Messy Mosaics

My 6th graders are amazing! This new bunch of 6th graders is really on top of things--- they come into class quietly and do as they are told-- but they still have personality! So to reward them for their outstanding self control-- I decided maybe, just maybe, they could handle making a REAL mosaic-- one with cerammic tiles and grout! So I started them off by giving them the super cliff notes version of what a mosiac was-- the briefest of definitions. Then I gave them some black construction paper and tiny squares of colored construction paper. Their instructions were to sketch something that means something to them and then use the tiney colored squares to color it in. They could not let the color "tiles" touch so that the black paper (with was our "grout) could show through. Once they were done with this three day project, I dove a little deeper into the history of mosaics, what they represented, and some examples. After that, they were excited to make a class mosaic of our mascot, the WILDCAT!! These guys are working so good together--once they placed all the tessera (term used to describe the individual tiles in a mosaic), they began using an adhesive compound to "glue" them to the backboard. That's the point they are at right now-- grout is next. When the mosaic is finally complete, it will go in the main office.

I have had several administrators, teachers, parapros, and other support staff come into my room at various parts of the day just to look at what the 6th grade is doing-- in fact.... Ms. Shirley, our Secretary teared up when she saw the final design with all the tiles.

If you set the bar low the students will reach it. If you set the bar high the students will reach it.

(pictures coming soon)