Here's a free printable mini zine template you can use to make a journal out of just one sheet of paper! Just fold and cut!
easy to use Kindergarten Writing Workshop Units that include writing prompts, ideas and activities for beginning writing throughout Kindergarten
One of the most important parts of reading workshop is the mini lesson. Use these 7 tips to master the reading workshop mini lesson.
What is a reading mini-lesson? Find out the key components of reading mini-lessons and how to get started using them in your classroom. Plus download the FREE planning forms!
Hi everyone ! welcome for another step-by-step tutorial, this time we will have a look to my speed painting technique to make blue Non Metallic Metal, what we use to call NMM. I say "speed painting" because, you'll see, I did not pay much attention to the transitions between the different layers, the reason being that I have to paint something like 80 minis with this scheme so I cannot spend more than 6-8 hours on each of these little guy... So at the end I simply mixed the colours I wanted on my palette and then applied strips on the model, without using too fancy blending techniques. Nevertheless this effect works very well and if you want to improve the quality, just spend a bit more time smoothing the transitions and work with thiner layers, but the principle will remain the exact same. Ok so first let's have a look to the colour palette. I used Vallejo Game Colors, namely Imperial Blue, Magic Blue, Electric Blue and Ghost Grey for the final highlights. In my opinion, the most important things with NMM are the following: - Contrast: whatever colour you want to use, make sure your gradient goes from almost black to almost white, the more contrast you have, the better it will look. - Shapes: the shape of the reflexions should match the shape of the object you are painting on. It's obvious when you paint on a square or a sphere, but it can be more tricky with complex shapes like shoulder pads or other armour plates. - Size: yes in this case the size matters ... The goal is basically to reproduce specularity/diffusion properties of materials: the more diffuse the light is, the less shiny the material will look. This means that big reflexions will give a very mat look. On the contrary, painting smaller reflexions will give the impression of very reflective material. - Number of reflexions: Even if you define the main lightning in zenithal, light will always be send back it all directions. This means light comes from almost everywhere and objects in your scene will receive it from multiple sources. The best way to represent that is to place one or several secondary reflexions, better in the darkest regions of the miniature. - White lining: this is the final touch which enhances the whole effect. Whatever colour you use for the NMM, a white lining will always help to re-define the shapes and gives a big punch to the mini. I got a lot of inspiration by looking at other miniature painters on instagram. Make sure to checkout the wonderful artworks from Nicholas Gareth, Flameon Miniature, Dillon Cartier or Kamil Z (among other)! 1. First I applied a uniform layer of Imperial Blue on top of a black primer. 2. I started to place the highlights using pure Magic Blue. At this point I didn't care too much about the transitions, I just wanted to see where to draw the reflexions. I tried to follow the rules I described earlier. For example, on the disk attached to the backpack, I placed a large semi-circular highlight on the top side as the main reflexion. Then I added a smaller one on the bottom, with a similar shape (but inverted), to represent light coming back from other objects below the backpack. 3. I went back to a slightly darker colour by mixing a 1:1 ratio of Imperial Blue and Magic Blue to blend the first highlight with the background colour. I painted simple strips, overlapping the two coloured regions, to give the impression of a smooth gradient. 4. I then painted the second highlight inside the brightest areas using a 1:1 mix of Magic Blue and Electric Blue. 5. Then a third highlight with pure Electric Blue was applied. As before I painted this colour on a smaller area so the previous layers are still visible. 6. I placed an even brighter line of 1:1 Electric Blue and Ghost Grey, but this time only in the main reflexion since I wanted the secondary one to be a bit darker. 7. For the final steps I added a lining with pure Ghost Grey on all edges. This is it ! Of course we can always improve the method, as I said before this is more like a speed painting technique but it can look much better by working more on the transitions between two highlights. One could also add multiple secondary reflexion with different light intensities to make the armour look even more shiny! Here are two examples I did recently with this technique. Weapons are not done yet but the armour is basically finished. It took me about 6 hours per model, not that much isn't it? I really like this look, the NMM effect gives a very good contrast and the whole model appears much more "badass" than with regular flat blue. I hope you liked this tutorial, see you soon !
Collagraph printmaking with kids using wooden blocks and foam shapes to create stamps and make prints with a repeat grid pattern that resembles a quilt.
This blackwork embroidery tutorial will teach you the basic blackwork stitches.
Miniature garage with workbench and laundry, dollhouse scale
Learn how to implement the writer's workshop time with these top writer's workshop blogs and freebies to help you get started.
