It’s November and we’re celebrating the art of letter writing, let’s embellish!
Once you’ve composed a friendly letter first draft, it’s time to choose stationary. There are all sorts of envelopes and flat cards in many colors, shapes, and sizes available everywhere. Choose a shape and color that is perfect for fall. Accentuate these simple cards with a fall-themed crafty insert. What’s more symbolic of fall than fallen leaves?
The best place to begin is with a little exploration of fall science. Why do leaves turn from green to the colors of fall? In fall, days are shorter, sunlight is less intense, and temperatures are cooler. This causes leaves to stop photosynthesizing. When this happens the leaf’s chlorophyll (the pigment that makes them green) breaks down, and its green turns to the beautiful yellows and oranges and reds that are quintessentially fall.
Let’s make some fall leaves!
ONE.
Begin with one sheet of watercolor paper. Cut it in two pieces then fold each into an accordion.
TWO.
Open the sheets back up and paint some fall colors.
THREE.
Once the paint is dry, draw a leaf shape and cut.
FOUR.
Now punch holes.
FIVE.
Now fold the leaf and staple the stem. Thread a piece of embroidery floss through the leaf stem to wrap the little leaf up for its journey to the recipient of your extravagant letter!
Composing a letter by hand—a non-electronic letter—is a relational, social activity that teaches generosity, idea making, and the nature of beauty.
Once upon a time there was no such thing as email, text messages, and social media. Back then there was mail. The art of letter writing began way before Pony Express. I love watching movies where fancy-dressed people are sitting together after a lovely meal sharing news from friends and relatives living in far reaches of the wide world. Letters. They called them letters.
Ephemera is a wonderful word. Say it aloud. Ephemera.
But ephemera is something that is not meant to be preserved. I would argue that letters, the thoughtfully crafted kind, are not ephemera but rather lasting gifts!
Letter writing, like all writing, begins with an idea. It’s November. And November is the season of gratitude. So why not write an idea tied to the theme of gratitude? Starting with a list is always a good idea. Brainstorm! What are you thankful for?
Hone in: Once there is some fodder on the page, focus in on a specific topic that you can develop. Encourage student writers to keep ideas simple, being grateful for finding that favorite lost sock, watching the goldfish swimming in the backyard pond, or accomplishing a difficult task like mastering a new math concept. Brainstorm some more.
With a topic nailed down, begin crafting the rough draft. Time to pick up the pencil and tell the story—yes the story! Narrative writing (a story of gratitude is no exception) is an opportunity to share. Write a first draft.
Lay down the pencil when all the ideas are on the page. Set the writing aside for up to 24 hours. Let the story simmer.
Re-read what was written. Now is the time to make edits, to re-arrange, to add wonderful words and phrases and to read again! Once satisfied, copy the gratitude narrative into the card you have chosen. You can certainly add some “pleasantries” to introduce the purpose of your gratitude narrative (’tis the season, after all), and you can share a bit of personal news after your narrative, but however you shape your letter, don’t forget to mark it with a date, create a salutation, and a friendly closing.
I Modinnari is a tradition that many communities have adopted to honor an Italian tradition that began way back in the 16th century. Once upon a time itinerant artists commissioned for bigger works, would, at the close of the project, create a related work of art in tempera on the pavement.
For many years this was a tradition with my children, and later with my students. These two are perfect examples for fall. The copy below, after René Magritte’s Listening Room, was created on our driveway during COVID. The above image after inspired by Paul Cézanne’s Apples but re-imagined to fit into a particular space.
You can I Modinnari too!
Here’s How:
Use a white, water-based tempera paint, to cover the space you will be using to create your art.
Choose an image to copy. Apples are obviously recommended!
Using a collection of chalk pastels, begin drawing and layering up colors. Begin with light colors and add darks last!
It looks simple. It is. But what makes it read “apple” is the fact that it began with observation. The most important thing that observation teaches, is that apples are not perfect spheres.
One fun way to observe is to observe a black and white photograph. Here’s how:
Take a phot of a single apple or a group of apples on your phone. Edit the photo to black and white.
Turn on the edit option and choose a color of your choice.
