Earlier this year I was asked to paint a mural at Lincoln Elementary School. It's 4 feet tall by about 40 feet long. I started working on it in early August. It has been a really big project, but I have enjoyed doing it. It's been a little challenging (the first tiime I've ever painted scorpions, tarantulas, and a multitude of bees, preying mantis and grasshoppers!) but all the flowers were old school for me - just a lot bigger than I have done before.
This mural is in the 3rd grade wet area and is going to be used for the kids in their reading program. The signs below each grouping of flowers designates reading points. Each 3rd grade classroom also chose a specific bug for their class theme. (Rm. 14 is bees, Rm, 15 is butterflies and Rm. 16 is ladybugs). Each child will be given a small bug that they will color and put their name on. Then, each time they read a book they get points for it - the more difficult the book, the more points. They will then actually stick their bug onto the board and move it along according to how many points they have. So, it will be very interactive for the kids. I'm sure they will enjoy landing on the back of the tarantula, getting caught in the black widow's web or sitting between the 2 fighting scorpions! The large sunflower at the end is the 10th grouping, and hopefully they will be challenged to reach the giant sunflower by the end of the year.
I also put up a sign listing all the bugs that are hidden in the mural to see if they could find them. So, even the classes that aren't a part of the reading activity will enjoy looking at it to find all the hidden bugs. Some are very easy to find, but others are very well hidden. Anyway - I hope it will be enjoyed for many years to come!
Here's a video of the whole mural.
This mural is in the 3rd grade wet area and is going to be used for the kids in their reading program. The signs below each grouping of flowers designates reading points. Each 3rd grade classroom also chose a specific bug for their class theme. (Rm. 14 is bees, Rm, 15 is butterflies and Rm. 16 is ladybugs). Each child will be given a small bug that they will color and put their name on. Then, each time they read a book they get points for it - the more difficult the book, the more points. They will then actually stick their bug onto the board and move it along according to how many points they have. So, it will be very interactive for the kids. I'm sure they will enjoy landing on the back of the tarantula, getting caught in the black widow's web or sitting between the 2 fighting scorpions! The large sunflower at the end is the 10th grouping, and hopefully they will be challenged to reach the giant sunflower by the end of the year.
I also put up a sign listing all the bugs that are hidden in the mural to see if they could find them. So, even the classes that aren't a part of the reading activity will enjoy looking at it to find all the hidden bugs. Some are very easy to find, but others are very well hidden. Anyway - I hope it will be enjoyed for many years to come!
Here's a video of the whole mural.