Teach math with art!
In this workshop, we are going to take a look at the basics of using textures in your photos.
A collaborative blog where two friends share great ideas, activities, and resources about teaching, coaching, and tutoring in the primary grades!
Match Box Picture Frames: While living in India, became mildly obsessed with matchboxes. There are countless different designs for the box covers from hundreds of tiny companies that make matches in India. From what my friends tell me, the majority of these companies are bas…
Hi! Long time no see! I had some very interesting projects which I mentioned on my Facebook, but very little I could actually write about. I tried to make doll "straw" hats, and it turned into this huge obsession with a bunch of styles and experiments I want to try before condensing everything into one or two blog posts. Anyway, during my millinery frenzy, I went to the store to get some trims for one of these hats I was making for a trade, and my eyes fell on some beige pipecleaners. Well, outside the store lighting they were actually band-aid coloured, but I pictured them into bears rather than fuzzy nude stick men. I remembered Jason White's teddy bear tutorial and thought one of those would make a nice addition to the items I was preparing to trade. When I tried following the tutorial, I found out that I didn't have the right type of beads and even the bear shape didn't look nice in this colour. I had several more pipecleaner teddy bear tutorials which my friend searched for me to try. My favourite was this one, but right off the bat I didn't like the shape of the head. I decided to draw inspiration from the two tutorials and my plush teddy bear to make my own design. I untwisted my first attempt, unwilling to ruin the other three pipecleaners I had until I arrived at a satisfactory result. Spoiler alert: none were ruined in the end; turns out that tortured, slightly balding pipecleaners still make decent teddy bears! As several people asked me to write my own version of the tutorial, here it goes: The supplies: - one pipecleaner (about 300*6mm) - two eyes (beads, rhinestones...) I used 2mm half-pearls which I stuck on some masking tape and painted black with nail polish - nose - I happened to have a piece of brown suede ribbon, but you can use anything you like that doesn't fray, from old belts to felt and even cardboard - scissors - glue (I used fabric glue) - toothpicks Optional: - dark fineliner pen to draw the mouth - pliers and tweezers to help you in tough places - thin ribbon, string or yarn - fork - flame (candle, lighter...) Steps 1. Bend the pipecleaner in half (it doesn't have to be precise) and then bend a little portion at the first fold perpendicular in an "L" shape. I swear, this is way easier to make than to explain! This creates the muzzle/nose. 2. Make two round, loose bends for the ears. If you're looking straight at the nose with the pipecleaner ends upwards, what you're doing now is creating a heart shape where the nose is the lower point and the ears are the curves. 3. Turn it over and complete the heart shape by twisting the ends twice where you want the head to end. 4. Now bring one of the ends up between the ears and bend it over the face. 5. Bend it diagonally over the nose. For example, I started next to the right ear and brought the pipecleaner over the left side of the nose. 6. Repeat for the other end. After this step, the pipecleaner ends should cross above the nose and point downwards. 7. Twist them twice at the neck again. The head is done. 8. Make the arms/front legs by bending the pipecleaner sharply a short distance from the neck. Repeat for the other side. 9. Bring the ends together and twist two or three times to make the torso base. Don't make it too long or you won't have enough to finish the bear. 10. Make the hind legs in the same manner as the front legs, only a little longer. It seems I took fewer photos of the last steps, but at this point it's easy to figure out. Twist the ends again a couple of times, either in front or behind the first torso. 11. Fold the remaining bits over the shoulders to the opposite side and tuck the ends in. Bend the bottoms of the legs into little soles. You can use pliers at this step. Now shape your teddy bear any way you want it and brush it with a clean toothbrush if it got ruffled. 12. Prepare your nose, eyes, glue, toothpick and tweezers. For the nose, I cut a little triangle with two rounded corners. 13. Carefully glue the features in place. I used tweezers. 