Using Prezi

Are you student's bored with power points?
Do me a favor and go here and click through.

Prezi is  a relatively new presentation tool that I discovered when my husband was in grad school.  It takes your old power point presentations and dances circles around it.  Almost literally.  Click on the purple HERE button above and check it out.  I've registered for the free educators license that allows you to create, share, and store plenty of presentations for use in the classroom.  I've just started using prezi but I wanted to share one of my presentation below and how I used it with a first grade class that was starting a project about Africa.  I found prezi to be super helpful in grabbing their attention and holding it while we talked about where Africa was in reference to us in Riverside, Illinois.  It also provided great visual backgrounds for our discussion on celebrations (hence the random slide of a child dressed as batman, we talked about if people weren't familiar with Halloween and our American tradition of dressing up what they would think) the Dogon tribe in Mali, and other traditional African masks and the use of symmetry and neutral colors in the African art.  

Below is a simple lesson if you're interested.

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Symmetrical African Masks
Grade: 1st Grade
Learner Objectives:  To gain an understanding of the African culture and typical design work that was used in native artwork.  To learn about symmetry and variations in lines to help make an interesting design using patterns and shapes.  Students will learn to distinguish earth tones in a spectra of color.

Standards:   
Stage A:         25A
3. Recognize open shapes and closed space.
6.  Identify between simple patterns
Stage B:         25A
1. Describe a variety of lines.
3.    Identify categories of color.
Stage C:        25A
4.    Select examples of neutral colors found in nature.
9.  Describe asymmetrical and symmetrical balance.
Materials:   Earth tone colored construction paper, earth tone oil pastels, scissors, pencil, and any craft odds and ends.
Methods:  cutting, drawing, pasting.
Instructional Strategies:  Teacher Demonstration, Independent practice, and individualized instruction.
Vocabulary: Symmetry, earth tones, pattern, line, shape
Procedure:
Show prezi presentation on Africa.  Can be accessed here.  
P.S. I find prezi runs smoother on google chrome.

During presentation, discuss being respectful of other culture, common celebrations, and symmetrical balance found in masks.

Point out the use of simple shape and line.  Call on students to share which parts they think are interesting.  Ask if they recognize any patterns in the artwork. 

Each child starts with a large piece of construction paper, they fold it in half length way and cut the open flap as to make a facial shape.  Demonstrate and help children along the way.

Keeping the paper folded children will cut out a mouth.  They will fold it once more to cut out eyes.  Explain that we are folding it before we cut so when we open it up it will look the same on both sides and make the mask symmetrical.

Students will use oil pastels in earth tones to decorate their mask and provide interesting patterns that remain symmetrical on both sides of the mask.  Reinforce what you do on one side must be done to BOTH sides. Review simple patterns such as AB,AA,BB,ABA.

Students may punch hold into the sides of the mask and add string loops as well as any other sort of decoration that might be fun.

Conclusion:  Individual reflection share time of masks.

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