Last Week:  Snow Flake Mobiles

Literature Prep:

Isaiah 1:18 18 "Come now, let us reason together,"
       says the LORD.
       "Though your sins are like scarlet,
       they shall be as white as snow;
       though they are red as crimson,
       they shall be like wool.

Psalm 51:7  Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
       wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Proverbs 25:13 Like the coolness of snow at harvest time is a trustworthy messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the spirit of his masters.

Two things we can think of when we see snow:  Be a faithful messenger, and God makes our hearts CLEAN! 

Materials per child:  

Four 4" light blue paper squares
Four 3 1/2" white paper squares
String
2 popsicle sticks, hotglued together, and crisscrossed with string from which it will hang.
Hot glue
Elmers Glue/water mix
Thick ribbon
Stapler
Hole punch

Process:
1.  Make two snowflakes:
       Fold white paper two or three times diagonally, depending on child's skill
      Cut out little shapes.  For younger children, draw the shapes on the folds that they can cut out.
      Unfold and paste the snowflake onto the blue sheet and repeat with another
      Paint over the snowflake with the glue/water mixture to leave a little gloss on the sheet

2.  Make ribbon squares:

Cut 8" ribbon and fold in half. 
Slip blue paper square in between the ribbon.
Staple
Punch holes in square and thread them.

3.  Cut the other two snowflakes and paste them on the back of the other snowflake/blue square sets when they are dry.

Punch holes in them and hang from the popsicle sticks, and hang the other blue squares.  Put a dab of hotglue on the thread at the top when you have them balanced.

Notes:  The blue construction paper wasn't strong enough not to curl, so I either need to flatten them between heavy books before the art show, or if I were to do it again, I would flatten them for a few days after drying, and before threading them.

This Week:  Night Cities.

Materials:

1 12"x18" sheet of black or blue construction paper
oil pastels
glitter
glue
scissors

Intro:  Read Good Night Philadelphia and discussed the familiar buildings and places.  Went back and looked at the various skylines, and had the children look for outlining shapes.

1.  Fold a dark blue or black 12"x18" piece of construction paper in half, lengthwise.
  Measure 1 1/2" down, and fold again. 
  Measure 1 1/2" on each side of the paper, and fold again.
  Make a 1 1/2" slit on each of the middle edge folds as shown

2.  Use the side of dark oil pastel crayons, and make the upper half of the paper dark, using black, blues, purples, etc.  This will be the sky.

3.  Fold up the lowest section of paper, and do the same with the oil pastels, using blacks and browns.  These will be the buildings.

4.  Draw in the city outline

5.  Cut it out.

6.  Using bright oil pastels, make little strokes along the edges of the buildings, bleeding onto the "sky".

7.  Add in windows and doors, elevators, etc.

8.  Add glitter glue as desired, for stars

9.  Glue the flaps together, to make the box.

Ideas adapted from Art Today and Every Day: Classroom Activities for the Elementary School Year  by Jenean Romberg and Miriam Rutz