Moore Art Lessons

Spring 2012 Theme "Community Stories"

2012-01-21T06:42:00.000-08:00

Folk Tales
Fables
Generational Stories
Community Heros
Objects that tell stories (monuments, family album)
Puppets
Cultural Stories
Comic Books
Music & Songs
Film & Documentary
Icons

Fall 2011 Final Show

2012-01-06T09:43:00.000-08:00

MONSTERS!

What an amazing semester it has been!

With only 3 Moore students and almost 20 YAW students,

it was a busy and eventful season.

In order to keep things streamlined and organized, Natosha, Gladys and Maggie decided to do a unit on monsters and create 2 week long lessons. This allowed them to really collaborate together, taking turns teaching and assisting, and helped build a growing concept with the kids. The younger and older students did all of the same lessons, and Natosha, Gladys and Maggie worked hard to create adaptations that were appropriate to the 2 age levels as well as cognitive and physical development skills.

Some of their lessons were:

Turning body tracings into monster characters.
Creating a family and friend tree

so that the monsters would have relationships with each other.
Creating food for the monsters to eat.
Construction homes for the monsters to live in

and planets for them to live on.

To help them stay organized, Natosha, Gladys and Maggie created bags for each student. It contained their own going work week to week as well as materials, name tags and lesson check lists.

I'm am REALLY proud of the very hard work and dedication these gals put into this semester.

The kids had a great time with such a well rounded and well organized unit.

Moore Symposium Fall 2011

2011-11-12T11:49:00.000-08:00

What have I learned?

3 things that ADD kids need: accommodations, advocacy, & allies.
The gift of time is invaluable to all children, especially those with special needs.
Try the word "and" not "but". "But" negates the first statement.
Empower kids to advocate for themselves.
Encourage kids to step out as successful students.
Keep directions clear and simple.
Look for and acknowledge all positive abilities and behaviors.
Allow for and adapt to different learning styles.
What works for kids with special needs, works for all kids. Level the playing field.
Rephrase questions (open ended, offer options for answers, offer "yes" or "no" responses or a chance to physically point to or make a response.
Keep accommodations and expectations high.
It's a learning rights movement. Let's be the best advocates and strongest voice in this revolution.
It's about offering students a choice and a voice.

What have I discovered?

There are a lot of barriers in the traditional school setting. It's hard to get supports. How can we get through these barriers?
Different times of behaviors and actions can actually help facilitate creativity in the art room.
Behavior is communication.
I have a lot more to discover about being a human being.
I still long for constant growth, and want to learn from my students and my peers.
Keep depositing into each child's self esteem bank.
Pay attention and be mindful of those who have special needs in your class.

What have I confirmed?

Often we look at what our students lack. Let's look for what our kids are successful at first, highlight that and build a kid up from there.
Some strategies can be used across the board for all kids in need.
There really is no normal. Everyone has their story.
There's no placement for judgement, only for empowering kids to be successful.
Teachers continue to support, encourage and stretch their students. Your commitment is amazing!

Classroom Culture Fall 2011

2011-09-24T08:13:00.000-07:00

Weeks 1& 2
Mini Projects: Materials Bag & Sketch Books
Main Projects: Monster Character Development

Weeks 3 & 4
Mini Projects:
Main Projects: Monster Environment (where do they live, what do they eat?)

Weeks 5 & 6
Mini Projects:
Main Projects: Monster Friends & Family

Weeks 7 & 8
Mini Projects:
Main Projects: Vocation & Community

Rules
Respect Self, Others & Environment
G,M,N -Make 2 signs that are monster themed
L&K -Introduce Rules Week 1

Use of Space
Kids work space- U Shape of Tables with all eyes on front. When you walk around, create an environment where you can always see the kids.
Mini Project supplies- On table by door, (older kids room along wall, younger kids room greets kids)
Main Project supplies- Bags w/names on Window Sil
Exemplar Table- Set in front center of U shaped tables
Clean Up Area- happens on mini project table. Switch happens while kids are working on main project.
Art work display- Put up all work that has been accomplished so far (include your own exemplars with quick description).

Transitions
-See and fill out Para-Educator Time Line
-Music may transition times (remember to give a 5 minute heads up for when music will be turned off and on).

Monster Unit Lesson Ideas

2011-09-10T07:32:00.000-07:00

Think about how each child will develop their character over the next 8 weeks.

What does the monster look like and why does it look that way?
What kind of personality does it have? What are it's strengths and weaknesses and how do these affect the way it physically moves, and emotionally responds to it's community and surroundings?
Where does the monster live?
What does their family look like?
Who are it's friends?
Does it have a job, go to school, play sports etc.?
Does your monster interact with the other monsters? How?

Lesson Plan Links:
Paper Monster
http://elementaryartfun.blogspot.com/2011/01/paper-monster-alien-things.html

Monster Feet
http://lessonplans.craftgossip.com/monster-feet/2010/09/25

There's a monster in my closet
http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/elem/Patti-monster.htm

Paper Mache Monsters
http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/middle/Laurie-Monsters.htm

Name Aliens & Monsters
http://www.kinderart.com/drawing/name.shtml

Clay Monsters
http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/high/Lindsey-monsters.htm

Junk Model Monsters
http://grumpyevents.blogspot.com/2010/07/junk-model-monsters.html

Coloring Pages and Worksheets:
http://www.teachersyndicate.com/2011uploads/albums/resources/early_childhood_activity_pages/Monster%20Madness.pdf

http://www.kizclub.com/storypatterns/monster%28C%29.pdf

http://www.makinglearningfun.com/themepages/BigGreenMonsterSequenceCards.htm

http://www.edemberley.com/pages/print/monsterMask.pdf

Welcome Fall 2011 Students

2011-08-18T10:00:00.000-07:00

Class has been canceled due to storm.
We will resume on September 10th,

8:30am-12pm

See you there!

Meeting "Autism's First Child" (from PBS.org)

2011-04-18T09:52:00.001-07:00

AUTISM NOW -- April 15, 2011 at 10:53 AM EDT

Meeting 'Autism's First Child'

By: Caren Zucker

Editor's Note: As part of the upcoming Autism Now series, we asked series producer Caren Zucker to re-introduce us to the story of Donald -- the first person ever diagnosed with autism -- which she wrote about with her colleague John Donvan in the October Atlantic magazine.

"Autism's First Child" is a profile of Donald Triplett, a 77-year-old Mississippian whose diagnosis of autism was the first to appear in the medical literature -- in 1943.

ABC correspondent John Donvan and I tracked down and wrote about "Case 1 -- Donald T," as he's been uniquely known to generations of autism experts, to make two points: First, that the current epidemic-sized generation of children on the autism spectrum will soon begin entering adulthood; And second, that the quality of those adults' lives will depend largely on the response offered by the "rest of us."

What we found in Mississippi was the story of one such life, which we could trace from childhood into old age. The journey turned out to be replete with lessons on what can work -- and what does not -- in helping a person with autism reach his potential.

