Final Project Overview

Topic: 

Learning English Through
Arts & Crafts

Borrowed Photo

Subject Area:

English, Social Science and Natural Science

Students´ Grade

First Primary

Summary

Every Monday during the last period we have Arts and Crafts.  As a child I loved art class and doing different crafts with my mom at home, so I really enjoyed assisting my head teachers during this time. I had many ideas for each lesson. Working with my two head teachers we decided to start incorporating the differnt topics we were teaching during English, Natural Science and Social Science into our Arts and Crafts lessons. 

I think that this is very useful for the children because it helps them visualize and review what we have been learning in class in a fun and creative way. Each lesson allows the students to practice new vocabulary and also review older vocabulary from previous units as well as other useful vocabulary like classroom objects and instructions for example.

In the following posts I have highlighted some of my favorite lessons thus far. I have included in each post the topic, objective, timing, materials, instructions, vocabulary, and a photo of the completed project. 

Note: Students were evaluated not by how their completed piece looked, but how well they followed instructions, if they were able to complete the piece on time or not, and how well they worked with others.

Fall (Autumn) Leaf Family Poster

Topic

Family 

Fall

Body Parts

Objective

To have fun while reviewing the unit on family while also reviewing parts of the body and learning about the season, autumn

Time

45 minutes

Materials

1 sheet of white paper

4 or more autumn leaves

Pencil

Rubber

Crayons (assorted colors)

Markers (assorted colors)

Glue Stick

White Out

Vocabulary Used

Colors

• red, yellow, green, orange, brown, white, etc

Classroom Objects

• Paper, Rubber, Crayons, Markers, Pencil, Glue Stick

Classroom Instructions

• Trace, erase, draw, write, color

Family

• Mother, father, brother, sister, baby, grandma, grandpa, aunt, uncle, cousin

Body Parts

• Face, head, body, eyes, nose, mouth, legs, feet, tail

Sizes

• Bigger, big, biggest, medium, small, smaller, smallest

Instructions

1. Show your class the completed poster for an example
2. Describe your leaf family to the class
3. Ask the class about the different members of the family
4. Write the different family members on the board
5. Take the children to the patio to collect leaves of various sizes or have leaves ready to distribute
6. Give each student a sheet of white paper
7. Have them write the title, ¨Leaf Family¨at the top
8. Glue the leaves on the paper
9. Ask the class about the different body parts of animals using your poster as an example
10. Have them decorate the leaves to look like animals
11. You and the other teacher can add the eyes for the animals using White Out
12. Tell them to write the names of the family members next to the coresponding animal
13. While my students completed their posters I played Fall songs in the background
14. If their is time left in the class the children can present their posters

Thanksgiving Turkey Poster

Topic

Holiday - Thanksgiving
Body Parts

Objective

To have fun celebrating an American holiday and reviewing the parts of the body

Time

45 minutes

Materials

1 sheet of white paper

Pencil

Rubber

Crayons (red, yellow, green, orange, brown)

Vocabulary Used

Colors

• red, yellow, green, orange, brown, white

Classroom Objects

• Paper, Ruber, Crayons, Pencil 

Classroom Instructions

• Trace, erase, draw, write, color

Body Parts

• Hand, head, body, eyes, legs, feet 

Animals

• Turkey, feathers, beak

Instructions

1. Show your class the poster for an example
2. Give each student a sheet of white paper
3. Tell them to trace their hand on the paper
4. Tell them to write ´´Happy Thanksgiving´´ at the top of the paper
5. Ask the class about the different body parts of the turkey and have them draw them onto their traced hand print
6. Have them color their picture
7. While they are coloring I played Thanksgiving and Fall songs in the background

People Poster

Topic

Describing people using adjectives 

Objective

To reinforce and help the students visualize the adjectives we´ve been learning in class to describe people. To help them learn how to work as a team. To have them present their poster for oral practice. 

