Sunflower
Snapshots:
Suggestions for Starting the School Year
AUTHOR: Marilyn K. Mapes
GRADE: Early Childhood/Primary
SUBJECTS: Language, Science, Art, Self-Concept
SUMMARY:
Request that parents send to school a non-returnable snapshot of their child that was taken during the summer. Emphasize that the photo depict some summertime adventure or exploit, something fun or frivolous, educational or entertaining. It could be as exciting as a trip to the zoo or as simple as a tent made of blankets in the backyard.
If families are unable to provide this type of photo, substitute the following adaptation. Have each child illustrate a personalized summer scene using fine tip markers on a circle of paper (diameter of approximately 5").
Use these photos (and/or illustrations) as the centers of large sunflowers. Each photo can be mounted on a brown or black circle of construction paper. Make large yellow petals from yellow construction paper and fan them around the photo center. For children who are learning to cut with scissors, this can be an activity in itself. Children can glue them in place or the teacher may elect to assemble and attach the petals.
Prepare a low bulletin board. Cover it with a wide stripe of blue paper and a wide stripe of green paper depicting the horizon. Have each child find a spot and paint a vertical green line from the green grass up as high as each child wants their flower to grow. A green leaf or two may be added. (The teacher may want to pencil in the initials of the child near the base of each stem, as a reminder for the next step.) When the paint is dry, attach each child's personalized flower to the appropriate stem.
Add the caption . . .
"A garden requires the same nurturing and discipline as does a child. If given, both will grow strong." Linda Lambert
This quote can be painted directly on the blue sky or printed as a banner and attached to the blue sky. Individual children may want to add other items of interest to the flower garden scene. Encourage discussion regarding possible inhabitants of the sunflower garden. Provide construction paper, tissue paper, pipe cleaners, markers, tape and glue. Butterflies, caterpillars, a frog, turtle, or rabbit may evolve from the materials and find a niche in the bulletin board scene.
Marilyn Mapes mkmapes@ilstu.edu
Metcalf Laboratory School 7000 Illinois State University Normal, IL 61790-7000 ph (309)
438-3038 fax 309 438-2580
Return to Exemplary
Practice: Volume II
Return to
Exemplary Practice: Illinois State University Laboratory School
Journal