Choose an apple color for the pen tool. Have your student scribble-trace the apple contour with an Apple Pen or finger.
Now get to know artist Roy Lichtenstein. Read about him here. This is work, Two Apples, was created back in 1972. Take some time to observe. Here are some things to notice:
It is horizontally oriented, divided into two unequal parts, the bottom being larger than the top.
We see: Red, blue, black, and white.
The apples shape is created by a strong, single outline that creates a beautiful organic shape.
The stem is a single stroke of paint.
The upper background is dotted.
Now you try!
Begin with very light pencil drawing. Divide the horizontal space. Fill the space with two large apples.
Choose colors (we recommend using gouache or acrylic paint on smooth Bristol paper) . Limit the palette to two colors, plus black and white.
Paint the sold background at the bottom of the painting. Next paint the apples. Let this dry thoroughly.
Next paint the dots in the upper background. This should be done slowly. Let the paint dry.
Use white paint to pop a highlight onto the apple if you like (our students did not create the highlight).
The very last step is to outline the apples and the horizon line with black.
When it come to apples, the possibilities are limitless! This is what the pop artist reminds us:
“Pop art looks out into the world. It doesnt look like a painting of something, it looks like the thing itself.”
There is no doubt in the viewer’s mind that these pop art apples look like the form of the real thing! This is because the artists began with observation.
Pumpkins are everywhere this time of year! Time to harvest, right? Following are three ideas to help you “switch it up” with pumpkin activities that will surely keep the fall mood stirring!
ONE.
Read (or listen to) a pumpkin story, or two! How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin by Margaret McNamara, illustrated by G. Brian Karas, is a wonderful story that integrates math and inquiry. We love this story so much that weve included it in our Hatchling for Kindergarten Collection! Pumpkin Circle by George Levenson, photographs by Shumel Thaler, is a terrific book that takes the reader on a beautiful book through the life cycle of the pumpkin. Continue the pumpkin science by observing two different pumpkins from various perspectives. Discuss discoveries. Talk about color. You might even compare colors to paint chips from the hardware store! Count the lines. Compare weight. Observe the stem and the bottom of the pumpkin. Cut the pumpkins open. Count the seeds. You might even pick up a sugar pumpkin and make a pie or some muffins! The possibilities are endless.
TWO.
Stitch a pumpkin. This one was made years ago for little hands to learn the running stitch. The pumpkin is a simple drawing cut onto fabric fused with Wonder Under, a material that allows the design to stick with heat to the background fabric. The outer frame, the bordering crooked strips of fabric, are optional. Without these, no sewing machine is necessary. Of course, if you have access to a sewing machine, by all means create a border!
Begin like this:
Have your child look at and draw a pumpkin.
Trace elements of drawing to the select fabrics prepared with Wonder Under—stem, body, inner shapes.
Cut out the shapes, place on the background, and heat with an iron to adhere to the background.
If you have a sewing machine, run a stitch around the pumpkin to add strength. If not, run a stitch by hand.
Provide your child with a needle and embroidery floss in bright coordinating or contrasting colors to decorate.=
THREE.
Try to yarn bomb a pumpkin! Several years ago, I bought a white pumpkin and a skein of orange yarn. I set out scissors, glue, and the yarn in a basket next to the pumpkin. Together with my four elementary and middle school aged children we created this fun activity, one length of yarn at a time. Pant the pumpkin with glue, cut a length of yarn to reach from the stem to the underneath of the pumpkin, and attach, one by one. This slow, contemplative work is a terrific activity to set up during October!
Cézanne said: “Everything is about to disappear. You’ve got to hurry up if you still want to see things.”
What does he mean?
I think he means: “LOOK!”
This little painting by 9th grader, Kingsley, was accomplished during Session 1 of Pages online live! Under the expert tutelage of Mr. Taylor, inspired by the colorful still life paintings of Paul Cézanne, in five happy, peaceful hours over the course of five weeks, this student painting took shape.
How did she accomplish this beautiful feat?
By engaging in the slow work of observation.
