November 27, 2012

Quick No Fluff Fillers

Your students are cleaned up and you have a few minutes until their teacher comes. . . don't get caught having a staring contest with your students (confession: I had a staring contest today with a group of 25 second graders me versus them, I lost.)

The next few posts will be about quick time fillers to keep your students engaged (and behaving) even in the last few minutes of class. Some ideas will be great for reviewing material and some will be just plain fun to keep your "classroom climate" happy during the few crazy weeks before holiday break.


Today's Post is about VENN DIAGRAMS!!!!

Venn Diagrams, remember them? We can use these scientific and important charts in the art room too. Comparing and contrasting just about anything in a Venn Diagram makes me feel oh so "teachery."

Yesterday we compared Tempera Paint and Watercolors. You can compare and contrast just about anything whether it is art mediums, art works, or even comparing arts to other disciplines (for example: How is art class like science? How is it different?)

If you forgot Venn Diagrams from 3rd grade let me refresh your memory.

Draw two overlapping circles on the board like this.

Label each circle. I used Tempera Paint on the left and Watercolor Paint on the right. We then added our observations about both. The things they have in common went in the middle ("You need to use a brush for both.") The things that are unique to each go on their own side ("Watercolors are see translucent.")




Do you have any quick "no fluff filler" activities that you'd like to share!?

Since I haven't been posting in a while, you probably didn't know my baby grew up!!! She's 21 months now and the reason I am away from the blog (along with my masters class.) Thank you for continuing to read! I enjoy reading your posts and have lessons and pictures for when time allows.

She looks so big in her new artsy hat (compliments of some local weavers.) 


8 comments:

Marcia Beckett said...

Great idea! Sometimes the kids clean up so fast and I have extra time left over. That is a great idea thanks. Glad to see you''re doing well. You must be really busy.

Unknown said...

Stella!!!You are such a big girl now! Erica, she's a doll! Love the VennDiagram idea. Lately we've been playing a lot of Wheel of Fortune (without the cash prizes.....) I put up blanks for a word that relates to our current project and they call out letters or, "I'd like to solve the puzzle, please." The kids love it! Good to hear from you and remember to relax while you're doing all of that studying!

:)Pat

Mrs. Impey said...

Love! Such a good idea...and it ties in with what kids do in class (using ven diagrams).

Phyl said...

I admit to being lazy about using sound educational ideas in those last minutes. Instead, I 'used' the kids for hard labor! Kids done early would take down bulletin boards, pull staples, sort the artwork by class, arrange 3-D work in the library display areas, untangle yarn 'tangle-bombs', shampoo paintbrushes, clean cabinets, sort art prints, organize handouts, sharpen pencils, test markers to see if they are still working, etc. They actually love these jobs and it helps them take ownership of the room.

Other times we'd play Color & Shape Bingo, Funny Foldies (our version of Exquisite Corpse), and practice drawing from various drawing books.

When weare doing something like weaving, fast-finishers become assistant teachers and are a HUGE help..

The big challenge, I think is that it is rare that EVERYONE is done at the same time.

Phyl said...

By the way, I do love the Venn Diagram idea for times when the whole class is done, and I agree with Pat, Stella is getting big and is adorable! I see a lot of family resemblance of both your husband and you.

Mrs. C said...

I love the ven diagram idea! Thanks! :)

Angie said...

Oh, she is so big! Adorable. This is a good idea. We are more likely to use the diagrams at the beginning of class for two different art works. I like the idea of comparing different media, though.

Unknown said...

Hi Marcia! Thanks I've been off the grid. . . Gotta hop over to your blog soon! It's been crazy busy this year.

Pat: She is my little joy! Love wheel of fortune great idea.

Impey: I've gotta check out your blog

Phyl: I only wish I could do that! It is a whole different world here I think, I have a few helpers at the end of the day who do this but with 28 in most classes it would be chaos. Especially when some kids need extreme structure over here. My end of the day helpers have been so so keeping my room together.

Mrs. C: Yes beginning of class is good too!