I look forward to using clay every year! It's a bummer we can't use clay more than once a year, but it is too expensive for my budget. I can only hope we get to use it next year. Our district is in a process of cutting 1 million dollars and 4 teachers at the elementary level. However, I'm staying positive!
Our physical education teacher had the COOLEST program I've ever seen to get the kiddos pumped up for the Winter Olympic Games. Each class was given a country participating in the Olympics. Each student decorated a little flag for their country and the United States. We even had our own opening ceremony! Classes entered the gym with their flags while 1 student from each class carried in a large flag for their country. There was music, a podium demonstration, student readers, singing, and some students even modeled Olympic speed skating uniforms (one of our teachers use to be in the Olympics)! While the Olympics are on each classes receive gold, silver, and bronze medals for whatever event their country medals in! For example the art room (France) only has 1 gold medal and 2 bronze medals. Talk about an outstanding learning experience for the students. I think the best part is how the students are cheering on other countries rather than just the USA.
I figured, with all this energy about the Olympics from the kids, what would be more fun than making our own personalized GOLD MEDALS! All this week K-4 got their hands messy and created medals with clay. All they had to include was the Olympic rings and 2014- the rest was up to them. I had a great smart-notebook presentation with examples of gold medals, and we talked about how artists play an important roll in the Olympics! This is by far one of my favorite lessons for the year! I also showed this video to the kids, which was the perfect lead in for talking about gold medals.
Next week we will paint our medals, let them dry, and add ribbon so student can wear their medals and feel like an Olympic champion! Check back in for pictures!
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