Projects from last week

Ok, I know I'm kind of going about this backward but I am just going to put things from the past on as I have time and work to stay up to date with what we are currently doing. So, that means I will skip around a bit.

Our first project after I did my blog surfing was Compass Mandalas (click here for instructions) from the blog Teach Kids Art. We tied this in with a math lesson by:

• Reviewing the formula for finding the circumference of a circle (if you don't know, you can google it)
  
• Reviewing the definition of diameter and radius.
• Proving the formula by using a 5 cm. circle cut from a piece of manila file folder and measuring the distance it traveled when we rolled it out on a piece of paper.

After completing the math portion we got on to the art. Levi chose to color it with crayons. As he colored, I did my own but filled it in with patterns. When he saw that I was using patterns he decided to use a pattern on the outer portion of his mandala.

(Levi's first of several mandalas.)

On his second mandala he experimented with markers, doing some solid color sections and others with patterns. (not shown on this blog)

(My mandala, traced with black Sharpie marker and colored in with Photoshop.)

We both really enjoyed this project and both of us have done others since then. I colored one in with watercolors and Levi demonstrated how to make the mandalas in his classroom at Classical Conversations this past Tuesday.

Sharon