Fabulous Fourth Graders~ Byzantine Architecture

Our fabulous fourth graders have been traveling back to 330AD to the beginning of the Byzantine Empire! Architecture during that time period was unique because of arches and domes. Did you know there are 8 different types of arches? No, we're not talkin' about those "golden arches" :) Your fourth grader might remember the "ogee" arch. That one was popular just due to the name.

We spent a whole class period just practicing domes and arches. Then, we became Byzantine architects and designed and drew our own structure. Eventually color will be added with oil pastels and the backgrounds will be painted in watercolor. We can't wait to show you! Check back soon. In the meantime, enjoy these actual Byzantine architecture examples. I was impressed that a good many fourth graders either knew the name of these, where they were,or both!! Do you know???

 

Krazy Kinders~ Story Illustration "One Fine Day"

 We are pretending to be story illustrators! We are drawing an illustration to go along with the Caldecott Medal winning book "One Fine Day" by Nonny Hogrogian.

 

 

The story is a retelling of an Armenian folktale about a fox who steels milk from a farm woman's bucket. Angry, she cuts off his tail and with lots of effort -and the kindness of others- he finally gets it back.

 The children only looked at the illustration above and did not hear the story until after their drawings were complete. They were to decide for themselves what the fox may have done to make the farm woman so angry that she would cut off his tail!

How cute are those busy little kindergarten hands?