Guest Posted March 8, 2005 Posted March 8, 2005 Hi, I am after some creative ideas as I am apparently lacking in this area. I need ideas for making flowers that look good but don’t necessarily need loads of adult support? I am also sequencing the growth of a plant and had pictures to sequence but now feel I should do something more creative – any ideas please?
Sue R Posted March 8, 2005 Posted March 8, 2005 Sorry, but - Matilda who says you are lacking in creativity??? Sue
Guest Posted March 8, 2005 Posted March 8, 2005 I have made flowers using fingerprints. If you model making a flower shape to the children using finger prints for the flower and the stem, reminding them to wipe their fingers before placing them in the paint. Let them have a practice with an adult present then they should be able to have a go on their own. I cut the card to different sizes so they couldnt go mad with the paint.
Guest Posted March 8, 2005 Posted March 8, 2005 Sorry, I am on my final teaching practise and the class teacher believes I am not teaching the curriculum through creative activities as she likes to do. I have already done hand print flowers and was considering doing some observational drawing but again these ideas are not cross curricular like she wants. Also introducing o'clock so any creative thoughts on this would be welcome too.
Sue R Posted March 8, 2005 Posted March 8, 2005 Don't let yourself be undermined, we all have our preferred ways of working with the children, I expect you're fine, just approach things in a different way to the teacher . You could show the children how to roll circles of coloured tissue into a loose 'cone' shape and push them into straws, so that they can make a posy ? Or explore other ways, such as attempting garlands, by exploring fixings, patterns.....? Will think some more Sue
Rea Posted March 8, 2005 Posted March 8, 2005 How do you measure creativity?? How about collage flowers? There can be so many different styles produced providing there is a wealth of resources. If you provide photo's of flowers they can either produce their version of it or use it as a basis for what they want to do. If you use flowers like lillies, you can look closely at the bits inside (biology was not my strong point) Cactus, ferns, roses with all the layers, water plants. So long as it's the childrens own work and interpretation I would be happy with that personnaly
Guest Posted March 8, 2005 Posted March 8, 2005 A beautiful display at this time of year is daffodils, place some open daffs in a vase and get the children to do some observational painting using the daffodils as inspiration. Talk about and name the parts of the plant, leaves, stalk, flower, petals, trumpet. After counting the petals you will discover all daffodils have six petals children's pictures should reflect this. Provide different shades of yellow and green paint or allow them to mix their own. If your children are not used to mixing paint give them some experience of this first. give them a large plate with a teaspoon of powder paint in the three primary colours add some white and allow them to mix, we do this very regularly and the children love it. You can also do this with finger painting.
Gezabel Posted March 8, 2005 Posted March 8, 2005 Showing my ignorance on all things related to 'green fingers' but when do we get dandelions appearing!!!! Just wondered if they could collage dandelions or paint them and then use the dandelions for the blowing game '1 o'clock'2 o'clock etc! sort of tying in with your o'clock ( and a bit of maths thrown in) and a bit of physical, holding/ co-ordination/blowing etc Just a thought
Guest Posted March 8, 2005 Posted March 8, 2005 Today I read our children a book (CLL) about busy bumblebee, she had lots of pollen and couldn't carry it to the hive to make the honey, the story evolved where she asked her animal friends in turn to help her but they needed help themselves. Lizzie ladybird had lost her baby ladybird( they found her asleep on a "red" pettle that is why she was hard to find), Anita Ant needed help to carry a pea-pod, Sam Spider needed help to weave his web, after she had helped them she remembered her big pile of pollen, then Beautiful Brenda Butterfly said" we'll help you because you helped us", so all the animals helped carry the pollen to the hive (PSE). I showed the children pollen from a daffodil, (KUW) (Shook it onto a dark piece of paper), we then went to the art area, found the yellow powder paint (pollen),after mixing the powder the children made paintings of Daffodils and then sprinkled yellow powder onto the picture, we then added PVA and a little red paint, to make it "like Honey". Some children made butterfly pictures using the same colours as "Beautiful Brenda". (MATHS- Symetrical patterns) After lunch we made some bumble bees by twisting one yellow and one black pipe cleaner together with a small piece of cotton for the wings. (CRE) (PHYS) At the snack table we had honey on toast. (PSE. talked about where honey comes from KUW) I was really please with the activities especially as they were not planned, the book was chosen by a child for story time and the rest evolved from that. Is this cross curricular enough do you think? Peggy
michaelle Posted March 8, 2005 Posted March 8, 2005 I am not much of a green fingered person either but- who said you were lacking in creativity - ask them how they would be creative - I hate critics
Guest Posted March 8, 2005 Posted March 8, 2005 We made tissue paper flowers - I provided an assortment of colours pre-cut into A6 size to avoid excess waste. The children had to draw round templates (different sized circles and scalloped circles), cut out their petals and push onto pipe cleaners. By bending the tip of the pipe cleaner over on itself the petals cannot fall off. Then scrunch for realism. - Our pipe cleaners are white so the children coloured them green with felt tips and left the top bit yellow for the centre of the flower. The girls were particularly keen, as you can imagine! MyWorld 3 has a screen for creating a flower picture - the children need to be shown how to rotate the petals, but apart from that its OK. They can even write a sentence if they want - either with the key board or using the wordbank provided. Teaching time creatively? Hmm. Can only really think of stories, picture sequencing or "charades"! Good luck
Guest Posted March 8, 2005 Posted March 8, 2005 Thank you all so much for taking the time to respond to my plea for help. You have given me some great ideas to think about. I must admit, I do feel I will never meet my teacher's approval. I don't think I have ever felt so stressed and I haven't even begun my career yet! Thanks again, Matilda
Beau Posted March 9, 2005 Posted March 9, 2005 Perhaps it's a really clever ploy on her part! When you actually start teaching you'll find it's nowhere near as stressful as your teaching practice and when others around you are falling apart you'll take it all in your stride.
Susan Posted March 9, 2005 Posted March 9, 2005 hi Matilda, not sure what to add on the creative plea. But does your teacher realise how much you are stressing over this? She should be supporting you and may think that she is she is doing so? Teaching practises were, as far as I was concerned an absolute nightmare, and I can assure you that having your own class is immensely better so chin up and be psoitive. Good Luck.
Guest Posted March 10, 2005 Posted March 10, 2005 Thanks for the words of support. I am feeling more positive now the week is almost over. Only 1 week left now - yipee!!
Guest Posted March 10, 2005 Posted March 10, 2005 Dear Matilda, Here's a creative plant idea if you are feeling really brave. Over Christmas we save all the wrapping paper tubes and when we 'do' plants one of my favourite activities after the children have learnt the main features of a flowering plant is to give them a range of modelling materials( tubes, paper plates, card, range of textured papers and fabric, paint, glue etc) and ask them to make a plant with a stalk, flower head and leaves - we let them use their imaginations and the results are usually out of this world. I visited a school recently where the children had taken photos of each other, printed the picture of their face ( then cut out into a circle) and tissue paper petals added + stalk! Other favourites are to make flowers with tissue paper in old plant trays ( with the spaces) this really lends itself to maths work e.g. 8 spaces how many ways can you arrange red and blue flowers. Hope these ideas give you a bit of inspiration - don't forget Jack and the Beanstalk!
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