Time

45 minutes

Materials

1 large poster board 

Magazines or Catalogs

Pencil

Rubber

Markers

Scissors

Glue Stick

Vocabulary Used

He is/She is

Adjectives 

• Tall
• Short
• Young
• Old
• Handsome
• Pretty

Classroom Objects

• Scissors, Glue Stick, Ruler, Ruber, Markers, Pencil 

Classroom Instructions

• Cut, paste/glue, erase, draw, write, color

Instructions

1. Show the class the poster for an example
2. Ask them some questions about the different people on your poster
3. Write the different adjectives on the board
4. Divid the class into groups of 4-5 students
5. Give each group a magazine or catalog
6. Have them find and cut out pictures of people that match the adjectives
7. Give each group a poster board
8. Tell them to glue/paste the pictures on the poster board
9. Tell them to write a sentence using the adjectives next to each picture. For example, She is pretty. OR He is tall. 
10. Walk around and monitor each group
11. When they are finished have each group present their poster to the class

The Human Body

Topic

Natural Science: The Human Body (Muscles, Bones, Joints)

Objective

To give the students a visual of the different parts of the body, so they better understand bones, muscles and joints.

Time

45 minutes

Materials

1 sheet of construction paper

1 photocopy of the human body outline

White, Red and Yellow Clay (Plasticine)

Pencil

Marker

Vocabulary Used

Body Parts

• Bones, Muscles, Joints, Legs, Arms, Feet, Toes, Hands, Fingers, Head, Body

Colors

• Yellow, Red, White

Shapes

• Square, Rectangle

Classroom Objects

• Markers, Pencil, Clay, Paper

Classroom Instructions

• Cut, Paste/Glue, Write

Instructions

1. Show the class the model of the human body
2. Ask the class about the different parts of the body and write their names on the board
3. Give each student a photocopy of the human body and a piece of contruction paper
4. Tell the students to cut out the human body and glue it to the construction paper
5. Have them add a square of white paper on the bottom for the KEY and a rectangle of white paper at the top for the title
6. Give each student red clay and have them cover the human body with it, explain that the red clay is for the muscles
7. After they finish, give each student white clay. Explain that the white clay is for the bones and demonstrate making the bones
8. Lastly, give each student yellow clay. Explain that the yellow clay is for the joints. Demonstrate making the joints
9. When they are finished have them complete the KEY at the bottom and write the title at the top

Halloween Masks

Topic

Holiday - Halloween
Parts of the Face

Objective

To have fun celebrating an American holiday while reviewing the parts of the face

Time

45 minutes

Materials

Elastic rope

Assortment of colored foam boards

Pencil

Markers

Scissors

Glue stick

Vocabulary Used

Body Parts

• Head, face, eyes, nose, mouth, teeth, ears, hair, wings

Clothing

• Hat

Halloween Characters

• Witch, Vampire, Monster, Wereworlf, Bat, Frankenstein, Pumpkin, Jack´o´lantern

Colors

• Yellow, Red, White, Blue, Brown, Orange, Green, Black

Classroom Objects

• Markers, Pencil, Glue Stick, Scissors

Classroom Instructions

• Draw, Color, Cut, Paste/Glue 

Instructions

1. Show the class the different masks they can make as an example 
• I pre-cut the different pieces of each mask to save time, but for older children you can give them a paper print out to trace onto the foam boards and have them make that part as well
2. Ask the class about the different parts of the face 
3. Have each student decide which mask they would like to make
4. Give the student the mask pieces for the mask they request
5. Tell the students to lay out the different pieces of mask on their desks
• I found it easier to go over each mask separatley, for example, I did the vampire first, then the witch, etc.
6. Have them contruct the masks
7. My teacher and I added holes and tied on the elastic rope for each student. I´m sure older students could do this by themselves
8. Let them try on their masks and enjoy!
9. While they were making their masks I played Halloween songs in the background

Letters to Santa

Topic

Holiday - Christmas
Toys

Objective

To have fun celebrating an American holiday and review the unit on toys

Time

45 minutes

Materials

1 sheet of white paper

Pencil

Rubber

Crayons (assorted colors)

Markers (assorted colors)

Vocabulary Used

Colors

• red, yellow, green, orange, brown, white, blue, etc.

Classroom Objects

• Paper, Rubber, Crayons, Pencil, Markers

Classroom Instructions

• Draw, write, color, erase

Christmas 

• Holiday, Santa, presents, tree, Happy New Year, Merry Christmas

Toys

• Robot, skipping rope, teddy bear, baby doll, yo-yo, roller blades, scooter, skateboard, train, car, video  games, tablet, bike

Sentence Structure

• I want a ______ .