14. After this the teddy bear is technically complete, but I happened to have a brown fineliner handy, which I used to draw the mouth as an inverted "Y" under the nose. I used the same fineliner to darken the nose on one of the teddies. I turned all four pipecleaners I had into teddy bears and put a bow on the prettiest of them. I didn't think I'd write instructions for this part because I used a tiny piece (about 5cm) of narrow ribbon from a doll outfit and the narrowest I usually see in stores is 3mm, almost twice as wide. However, I later found the exact same ribbon in a fancier store, it was labelled 1.5mm. So now I can write the second part of the tutorial - adding a bow. I hope you can find this type of ribbon, it's very pretty and useful in miniatures. But you can also use any string or lace you like. For comparison, I also made a bow out of 3mm ribbon. Bow tutorial 1. By looking at the teddy bear, you would think the ribbon is tied around its neck and made into a bow at the front. But I don't know if it would be possible to tie a neat bow in such a small scale, so I made the bow separately and then glued it. Take your whole ribbon or a comfortable length if it's too long and tie a fork bow at one end. It's easier if the ribbon is double-sided. Here is a good tutorial. Use the inner teeth of the fork, not all four. 2. Wrap the long end around the teddy bear's neck and mark where to cut it. You should have enough to go around the neck plus a little extra. Cut both ends to the desired length and melt with a flame. If you're using natural or unraveling fabric/yarn, don't try to melt it. 3. The fork bow has a pretty side and a less pretty side. Place the long end of the bow on the teddy bear's chest and hold it securely. Make sure to have the pretty side of the bow facing up. 4. Add a small amount of glue on the ribbon at the middle of the neck. 5. Wrap the ribbon around and place the knot of the bow over the glue. Press firmly until the glue grabs. I used tweezers. The same step with a wider ribbon bow: Wait for the glue to dry and you're done! This size of teddy bear looks great with 1:6th scale dolls. J-Doll Karl Johans Gate Playing with pipecleaners is very fun and relaxing and these teddy bears are so easy to make, I want to make a big bunch of them. What for? I don't know. Pipecleaners in my store are sold by piece and that's quite expensive, so I found some lots of 100 online for under 2.5$. Unfortunately the first one I ordered, while still beige, is not the same delicate colour as the ones in this tutorial. It still works for teddy bears (and for curling doll hair :P) but I want to find this exact colour for my big army. Is this a crazy idea? Can you think of uses for mini teddy bears? I gave one to my dolls and hung another in the car, the third is gifted, and that's it. The forth is sitting in a drawer. Would you buy them or make them if you found yourself needing a teddy bear? Do you know other pipecleaner projects? Share your thoughts in the comments below! The Black Kitty (^^)~
Writers Workshop Helper free file for your kindergarten or first-grade classroom. It includes an editing checklist, personal word wall template, alphabet chart, digraph chart, and blend chart.
Everything there is to know about Contrast Paints, including a handy "cheat sheet" of Contrast paints mixed with various mediums and comparisons with other washes and inks on the market.
After all of the busyness of the holiday season, it's so nice to simplify your home, and just relax. I like to keep the little mini tre...
Writing lesson plans for the entire year! Complete writing units to help you teach writing in kindergarten and 1st grade.
Make your writing mini-lessons for the year successful! Follow a writer’s workshop lesson from beginning to end. Monthly writing lessons for Kindergarten, first grade, and second grade.
This is my fourth blog post about implementing reading workshop in the primary classroom. In my first post, I introduced what reading workshop is and benefits of using this approach to teach reading in your classroom. In my last post, I wrote about how to use a mentor text to enhance your reading workshop mini-lessons. Need to […]
How to make a mini weaving loom using an upcycled match box. You’ll just need the inside portion of a matchbox, cotton thread for the warp and yarn for weaving.
Are your students writing run-on sentences? This lesson will focus on how to correct them. These ideas are ideal for any writing curriculum and are a part of a series of mini lessons for writer's workshop designed for scaffolding through sentence structure, paragraph writing, and the writing process. Learn
DIY Arduino Mini Laser Engraver: Hello Guys Whatsup, In this instructable, I am making an Awesome mini laser engraver from old DVD writers. It's an amazing machine. You can use this laser engraver machine to make any kind of design, logo, art on the surface like WOOD, MDF, PLYWOOD,…
Two blog posts in one day! Trying to catch up on sharing our Around the World Studies. We most recently finished up our studies in India and today I’m sharing...
This STEP-BY-STEP WRITING® IS A COMPLETE WRITER'S WORKSHOP PROGRAM with all the tools needed for the entire year. It is filled with standard-based engaging lessons (scripted), anchor charts, modeling, mentor text, interactive notebook pages, practice, and all the forms, graphic organizers, checklists, and rubrics necessary to teach and assess
At last I’ve had the chance to clean up and improve some of the furniture drawings I’ve always used for model-making workshops, and so I’ve gathered them together as Template draw…
Mini-lessons, aka focus lessons, are the most effective way of delivering explicit writing instruction for many reasons.Keep reading to find out the characteristics of a good mini-lesson, the advantages of using a mini-lesson, and how to use them in a middle school setting.
