Watercolour Painting

Here are some of the watercolour techniques I needed to think about in order to produce this amazing painting:

Choose a broad brush and use it to wash the paper with water
Switch to a finer brush; wet it and then dab it dry on a paper towel
Select a colour, starting with the palest
Look closely at the colours and shapes you see
Add a bit of detail to show flowers or leaves
Try not to leave any of the paper blank
Dab the last of the water off with the paper towel
Leave it in the sun to dry

Why not come to the classroom and take a closer look at my painting? I would love to know what you think of it.

P.S. This painting was posted as a photograph on Flickr.com, a photo sharing site, and here is one of the comments that someone made:

Sketching at Chateau de Penthes

Yesterday we took our clipboards, some stiff white cartridge paper and a 3B drawing pencil to Chateau de Penthes. We were going to do some sketching.

I decided to draw the view of the trees. Take a look at my sketch.



How do you think it compares with the real thing?

Cave Painting (or drawing on the white chalk with a blackboard)

During our Unit of Inquiry on Materials, we started reading the book, 'Stig of the Dump' by Clive King. Stig is a caveman who lives at the bottom of an old quarry close to Barney's grandmother's house. Barney finds Stig one day when he falls through the roof of Stig's den. They become friends, even though they cannot talk to each other.

Since the quarry is no longer in use, people throw all their rubbish away down there; Stig is good at finding new ways in which to use old things.

On the same day that they cut down an enormous tree (getting warm once in the process) and then use it to start a fire (getting warm for the second time) Stig picks up a piece of charred (yes Matthew; it does sound a little like the word charcoal!) wood and uses it to draw an amazing hunting scene on the chalk wall of the den.

Then we had a go at using charcoal and chalks to make our own hunting scene. We dusted the paper with charcoal powder and smudged it to give it a greyish background. Then we used charcoal and chalk to make our scene.



"I like yours. I like how the girl is sitting on the horse and using a bow and arrow," said Patricia.

Mapping the school

We asked ourselves; how can we show what our school looks like? After taking a walk around the school, we had a go at trying to make a record of everything; from the classrooms to the kitchen, the music room to the French rooms and the library.

Take a look at mine. "I wanted to do it small because bigger wouldn't fit. I started with the upstairs. Then I did the kitchen. I did the people in the kitchen; they are wearing their hats. I think I got everything but I don't know what two of the classes are called. I found it easy and a little bit hard. I did a good job. Other people could use my map to find their way. I enjoyed doing it. I already know all the school; I can see it in my head. But when I am going somewhere, sometimes I take a wrong turning and I have to think again."



How does it compare to the real thing?

Cards Memory

Invented by Sofia, Danah and Michelle

Rules: You are not allowed to look

· First we put the blindfold on
· Spread the cards out, face down
· Feel two cards



· If they are the same you say, ‘SAME’
· If it’s not the same you say, ‘NOT SAME’
· If they are not the same you put them back; give the blindfold to another person
· If they are the same you get another turn
· Whoever has the most cards, they win

What is it like?

My Little Bell
I brought this. It's a little bell. It makes a little noise. It is metal and it is made out of iron or steel because it sticks to a magnet.



What is it like?
It is shiny.

My Toy
This is my toy and it's made of plastic and there is metal. You must not touch the metal. If you touch it you will lose and the nose will turn red. A battery makes it work.



What is it like?
It is opaque and shiny.

My Magnet
These are some magnets and they stick together. You can make a triangle with it.



What is it like?
The balls are shiny and hard. The other metal is coloured.

My pony
It's made out of plastic and I brought it because it has two materials, cotton and plastic.



What is it like?
It is not shiny and it's not bendy. The hair is a little bit shiny.

plastic

This is a flute. It’s made of plastic straws. I asked Danah to give me a piece.



‘I like how you made the bits for your fingers,’ said Maya.