Pumpkins in Chalk Pastel Complete Lesson with video, slide show, rubric, directions, & more!

I made this video for the Artsonia After School Art Club!  It's basically everything you need to know for this lesson in under 10 minutes.

My third graders rocked the pastel chalk pumpkins this year.  It is one of those classic lessons that isn't too difficult to get awesome results, but admittedly, sometimes they "get" it and sometimes they don't.

First, before I get into the actual lesson, I want to bring something to the attention of the art teachers out there.  This first pumpkin was outlined with traditional Elmer's Liquid School Glue.

This pumpkin below was outlined with Jot, AKA Dollar Tree glue.

Under normal circumstances, I despise the Jot because of it's glossy, and honestly, not as adherent and liquidy quality, but in this instance it is amazeballs!  I love the way that turned out.  

I have Jot in one of the schools I teach in because the students bring in supplies to donate to the art room and about 2/3rds of the kids purchase the kits where I have dictated the brands etc...and the other 1/3rd bring in rando things.  Sometimes rando things are okay.  They'll bring in amazing artist quality pastels that I would've never asked for, or super nice sketchbooks for their cubby, but sometimes you end up with Jot glue.

Back to chalk pumpkins.  I began this lesson with a slideshow where we discussed still life objects, and what makes up a still life.  I am completely honest about stealing images off the internet for my slideshows for educational purposes.

The second part of the slide show discusses analogous colors, but I usually save that until after the drawing part of our project is done.

I have been using direction pages a lot this year.  They have been great for when kids are not paying attention, kids who need a little extra help, and for the kids who are constantly asking what they are supposed to be doing.  Sorry, this one isn't the best quality.  It was before I learned I had to use a 5B pencil to write it out!  Anyway, the directions page shows the kids how to draw the pumpkin.  I draw with them too.  Like I said, the direction page just help keeps them on track.  It's not a substitute for my teaching.

As they drew the additional objects in their still life, I had little items for them to look at set out around the room.  Some kids did just take ideas from their imaginations though, which I said was OK.  I tried not dissuade them from anything Halloweeny though, simply because our art shows at both schools are in the Spring, and pumpkins will look okay, but jack-o-lanterns will look out of my place in my opinion.

Once we have our still life drawn, I have a video of me adding glue and color to my project.  It is about 5 minutes and gives those visual learners a little extra nudge to see what it is exactly we are going to be doing.


This is the first video I made for this lesson way back in 2018- before my production skills were as refined as they are now. It's shorter than my Artsonia version, but doesn't really give you all the info.  :)


The practice coloring sheet isn't really necessary.  They could just practice on one of the pumpkins they practiced drawing. However; my kids usually practice in their sketchbooks, and it got kind of messy last year.  So, this year they practiced on this pumpkin, but I printed the rubric/assessment page on the back...and well....when I went to grade projects it was also very messy.

Timing wise, this project may have it's issues.  The gluing of the black paper has to be done the week prior to using the pastel - so if you end up with a weird time thing - I sometimes have them put a glue outline on their practice papers too.

Besides the video, I did go step-by-step through their practice page on how to mix the colors.  I walked around as they did the rest to see if there were any major issues.

As mentioned above, I had great success with this project this year!  I hope you do to!  Check out my school Artsonia galleries below.

Holy Trinity School Third Grade

Elm School Third Grade

How to Use White Glue. Classic.

Another free chapter of my ebook, Your Art Room's a Mess: Glue

Here is another excerpt from  "Your Art Room's a Mess" available on ITunes.

White Glue

What is this used for?

• Putting objects together.

How should this supply be stored?

• In the Student Area in color-coded cans, bins, or caddies.

How should this supply be distributed?

• Table helpers can retrieve or the teacher can pass it out after directions are given.

What is the student going to do with this supply?

• Not know how to open it.
• Not know how to unclog it.
• Put it on their palm to peel off after it dries.
• Use too much on their project (because it is fun to watch it pour out.)
• Use the correct amount, but then go back and add more.
• Thinking a bottle is empty when it is still half full.

Are there any special concerns with this supply?

• Teaching the students how to open and close their own glue bottle as well as how to unclog it is a great time saver.
• Students need to be taught how to use this supply appropriately in the art room.

Glue is what keeps projects together!  White glue works fantastic.  I have never found a glue stick I have been happy with.  They never seem to hold projects and the children’s fingers get too sticky.

Instead of keeping all the glue bottles together in one big bin or carryall, I divide it up in color-coded cans per table.  So, if there were six chairs at the “green” table, I would keep six bottles of glue in the green glue can.  I keep all of the cans in the student area.  This keeps students from digging around for the fullest bottle or one that is unclogged.