The skill of observation enables us to recognize, slow down, perceive, decide, appreciate, and ultimately, to know. Observation engages all the senses. Yes, we can see with our hands. And it is through the senses, that we will make sense of the world. But don’t take my word for it, Da Vinci, master of observation says it with eloquence: “All our knowledge has its origins in our perceptions.”
It’s fall! Leaves are turning. Following are three ideas to help you “switch it up” with fall leaf activities! While reading the following ideas, listen to Vivaldi, Autumn from The Four Seasons performed by the Netherlands Bach Society. This will surely get the fall mood stirring!
Stitch a leaf. These leaves began with a leaf walk. Grab a basket and collect some freshly fallen leaves. Look up and, if possible, pluck a a few fresh leaves too. Once home, observe the different shapes you collected. Trace your favorite onto a piece of felt. Felt squares can be found at your local craft store. The felt we used was purchased on Etsy from an artisan who dyes beautiful colors with natural materials. Once the leaf shape is drawn on the felt, cut out the leaf. Now stitch the veins with matching embroidery floss using a simple running stitch.
This project is a really fun throwback to a classic that my sister-in-law, Tracey, beautified with unexpected bright fall colors and simple organic shapes! These leaves, once cut, are unfolded and embellished with a hole punch (all terrific fine motor for little ones), then veins are drawn with colored pencils. String these paper leaves for a decorative fall garland. Collect them in a little basket. You might even use these leaves as a little greeting card!
Three.
Haiku are the little powerhouses of the poetry world! They are a fun challenge involving the best of word play, mixed with a little finger counting to get the syllables just right! Here’s a brief “Haiku 101” to help you get started:
1. Haiku poems consist of a three-line stanza that has a total of 17 syllables written in the following pattern:
Line 1: 5 syllables
Line 2: 7 syllables
Line 3: 5 syllables
*Slight variations in syllabication is appropriate as this helps the poet maintain the “one thought in three lines” rule.
2. Haiku poems are observations of nature, often making reference to the seasons.
3. Haiku poems are like photographs, which capture moments in time. A “haiku moment” describes a scene that leads the reader to a feeling.
4. Haiku poems were originally written as introductions to longer works of poetry and should be written as one thought in three lines.
Consider this simple, but lovely, fall haiku written by the Japanese poet, Matsuo Basho:
In the autumn night,
Breaking into
A pleasant chat.
Ready to write? Try crafting a leaf haiku. Use photos in this post to inspire.
It’s apple picking time! Apples are quintessentially fall. Following are three ideas with apples to help you “switch it up” with activities to enjoy those fall feelings…
A Drop Fell on the Apple Tree (794) by Emily Dickinson
A Drop fell on the Apple Tree — Another – on the Roof — A Half a Dozen kissed the Eaves — And made the Gables laugh —
A few went out to help the Brook That went to help the Sea — Myself Conjectured were they Pearls — What Necklaces could be —
The Dust replaced, in Hoisted Roads — The Birds jocoser sung — The Sunshine threw his Hat away — The Bushes – spangles flung —
The Breezes brought dejected Lutes — And bathed them in the Glee — The Orient showed a single Flag, And signed the fête away —
Two.
Paint some apples. This painting is a “study” (a copycat!). Pick up a canvas, some brushes, and a few tubes of acrylic paint. Before you begin, do some research. Do you know Paul Cézanne? Listen to a story about his apple paintings. Now study the apple painting by Paul Cézanne that inspired the copycat above! The first step of a painting is to prepare the canvas. Create a light brown to wash all over the canvas. This will dry quickly and once it does, use a pencil to sketch the apples—four on the top, and six on the bottom. Notice how each apple has a beautiful organic shape? There are zero perfect circles here! The next step is to add your big brush strokes of color—red and yellow and green. Can you mimic the colors? Here’s a hint: never paint straight out of a tube. To get a Cézanne red, you must mix a tiny drop of green into a quarter-sized blob of the red. To get a Cézanne yellow, you must mix a tiny drop of purple into a quarter-sized blob of the yellow. To get a Cézanne green, you must mix a tiny drop of red into a quarter-sized blob of the green. Mixing with complimentary colors (colors opposite each other on the color wheel) make beautiful complex hues! Practice mixing colors until you have colors that are similar to Cézanne. The dark blue-black outline work is the very last step.
