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This is a fun at home craft to do as a family- Make your own paper!
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This is my favorite Thanksgiving project but, it could be an any time of the year project if you swap fall color leaves for green ones! Below you will find step by step instructions with pictures. For this project you will need:
The template has various types and sizes of leaves. Choose which one will work best for the size of paper bags you have. Start with a paper bag. I use over sized bags but the standard size works well too. Split the bag into fourths. Stop cutting about 1/2 the way to the end of the bag.  Cut the bag into fourths.  Next, stick your hand into the bag. You need to open the bottom of the bag for the base of the tree. Once you have the base, grab the bag just above the bottom. You will begin twisting from here. It helps to do this on the table with two hands. Have one hand hold the base on the table while the other hand twists the bag. This will make a nice sturdy trunk!  Continue this process until you have a sturdy trunk with a nice base.  Your tree should now look something like this. All of those pieces sticking up will soon be your branches.  Now, take each piece and carefully twist them into branches.  You are almost done! Once you have every branch twisted, you will be able to move on to the leaves.  Put the tree aside, it should look something like this. Now that you have a tree, you can get started on your leaves. If this is a Thanksgiving project, be sure to print leaves on fall colored construction paper. (Regular paper will work too.)  Now, using a leaf template (click here for one!) cut out as many leaves as you want. Write things you are thankful for on each leaf. After you are finished, staple, tape or glue each leaf to the tree. There you go! Your very own thankful tree!! The tree shown below was made by one of my students. This tree is more of a science tree than a thankful tree, but you get the point. :) Below several different types of leaves were used. You can have students pick and chose leaves, or they can stick with one variety. I leave the choice up to them!  To print out the flower templates, download them free by clicking here. You will also need card stock to print the template on. These paper flower crafts are quick and simple. For younger kids, I suggest making the daisy. The flower made of hearts is a little bit more difficult. Daisy Instructions: First, cut out the templates. After cutting, pinch each petal to create a slight fold stemming from the center of the flower.  Continue punching until all petals are slightly folded.  Glue the two together at the center, be sure to slightly stagger the petals.  Finish off by adding the center of the flower, leaves and a stem. This project is also great if you have students write sweet little notes on each petal!  Heart shaped petal flowers: Begin by gluing the bottom of the hearts to the flower's center circle.  Continue gluing until hearts are evenly spaced. Seven hearts should fill the circle.  Allow time for the glue to dry. It is also helpful to glue a second circle to the back to reinforce the petals. After the glue has dried, gently pinch the hearts to create a fold.   Repeat these steps once more with a second set of hearts. When you are finished, glue both sets of hearts together. The backs of each set should face eachother.  Finish the design with a stem and leaves!  Student Samples
Earth week and art. One of my favorite combos! Below are some works in progress- Recycled Art - Earth Day Mosaics. The project is simple- kids draw a nature scene, and then "color" it in with old magazine pieces. All you need is some glue, old magazines, and an imagination! Rip pieces of color from the magazine for the mosaic tiles. The product is always one of my favorites!
I spent the summer of 2009 volunteering in an orphanage in Tamil Nadu, India. The experience is one I will always hold dear to my heart. The experiences I gain through travels like these add a richness to my teaching that no professional development can. Creating Indian Kolam is a fun activity I share with students while introducing geometry. It is a great way to merge art, culture and math and the product is beautiful. The complete lesson can be downloaded here. To start, I briefly discuss symmetry. After reviewing simple examples of symmetry (in circles, squares, alphabet letters) I introduce kolam. We look at several pictures and discuss kolam's orgin. Using graph paper, I model how to start a simple kolam explaining how to use the graph paper to guide my drawing. Find a center point to begin, all loops and lines must mirror each other starting from the origin. This works best with 1-inch grid paper but anything will work. Check out student samples here! Below you will find the story of kolam, complete with pictures from my stay in India! The Story Behind Kolam Early every morning, before dawn, the woman of Tamil Nadu draw kolams on the ground using rice or chalk powder. Throughout the day, the drawings get walked on, smeared, or blown away by wind. Every morning, before a new one is drawn, the floor outside of the home is carefully swept and wet with water, creating an even and slightly muddy surface. 
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