We wanted readers to come away with a critical lesson -- that in real and material ways, the quality of life achievable by a person with autism (or with any disability for that matter) depends significantly on how successfully and spontaneously any society recognizes the humanity of that person in its midst. In short, pity isn't much help. But community is, when community implies connectedness, inclusiveness, caring, and, quite simply, good old-fashioned friendship.

You can read the entire article Donvan and I wrote for The Atlantic and watch a video produced to pair with the story:

Editor's note: An earlier version of this post misspelled Donvan's name.

Autism Now Series (on PBS.org)

2011-04-18T09:20:00.000-07:00

Autism Now Series: A Viewer's Guide

By: Maureen Hoch

The PBS NewsHour is launching a special series of reports, both on-air and online, about a puzzling disorder that touches many lives across the U.S.: Autism Now will take a unique -- and uniquely personal -- look at how the condition impacts families, schools and communities.

As former anchor Robert MacNeil explains in a preview conversation with Hari Sreenivasan, the subject that drew him back to the NewsHour is one that resonates deeply with his own family and the families of thousands of others. MacNeil's 6-year-old grandson, Nick, has autism.

MacNeil teamed up with producer Caren Zucker, who has produced many stories on the condition and is the mother of a 16-year-old son with autism, to criss-cross the country for five months, building a series of reports that explores the latest scientific and medical thinking and chronicles the impact of autism on families, educators and clinicians.

The series consists of six parts. For the launch, Jim Lehrer will debrief MacNeil about the series on the NewsHour broadcast on Friday, April 15. The first full report will then air on Monday, April 18.

But, we're trying something new with these reports on the NewsHour's website.

Starting Friday, April 15, we'll debut each report online a day before it airs on the NewsHour's broadcast. So you can watch part one (about MacNeil's grandson) online on Friday, April 15, or on-air on Monday, April 18. The second report, about Autism's prevalence, will be posted online on Monday, April 18, by 6 p.m. ET. You can also watch that report on our site, via our iPhone app or on our YouTube channel and of course - or watch on Tuesday's NewsHour broadcast. We'll follow that schedule every day during the series: We'll post the next report in the series by 6 p.m. ET on the NewsHour website.

It's part of the NewsHour's commitment to deliver our trusted brand of journalism to you wherever and whenever you want it.

A full rundown of the series is after the jump.

Here's the lineup:

Part One: Introduction to Nick and Autism as a whole-body experience | Robert MacNeil brings viewers along on a visit with his daughter and grandson Nick in Cambridge, Mass., to see how autism affects the whole family. | Online April 15, on-air April 18

Part Two: Autism Prevalence | Why are the numbers of children with autism increasing? Robert MacNeil visits with experts at the University of California, Davis MIND Institute to see the wide range of different behaviors that comprise the autism spectrum | Online April 18, on-air April 19

Part Three: Autism's Causes | The rise in autism numbers has caused a surge in research to find the causes. Robert MacNeil speaks with four leading researchers. | Online April 19, on-air April 20

Part Four: Autism Treatment | School systems often bear most of the burden of treating children with autism through educational tools. Robert MacNeil looks at how two schools in the New York City area handle teaching children and teens with autism. | Online April 20, on-air April 21

Part Five: Adults With Autism | Although federal law mandates educational services for children with autism, there are virtually no services when they become adults. Robert MacNeil profiles a young man in New Jersey facing an uncertain future. | Online April 21, on-air April 22

Part Six: Autism Policy | We'll conclude the Autism Now reports with a discussion of public policy issues raised by the series. | Online April 22, On-Air April 25

We have several resources and opportunities to engage with the series online. These include:

Autism 101 | A breakdown of the basics and a list of useful resources.

Autism Costs | A look how families often struggle with the costs of autism, and how care and costs can vary depending on where you live.

Autism's First Child | A new look at Caren Zucker and John Donvan's profile of the first child diagnosed with autism as reported in The Atlantic.

Finally, we know you'll have questions, comments and feedback. We want to hear from you on the scope and breadth of the series. There are a few ways you can participate:

Join us online on Wednesday, April 20, at 1 p.m. ET for a special LIVE chat, moderated by correspondent Hari Sreenivasan, with series producer Caren Zucker, experts from the series, as well as members of some of the families profiled.

You can also pose your questions for Robert MacNeil: Hari Sreenivasan will also have a follow-up Q&A with him during the week of April 25, where he'll pose some of your questions on the series. Leave your questions in the comments section here or on our special feedback page.

The Autism Now feedback page is a one-stop shop to join the conversation on the series: comment via Facebook, send us an e-mail, or call us on a special comment line at 202-630-9354. You can also join the conversation on Twitter with the hashtag #autismnow.

Thanks for watching and visiting the NewsHour's site.

The PBS NewsHour welcomes your original comments. We reserve the right to remove posts that do not follow these basic guidelines: comments must be relevant to the topic of the post; may not include profanity, personal attacks or hate speech; may not promote a business or raise money; may not be spam. Anything you post should be your own work. The PBS NewsHour reserves the right to read on the air and/or publish on its Web site or in any medium now known or unknown the comments or e-mails that we receive. By submitting comments, you agree to the PBS Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, which include more details.

Final Show Spring 2011

2011-04-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

What an exciting semester it has been!
Our Moore students worked with the theme "Oh the places you'll go" this year, bringing our young students to places around the world and even into outer space!
The final displays were educational and engaging.
Great Job Everyone!

Crystal & Katie's Creatures

2011-04-05T05:39:00.000-07:00

Eddie's Paper Bag Alien

To start the students off, I created a mini lesson using household objects, that would assist in transitioning the students in to art making mode. The students used a wide range of materials to create a Paper Bag Alien that would live in their Outer Space projects. The students used coffee filters for the heads, straws for the arms and crayons to color in the Aliens. They were so amazed once they were finished with the projects, that they could fit their hand in them and use them as a puppet. This was great for getting the students settled in with the theme for class, and motivating them to create an environment for their Aliens to live in.

Jabari was so excited about the Puppets!!

Katie then had the students create an environment for the Aliens to live. We learned about our solar system, and how the planets were named after Roman Gods. We even learned about constellations, and how the ancient cultures saw animals and people in the sky and made stories about them. That was the Ancient Cultures means of Entertainment.

Christian's Solar System

The students incorporated the use of the sun and moon, as well as making planets to go in their solar system. For this project the students learned that crayons can serve as a resist for the watercolor. They also used tempera paint to paint the planets and glue them in their solar systems.

The students really enjoyed using the wide range of materials.

The learning center was set up to have an interactive constellation board in which the students could come up and connect the stars with yarn. This was a great way to get the students thinking of how the constellation come together!! There was also other activities such as: paper plate planet making, coloring pages, word search, word scramble, and a crossword to incorporate reading, writing and critical thinking skills. There were books on hand to use as a resource or if the students needed some time away from the lesson.

Katie talking about students work

We set the stage by creating name tents for the students, setting 'Mission Goals' (general goals for the class such as Clean Up, Complete Alien etc.) as well as 'Personal Goals' for each students individual need. Every time the student reached a benchmark or was observed achieving these goals, the para-educators and staff had star stickers to reward the students. Once the student achieved 10 stars, they were awarded with a Big Star.

