List of activities accomplished during - Feb. 9-13th, 2009. Courtesy of Mike Bennett, Canyon Middle School Art Teacher, Yucaipa, CA.
Art class -
#1. In January, the students were assigned to draw a sketch of President Lincoln on 18 x 24 paper in color or black and white based on two sketches produced from published photographs of Lincoln. Students used the grid method that has been used for centuries. The lesson implemented some math skills utilizing the yardstick for measuring and gridding.
After the lesson students submitted their art for a contest conducted at the district office with the 25-30 best sketches to be displayed and judged.
1st-3rd place winners were chosen for both 7th & 8th grade.
A story about the show was posted on the San Bernardino County Sun news site at:
http://www.insidesocal.com/yucaipanow/2009/02/yucaipa-canyon-middle-school-t.html
The art show was on display for the entire month of February at the school district office.
For more information on Mike Bennett lesson plans, click here.
#2. The next lesson called on students to produce a decorative Gettysburg Address on 18x24 paper. They could imitate Lincoln's handwriting or do standard script. The title had to be in red or blue and an illustration had to be near the top. The background of the address was to be colored in sepia or a golden yellow to imitate the weathered paper from over 100 years ago. The students' work was displayed in my classroom -http://www.insidesocal.com/yucaipanow/2009/02/yucaipa-canyon-middle-school-t.html
The English/Social Studies teachers gave the lesson of writing about Lincoln's Greatest Achievements for an Essay Contest that Principal Jim Stolze conceived. The best essays were read every day of the week during Lincoln Legacy week. A winner was chosen and the essay was posted on the Canyon Middle School web site - http://www.canyon.cv.k12.ca.us/
Members of the Student Council decorated the table with balloons and every students received a slice of birthday cake in front of the mural of President Lincoln on Feb. 12th.
On Friday, Feb 13th, awards were given to the winners of the Lincoln portrait contest and the essay contest. The winners of the art contest received a ribbon, a certificate and a small booklet on Lincoln.
The following links provide more stories on the celebrations at Canyon Middle School.
http://blogs.sbsun.com/yucaipanow/2009/02/happy-birthday-mr-lincoln-at-y.html
Our Canyon Middle School bulletin listed the winners of the art and essay contest as well as your site where my Lincoln art appears.
More lesson plans are scheduled to coincide with Civil War Day on April 24th.
The lessons are;
#1 - Design a Lincoln coin.
#2 - Discuss, critique, and write about two American sculptors Gutzon Borglum and Daniel Chester French who designed Mt. Rushmore and The Lincoln Memorial sculpture of Lincoln, respectively.
#3. - Make a paper model one of the buildings in Springfield that existed during Lincoln's life or a model of the Monitor or Merrimac ironclad ship.
#4. - Design a poster based on Civil War battlefield for a Civil War Poster & Essay Contest that is sponsored by Civil War Preservation Trust - www.civilwar.org.
