Operation Collabor-nation

I usually start my school year with the theme of peace. 

I think it is really important for students to think about what the word means and I always teach the right way to make the peace symbol (not the mercedez logo). 

Some of my past projects are posted here.

This year with fifth and sixth grade I focused on friendship and understanding for each other's differences and backgrounds. I gave out slips of paper that said a language, countries the language is spoken in, and the word for friend in that language. 

For instance : "Hebrew - Israel - Chaver"

Each student got one that they did not know, most of which we looked up on the world map too. 

We learned that some of our students knew how to say the word friend in many languages too and where student's families are from (Senegal, Ethiopia, India, in addition to all over Central America!)

They filled out an info sheet that said:

__________________ is how you say friend in the language __________________.

__________________ is spoken in the following countries: _____________________.

Each student received a paper, folded it in half, and had to use the word for friend on the outside as the main part of the design. 

Their info sheet was glued on the inside.

Students knew this was part of a collaborative project and we discussed how artists can work collaboratively on one big piece all together, or can work on smaller pieces that will be put together as a greater whole (like this project)- and how every artist's effort will be noticeable and is important. 

We spelled friend in the hallway and the piece is interactive!

They are so proud of it. :)

**Some students who were done early did synonyms like 'pal', 'partner', etc. so that is why you may notice words like that in the pictures. 

Peace-a-palooza

This is my fifth year starting out doing a lesson based on the International Day of Peace (Sept. 21) 

and tying it in with beginning of the year basics. 

I always teach about what symbols mean, what the word "peace" means, 

and how the peace sign came to be. 

I was actually published in Teach Boldly where I wrote a portion of a chapter 

about my first experience teaching this unit.

This year after showing a slide show on the peace sign, other peace symbols such as the dove and olive branch- and introducing works of Pablo Picasso and Rene Magritte-- I went back to basics with my new fifth graders. We reviewed color mixing with model magic. 

Then each student made their own peace sign, also including texture if they chose to do so.

Each student was responsible for creating an accompanying tag with their name and a sentence about how they define peace of what it means to them using thin marker and colored pencil. 

I hung them in the window, they looked awesome!

We are currently working on another related lesson that focuses on composition and overlapping. 

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Past lessons I have done include these below:

Primary colors mixed with a new take on Pinwheels for Peace. 

Rainbow colors of marker lines turned into paint- and then collaged onto the peace sign. 

Hands put together to form a large peace sign. 

One grade I had draw examples of peaceful and 

respectful behaviors to set examples for the other students.