Under the Sea! EES

Welcome under the sea with us!

Fourth grade artists are combining making art with studying the conventions of non-fiction texts. 

Their knowledge is evidenced in their finished artwork.  If they have understood how to use the non-fiction books in the art room to find information, they have included at least two each of things that are plant, animal, and mineral in the ocean.

These fourth graders had excellent discussions about fiction versus non-fiction, and ways to seek content in an information text.  I hate to draw the line so harshly, but these little guys, unfortunately, were out by the rules of the game.

We were unable to find Snork in between shark  and sponge. Spongebob, it was noted, was also missing.

I know.  It's unfair. Who doesn't love the Snorks?  But back to getting real.

Students offered their help to one another using features of books such as the table of contents, index, and glossary to find out about and locate the things they sought.  

Narwhals were one of the most popular creatures, because while they are real (I mean, we think so... but have you ever actually seen one?) they have the aura of magic and mystery usually reserved for unicorns and dragons.  Unsurprisingly, sea dragons (you know, those nifty relatives of seahorses) were a hit too.

Students began with creating watercolor backgrounds to which many people added salt, creating that lovely bubbly effect you see above.  Additional creatures were drawn on separate paper, cut out, and glued on. Many students added real sand for texture as well.  And there you have it, your virtual scuba diving adventure of the day!