Instructions

1. Show your class the Christmas card for an example
2. Give each student a sheet of white paper
3. Tell them to fold the paper in half
4. Tell them to write a letter to Santa on the inside 
5. Read your letter to Santa as an example and write it on the board. Explain that they should add the toys that they want
6. When they are finished writing have them draw a picture on the front and write Merry Christmas
• You can give them a few examples of Christmas themed pictures
7. Have them color their picture
8. While they are coloring I played Christmas and winter songs in the background

Fruit Face Protraits and Giuseppe Arcimboldo

Topic

Food
Parts of the Face

Objective

To learn about food in a fun and creative way while reviewing the parts of the face and also learning about the artist Giuseppe Arcimboldo

Time

45 minutes

Materials

1 sheet of contruction paper

1 photocopy of the outline of a head

Magazines from grocery stores

Scissors

Glue stick

Vocabulary Used

Food

• Fruits (banana, apple, orange, cherries, strawberries, etc), vegetables (carrot, tomatoe, cucumber, lettuce, etc), ham, cheese, sausages, milk, etc

Body Parts

• Head, face, eyes, nose, mouth, teeth, ears, hair

Colors

• Yellow, Red, White, Blue, Brown, Orange, Green, Black

Classroom Objects

• Paper, Glue Stick, Scissors

Classroom Instructions

• Cut, Paste/Glue 

Instructions

1. I started the lesson by showing the class a video from YouTube about Giuseppe Arcimboldo and I also showed them some of his paintings online
2. While showing them his paintings I asked the class what food they saw and about the different parts of the face
3. Next I showed them my completed fruit face portrait
4. After the introduction hand each student a photocopy of the outline of a head and give each table/group three or four magazines
5. Tell the students to look for different photos of food and cut them out
6. Once they have finished cutting out photos tell them to glue the photos onto the photocopy and create a face
7. If there is time left at the end of class have the student present their completed pictures 

My Best Friend Poster

Topic

Describing people using adjectives 

Objective

To reinforce and help the students visualize the adjectives we´ve been learning in class to describe people. 

Time

45 minutes

Materials

1 sheet of white paper

Pencil

Rubber

Crayons

Markers

Vocabulary Used

He´s/She´s

Adjectives 

• Tall
• Short
• Young
• Old
• Handsome
• Pretty

Classroom Objects

• Pencil, rubber, crayons, markers, paper

Classroom Instructions

• Write, erase, draw, color

Instructions

1. Show the class the completed poster for an example
2. Tell them about your best friend
3. Write the different adjectives on the board
4. Ask them to think about their best friend and have a few students describe their best friend to the class
5. Give each student a sheet of white paper
6. Have them write the title on the top, ¨My Best Friend¨
7. Tell them to write four sentences using the adjectives on the board about their best friend below the title
8. When they are finished writing, tell them to draw a picture of their best friend
9. Have them color the picture
10. If there is time left at the end of class have the students present their posters 

Autumn Leaves Poster

Topic

Fall/Autmn

Seasons

Plant Lifecycle

Objective

To discuss seasons and introduce students to the lifecycle of plants (Natural Science)

Time

45 minutes

Materials

1 sheet of white paper

4 or more autumn leaves

Pencil

Rubber

Crayons (assorted colors)

Markers (assorted colors)

Glue Stick

Vocabulary Used

Colors

• red, yellow, green, orange, brown, white, etc

Classroom Objects

• Paper, Rubber, Crayons, Markers, Pencil, Glue Stick

Classroom Instructions

• Erase, draw, write, color, copy

Seasons

• Fall/autumn, winter, spring, summer

Parts of a Tree

• leaves, branches, trunk, roots

Sizes

• Bigger, big, biggest, medium, small, smaller, smallest

Instructions

1. Show your class the completed poster for an example
2. Describe your poster to the class
3. Ask the class about the different seasons
4. Write the title, Autmn, and the short poem on the board
5. Take the children to the patio to collect leaves of various sizes or have leaves ready to distribute
6. Give each student a sheet of white paper
7. Tell them to draw and color the trunk of the tree; you might have to draw an example on the board
8. Glue the leaves on the paper
9. Have them copy the title and poem next to the tree
10. While my students completed their posters I played Fall songs in the background

Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer

Topic

Holiday - Christmas
Parts of the Face

Objective

To have fun celebrating an American holiday and review the parts of the face

Time

45 minutes

Materials

1 sheet of white paper

Cardboard triangle (pre-cut)

1 red construction paper circle (pre-cut)

2 white contruction paper circles (pre-cut)

Pencil

Rubber

Crayons (assorted colors)

Markers (assorted colors)

Glue stick

Scissors

Vocabulary Used

Colors

• red, yellow, green, orange, brown, white, blue, etc.

