Ninja Notes

Let us help you teach like a ninja!

Art Lessons

How to Spread Joy With Handmade Community Christmas Cards

by

Get your students involved in their community by making and delivering Christmas cards. It's so simple and yet makes such an impact. Find out how in this post complete with different types of cards to make and how to involve your whole school.

For eleven years we have been part of a proud tradition in our community: delivering Christmas cards to all the homes and businesses that make up our school community. We mail them to agencies and businesses involved with our school community. It is so easy, helps build community and teaches our students to do things for others.

Students love making cards. And they don’t need to be just for Christmas. You can apply this strategy to any type of holiday at any time of year.

Here is how you can start the tradition for yourself.

[Read more…] about How to Spread Joy With Handmade Community Christmas Cards

How to Make Recycled Can Characters

by

Upcycle cans from your house into these adorable can characters. It's great as a Christmas craft or a language arts character study.

Here’s a great reason to eat potato chips (you don’t have to eat them, but it’s a good excuse). Have your students collect Pringles cans or any other metal or cardboard can that has a plastic lid and upcycle them into a great holiday activity. Our students have loved making recycled can characters over the years.

This activity will work with other types of cans that are made of cardboard with a metal base and plastic lid.

We made our cans into snowmen, gingerbread men, penguins, Santas, elves and reindeer as a fun Christmas craft activity that parents will cherish for years to come.

[Read more…] about How to Make Recycled Can Characters

12 Simple Christmas Tree Art Projects We Love

by

These simple and amazing Christmas Tree art projects are great for any class or age. Treat yourself to easy to prep and teach lessons during the busiest time of the year. They make great family gifts, cards or just to make your school beautiful during the Christmas holidays.

If you are an elementary generalist who teaches your own art, it can be challenging finding projects that look great, teach skills and aren’t so complicated YOU can’t figure them out. Don’t worry! We’ve got some great Christmas tree art projects for you. They use regular materials you’ll be able to find in your school and don’t take more than an hour or so to create.

In fact, we think you’ll probably create more than one because they are just so cute!

[Read more…] about 12 Simple Christmas Tree Art Projects We Love

Being Thankful in the Classroom

by

Canadian Thanksgiving is early in he year, which is why we call the time from Back to School until thanksgiving the beta period. Come find out what we use it for and get loads of resources you can use to be thankful in the classroom or acknowledge Thanksgiving.

The year has started. Things are starting to settle and it’s time to count your blessings in the classroom. We call the start of the year through Thanksgiving (well, Canadian Thanksgiving on the second Monday of October) the beta period. It’s the time of year to try things out, get to know the students, build relationships, and set up the year for success. It can be hard to be thankful in the classroom unless we take a moment to sit back and list the things we are grateful for.

The beta period is not the time of year we spend getting deep into the content. We review. We read. And we talk about what is coming next. We check out our skills and show what we can or can’t do.

Most of all, we celebrate all the things were are thankful for in our classroom. Keep reading to see how we spend this special time of year.

[Read more…] about Being Thankful in the Classroom

How to Explore Métis Storytelling Through Indigenous Art Lessons

by

If you are looking for a great art lesson for painting that explores Indigenous art lessons, you should try this one out. Lots of suggestions on how to use your art once you're done is included too.

This is a lesson we’ve done with our students for years partly because it never fails to create stunning artwork and because it’s fun to do. Students always love it. Artists always study the work of other artists to learn techniques. This art project celebrates Indigenous artists by studying and creating new works inspired by Indigenous art lessons.

Come check out how we create these stunning pieces of art (which aren’t nearly as difficult as you might think) based on Indigenous art lessons.

[Read more…] about How to Explore Métis Storytelling Through Indigenous Art Lessons