This post was taken from Crystal's own blog.

Bookmaking with Elizabeth

2011-03-11T06:57:00.001-08:00

For this bookmaking project, I focused on sewing and pattern making. I created
specific “games” to target these skills. When it came time for the binding process, I
asked to work in a one-on-one situation with the students. I also wrote step-by-step
instructions that could be read aloud and used as a checklist.
Sewing Game Using 14x20 sections of cardboard, I painted bold silhouettes
(butterfly, flower, car, etc.), punched holes around the edges (with a screwdriver!),
and attached a needle (q-tip without cotton ends) with thread (1/4” ribbon secured
with masking tape). The idea is to sew around the edges like a connect-the-dots
puzzle.
Pattern Boards I took an 18x26 sheet of recycled matte board and drew a repeating
pattern based on a simple shape (triangle, diamond). Taking this basic shape, I cut
out a dozen more of the same shape from pieces of foam. The students were able to
manipulate the foam pieces around the board to create new patterns.
-Elizabeth

Fall 2010 Final Show

2010-12-13T05:40:00.001-08:00

After working on portfolios to bring all of their work home, our students welcomed their families and friends into the art room for our final show.
Our Moore students proudly displayed their young students work, and Shannah added an extra special touch by making fun hats that said "Ask me, I'm an artist" to help identify our young creators.
All enjoyed this very special event!

Carissa's Creatures

2010-12-13T05:16:00.000-08:00

Goal: Students will learn about Native American masks and how animals
often inspired them. Students will incorporate the elements of art into their
masks. The students will start by coloring in their mask with marker, and then
going back in and collage paper onto the mask with glue.

"My experience teaching the younger kids went very well. I was pretty nervous because this was really my first time teaching and being in charge of a classroom. I felt that the children were really engaged throughout my motivation and they responded well to all of my questions. Overall, the entire lesson went pretty smooth, although I wish I would have emphasized coloring in their masks first and leaving no white showing through on their mask (unless that was intentional of course, and part of their animal). During my lesson a young boy was scared of an image of a poisonous frog on my Power Point, and when the time came to start the mask he kept saying he was scared. I told him “why don’t you make an animal mask that fights of the poisonous frog?” He seemed to respond well to this and he made an animal called “devil eagle” It fights off the poisonous frog so that the frog could never hurt the young boy. I felt that I was successful in prompting the children when they were stuck. Overall I had a wonderful experience, the children have beautiful minds and wild imaginations that I love." - Carissa

Cherise's Surreal Family Portraits

2010-12-10T10:32:00.000-08:00

"This was a lesson on surreal family portraits. The students were shown visuals of famous families, real-life and cartoon. These slides included traditional portraits and action shots of families such as, the Obamas walking their dog, the Simpsons watching TV, and Shrek’s family sleeping. Finally I presented them with a PhotoShopped picture of the Obamas walking their dog on the moon. This was the basis of the lesson. The students portrayed an everyday family activity in a surreal environment. My hope was to make the students more aware of the background vs. the foreground and the figures vs. the environment they are placed in.

My experience with the older students went very well. I was very excited to see how engaged and involved they were in the motivation. I was a bit skeptical about incorporating vocabulary into the lesson. I only used two words that related to the theme of the lesson: “surreal” and “environment.” The boys clearly understood everything and they seemed to enjoy making the work. That more than anything is what I’m proud of."

-Cherise Sistrunk

Tracy's Calder Creations

2010-11-03T07:45:00.001-07:00

"My lesson was on Alexander Calder's mobiles. I wanted to show the students various ways that a two dimensional medium, in this case paper, could be used to form three dimensional works of art. We used dice to create story ideas which were then reinterpreted by the students in the shapes that they created for their mobiles. Wire brackets were pre-made to make the project fit the one hour class period, and paper clips were used to attach the paper shapes as well as to provide added weight where they needed it. If the students finished early, there were templates available to create cubes (like the dice) or pyramids which took the 2D into 3D idea one step further. I think the students really enjoyed the lesson. The mobiles were colorful and exciting to see hanging in the room."
-Tracy

Click HERE to make your own mobile online!

Alison's Prehistoric Drawings

2010-11-02T11:44:00.000-07:00

"We went back in time to see how prehistoric people might have communicated with
universal symbols and how those symbols might relate to our own experiences and
personal symbols in 2010. Students first added some personal symbols to individual
graffiti/mural walls, then we assembled them on the school wall to work as a collective
statement of identity.
Next, we worked on a large scale to create prehistoric cave-like drawings, using
natural colors and materials. The idea was to use some common Paleolithic period
symbols and include a few of our own too. Most everyone seemed to enjoy telling stories
in such a rough and simple way. Just for fun, we tried to make our images glow in the
dark with special paint."
-Alison

Stories Through Silhouettes

2010-11-02T11:26:00.000-07:00

This week, Tina chose to compare historical and modern use of silhouettes and then ask our students to create their own scenes using their bodies to make silhouettes.

M. Auguste Edouart was one of the best-known silhouette cutters from the time when the practice was most popular, in the early 1800s. Edouart cut more than 100,000 silhouettes of famous people, but lost most of them in a shipwreck in 1859.
One place today where we see use of silhouettes is in ipod advertising. The kids had great fun comparing the two and then got to work, in pairs of 2, to make their own action shots.

This was a very large scale project, and Tina had to really think about her classroom layout and clean up process. As you can see, each child had a designated space on the floor, creating boundaries for where and how everyone should work.

Ellissa's Klimt Creations

2010-10-24T07:22:00.002-07:00

Gustav Klimt

After looking at slides of work comparing Klimt's "Tree of Life" to other artists like Georgia O’Keefe, Chagall, Van Gogh, and Romare Bearden, Ellissa asked our older students to create their own landscapes from their imaginations using shapes and patterns like Klimt.

Ellissa showed her students a variety of decorative papers that she had collected including gold, silver and patterned sheets, along with silver and gold markers to add accents.

These came out great!

Here are a few samples from class.

Mel's Egyptian Tiles

2010-10-24T07:22:00.001-07:00

In this weeks lesson, Melanie's students learned that some Egyptian art incorporates portraits of people and the portraits show/depict what the person was known for or famous for. Melanie focused on teaching the kids about Ancient Egyptians during the time period of 500 BC – 300 AD. After viewing and discussing several images, Melanie had the students create their own modern tile and represent it in the Egyptian style of artwork.

Mel's created their tiles by learning how to use stamps and paint on wet clay slabs. Mel also chose to offer pressing popsicle sticks into the clay for those who struggled with creating the human figure on their own.

This was a VERY ambitious project to get done in 45 minutes, but Mel kept the kids moving and used several different methods (including check lists, labels on materials and pre-prepped para-educator directions) to keep the class moving smoothly.