Classroom Objects

• Paper, Rubber, Crayons, Pencil, Markers, Scissors, Glue stick

Classroom Instructions

• Trace, draw, write, color, erase

Christmas 

• Holiday, Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer

Parts of the Face

• Face, eyes, nose, mouth, ears

Instructions

1. First I showed my class a short music video about Rudolph
2. Show your class the completed Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer for an example
3. Give each student a sheet of white paper
4. Tell them to trace their hands on the paper for the antlers
5. Have them color/decorate the antlers then cut them out
6. Glue the antlers to the cardboard triangle
7. Ask them some questions about the eyes then give them two white paper circles
8. Glue the eyes onto the cardboard triangle and color the eyes
9. Ask them questions about the nose then give them one red paper circle
10. Glue the nose to the carboard triangle  
11. Finished!
12. While they are making their reindeer I played Christmas and winter songs in the background

4 Stages of Life Poster

Topic

Life Cycle

Living Things

Objective

To help the students visualize the different stages of life and help them associate the life cycle with living things

Time

45 minutes

Materials

1 sheet of construction paper

1 photocopy of the male or female lifecycle

Pencil

Rubber

Scissors

Crayons (assorted colors)

Markers (assorted colors)

Glue Stick

Vocabulary Used

Colors

• red, yellow, green, orange, brown, white, etc

Classroom Objects

• Paper, Rubber, Crayons, Markers, Pencil, Glue Stick, Scissors

Classroom Instructions

• Cut, glue, erase, draw, write, color

Stages of Life

• Baby, child/kid, adult, old man/woman

Family

• Mother, father, brother, sister, baby, grandma, grandpa, aunt, uncle, cousin

Body Parts

• Face, head, body, eyes, nose, mouth, legs, feet, tail

Sizes

• Bigger, big, biggest, medium, small, smaller, smallest

Instructions

1. Show your class the completed poster for an example
2. Describe your poster and the life cycle to the class
3. Ask the class about the different stages of life, asking about different family members might help them associate better
4. Write the different stages of life on the board
5. Give each student a piece of construction paper
6. Have them fold it into four sections, like a fan
7. Give each student a photocopy of the stages of life
8. Have them write the title, ¨The 4 Stages of Life¨at the top of the construction paper
9. Cut out the four people from the photocopy
10. Say the names of each person in order and have them glue the person onto the construction paper as you say their name (baby, child, adult, old man/woman)
11. Tell them to write the name of the person/stage of life below each photo
12. Have them color the photos and decorate their posters
13. If their is time left in the class the children can present their posters

Family Portrait

Topic

Family 

Objective

To have fun while reviewing the unit on family while also reviewing the unit on the house, body parts and/or clothing

Time

45 minutes

Materials

1 sheet of white paper

6 popsicle sticks

Pencil

Rubber

Crayons (assorted colors)

Markers (assorted colors)

Glue Stick

Hot Glue Gun

Vocabulary Used

Colors

• red, yellow, green, orange, brown, white, etc

Classroom Objects

• Paper, Rubber, Crayons, Markers, Pencil, Glue Stick

Classroom Instructions

• Trace, erase, draw, write, color, cut, glue/paste

Family

• Mother, father, brother, sister, baby, grandma, grandpa, aunt, uncle, cousin

Body Parts

• Face, head, body, eyes, nose, mouth, legs, feet

House 

• House, home, roof, walls

Clothing

• trousers, dress, skirt, shirt, t-shirt, shoes, etc.

Instructions

1. Show your class the completed house for an example
2. Describe your family to the class
3. Ask the class about the different members of the family
4. Write the different family members on the board
5. Give each student an assembled popsicle stick house
• I made the houses before class using a hot glue gun to save time, but if you have time they can assemble them in class on their own
6. Give each student a sheet of white paper
7. Have them trace the shape of the house on the paper and cut it out
8. Have them write the title, ¨My Family¨at the top
9. Tell them to draw their family on the paper and then color them
10. Tell them to write the names of the family members next to the coresponding person
11. Glue the paper to the popsicle house
12. If their is time left in the class the children can present their family portraits