Third, Fourth Grade (Week 1)

Third, fourth Grade:  Leonardo DaVinci

His life, mirror writing and lost notebook pages:

(You will find several classroom lessons, linked resources and a fun quiz at the end)

Hello kids!

I hope your parents are helping you find FUN ART 4 KIDS!
I am posting a few side activities you can explore during Art class time! Be sure all 3rd and 4th grade kids take the quiz for FUN!

Kids and parents  can see my Pinterest idea folder at any time. (here) 

Kids- look at these fun places to go on week one!!!!

1. Click here to play and learn!  Opportunities are available on this incredible website:

https://www.mos.org/leonardo/node/1

https://www.mos.org/leonardo/node/1

2. Kids Click here: Review below and then Test your knowledge:  

3. Kids click here: To read a neat book about DaVinci.  

Find it in epic if the link has trouble.

4.  Try using his Italian alphabet to write secret messages.

5. Look for more mysterious secrets in The Mona Lisa! Zoom in.

My classroom ideas for teachers who need ideas:

This is such a fun way to be Leonardo for the day!  Kids enjoy this "secret" writing and giggle quite a bit! I also like that it breaks up art days into a game day-where kids are still learning, sharing and exploring history!

Students in third grade learn about Leonardo's many talents.

• After viewing a power point information show, (link to resource in side bar) we will further explore his notebook entries and mirror writing by seeing an online code generator that decodes the English alphabet into his Italian script. 
http://www.mos.org/sln/Leonardo/LeonardoRighttoLeft.html

• Students will then be given his Italian alphabet on paper to decode.  This is easy to put into a print out by using the above site.  Just type the abc's and print or copy and paste your results.

• Now, they will successfully demonstrate their knowledge of mirror writing by completing their name and a secret word. (I have them bend back one corner of their paper to form a flap-they love to write their answer there)

• Students will check their answers with a mirror and

• Share their secret words (game play) with friends as they attempt to break each other’s codes.

Option 2:

Wow!  We found a few lost pages from Leonardo's sketchbooks! 

Tape Lifting Process- 

A cool and easy way to add new concepts to your art. 

 

This unit is done with my third grade students.  Each year we study Leonardo DaVinci and his marvelous significance to our world.  We discuss his mysterious designs, inventions, mirror writing (see here) and more.  This year kids are combining this information with a final project that reflects this knowledge and their own creativity.

They are creating a tape lift image collage with a personal drawing of an invention added in for effect.  They will also incorporate mirror writing (click) in the design. 

See the steps below.

1. Offer photocopies to your students (colored or black and white) 
2. Have them use good, sticky masking tape to press over the copies.
3. Rub with fingers or nails for a few seconds, then lift it off. (do not panic if some paper comes up....it will all look cool later)
4. Place the faint image on Oak Tag paper- I like it because it is already tinted and aged! 
5. Continue- rub images and overlap them as you wish- fill in spaces.
6. You can add mirror writing, your own drawings, etc.

Then tint some glue or Mod Podge with watercolor paint or regular paints (be create) and spread over the area.  You can dab and rub it off with brown paper towels.  Some of my towel ripped off and stuck and made a fabulous effect, yeah!  

Some ideas-

You can bind the class pages together as a book for open house, conference time or keep them all separate.