the science behind optical illusion.) For even more examples of this phenomenon you can see here and here and here ...

So the first step is to choose a metal inset (or any other shape that can be traced on paper) and place it on a white piece of paper. Trace around.

With a ruler trace horizontal parallel lines on the page, excluding the shape you have just traced. This gives the child quite a bit of practice with the ruler, too :)

Now the tricky part: using the points of contact of the lines with the edge of the figure as a starting and finishing point, trace an arch joining these two points. Again, it does not have to be perfect, but this first line is going to be the guide for all the other curves inside the figure, so you can actually help the child by tracing a couple and explaining that we still need to keep them parallel.

Once all the lines are traced, you are ready to colour. I made my children create their own color pattern, but it can also be just random. They can get creative there.

After all the stripes are fill in with colour, you can enjoy the effect!

This is very simple, but quite rewarding, even as an introduction to the concepts of perspective and any type of "applied" optical illusion in art and architecture.

Paper paper paper

Many Montessori materials, at least here in the US, include 3D realistic depictions of objects of interest going from famous buildings and landmarks to means of transport to wildlife. It is a bit challenging (not to mention expensive or prohibitive) to reproduce that at home, but I have found this website has a nice alternative: print your own 3D (scaled!) models and build them at home. All you need is a color printer, some paper and a pair of scissors and glue. OK, and lots of patience, but it is really a great project to "illustrate" any lesson.

Here is the link: 3D paper models

Check out some examples:

 

We are currently working on this one:

Enjoying the Summer vacations everyone? We have decided to homeschool all year around, but with a little slower pace on the Summer months. So things have been slow but interesting, especially with a "field trip" to Alaska... :)

But today I am sharing this great link to a wonderful website which helps complement out history curriculum. We are using "Story of the World" and many history books and living books, but sometimes pictures (and videos and interactive content) really say more than many many words :) Being able to explore the Big Pyramid with real pictures was a very interesting experience.

Hope you enjoy! I have to say that being a history buff myself, I never get tired of the subject, but I feel sometimes short videos like this help children to have a better idea of what we are talking about.

The absorbent mind

We owe the concept of the "absorbent mind" to Maria Montessori, and we take it for granted. But it is so amazing to witness the process! Case in point:
I was reading "My Carthaginian cousin" to my 6 year old, which is a historic fictional story covering the time of the Carthaginian domination in antiquity. The language and sentence structure is pretty complicated, so I assumed my 4 year old was not really following it.
All of  a sudden, while working with clay, he told me that he had made a "Carthaginian ship"... It was pretty cool :)

Art and History: Making mosaic

I was always fascinated by mosaic. It is so amazing how this technique can create beautiful work of art that lasts for thousands of years, with so much perseverance and patience!

In our History studies we are entering the amazing Ancient Greco-Roman times, so this project aims at understanding the basics of the mosaic technique, without having to actually work with the real thing. I will leave that for when we revisit this times in a couple of years.

This stamping technique is quite easy. All you will need is a stamp, which you can make yourself, and acrylic paint. Here are the instructions:

The square design was made by my 6 year old son, and he was very happy with the results! :)

Color perception for toddlers (and preschoolers)

This activity proved to be lots of fun...

It is a very simple material, but the challenge of manipulating clothes pins adds up to the color identification/naming, so it really keeps the attention of little ones absorbed for a while.

All you need to do is divide a card stock circle into as many wedges as you want (I started with 8, but it can be simpler, with just 4, or more complex)

Choose the colors you want to use. This wheel is done with primary and secondary colors + black and white, but you can also experiment with monochromatic.

Paint the wedges and the sides of the clothes pins. (you can also use construction paper and glue)

 Have fun!!! :)

Science experiment - Digestion

I got the idea for this experiment from this blog. We just modified it slightly.
The objective is to show how our stomach acids aid the digestion process. There is a bit of gross factor here, so don't read on if you are sensitive :)

You'll need:
A zip lock bag
Some white vinager
A cracker (or cheerios or a piece of bread, etc)

Premoist the cracker. Explain to the child that this is what salive and mastication do for us.

Fill the bag with vinager. Explain that our stomachs hold acid inside, and briefly describe its properties.

Drop the food in. Close the bag tightly and swish the contents around, gently massaging the bag, too, to emulate the action of the stomach walls.

Describe what happens. Make notes and observations.

(My boys loved it!!!) :)