Three.
Draw an apple and write an apple poem! Following are two photographs to inspire a small poem. Fall is the time of year when we enjoy back-to-school. The leaves are changing and there may even be a scrumptious apple pie baking in the oven! Fall is the perfect season to write our ideas! What better way to capture a wonderful fall feeling than to craft a haiku for a change in season!
Fall is here and we are, most of us, 6 to 8 weeks into the 2023/24 school year.
What now?
First, please CONGRATULATE yourself for completing the first cycle of CORE Integrated Reading & Writing units, and likely introducing APPLICATION materials such as Calendar of Days, Operation Lexicon, One True Sentence, or Tools of Style. Be encouraged! Take heart!
“A power of Butterfly must be –
The Aptitude to fly
Meadows of Majesty concedes
And easy Sweeps of Sky —”
~Emily Dickinson
This butterfly, a California Buckeye, was spotted this week when I took a moment to enjoy a lovely fall day in the garden. And I thought of Emily Dickinson’s amazing observation of the butterfly’s aptitude to fly.
And this got me to thinking of education and childhood.
A power of Childhood must be –
The Aptitude to fly—
It’s October.
Your students are stretching their wings.
You are likely getting ready to add Earlybird Introduction to Animals or your first Research People of the year or one of the Research Science units on top of the second CORE unit. And you might be a bit overwhelmed. You are not alone!
Sometimes, after the delightful anticipation and early days of back-to-school fades, fatigue sets in.
You may be experiencing that oh-so-familiar desire to countdown to the holidays!
We say: Not yet!!!
Don’t give up!
Take a moment in the garden. Enjoy the sights of fall.
Now is the time to take a breath and join hands with the teacher built in to your materials!
Let October-Focus-on-ELA-fest begin!!!
Here’s how:
1. Look back on your student’s first completed CORE unit. Make note of the small steps of progress.
2. Read about the 5-Minute Conference in preparation for the second CORE unit of the year.
3. Read (again) through the “How to Use this Guide” in the front of the student workbooks.
Primary (Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade)
At the primary level, foundational skills are introduced and reviewed, and put into practice. This is where students learn to delight in the joy of stories and the taming of ideas begins. Watch the Professional development for parents and teachers from August session for inspiration this October.
Elementary (3rd, 4th, and 5th grade)
Elementary readers and writers are becoming confident with grammar, mechanics, and form—sentences and paragraphs—and style! Writing at this level involves learning to craft an amazing Hook and working through the process of crafting an idea the happy way. Watch the Professional development for parents and teachers from our August session for inspiration this October.
Middle School (6th, 7th, and 8th grade)
and
High School (9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade)
The goal is for middle and high school writers to transfer their creativity and courageous ability to write an idea to more advanced forms—poems, literary, descriptive, and persuasive essays, and longer research. Watch the Professional development for parents and teachers from our August session for inspiration this October.
During the months of October, watch for weekly festive posts to boost you on toward November!
Students using our Middle School ELA Grade Level Collections will be exploring essay form, enhancing vocabulary, and being introduced to advanced rhetoric in addition to the CORE units. Students at this level have developed confidence in the expanded form of idea-making, are crafting clever Hook openings with unique voicing, and are moving into the territory of unencumbered idea making!
Students regularly engage in the process of writing, idea to draft to the re-read/edit loop that leads to a beautiful polished final work.
When students move to the high school level, each week, in addition to journaling observations character development, themes, symbols, and motifs, they are encouraged to craft a synopsis and a personal reflection to help them timk deeply about the story at hand in preparation for the crafting of a literary essay.
Crafting the synopsis and reflection within a constrained word count, challenges the writer to make each word matter!
Each culminating essay follows the same form introduced in middle school, so that the writer is now prepared to craft original observations and ideas tied to complex literature constrained to the particular literary form.
Click through to watch a recording of the August Professional Development sessions with Mrs. B & Ms. Clare:
Let’s start a tradition!
It’s fall! 
