Mrs. Knight's Smartest Artists: The Art and Science of Poetry contest

A local university sent me a postcard about a contest they were sponsoring for grade school kids that combined science, poetry, and of course, art - nobody loves an integrated lesson like me so I was all over it. I sent the info to my classroom teachers and many were interested, but after so many snow days recently just couldn't squeeze it in in time, except for Ms. Keller's first graders, who jumped early and we made the deadline by the last minute! In their classroom, the kids talked about the theme "Science is Everywhere" by reviewing concepts they'd learned this year - magnets, water cycle, light and shadows - and types of poetry like cinquain, haiku, and acrostic. After writing their poems, they brought their posters to art class where we brainstormed illustration ideas. One of the favorite topics was "the experiment", which we agreed was messy and fun, so we did some paint dribbling and spattering on all the posters. The students worked in pairs, like the girls above with their magnet themed illustrated poem.