Wish List!

Everyone has a wish list! This group of 6th graders had a special assignment: To make a wish with these elements: A cartoon/animated/anime/ or video game character, a color, and a location (city or country) They had fun with this:

I Wish . . .

I wish I was a princess, in New England, wearing a frilly pink dress, chatting with Queen

I wish the Simpsons would turn green and move to Paris, Texas.

I wish that the Blue Man Group was in New York being blue like the sky and black like the night.

I wish the Purple Pekka was in New York City.

I wish Stewie Griffin was my neighbor and wore a pink dress.

I wish Stewie in Family Guy was in NY so I could meet him. I also wish that Stewie’s clothes and overalls were zebra color. Zebra color meaning black and white stripes.

I wish that I was a blue Smurfette and all the other Smurfs would chase after me in Paris.

I wish that I would see Santa Claus on red Christmas Eve in New York.

I wish that the pilgrims would come on Black Friday and celebrate all around New York City.

I wish that I was Superman, flying in my red cape from Staten Island to Brooklyn, so I wouldn’t be late for school.

I wish that in China, people will sell authentic pink Hello Kitty products.

I wish that for my birthday present I will get white Hello Kitties from America.

I wish that on Christmas Eve, every little girl in America will get a pink Hello Kitty stuffed animal.

I wish I was blue and yellow with Minnie Mouse while swimming in the Dead Sea.

I wish I was Spongebob in a yellow suit in Las Vegas.

I wish I was Kirito holding Asuna’s hand while watching the bright blue sky in London.

I wish I as in the land of anime watching the blue sky in Paris with Natsu.

I wish I was Black Wing Armor Master in a rainbow place, also known as New York.

I wish I could make a black burrito out of Kirito while eating a Dorito in the city of Mexico.

I wish that I could go to San Francisco with Minnie Mouse, and ride on an orange cable car.

I wish that I could go to Starling City and meet the Arrow on a green roof top.

I wish that I was Alice in Wonderland riding a rainbow unicorn with a minion and the Mad Hatter.

I wish I was Goldilocks in Russia eating golden porridge.

I wish the sky was always blue and that Garfield cat and I could have a week with no Mondays in Santa Fe.

I wish that I could meet Percy Jackson in China. I would want to ride in a blue car with him and have fun.

I wish that I was yellow and blue eating lunch with Mickey Mouse in France.

I wish I could travel to England with Misaki in a purple helicopter.

I wish I had a blue cap with a picture of Big Nate on it, and if I did, I would be living in Paris.

I wish that Mary Poppins would come from North Carolina and let me ride on her gold and black umbrella.

I wish that Peppa Pig would come from London and let me ride her flying car.

Love...Think Again!

If you think that a 6th grader can't tell you anything about love, think again! This is a group project by 6 young ladies who loved to talk. They told me what they wanted to say, and I wrote it on paper. The students decided where each line belonged...I was only the scribe.

Love is a gift

and what you do with it can be your own personal curse.

True love is the key to your heart

and your heart unlocks your life.

Love is valuable

it cannot be bought with cash

but with faith.

Love is strong if you have a big heart

Some love can be fake and also ugly

Looks are not always the way you find love.

Love can complete life

Let love come to you

because if you go chasing it

it may never be yours.

And...Even More Words..

   Kids have a lot to say...if we listen. I was working with a group of students who didn't like to write a lot (except for a couple of them) but they had lots to say about everything. I decided to let them tell me what they wanted to say, and I wrote it on paper. They were the authors, and I became the scribe. This is one of their group projects:

    It reads:

Everybody has problems that upset them in many ways.

Sometimes problems make you feel lonely

and seeing angry faces make you feel unhappy.

Abandoning negative things can make a better future

And a happy ever after.

Finally, proudly sticking up for what you believe in

can change someone’s life.

(6th Grade Students - NYC)

Anti-Bullying Artwork!

Every writing workshop begins with a five minute free-writing exercise in which students may write about any topic that they feel strongly about. When they choose a writing project in later weeks, students may either select a new topic, or continue working on one of their free-write drafts. This is an anti-bullying poster started by one 6th Grade student who was very reluctant to participate at the beginning, but he found something to say in his own way that was very detailed and profound:

Poetry and Spoken Word!

     This slideshow is from a Poetry and Spoken Word project I facilitated with Middle School students in at a NYC Public School. A very dedicated group of students bravely put their thoughts and feelings on paper, and shared them with a large audience. Several students also displayed artwork that accompanied the theme of "I Am"...If you don't have a "I Am" statement for the world, the world will tell you who "You Are". The group shot is edited for student privacy.

                                   

Creative Writing & Poetry!

     This slideshow is from a Creative Writing and Poetry project I facilitated with students in New York City Public Schools. Students in this cohort chose from Realistic Fiction, Narratives, Portrait Poems, Mystery, Fantasy, Adventure, and Persuasive Writing, and worked on their topic for a 4 to 6 week period, depending on their individual progress. Common Core Standards for writing, speaking and listening were followed, and finished work was published and presented at an Open House presentation before a small audience.

