Circle Paintings as a Sub Plan

Normally, I would NEVER, NEVER, NEVER leave a painting project with substitute.

Okay, I would definitely never leave a KINDERGARTEN painting project with a sub.....

and I WOULD NEVER leave a kindergarten painting project with a sub on THE FIRST DAY OF PAINTING......but....

This year, I realized one a Thursday night that I would have to be gone the next day, there was absolutely no getting around it...and it was too late to come up with a whole new plan, and besides it would totally screw up my careful lesson planning (which I've already got my plans 'penciled in' in my planner through January)..so I typed up the 'kindergarten painting' sub plan and dropped it off in my classroom around 9:30 that night....and made sure that everything was set up and ready for the sub.....


And you know what? Everything turned out alright!

Here is what I left for the sub....in case you ever need an emergency sub plan....it was great for beginning of the year, kindergarten or 1st grade...I recently read a post 'Be Nice to Your Subs' by an art teacher who gave lots of great tips for preparing for a sub, be sure to check it out!

Shape Painting

1.     Explain that today we will be painting. (The kids will be very excited!)

2.     Point out the painting examples on the board.

3.     Say: We will be painting today but first, I would like to play a game.

4.     There is a stack of laminated shapes on the pink table by the board. Hold one shape up for each table, ask: “What shape is this?’ “How many sides does it have?’ “How many corners does it have?”(One shape for each table: square, triangle, rectangle, circle, oval, rhombus or diamond)

5.     After the shape game, demonstrate how to trace circles on the big white paper taped to the board using some big and little circles. Explain that when one shape covers another shape, that is called overlapping. Have students say ‘overlapping’ out loud. Point to the shape that is made when two circles overlap. Explain that that area is now a new shape. When we are painting the shapes, the ‘overlapped’ area should be a different color than the two circles.

6.     Demonstrate how to make big and little circles on the paper, overlapping and making a few go off of the paper.

7.     Demonstrate how to paint the paper.

a.     Select a light color like yellow, to use this paint, you have to get it wet like watercolor paint, use yellow in one spot, but do not rinse your brush. Continue using yellow all over the paper, in different shapes or overlapped areas.

b.     When you switch colors, you have to rinse your brush very good. Now select another color, like orange. Paint orange in a few areas. 

c.      When students are painting, make sure that they do not TAP their brushes on the side of the bucket, show them what ‘not’ to do. When they tap, that makes the water splatter on other’s paintings and messes up other student’s artwork. Instead, drag the brush gently on the edge of the bucket.

d.     Students may use any color they want in any spot they want, being careful not to put the same color right beside itself. Also, white doesn’t show up good….and they should save BLACK for LAST because it dirties up the water bucket quickly.

8.     After you are done painting all of the shapes on your paper, have 3 teams start putting on paint shirts while the other 3 teams start drawing the circles. This way, you can pass out the supplies and help both groups and the paint shirt area isn’t too crowded.

9.     Once everyone has gotten their paint shirts on, and they are done drawing the circles MAKE SURE THEY WRITE THEIR NAME ON THE BACK BEFORE THEY START PAINTING.

10. Pass out the paint sets and the water buckets to every table.  Remind them to use their first color in several spots, before rinsing out their brush. Assist students as necessary to make sure they are not tapping brushes, hat they are not mixing colors, and they are trying to stay inside the lines of the circles. Encourage them to paint a variety of colors.

11. When students are finished, they should put their papers in the drying rack, we always, always start at the bottom.  There are enough ‘sides’ on the drying rack for each class to fill up one whole side. Please label the classes in the drying racks so I can grade them when I get back on Monday.

12. If they need to wipe off their fingers, they may use the water buckets to do so, only then should they take off their paint shirts.

13. If time allows, point out the ‘shape’ sheet on the red table. Students who have dried off their table may grab a shape coloring sheet and a basket of crayons, they can color it to take home.

14. If you find that you have a LOT of time at the end with a class, you can let them cut out the shapes, but you probably won’t have time for that.

Notes:

I’m attaching my procedure information, please read over how I mark stars...the kids are mostly trained, but it is still early in the year, and this is the first time we are painting! As always, my seating charts are on the black table by the board.

Painting checklist before-you-paint: (for the sub)

·Fill water buckets about ¼ full

· Make sure each bucket has 4 paint brushes

· Fill hand washing buckets with lukewarm water and a tiny bit of soap, each should have 2 sponges for washing

·  Fill a water bucket to use for the demonstration at the front of the room and put a paint set on the pink table to use….also, hang a white paper on the board for the demonstration

Painting checklist: after you paint (for the sub)

· Put up chairs

·  empty water buckets and lay brushes out to dry (don’t forget the ‘teacher’ demonstration bucket)

· Empty hand washing buckets and squeeze out sponges, laying then out to dry

Perhaps I go a bit overboard, typing up a checklist and such detailed instructions, but I know subbing in art can be daunting to substitute teachers. Along with this written lesson plan, I leave visuals on the board, a copy of classroom procedures and my schedule.

For this project students used tempera cakes, but watercolors would've worked just as easily!

I displayed the results along with the 'line designs' from earlier this year. A 'Line and Shape' display, it is really colorful and beautiful. I can't even tell which paintings were done with the sub and which were done under my careful instructions. I love how each person interpreted the same instructions differently. Some didn't follow the directions exactly, but the results were still beautiful.