Since posting my cloud lamp on Instagram, I have had many questions about how I created these adorable lamps for my classroom. They are so simple to make and they look terrific hanging from the ceiling! I was originally inspired by some color changing clouds I saw at an amazing art installation/experience called Meow Wolf in Santa Fe, NM. I decided that my classroom needed cloud lamps, so I researched a little and decided to give my clouds a try. In my classroom I will have two cloud lamps and three regular clouds that will hang from the ceiling (for these I covered the holes with the Poly-fil before hanging). I have a quick tutorial and affiliate links for the products I used below! If you have any questions feel free to DM me on Instagram or leave a comment below!
Supplies Needed:
1. Paper Lanterns
2. Color Changing Bulbs with Remote- You can choose to use a regular bulb if you do not want the color changing/strobe/flash features.
3. Poly-fil- 1 bag can make 5 lanterns with plenty left over.
4. Lantern Cord- I purchased the 20 foot cord to ensure it would be long enough to find a wall socket!
5. Hot glue gun and glue- Use high temperature glue, as it adheres to the lanters more easily than low temperature glue.
I am loving my summer break, relaxing, traveling a little, and of course thinking a bit about the next school year. Recently I have been brainstorming new ways to get to know my students for the start of the year.
Building relationships is so important and I love turning this "get-to-know-you" time into a hands-on art project with my students. Each year I have made interactive 3-D posters with my students and this year will be no different.
In the past I have created hanging posters like the one pictured below. Click here to grab the hanging posters.
They looked great hanging on our wall (or from the ceiling)
There is even a little tutorial to assist in the folding and creating.
One year we created cubes. These were hung from the ceiling. Click here to grab the cube posters.
When I taught older kids we created dodecagons. We also hung these from the ceiling and they looked amazing! Click here to grab the dodecagon posters.
I also have a tutorial for how to put the dodecagons together (although it is using a report dodecagon and not an "About Me" dodecagon, but the steps are the same).
This year, going back to the little ones, we are going to make butterflies! These butterflies are created so they are double-sided and will hang all around my room! I also made a single-sided version perfect for the bulletin board. The students will write their interests in each butterfly wing section. I can't wait to get to know my new kiddos! Click here to grab the Butterfly All About Me Posters.
Over the past school year I was consumed with everything intermediate. From familiarizing myself with the standards to researching classroom management strategies for older kids, I was "All In" when it came to my adventure wth a 4/5 combination class. It pushed me out of my comfort zone, but I had so much fun with my students! From teaching complex math concepts, to experimenting with STEAM, we had quite an exciting year. Although I had an amazing year with a new grade level and new school, I am soooooo excited to be coming back down to "primaryland", where I will be teaching second grade!
With a background in teaching reading and working with primary students, I can't wait to dive right in... although before I do I want to post some pictures of what life was like in intermediate. If you have any questions about any of these projects, just leave a comment!
Cheetah Pastel Portraits
Earth Day Watercolor Paintings
We loved coding with our Ozobots, which were fully funded by Donor's Choose!
We had a blast making robot hands and rollercoasters thanks to Mystery Science!
Of course I can't forget the favorite project of the year... Clay Dragons! A blog post will be up soon with details on this project!
Can't wait to share my second grade journey with you all soon!
With St. Patrick's Day rapidly approaching, It made me think back to the past few years and the fun I had with my first grade students on this special day. You may have seen photos of Leprechaun Rocks floating around on the internet and I am going to teach you how to make them. I also wanted to share a free resource with you that kindergarten through second grade students would love!
For the last two years I conducted a St. Patrick's day science experiment with my students. I explained to my students that the Leprechauns know I am a teacher and they leave me a cauldron full of leprechaun rocks to investigate with my students.
We use a recording sheet to predict what will happen when we place a leprechaun rock in vinegar. Then I hand the students a plate, cup of vinegar, and a leprechaun rock. We normally do this outside because it can be messy. We then countdown from 10 and watch what happens when we place the leprechaun rocks into the vinegar. The students are amazed to see the bubbly reaction and are always thrilled to discover the leprechauns left a gold coin in the center of the rock for them to keep! I then have the students record the outcome of the experiment on their recording sheet and it is glued into their interactive STEAM notebooks.
Check out the video tutorial on how to create Leprechaun Rocks just like the leprechauns do! :)
If you are interested in this project, click this link to grab the free resource. It includes directions on how the leprechauns made the rocks (and how you can recreate them), how to conduct the experiment, and recording sheets for the activity.
Here is another resource you may want to grab for your St. Patrick's Day festivities!
This year in my 4th/5th grade combination class we have been having a blast with science. We have spent quite a bit of time perfecting our simple circuits. After learning about current electricity and circuits we dove right into the experiment portion of our investigation. We created a number of simple circuits using a variety of materials.
Index Card Circuit
The first circuit was a very simple circuit using a minimum of supplies purchased from Amazon.
1 Index Card
2 pieces of Copper Tape (one piece needs to be slightly longer than the other)
1 LED
1 3-Volt Coin Cell Battery
I introduced current electricity with a Bill Nye video (the kids LOVED it). I then modeled how to make the simple circuit and then turned the kids loose! The foil took a little getting used to and the kids were able to manipulate it with a little practice. I taught them how to use both hands while taking off the white paper, and a partner also came in handy for this step.
Step 1: Label one side of the index card with a + and one side with a -.
Step 2: Peel off the white paper for the short copper tape. Open the LED lead wires slightly and place the cooper tape over the lead wire and run it down the index card.
Step 3: Peel off the white paper for the long piece of copper tape and attach to the long LED. Run the rest of the tape down the index card but fold the tape over on itself at the bottom to create a switch. The long LED lead and long tape side will be the positive side and the short side will be the negative side.
Step 4: Place the negative side of the battery on the negative side of the circuit on the copper tape. Place the switch on the positive side of the battery to turn on the circuit.
Troubleshooting: If the circuit does not turn on, make sure the copper tape is adhering to the LED leads. Use a fingernail to smooth it out. Also check that your switch is not tearing, causing a break in the circuit.
My students then created a diagram of their simple circuit. To grab the diagram click here!
We began with this circuit because it was fairly basic. We tried a more complex circuit next!
Aluminum Wire Circuit
This circuit was definitely more difficult than the index card circuit. We talked a lot about growth mindset before we began so students remembered that this circuit would take some adjusting, trouble shooting, and lots of persistence!
I created a tutorial for my students and you can check it out below!
Once we completed the creation of the circuits, I had my students create videos describing how their circuit works. This was a great assessment and really helped me see which students had a in depth understanding of current electricity. You can check out my example video below.
The used these circuits to test the conductivity of materials in the classroom. We recorded the data on a conductors and insulators page. You can grab the page here.
Circuit Landscapes
The last circuit project was an arts integration activity. The students were to research a landscape that would be created out of oil pastels on cardboard. They then would be creating a circuit on the back with a switch to light up their art with up to 4 LED. The students got really creative and created space scenes, night scenes, the Eiffel Tower, and nature scenes. Take a peek at some of the creations below!