Shanna's Puppet Fun

2010-10-24T07:19:00.000-07:00

For this lesson in our story-telling themed art class, we looked at

characters made by Jim Henson. We started by looking at a familiar character,

Kermit the frog. We talked about the similarities and differences between Kermit

and a frog that they might see near water or in the woods. We then looked at

other popular characters like Sponge Bob, and discussed what made them

characters and how they are used in telling a story. From there we went on to

look at other Jim Henson characters such as Hoggle and Mahna Mahna. The

students really surprised me with all of the facts they knew about these

characters in particular. We then created our own Jim Henson-inspired

characters out of cardboard tubes and various collage materials. Students were

encouraged to use the materials in a variety of ways and also encouraged to

emphasize specific aspects of their characters. Para educators further connected

the project to the lesson by asking prompting questions about their characters as

they were creating them. At the end of class, each student was given the

opportunity to discuss their characters and point out individual aspects. We then

viewed the Mahna Mahna video and it was a big hit! The video was not only

quirky and entertaining but also gave another example of the way artists use

characters to tell a story.

(Click on image to watch video)

Greek Theatre Masks

2010-10-06T09:19:00.001-07:00

This past Saturday we jump started this semester's YAW class by doing Greek Theatre masks with our older students. For some of our kids it's hard to get them to talk about feelings and the facial expressions connected to those feelings. We used a variety of prompts to get them motivated, including mirrors to practice large facial movements, a check list of ideas the kids could pull from and a large variety of materials to get them excited about the project.
HERE is a link that I used to base my lesson plan on.

Final Show Spring 2010

2010-04-26T06:14:00.000-07:00

After creating and decorating portfolios that celebrated our "Going Green" theme and took elements from each project of the semester, our young students welcomed their families and friends in for our final show.

I was really impressed with our Moore students. They not only decorated and made excellent displays for the kids art work, but they took the time to personally hand out certificates to each child and share little anecdotes with families about their experience this semester.

Great Job Everyone!

Potato Stamps with Jamie & Jenna

2010-04-21T08:21:00.001-07:00

Jamie, and her assistant Jenna, chose to take on the heavy task of combining our two classes to work on our culminating large group projects.
Jamie taught the kids how to make potato stamps by placing small cookie cutters in the center of 1/2 of a potato, and then used a plastic knife to cut around the edge of the cookie cutter. Jamie then had her students use a paint brush to apply paint to the potato so that it would not be too drippy when pressed on to the paper. After doing several practice pattern pages, the kids then used their potato stamps to decorate a poster and invitations for our final show.

Combining our younger and older groups together was not an easy task. Jamie and Jenna had to really think about how to make adaptations for such a large range of ages and skill levels. Transitions between rooms was another challenge they had to consider. It was an exciting risk to take, but I am proud of Jamie and Jenna for trying it out.

I'm also really proud of our kids for rolling with such a major change.

Fundreds with Jamie

2010-04-14T09:06:00.000-07:00

In keeping with our "Going Green" theme,

Jamie researched this really wonderful project called "Fundred".

"The Fundred Dollar Bill Project began in 2006 when artist and sculptor Mel Chin asked the federal government for $300 million to treat lead pollution in New Orleans. “It was devastating to [Chin] when he realized how 30 percent of New Orleans’ youth have been exposed to lead poisoning,” explained Carnegie Mellon CFA alumna Jessica Moss, who heads the regional Fundred collection. However, when the government rejected his proposal and told Chin he would need to raise the $300 million on his own, the artist came up with a new twist on fundraising. “[Chin] knew that he could not raise that much money in any amount of time,” Moss said. “So he said, ‘Why not create that money?’ ” Chin started the Fundred Dollar Bill Project locally in New Orleans’ elementary schools,

but the project soon expanded across the nation.
Fundreds are fake $100 bills with the face of Benjamin Franklin, the image of Independence Hall, and other notable features blanked out. The Fundred templates encourage participants to draw what is important to them on their mock bills, such as putting their home on the back where Independence Hall was originally. “The Fundred templates are used almost as equivalents of $100 bills,” Moss said.
“The funny thing about the project is that it’s such a gamble.... The end of the project is June 2010.... Hopefully at that moment, the government will decide whether they will do something with the Fundreds.” There has so far been no word from the United States government concerning its response to the project.
Also noteworthy are the security and transport of these drawings.
“An armored truck will travel to each of the pickup sites around the country and pick up however many Fundreds they’ve collected,” Moss said. “The problem of lead poisoning is so vast and affecting so many people that the symbolic value of the Fundreds is significant, even if the monetary value isn’t yet.”

(Article taken from The Tartan)

Getting kids to be OK with making art for someone other than themselves can be a really tricky thing, but I love that Jamie was up for the challenge, and quickly got her students on board. Jamie went the extra step and had the kids make "safes" for the money, which I thought was pretty awesome. The fundreds will be on display in our final show on April 24th, and then will be mailed off to join the other fundreds in hopes that the government

will match every dollar we decorated.

To learn more about Fundreds and to print out lesson plans and templates go to www.fundreds.org

Building Plants with Katie

2010-04-06T06:02:00.000-07:00

As we continued to work as a class with the theme of “Green,” Kaity asked the children to express their ideas of nature through their drawings and written words. The students took only a few minutes to do this and then were asked to identify the shapes that they could see in their drawings of nature. Once the students made the connection between the shapes in nature and the shapes that they could replicate in their own art, they had the option of beginning to transform their drawings into something more three-dimensional with pipe cleaners.

Henry Moore & Barbar Hepworth

Afterwards, we began as a class, to explore the abstract sculptures of Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth. The students were first shown images of nature, then shortly after, images of the sculptures that were inspired by nature, were revealed. One student yelled out, “Of course!” He immediately recognized the connection between reality and abstraction. It was a great moment. The kids were then asked to make their own abstract sculptures using green Crayola Model Magic. The sculptures were to be inspired by leaves and flowers Kaity had selected for them. The students seemed to have fun picking out the shapes they recognized in their plants and imitating them in their sculptures. They then were given help as they anchored their sculpture to a prepped wire and flowerpot, so that their newly created abstract plants could stand straight up!

The students seemed to have fun picking out the shapes they recognized in their plants and imitating them in their sculptures. They then were given help as they anchored their sculpture to a prepped wire and flowerpot, so that their newly created abstract plants could stand straight up! Afterwards the kids enjoyed adding a relevant setting to their sculptures. They were to add dirt, made of shredded brown paper, and then given a choice of different types of bugs that they could press into their clay pieces.

We were all very happy with the final pieces that were produced. The kids really took the project to an unexpected level, some by creating impressions in the clay with the leaves or flowers they had chosen, and others by adding bits of their natural form directly to their sculptures! It was a wonderful experience for all and the students’ pride in what they had made was evident in their eagerness to share their processes and new sculptures with the class!

Autism Awareness Night with the Phillies

2010-04-01T05:39:00.000-07:00

Autism Awareness Night with the Phillies!

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Phillies vs. Florida Marlins

Game Time: 7:05 pm

(Turkey Hill Kid’s Opening Night- all children 14 and under will receive a

Ryan Howard NLCS MVP Baseball & Collectible Tin)

A representative from the Autism community will throw out the first ball at the game.

Join us at Citizens Bank Park in support of this great cause!

Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit Autism Organizations in Pennsylvania

A resource table with information on Autism will be located at the First Base
Gate Plaza during Pre-Game

Beginning at game time, the information will be available at Guest Services on the Main Concourse & Terrace Level

Phillies vs.FloridaMarlins
Saturday,
April 17
@ 7:05 pm

Terrace Deck
(412-429)
@ $26

Terrace Deck
(430-434)
@ $20
Processing & Handling Fee
$6 per order
(NOT per ticket)

Total Amount Enclosed
# of tickets

$6.00
$

E-mail: autismnight@phillies.com

If you have any questions, please call

Bryan Angione in the Phillies Sales Office at (215) 463-5000 ext. 5465.

April is Autism Awareness Month!

Marble Art with Jacqui

2010-03-22T06:10:00.000-07:00

Jackson Pollock & Wassilly Kandinsky

"I was super excited to start my project with the younger class! Our project was Shoe Box Marble Art using recycled shoe boxes as a painting tool. When the kids first arrived, I had them do a mini lesson practicing their shapes. We had many different variations ranging from big to small shapes, characters made out of shapes, to different classifications of shapes such as equilateral triangles and rectangular prisms! During our powerpoint motivation, the kids learned about Wassilly Kandinsky, and how he used shapes to show motion in his artwork as well as Jackson Pollock and how his style of action painting also portrayed motion in his paintings. All of the objectives were laid out and they were all eager to get to work! Their objective was to create three different pieces. First, they were to draw six shapes on each of their three pieces of paper. Next, once all three papers were complete, they were to place their first drawing into their shoe box to begin their action painting. They then came to the supply table and chose the colors of paint they wanted (we had discussed the primary colors that Kandinsky used so I limited the palette to those) and squeezed some dots into their box. The next step was to pick up some marbles, place them inside of their box, close the lid, and start shaking!! The kids had a great time with this part. They moved around the room making "musical art" by shaking their boxes to the beats of their own drum. The final step was to take the lid off of the box and see their new masterpiece! The kids pumped out a ton of paintings referencing back to the two artists and they seemed to really enjoy themselves." - Jaqui

Totem Poles with Sarah

2010-03-18T12:02:00.000-07:00

Sarah was really excited about her Totem Pole project, and we were too!

At the beginning of our class Sarah had the kids do a mini project focused on creating simple symbols using common images (star, apple, circle etc.) and then asked the kids to repeat those symbols to create patterns. Sarah used motivating questions on her worksheet for this mini project asking kids what images come to mind when the think of specific colors (blue = water, red= heart, etc.). After the kids were done their mini project Sarah introduced her students to the idea of creating a Totem Pole using not only the symbols that they had created but facial expressions as well. Sarah drew her students into the project further by showing them symbols of things that she had seen the kids use in the previous weeks that they had been working. The demo Q&A time was lively and the kids were really engaged.

Sarah then asked the kids to create their part of the Totem Pole using this Instructions & Check List. I thought the combo of the 2 on one piece of paper, along with a finished Totem Pole head was a great idea.

The kids and staff always knew what the were supposed to be doing.

Sarah will be taking the finished pieces home to create one large stacked Totem Pole, and I can't wait to see what the finished product looks like!

Green "Green" Posters with Jay

2010-03-18T11:37:00.000-07:00

Jay took the theme "Green" and decided to make some posters with the kids of their favorite green places, people or things. While working with this idea, Jay had the kids practice a little color mixing to create the color green. This paint was then applied to large pieces of recycled paper as the kids added their images to their themed posters. The end result was pretty fun!

Jay talked a lot with he peers ahead of time about how to get the kids away from the tables and painting up against the wall, without creating chaos. I was really excited about this idea as we have a few kids who often need appropriate times to move around the room, and a few other kids who could really benefit from working their arms as they create these larger pieces of work.

For this kind of large format work Jay had to do a lot of planning.

I was really impressed when I got this room layout as part of his lesson plan.

Jay had great command over the room as the kids work, often excitedly yelling "stay with me" if kids got off task. You can tell by the smiles on these kids faces and by the work produced that this was a fun and festive time for all.

Little Girls, Spotted Owls & Kids who have Downe Syndrome

2010-03-14T07:27:00.000-07:00

Last year I was able to take a sabbatical and worked in Northern India at a spectacular organization called LATIKA ROY. There I taught art to children with special needs and hosted several workshops for local special educators. The 5 months that I spent there had a significant impact on my life and the way that I teach art now.

My boss there, Jo, keeps a regular blog of her life in India and the work being done at Latika Roy. Her most recent blog really struck me, and I'm posting it here to share with you.

For more on Jo's Blog click HERE.

Over 100 million baby girls are missing. Don't bother searching - they're gone forever. Victims of what The Economist magazine - in its March 6th cover story - calls gendercide, these babies were detected to be female while still in the womb and then selectively aborted because their parents preferred sons.

It is a hideous reality, particularly here in North India, where the sex ratio in some areas (Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan are particularly bad) is 120 boys to 100 girls. And the long term social consequences of an abnormal number of unattached men is frightening to consider.

But I'm thinking a little more widely here - not just about the horror of targeting little girls, but the horror of targeting any baby, for anyreason.

Sow the wind, reap the whirlwind.

Women have long been constrained by biology. We are the ones who get pregnant. And children, even when they are wanted and planned and eagerly anticipated, are still disruptive and demanding. For women with health issues, pregnancy can be life-threatening. For poor women, another child may tip the balance into misery and chaos. And for anyone with career ambitions, having a baby almost always means postponing them.

So legal, safe abortion seemed like an answer to prayer - the perfect solution to an unwanted pregnancy. But many things are not what they seem, and many great ideas turn out, years later, to be not so great.

We can seldom predict the long term ripple effect of our actions. Surely no feminist marching for the "right to choose" back in the 60's and 70's could ever have imagined that so many women would take that right and use it to kill their daughters. Surely no feminist could have imagined that the right to abortion would end up skewing the sex ratio to such an extent that even sociologists, economists and government bureaucrats are alarmed.

Because the killing was supposed to be random. Abortion was meant to be an equal opportunity destroyer. Any baby - black or brown or white, rich or poor, male or female - was supposed to have had as good a chance as any other of being targeted. The only criteria was supposed to be wantedness.

So what a shock it must have been for pro-choice activists to find that cutting across all categories - the rich, the poor, the black, brown and white, the male, the female - little girls weren't wanted. And in such large numbers that sex ratios - a force of nature which even self-corrects for boys' greater susceptibility to infant disease - were massively affected.

You might be forgiven for thinking that pro-choice feminists would shake their heads and sigh and leave it at that. After all, the fight was never for abortion - it was for choice. And if women are choosing something I don't happen to like, well, that's their choice. Right?

Wrong.

Pro-choice activists and traditional feminists around the world are united in their fight against "gendercide" and "the targeted destruction of baby girls." Here in India, there is a concerted effort to prevent ultrasound clinics from revealing the sex of the baby and every state has a well-orchestrated campaign against female feticide.

Because girls are key. Where would any of us be without them?

