We are taking a closer look at Claude Monet this week.

Morah Katie: Who remembers the name of the artist we are learning about?

Sadie: Claude Monet.

Morah Katie: Where did Monet like to paint? 

Maya: Outdoors.

Morah Katie: Did he tell a story with his paintings?

Kids: No.

Olivia: He painted something he thought was pretty.

Miles: He painted something beautiful.

Morah Katie: Did he make one painting of something he thought was pretty?

Kids: No.

Jade: He painted lots of them.

Morah Katie: Why would he make so many paintings of the same thing?

Mason: He really liked painting.

Morah Katie: He did.

Matan: He painted at lunchtime.

Jade: And then in the afternoon later after lunch.

Mason: And in Spring and the Summer.

Morah Katie: Even in Fall and Winter.  What is different when you are outside at lunch and then later in the late afternoon? What is different when you play outside season to season? Spring or Summer?

Olivia: The sun.

Morah Katie: What do colors outside look like on a cloudy day?

Lochlan: Dark and blue.

Morah Katie: What do colors look like on a bright sunny day?

Matan: Yellow, lots of colors.

Morah Katie: Could different amounts of sunlight make the same pond of water lilies look different? 

Kids: Yes!

Morah Katie: Do you think that could be why Monet painted something he thought was pretty so often? Because it would look different, still pretty, but different?

Kids: Yes!

We pretended to be Claude Monet. 

(due to weather for most of the week we stayed inside) 

We choose one of his paintings and tried to create it.

We looked closely at the real painting, looking for colors and shapes to help guide us.

Sophia: I see brown and green, lots of brown.

Jade: I see blue and green and yellow.

Emily: I see lines and towers.

Olivia: I see green water and blue water.

Mason: I see the blue, white and red flag. And yellow flowers and the blue ocean.

Sadie: I see purple and blue lines and circles.

 Monet's water lilies inspired a collage. 

The collage activity gave inspiration for a "pond" in our classroom.

It grew and grew.

http://www.preschoolvancouver.com/home.html

Young artists at work

For the next few weeks we will be taking a closer look at painting. 

We will explore this artistic expression by learning about 3 specific artists.

To get our minds ready for this creative adventure, 

we have built a mini art museum in the classroom.

I told the children to keep an eye out for changes.

As with real art museums, our art exhibits will change also.

 

It was truly delightful to catch "real life" sketch moments happening in our block museum.

We read a book about color.

"Red and blue can magenta and purple and violet.

But yellow and yellow can only make yellows".

We experimented to see if the book was true.

It was!

We created our own painters palette.

The children had to match the color to the first letter of its word (r for red).

The easels are at the entry of the classroom to inspire each child to create one painting a day.

Colette decided to draw and paint a self portrait.

Morah Katie: What did I forget to put on my piece of art? I wouldn't want you to confuse my art with a Claude Monet painting.

Sadie: Flowers!

Morah Katie: Sadie, you remembered from wednesday! I was thinking of my name. BUT If I had painted a lot of water lilies and not added my name, maybe I could have confused you! We talked about how artists sign their work, put their name on their art. Is that something you have heard me ask you to do?

Kids: Yes.

Morah Katie: Artists also name their art work. They give it a title. This painting by Claude Monet is "Water Lilies".

This painting by Vincent Van Gogh is "Night, Arles".  Why do you think he named it that?

Jade: It has stars.

Olivia: It looks like Night.

Morah Katie: This painting is by Edgar Degas.  I bet you can guess the title. 

Colette: Well there are 2 ballerinas.

Morah Katie: And it is called "Two Ballerinas".

Morah Katie: Emily what are you painting? 

Emily: Towers.

Morah Katie: What do you think you will title your painting?

Emily: "Emily mama and dada".

Morah Katie: Mason, what do you think about your painting? Have you thought of a title?

Mason: I'm not sure.

Morah Katie: Do you remember what you were thinking of when you painted it?

Mason: Light.  I'll name it "Light".

Our block museum will not be the only gallery with a weekly changing exhibit. 

Please be sure to keep on eye on our wall for the incredible pieces of art being created each week by our young artists.

http://www.preschoolvancouver.com/home.html

It's Pesach! It's Passover!

On Passover we have a special dinner, the Seder.  

Morah Tzivie: Our table has looks so beautiful. It has flowers. It has candles. It looks like a holiday. But look at all these new strange foods. 

Why do we eat this interesting foods? 

Now is when we ask, everyone asks why, with the song:

Mah nishtanah ha-laiah ha-zeh mi-kol ha-laylot?

Why is this night so different from all other nights? 

On all the nights of the year, we don't dip our food, 

we don't dip our food.

But on this night, but on this night 

we dip twice,

 But on this night, but on this night, 

we dip twice.

Morah Tzivie: Why do we dip our vegetables in salty water at the Seder?

Maya: Because the tears.

Morah Tzivie: It reminds us of the tears the people cried when they were feeling sad in Egypt.

Why do we dip our food in the Charoset?

Mason: Remember the building.

Morah Tzivie: It reminds us of their hard work and the bricks they had to make while they lived in Egypt.

On all the nights of the year we eat all kinds of bread, 

we eat all kinds of bread.

But on this night, but on this night 

we eat 

Sadie: Crunchy Matzah!

But on this night, but on this night

We eat 

Aura: Crunchy Matzah

Morah Tzivie: If you had a hot dog what type of bread would you use?

Kids: Bread.

Morah Tzivie: A fluffy hot dog bun probably.  What kind of bread do we eat at Shabbat?

Kids: Challah!

Morah Tzivie: Why do we eat crunchy matzah at our Seder?

Jade: We remember the slaves in Egypt when we eat it.

Olivia: They didn't have time to bake the bread, they only had time to make matzah.

On all the nights of the year we eat all kinds of vegetables, 

we eat all kinds of vegetables.

But on this night, but on this night

We eat 

Jade: Bitter herbs Maror

But on this night, but on this night

We eat bitter maror.

 

Morah Tzivie: Maror can make your eyes water, and tastes bitter. Why do we eat this at our Seder?

Jade: The tears of the Jewish people.

Morah Tzivie: Our carrot puppet looks happy. When we flip it, it will be the maror. What do you think it will look like?
Matan: Sad.

On all the nights of the year we sit straight in our chairs, 

we sit straight in our chairs,

But on this night, but on this night 

We lean and we recline,

But on this night, but on this night 

we lean and we recline.

Morah Tzivie: How do we sit at the Seder?
Mason: We lay back.
Maya: Because we are free.

 We have been creating Pesach booklets to share with our families.

We are so excited to share all we know about Passover.

http://www.preschoolvancouver.com/