If the glue is not used very often or you travel to several schools it will undoubted have to be unclogged for every class, and for almost every kid.  Teaching the student how to open, close, and unclog his or her own bottle is important.  If a student has a bottle that isn’t working tell them to close the glue, pick off the little dry part on top, then open it back up.  This will unclog about ½ the bottles in the room.  Be mindful of the student who unscrews the whole white part off the bottle!  Also, be certain to remind students at clean up time to close their bottles and this will help with clogs.

For the other half that are still having trouble you can pull off the orange nib and poke out the dried glue with a bent paper clip or a blunt tapestry needle. I usually wipe the mess on my apron and keep the tapestry needle tied to my keys where it is always handy.

The other fun that white glue presents; like using too much, or using it in inappropriate places, are just behaviors that need to be taught to your students.  If you do not tell them what the expectations are like, “a dot is a lot!”  They are not going to know.

If you like what you've read here, check out other free chapters:
Management Plan
Behavior Plan
Student Area
Teacher Storage Area
Pencils
Erasers
Scissors





Or download the whole book on iTunes or TeachersPayTeachers

Glue Sponges save the day! Here is a "How to use a glue sponge" tutorial slideshow for classroom use.

I have a long twisted history with glue in my classroom.  I started to get the idea about implementing glue sponges when I saw an awesome poster about their use in my Tumblr feed.  After my last glue saga post, I had another teacher suggest glue sponges and told me to check Pinterest.

I was intrigued and decided it was time to make some glue sponges.

I am going to interject here with my own pity story about what a pain in the neck it was just to get them made.  I put in a money request from school to purchase the sponges and tubs from Target.  I thought that would be easy since I go there enough.  However, I ended up never having time to go to Target and peruse bins and sponges.  I had money to spend, and no time to spend it.  I usually have 3 kids in tow and I usually have other shopping to do, and - aint nobody got time for that...!  I wanted to just order them online, but Target does not sell sponges and Gladware online, and neither does Blick.  Finally, I had the opportunity to go solo to Target and buy my supplies.  I could not find regular 'ol cello sponges in all of Target Greatland.  I ended up buying the ones with scrubbers on one side.  Even those were hard to find and I cleared out an entire endcap.  Next, I had to find the Gladware.  I was stuck in this Corningware/green lunch box aisle and could not find regular Gladware anywhere.  I finally gave up and was just going to purchase the more heavy duty lunch box things.  Then, I stumbled upon the Gladware several aisles later with the trash bags and such.  I had to figure out all over again what size to get, and how many.  I wanted 12 for each school I teach out - for a total of 24.  Gladware is sold in packs of 5 and the sponges were packages of 6 or 2.  It's a good math problem and I screwed it up. I'm still short sponges, and that should of been the easy part. I had all my supplies finally, and I spent one morning putting glue sponges together.

I was anxious to use the glue sponges with the kids, but the Pinterest page told me to wait and let them soak overnight.  The next day I inspected my glue sponges.  I was excited, but kept thinking about how the kids are not going to know how to use these, and they wont be able to see me demonstrate how to use it properly.  Plus, they might forget key details! They might make a huge mess!!

 I spent my afternoon putting together this PowerPoint, "How to use a Glue Sponge."

I played it for the class and had it going on repeat throughout the hour.  I have had great success with it so far and the glue sponges have been fantastic!

Refilling refillable glue bottles. The saga continues.

I do not have a good relationship with glue.

I hate that it gets clogged.
I hate that it makes a mess when you refill the bottles.
And, I hate that I am completely obsessed with it.

I knew that I had to bite the bullet and refill my refillable glue bottles so that my students could actually make some art.  It's only the 3rd week of school, but I put it off long enough.  They were in pathetic shape, and should of been refilled in March or April.   We were really spreading it thin in the spring.

I started to unscrew all the caps. I was dreading every moment.  The tightness and burn on my hands as I tried to open each one.  The cracking flaking glue everywhere,  the huge clogs the had taken the shape of the nozzle.  Ugh.

I started to pour my giant gallon of glue knowing it was not going to be pretty.  It suddenly dawned on me that a funnel would work nicely!  Yes, a funnel.

I fashioned a funnel out of laminated construction paper (that I just happened to have lying around) and masking tape.  It worked!  The glue stayed in the bottle - but it was taking forever.  So I made another, and then another!  It was working!  Hallelujah!

I dripped or over filled a few times.  Of course the gallon was a huge mess.  Overall I felt successful and so proud that my students would once again have glue to use.

Then I got to screw all the caps back on, and that just made my day.