In ecological terms, girls are a keystone species: one whose presence is crucial to a particular ecosystem and whose destruction can damage it irreparably.

That's obvious. But keystone species are usually not obvious. At least, they're not the ones on the hit parade. Lions, tigers and elephants are not on the list. Keystoners are more likely to be the spotted owl, the brine shrimp or the humble lichen. The kind of creatures you don’t notice until they’re gone.

That lichen, for example: it's a colonizing organism which can revitalize soil devastated by volcanic ash, fix its own nitrogen and even disintegrate rocks, and it may seem dispensable – it’s only a fungus, after all. But without it, the ecosystem of the Arctic region would suffer cataclysmically and the entire planet would be affected.

The furor and the outrage over gendercide fills me with hope. If even pro-choice activists can object to the targeted destruction of a specific group, maybe babies with disability, long the completely acceptable target of amniocentesis detection and subsequent abortion, will be next on the endangered species list, right up there with the snail darter and the spotted owl. It may take a bit more imagination, but perhaps some Nobel Laureate will realize, for example, that a world without Down Syndrome kids (the number of kids with Downs has plummeted in the West, far more precipitously than the decline of girls) would be a poor world indeed. That Nobel Laureate may even be able to figure out why.

We share the earth with a staggering array of life forms, each important in its own way. Saying we are all interconnected is not a platitude, it is a fact. While inclusion has been packaged as the path of virtue, it is really just plain common sense – even self-interest. We exclude at our peril.

But this utilitarian view of inclusion is a narrow and limited one. Beyond it is yet another: one which revels in the sheer variety the earth contains and celebrates life for its own sake, not for what it does for us. It’s a wonderful world, unpredictable and full of surprising twists and turns. Which sex you are, whether you have a brilliant mind or are physically independent are just a few illusory facts which could all change in the twinkling of an eye.

And the keystone species theory, while fun for the way it turns accepted wisdom on its head, is really just another more sophisticated form of exclusion: what about the poor old lion, now that the spotted owl is lord of the jungle?

Girls, owls and people with disabilities enrich our lives in ways we cannot begin to fathom and those of us lucky enough to be ecologists in these particular ecosystems can make grateful lists of rocks they have disintegrated and nitrogen they have created from thin air.

But that’s a bonus. Like the rest of us, they’re all here because God made them. There is no need for them to justify their existence. For just as “every cubic inch of space is a miracle”, so every single species is a keystone species.

PHOTO CREDITS: Two Girls, Hiding: Jo; Owlet: Nicola Tansley;Abhishek with Manju: Ken Carl

Paper Relief Sculptures with Joy

2010-03-12T07:52:00.001-08:00

Joy continued the discussion of our theme "Going Green" by talking about environmental art. Joy did a great job of building on what the students have been learning so far about recycling and clean energy this semester. Joy expanded on this by bringing in new vocabulary related to our earth's natural resources, conservation and waist.

Joy then showed her students pictures of Robert Smithson's spiral jetty and got the kids thinking about how they could use a natural resource, or recycled material to create art. Joy introduced the idea of rolling newspaper to create a relief sculpture of shapes like the jetty shown above.

The kids got really excited about this project. Joy chose to have her kids create their piece on old matte board that was donated by a local frame show, so that the kids could really get into building without worrying that the paper would fall apart.

I was really pleased to see the kids run with this idea, some even building way up and and beyond the relief structure that Joy had suggested. Joy was great about allowing her students to explore, experiment and create with this great recycled material.

Simple & Practical Visual Strategies for Children with Autism

2010-03-11T07:53:00.000-08:00

This article is from Linda Hodgons Newsletter

Simple, Practical Visual Strategies that Work
I’ve encountered people who master having a schedule or a snack choice board for students and they feel like they are done. They don’t see beyond those first visual tools that they have created. I wish they would realize that they have only just begun to tap the possibilities with visual strategies. The “magic” of visual strategies is that they are the perfect tools to teach those concepts that can be so difficult for lots of students to understand. There are endless opportunities to teach concepts and solve problems with visual tools.

Here’s an example from Caity’s Mom

Caity wasn’t happy about getting her clothes washed. Changing clothes caused problems. So here is how Mom explained how she handled it.

This Washing Clothes card

helped us through a lot of trying situations. Caity did not understand the concept of dirty clothes. But she knew SHE needed a bath. So I created a visual for Caity’s clothes to have THEIR bath in the washing machine. In the meantime, she could make a choice of other clothes that she could pick. Pretty clever, isn’t it? And it’s so simple. It isn’t the fanciest chart and I don’t think it took a long time to create. But I have no doubt that this little gem saved Mom from dealing with lots of tantrums along the way.

Transitions can be “messy”

Transitions are some of the toughest times for lots of children, whether or not they have special needs. Kids don’t want to stop what they are doing to join our agenda, whatever it may be . . . especially if they are having fun. Here’s a visual transition tool that helped Caity succeed.

Caity’s Mom reports

The Transition Tool was my lifesaver for transitioning Caity. First she would see me take it out to use. Just seeing it helped her to know that something was going to change. I would then give her a few moments to adjust to the "idea" of going. Then I would begin the countdown. I would always observe her to see how she was handling the idea of leaving. Then I could either go slower or faster depending on how well she was doing. But (important to remember) when I got to the last number, I HAD to be ready to go immediately.

When she was younger I could do a countdown method from “5-4-3-2-1-time to go” flip chart. I put favorite cartoon characters on the top of the flip section to help motivate her to look at the transition tool. I was in control of the countdown, so when I got to three, I would observe her to see how well she was handling the idea of ending her activity. I could either slow down the remaining count or speed it up. It depended on the situation.

As soon as I got to the last flip of “time to go” or “all done” I needed to be ready to go because she could leave without me. I put a clear plastic pocket on the last flip section. Then I could change the wording with a little card to have it say whatever I would like. For example, “go home,” “stop TV,” or “all done”. I used the transition countdown tool for several years and finally progressed to the five-finger countdown, and then eventually (years later) I was able to just tell her “time to go.”

What a simple solution The flip chart worked! Just look at it. Duct tape and a few stickers. Not fancy, but Caity understood exactly what it meant. Mom counted down 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Could she have made it count up like this . . . 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ? I think so. It really doesn’t matter as long as Mom and child both have the same understanding.

Please note this

Mom describes how she used the cardboard & duct tape version. Later on, the system “morphed” to using her fingers. And later on, the system “morphed” to a verbal system.

Here’s a common question

“OK, I am using some visual strategies and the student is responding. When do I start to “wean them off” so they don’t become dependent on them?” The answer to this question is “maybe never.” Or the visuals may gradually be replaced, but that may take a really long time . . . like years.

The bottom line

Visual supports may change and morph as time goes on because the student’s needs change. But using visual tools to help them handle the events of life successfully can be lifelong . . . . and that’s a good thing."

Camouflage Flip Flops with Gail

2010-03-08T08:37:00.000-08:00

In continuing with our "Going Green" theme, Gail chose to do some camouflage work with recycled shoes.

