Our First Display Boards!!!

The girls are participating in their first reading fair project.  It was not mandatory, but I encouraged them to take advantage of the opportunity to do a display board. 

For kindergarten and first grade, students had to choose a fiction book to illustrate.  The younger students could do “family projects”, with direct help from parents.  I thought it would be a fun way to show the girls the elements of a project so they would be more prepared for such an assignment one day.

I cannot begin to describe how proud I am of the girls’ hard work and perseverance over the past few weeks!!!

I encouraged the girls to think about books that have concrete elements, ones they could depict in illustrations.  Baby A chose a book from the Anna Hibiscus series she got for Christmas, and Baby B chose from one of her many animal rescue books.

First, the girls each wrote a detailed synopsis of their books.

I hadn’t read either of the books, so I took the opportunity to step back and ask some questions to help me understand the full plot.  The girls wrote answers to the questions.  Between their synopsis and the question-and-answer, we had a great start for our projects.

Next, we brainstormed elements we could illustrate on the boards.  And then we started on our art projects.  (I made good use of Pinterest to inspire some of the elements, and I was very thankful for google images for others!)

The girls worked incredibly hard over the next couple of weeks.  They were so patient with every aspect! 

As their art projects began to wrap up, they each spent time with Mommy’s computer, being very diligent to type out excerpts from their synopses. 

At long last – after a full month of work – it was time to pull everything together.

I was most heavily involved in final layout and the cutting and pasting. 

I’ll admit I didn’t budget quite enough time for this last phase of the project.  While we’d managed to balance both girls working at the same time throughout most of the project, I said it would be best if I could work one-on-one to pull everything together.  Baby A and I had a few hours together on Sunday morning, and we got her project to about 90% completion.

Baby B and I had to work several evenings to finish her project.  I’ll know this next time so we’re not putting the finishing touches on the project the night before it was due.  Whew!

The girls were mesmerized by their boards.  I glimpsed each of them just marveling at their work.  On Friday morning, Baby B just sat in front of her board, taking it all in.

I can’t wait to go to school this week and let the girls show me their boards in the library.  I’m certain they’ll be oozing with pride.

B's project elements:

- A large picture of Zoe, the main character, wearing a dress with a key on her necklace.
- The world, to show where Pip the penguin came from.
- Pip the penguin -- made from B's footprint!
- A flamingo, what Pip puzzles he may be -- made from B's handprint!
- A zebra, another of Pip's puzzlings -- made from B's handprint!
- A 3-D lagoon where Zoe and Pip go swimming.
- The penguin show -- made from B's handprint!

Baby B did ALL the painting herself!!!

Baby A's project elements:

- Pictures of the globe to show where Anna lives in Africa, and where she traveled to, Canada.

- A toy airplane (that my A was very excited about!).

- Snowflakes to illustrate Anna seeing snow for the first time.

- Hibiscus flowers to illustrate Anna's name.

- A dog cut out of a grocery sack, with buttons for his eyes and nose.

- A present and necklace to show what Anna got for Christmas.

- A popsicle stick sled and 3-D snow hills from batting.

- A bowl of (cotton ball) snow that Anna hopes to take home to her brothers in Africa.

I am one proud mama!!!