My classes of second, third, and fourth graders do "art" projects
connected to themes in the FLES Spanish curriculum during our fifteen-minute class times. There is a lot of pre-planning needed, but it's worth it to see the children take home their projects joyfully. I hope these ideas encourage you and others to experiment.
Be prepared for bumps in the road -- I've had and continue to have many myself, despite meticulous planning. One in particular was in my first year of FLES teaching when I tried to have eight classes in a row of second graders make a "flor de Nochebuena" (poinsettia) with a paper fastener, separate petals, glue, leaves, and small yellow dots. For the uninitiated, it sounds simple, but it WASN'T! I still have not lived that "disaster" down in my school!! I'm sure that at my retirement party someone will bring it up.
But I have persevered and kept my sense of humor. :) And --the more I teach FLES, the more strongly I feel about giving children hands-on experiences of creating their own projects to reinforce what's taught in the classroom.
1. PRE-CUT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE! Super-large paper cutters are wonderful since large sheets of paper generally cost less in bulk. Also invest in some really good, sharp scissors and don't be afraid to cut several sheets of construction paper at a time. Just trace the pattern on the top sheet only and cut away at six or more sheets. Your cutting doesn't have to be perfect, you know. Pre-measure exactly what size you need and order/cut accordingly. "Shapes, Etc." is a company which sells a wide assortment of pre-cut shapes and patterns to utilize in your "art." (1-800-888-6580).
2. Copy designs right onto construction paper instead of plain copy paper. We have a copier that makes wonderful copies onto construction paper fast and inexpensively. The "art" project will last longer and seem more special than on plain paper. White or off-white construction paper works very well here.
3. Always allow some part of the project to be designed their own way so you won't end up with cookie-cutter projects. Offer different colors of paper or a choice of texture or placement. One project I did called "La flor multicolor" was a flower in a pot with different colors of petals. The children had to color the petals according to the color word in Spanish that appeared on the petals. But the children added a disc with a paper fastener in the center that they colored the way they wished and put designs on their pots which made each project look completely different. (I did this in second grade on the first day of spring.)
4. Use commercially made paper trimmers, sheets from designed notepads, paper fasteners, stickers, "Scotch" invisible tape, and staples to eliminate the mess and drying time of gluing. I ask the classroom teachers to share their staplers or tape dispensers for project day. I borrow a cafeteria tray and collect all I can. I fill them with staples/tape and carry my tray from class to class. The children love to do their own stapling and taping. (I am even contemplating trying a project with the use of double-sided tape.) Prompt return of staplers and dispensers to the teachers is necessary to keep good relations going. To keep track of my own, I put special toucan stickers or "flags" of colored masking tape on my own supplies.
5. Regarding trimmers, notepads, and stickers. Take your time to order and peruse catalogues. Some educational firms offer a wide, wonderful selection of cleverly designed trimmers, notepads, and stickers.
Working with themes in your curriculum helps you to eliminate quickly items that are not appropriate and think about how to use ones that go along with your theme creatively. Don't shy away from "office-type" stickers. Use the large dot or rectangle stickers available in many colors ordinarily used for files. Visit the "Materials" page to look through catalogues for ideas.
6. Take the time to estimate just how much of a particular material you will need; you don't want to be short, and you don't want to spend money if not needed. If the catalog doesn't offer the information you need such as size and count, call or e-mail the Customer Service Department.
7. Days before the "art" project, send a reminder to the classroom teachers and ask them to have the children super-ready on project day -- desks cleared, pencils sharpened, crayons, scissors ready, etc. A cute reminder in their mailboxes on the morning of project day is a nice touch, too. Plan to stay a few minutes extra if possible to help in any clean-up. With pre-cutting the clean-up is really minimal which classroom teachers appreciate.
8. The use of colored masking tape and crepe paper in your "art" is an
inexpensive, quick, and easy way to add color and different textures. Consider also using the more expensive "fadeless" construction paper which doesn't tear easily and cuts beautifully for special situations and crafts.
9. Work out the sequencing of construction of the project ahead of time. Make several mock-ups (for display) at adult speed. I even make a super-size one for display during classtime. Time it and double or triple the time, depending on grade level. I find that if I can't make it up in less than five minutes, then it's not suitable for a fifteen minute class. (Sometimes a simple enlargement of the pieces will speed things along for little hands.) If your schedule allows, let your first class of the day be "guinea pigs." By the last class, you will have the techniques down pat (for next year!). The children are always anxious to take their projects home immediately, so I really avoid things that cannot be finished in less than fifteen-minutes. Passing out pieces pre-sorted in small plastic bags with zippered closures or just clipped together with a large paper clip saves passing-out time.
10. And, last, but not least, I just came across a catalog by way of my school's art teacher which has much potential for fifteen-minute FLES "art" projects. If you already have access to a die-cut machine to cut out letters and numbers for bulletin boards, were you aware that dies in other designs are available as well? I was not! Request a catalog, and you will be completely blown away. I was!!! The dies are expensive but the cost could be shared with other world language teachers, classroom teachers, or art teachers in your district so you can start building a collection year by year. Just to give you an idea, there are llamas, outline maps of México, North America, Puerto Rico, and South America, sombreros, a woman from Spain, and palm trees. (I haven't even considered what dies would pertain to other languages and themes.) Next year I hope to have one or two in the system to try out. At first glance, they would serve nicely as attractive backgrounds for lyrics of songs just learned or to display poetry. Again, the emphasis is on quickness.
Take the plunge! Design a small hands-on project and give it a try!