                                    

Stay Healthy, Be Healthy! Promoting Healthy Lifestyles Through Science and Art

     This 8-Week workshop offers participants fun opportunities to learn age-appropriate health concepts through hands-on scientific experiments, creative expression, and group discussions. The Be Healthy, Stay Healthy curriculum teaches students how to begin taking responsibility for their own health, and how to protect the health of those around them. By combining concepts from science and art, students are quickly engaged in the program and become active participants in the learning process.    
       

          Objectives of the workshop are: Health awareness and health-promoting behaviors such as handwashing, proper nutrition, dental care,stress management, and personal safety; group cohesivesness through hands-on scientific experiments;creative self-expression through topic-related theatre games and dramatic play, and healthy lifestyle changes that will positively influence family members, peers, and their communities.

Young Writers Workshop- Poetry and Creative Writing

When I Run

When I run, I can feel...

The wind hitting my face and hair

When I run, I can hear...

My own breath and the wind whistling

When I run, I can see...

All of nature and the environment, and everyone around me.

When I run, I can taste...

Sweat, and the wind

When I run, I can smell...

Fresh air.

Running is like...flying!

      This poem is the collaborative work of 4th and 5th grade students describing their experiences after running, using sense memory. It was inspired by the book entitled Wilma Unlimited, the biography of Wilma Rudolph, who overcame many childhood illnesses to become the first American woman to win three Gold medals in the Olympics.
 
       The Young Writers Workshop is an 6-8 week program for grades 3-5 that teaches students how to put their thoughts into workds through the creative process, while exploring their own ideas and sharing them with others in a safe environment. Students will have opportunties to learn about various forms of poetry such as: Acrostic, Cinquain, Diamante, and themed poetry with artwork.

     Students will engage in creative expression through journaling and age appropriate dramatic activities, learn public speaking skills and appropriate audience behavior. At the end of the workshop, students will have the opportunity to present a body of finished writing to an invited audience of family and friends.

Art4Joy - Creative Art & Art History

     Children love to create artwork!  It keeps them focused and has an immediate reward. Art4Joy workshops offer children opportunities to learn about Art and Art History, to know what they are creating and also find out about the origins of different types of artwork. Each session includes a short history of artists from different eras that includes vocabulary and lots of hands-on time to create art based on what they have learned.

     Although each child is encouraged to work at his or her individual level, emphasis is placed on process that they create for themselves, not the product. Each artwork is celebrated and shared with the group, and positive comments are always welcome!

     Objectives of Art4Joy are: 

     Development of imaginative ablities through the creative process; improved communications skills through reflection and positive peer critique ;and increased appreciation of art in their communities and globally.                   



Top - decoupage; Above: Geogia O'Keefe,
"Objects Big and Bold"



                                                                                                                             

    

UrbanArts Live! - Creative Dramatics

 Creative Dramatics - Multicultural Awareness through the   Spoken Word and Theatre

     Drama is the enactment of real and imagined events through role-play, play making and performances, enabling individuals and groups to explore, shape and represent ideas, feelings and their consequences in symbolic or dramatic form.  This 8-week workshop will promote multicultural awareness and acceptance of self and others through the spoken word, utilizing poetry, monologues and scenes which explore themes of cultural diversity, culminating in a performance project for family and friends.

     Students are provided with a safe environment for age-appropriate activities such as: Storytelling, Drama, Reader's Theatre, and Improvisation. Basic acting and public-speaking will be taught, increasing self-confidence and communications skills.

Objectives of this workshop are:

• Multicultural awareness through the creative process;
• Use of the spoken word to communicate a theme to an audience;
• Use of the collective imagination to produce a finished project

     Each class will begin with a basic acting warm-up and motivational phrase, to create a positive, fun environment and build self-confidence.

Top and above - "The Crayon Box That Talked"

                                                                                                                           

                                                                                                                                 

 

Introducing... UrbanArtsLive!

    After several years of working with children in the public schools, I have a developed a program that will introduce children to art while learning how to stay healthy and happy.


   Through creative arts workshops, students in Grades K-5 are inspired to learn positive ways of self-expression and healthy living in a safe, fun, non-competitive environment. Students are encouraged to find their creative voice through four exciting workshops: Urban Arts Live!(TM) (Creative Dramatics); Art 4 Joy (Creative Art & Art History); Young Writers Workshop ( Writing and Poetry); and Be Healthy, Stay Healthy! (Health & Wellness) Additional benefits of these workshops are: Developing the use of imagination -Increased decision making and problem-solving skills -Increased self-esteem and consideration for others -Improved individual work habits and cooperative skills -Increased social awareness and responsibility Each six-week workshop meets twice weekly, and ends in a culmination presentation for invited guests. UrbanArtsLive! (TM) is a great way to learn about the wonderful world of art!

     Each 6 to 8 week workshop meets twice weekly, and ends in a culmination presentation for invited guests. Workshops can be held in classrooms, community centers, churches, group homes, or in any space that can safely accommodate a group of 10-20 children. All workshops meet the California VAPA and Language Arts Standards. Prices are per child and include all supplies and materials.  Please feel free to check out my slideshow of past children's art projects I have facilitated. I can be contacted at: Urbanartslive@gmail.com. I hope to meet with you soon!