Originally Gail wanted to gather shoes from a local thrift store, but after finding that clean ones were a bit beyond her budget, Gail hunted down some leftover flip flops last summer that were on sale for $1 and decided to use those instead.

Gail's break down of this lesson was really great. She asked the kids to pick one simple shape and trace it over and over again on 2-3 different pieces of colored paper. The kids were then asked to cut those shapes out and layer them on another piece of colored paper. This created the camouflage affect. The 2nd step to this project was to then use the original cut out shape as a stencil to draw the shape with a pencil over and over on each flip flop (the flip flops were gessoed by Gail ahead of time). Gail instructed the students to even use the stencil on the straps of the flip flop. When they were done drawing the students were then asked to pick paint that matched their original camouflage collage and paint the flip flops the same way.

The final affect was really cool!

Windmills with Shanna

2010-03-08T06:35:00.000-08:00

As we continue with our "Going Green" theme, Shanna came up with this fantastic idea of making windmills out of recycled paper, and decorate them with blown splatter painting. The connections with how the kids used their breath to paint these paper windmills and how we can use the wind as energy was pretty brilliant.

The kids really got into this project, and those of us who worked next store could hear the squeals of excitement as the kids blew through straws to paint their paper. The kids then learned how to fold a large windmill which they mounted on a larger piece of paper, and then they created a smaller windmill to add to a stick so that they could once again use their breath to move the paper. It was a very exciting project!

For a quick lesson plan and template on how to make these paper windmills, click HERE.

Yoga for Families Touched by Autism

2010-03-05T07:52:00.000-08:00

Yoga for Families Touched by Autism: 4 Week Series
(Conshohocken, PA)

March 11 - April 1 4:30-5:15pm $120 Per Family (up to 4 ppl)
A sacred space for children on the autism spectrum, siblings and parents to unite in the joys of yoga, creative movement, breathing and relaxing. Experience…• flexibility, strength, balance, and focus as we move our bodies into different poses and shapes • calm and peace as we breathe our way to relaxation • freedom as we express ourselves creatively • comfort and ease as we feel connected, body, mind & spirit Each family member is given the space to be, to shine, and come together as an integral part of the Infinite (family).

For more information go to RYAH Yoga & Health

A response to "The Medicated Child"

2010-03-04T12:22:00.000-08:00

This semester I asked our students to watch "The Medicated Child" and then send me an opinion paragraph. One of our students wrote a very personal response and I asked if I could share it here on our blog.

"This video hits close to home for me. I struggled with migraines and depression through high school. I was seeing my family doctor and he had been prescribing medications for a while. Some of them didn't work/ some worked for a period of time and then stopped working. We tried going to a chiropractor, psychologist, and eventually a neurologist. I had been home from school so much that I received a tutor to get my homework and to help me catch up. I ended up missing the last two months of my senior year. At the end while studying for finals and NY regents my neurologist decided to hospitalize me and to take me off my meds (that my family Dr. had prescribed) and to switch them. During my three days there I had to have an IV with regular 8 hour injections of a specific medication to get rid of my migraines, at the end of the three days the doctor had changed all my meds and gotten rid of my migraines. (this was AWFUL! and I had to study!) Fortunately due to a great tutor I finished my senior year with great exam scores and graduated.But I still struggled with mild head aches and depression while away at college.I found myself having casebook symptoms of depression.At this point in my life I am not on medications (head aches are no longer a problem)I found that the side affects (nausea and stomach problems) out weighed the benefits from the drugs, and hated depending on medications. The problem was never finding a drug that actually made a significant difference.
During this film I was reminded of some problems: *I am taking advice from my family physician and although he is doing all he can to help me, it has been years of trial and error and I feel that it still isn't under control, should I be seeing another doctor? (I felt that he was great at diagnosing mild child sicknesses, but this was out of his field) *I don't like being dependent on medications!* Are all these medications safe?* Are the side affects worth it?*Why am I taking all these medications if they are still not totally helping me?
I felt for the children in this video. I was almost jealous of the specialized care they got.Up until this point I feel my doctor thinks I am making things up, and that he medicates me just to make me feel better in the moment and to get me out of the office. He quickly researches things on his blackberry, but I don't think he really listens to me. *I think if a doctor is taking the responsibility to prescribe a patient than they should have the time to listen to them, if not why not refer them to another doctor or specialist? * My family tried different methods that their friends suggested to us, I think the families in this video have other methods they could be exploring before resorting to drugs, and it is up to the doctors to suggest healthier alternatives before loading kids up with dangerous drugs. * I think parents give doctors their kids lives, they should be more invested in the problem besides taking them to the appointment. I think parents should be doing their homework as well. Could parents of children that have passed away saved them by researching the drug and it's potency? * I also feel many of these parents that take their kids into doctors just don't know how to handle their kids, and the easiest solution is to but them on a mild tranquilizer. Some of the fits their children are throwing could just be normal children behavior. Kids are going to have attitudes and fits, it is how you handle them and address the problem. * Maybe these parents need a lesson on how to manage their kids first, who says it is the kids?"

I am very honored that this person chose to share their story, and I hope that we can keep these things in mind as we help our own children/students grow.

Quilting with Beth

2010-03-04T12:05:00.001-08:00

2 weeks ago Beth taught her first lesson to our younger students. Beth's objective was for her young students to walk away from this project with an idea of what quilts are, why they are made, how they are used, what patterns we see in them, and how layers and borders are used in them.

Keeping with our "Going Green" theme, Beth chose to use recycled materials in her project having each child create a collage on a rectangular sheet of black paper. Beth was really great at instructing each step of the collage-quilt making process. I love how she talked about how in quilting many layers are stitched together to form a thicker blanket. Beth even brought her own quilt from home so that the kids could see and touch it. Beth asked her students to do a similar thing with their collages, and some even made pop out parts! After the students were done, they were asked to stitch a border along the side of their collage. Beth made a great adaptation for some of our children who struggle with fine motor skills, and added tape to the end of each piece of yarn so that it was stiff enough to easily get through each hole.

After each child was done, Beth gathered her students to the front of the room and heals a small critique. The kids clapped and cheered for each other, and it was all very exciting. For the final show Beth asked her students if she could connect all of the collages together to create one large "quilt". I am eager to see the fabulous final product.

Paper Folding with Jenna

2010-03-02T09:05:00.000-08:00

(Mia Pearlman) (David Thorpe)

This past week Jenna showed us that paper art can take many forms. After discussing Mia Pearlman's "Eye" and David Thorpe's "Out from the night, the day is beautiful and we are filled with joy" Jenna offered our students a few samples of how to fold, curl, rip and cut paper to create either a collage or 3D design. Jenna then had our students practice these kinds of folds and curls one at a time. Jenna would model the folding or rolling technique then ask each child to try it on their own. It became almost like a game as Jenna went around the room folding and curling paper with each student.

After some folding practice, Jenna had our students think about and discuss where their favorite places are, and then begin to fold paper to create those places.

Jenna encouraged her "staff" to allow the students as much freedom as possible in creating their work. Some staff were instructed to show how to fold or curl paper while sitting next to the students, but not actually do the work for the student. I like this kind of side by side modeling for our kids. The "staff" also allowed their students to instruct them in helping with the project making process asking some folks to hold things while the kids glued, or hold paper while it is being cut.

