My Favorite Season

1. Provide opportunities for students to view artwork by American painter, Alma W. Thomas. Choose at least 2 of her artworks showing different seasons. Suggested work includes: "Iris, Tulips, Jonquils, and Crocuses"; "Autumn Leaves Fluttering in the Breeze"; and "Snow Reflections on Pond". Ask students to share what they notice. Ask: What do you see? What is your favorite part? These artworks represent different seasons. Which season do you think the artist is showing?
2. As students to list the four seasons. Sort pictures or photographs showing attributes of each season or ask students to describe what they see in each season while you add their ideas to a chart.
3. Sort colors related to each season. Colors may show up in more than one season.
4. Distribute 6" x 9" (15.24 cm x 22.86 cm)white drawing paper and Crayola Twistables Slick Stix to each table for sharing. Encourage students to make marks, color shapes and lines that show the season. Keep in mind that Slick Stix contain pigments that may stain clothing, fabrics and other household surfaces. Students should wear a smock to protect clothing and cover work surfaces with newspaper.
5. After students have made their drawings, allow students to use watercolor to fill in the blank spaces. Remind them to pick their colors based on inspiration from the season and they things they would see during that time.
6. When the paintings have dried sort them into mini galleries dedicated to each season. Display like seasons together. Allow the students to talk about their work. Encourage classmates to find a favorite artwork and tell why they like it. Invite families to come to school to view the gallery.

LA: Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade level topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

SCI: Use and share observations of local weather conditions to describe patterns over time.

VA: Explore the world using descriptive and expressive words and art-making.

VA: Recognize that people make art.

VA: Interpret art by identifying and describing subject matter.

VA: Use a variety of artmaking tools.

Encourage students to write about their favorite seasons by drawing pictures of what they like to do during that season and dictating a couple of sentences that describe their artwork.

Make a bar graph showing the students' favorite seasons. Decide which color will represent each season. Use colored construction paper squares to build the graph. Students can draw what they like to do during the season on their square before adding it to the bar graph.

Find out more about the artist Alma W. Thomas and what inspired her work. Display reproductions of her paintings in the classroom and near the painting easel to inspire the students working in that center.