Two excellent samples of the different ways our students took this project are "Philadelphia, where I go to art class" by Andrew and "The Airport" by Anthony.

Temple Grandin

2010-02-26T13:44:00.000-08:00

Temple Grandin, diagnosed with autism as a child, talks about how her mind works -- sharing her ability to "think in pictures," which helps her solve problems that neurotypical brains might miss. She makes the case that the world needs people on the autism spectrum: visual thinkers, pattern thinkers, verbal thinkers, and all kinds of smart geeky kids.

To watch a 20 minute FREE video clip of Temple Grandin's lecture click HERE.

Mandalas

2010-02-22T12:27:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday Bailey taught our older students about Mandalas.

"The word "mandala" is from the classical Indian language of Sanskrit. Loosely translated to mean "circle," a mandala is far more than a simple shape. It represents wholeness, and can be seen as a model for the organizational structure of life itself--a cosmic diagram that reminds us of our relation to the infinite, the world that extends both beyond and within our bodies and minds." (http://www.mandalaproject.org/)

Bailey encouraged our students to create Mandalas using a collage technique.

Some excellent adaptations that Bailey used with our kids were:

-Bailey brought a large range of books and magazines for the students to collect images from, and encouraged her "para-educators" (her peers) to help kids narrow things down and pick one or two animals to work with.

-Bailey supplied questions for her para-educators to use when working with their students.

-Bailey offered both blank Mandala's and Mandalas that already had patterns in them for the students to work with.

-Bailey brought a large range of materials for the students to work with, and gave directions to both the para-educators and students on how much to use of each.

-The para-educators did an excellent job of allowing the students to guide the project, only intervening when a student was unable to complete a task on their own.

I was very pleased to see the variety in the completed Mandalas, and that the students were able to join in Bailey's excitement about the project.

Art, Autism and the Philadelphia Eagles!

2010-02-18T12:03:00.000-08:00

In April 2009 the Center for Autism Research created an Art Gallery to feature works of art by individuals on the autism spectrum. Artists of all ages and styles contributed their work, and over 40 pieces now hang in our Center's hallways that make up the gallery. We welcome all individuals on the autism spectrum to submit their works of art to be permanently displayed at CAR. A sampling of pieces will also be added to the Online Art Gallery.

Artists who submit their work by April 1st can see their art displayed at the Philadelphia Eagles Huddle Up for Autism event at Lincoln Financial Field on April 11th (see Events tab for more details). The art can be anything from finger paintings to self-portraits. Let the creative juice flow! For more information on how to submit artwork click here.

Center for Autism Research Website

Newspaper Sculpture (Round 2)

2010-02-16T12:04:00.000-08:00

After looking at this house made by Sumer Erek, who spent 5 years collecting over 150,000 newspapers, we tried our own hand at making some newspaper structures. Some of our students were able to roll and build the structure on their own, while others needed assistance either with rolling, taping or decision making. Some were frustrated that model had been hidden from them so that they had no reference to copy or to help them know if they had done things "right", while others found it exhilarating to label objects as they created them. It was fun to watch our Moore students imagine with the children and allow the youngsters to lead the project as a whole. As parents came in to see the final product, many children presented their piece with pride saying "Look what I made!".

Special Ed. & the Arts Workshop in April

2010-02-05T05:41:00.000-08:00

One of our students, Sarah Lu, Found this great workshop that's coming up in Philly.

Art in the Special-Needs Classroom
Thursday April 22, 2010, 5:00–7:00 p.m. or Saturday April 24, 2010, 10:00 a.m.–noon

Location: Wachovia Education Resource Center, Perelman Building
2 NJ or PA hours
Reservations required
Free
Limit 20 teachers

Art offers many opportunities to engage students with special needs. This workshop explores the use of art activities and images in diverse special-needs classroom settings. It examines research and offers an opportunity for teachers to discuss experiences and learn techniques for working with special-needs students.

For more information go to http://www.philamuseum.org/education/teacher_workshops.html

the Eyes of Me

2010-02-05T05:30:00.000-08:00

One of our students, Jamie Moore, found this great film that is being showed locally on February 24th.

You are invited to a free screening of
The Eyes of Me
Wednesday February 24, 2010
7:00pm – 9:00pm
Hosted by Overbrook School for the Blind
6333 Malvern Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19151

Free parking in school parking lot; Wheelchair accessible
This film is closed-captioned and audio description is available.

To RSVP and to request audio description,
please visit: whyy.org/memberexperience
or call 215-877-0313, ext. 405

Panel discussion follows the film (ASL interpreted)
Co-presented by ITVS, WHYY, Overbrook School for the Blind, Liberty Resources, Inc.
Amaryllis Theatre Company, and Deaf-Hearing Communication Centre, Inc.

A Green Idea

2010-02-01T08:39:00.000-08:00

This semester our students decided on the theme "Green Art". This week I popped that term into Google's image search engine and found these pictures. They are an inspriation to us, and I'm really excited to see what our own students come up with this semester.

Painting With Cups

2010-01-20T11:43:00.001-08:00

This project was done with children ages 3-5. A student's grandfather generously donated some old frames from his store, and we got to play with them. Because these young students were focusing on the theme "Help" I thought it would be nice to create a group project. I knew that several students in this class struggled with their fine motor skills, so I wanted to create a lesson where everyone could participate in a way that would support where they were developmentally. Using paint brushes can often be difficult for those who can not easily control their arm and hand movements, so I thought using old cups as a stamp might be fun. I chose to have the students also work standing up, giving them a little practice with their muscles and balance. For those who needed support standing up, I brought the picture frame closer to their bodies and stood behind them gently locking my knees around their hips to give them support. I did not move their arms for them, but supported their arms and allowed them to move as much as they could on their own.

The piece itself is huge, and about 12 students worked on it.

Hanger Sculpture

2010-01-10T13:25:00.000-08:00

I found this image above of a hanger sculpture, and tried it out with my Pre-K kids. It was a hit! I loved watching my students figure out how to balance each side of this mobile, taking away and adding hangers to make it what they want it to be.

Newspaper Sculpture

2009-12-24T13:12:00.000-08:00

While in India, one of my most favorite, low cost art projects was creating this sculpture out of recycled newspapers and tape. Children between the ages of 5 and 15 worked on this together. This project not only worked on some of my students fine motor skills, it also worked on hand-eye coordination, social skills, and balance. It took the students a little while to figure out that a square base is not the best shape to use. I loved watching the excitement grow as my students realized that triangles were the way to go. The sculpture itself reached almost 5 feet tall, towering over many of the students, and becoming big enough for some of our littlest kids to crawl around in.

Adaptations:
-Students may use a pencil to help guide the paper rolling.
-If students are unable to role the paper, they may try folding it.
-Students with minimal use of their hands may hand off tape, and give directions either verbally or with head and/or eye signals.
-Working in pairs or with a group gives everyone a chance to be involved in the decision making process of creating this structure.