4th Grade Greek Mythology Comic Strips

Fourth Grade is working on comic books of their favorite Greek myths. We found this cartoon online and loved it!

Philadelphia's Mural Arts Program: "Love Letters"

Over spring break I took an exotic trip! While friends jetted off to the Caribbean and Florida, I was able, for $3.20 (ROUND TRIP!), to ride the Market-Frankford El Train from City Hall in Philadelphia to 63rd street and see the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program's "Love Letters" exhibit! PMA strives to beautify buildings that have been vandalized by graffiti by doing planned graffiti/street art. These murals tell the fictional story of a young man trying to win back his girlfriend. The story is that he painted these 50 murals (25 on her eastbound commute to work, 25 on the westbound commute home) with fun messages that coordinate with the buildings on which they are painted. The above one is on a diner...

"Your ever after is all I'm after"

Above an eyeglasses store...

For $20, you can take a guided tour on a special train car, but even just riding the regular el train on your own and hopping out at different stops for a closer look is a fun (and cheap!) way to spend an afternoon. Second grade will be studying street art soon so it will be of special interest to them, and this year's third graders who studied it last year.

A Visit to Philadelphia's Magic Gardens

 If you have never taken a visit to Philadelphia's Magic Gardens (10th & South Sts), you should! Your family will enjoy exploring this urban garden of mosaics made of just about every found object you can imagine! The maze of walkways and paths is a fun place to explore.

The Macy's Flower Show

 Over spring break, I visited the Macy's Flower Show at the center city Philadelphia store. Each of the windows was a fine art masterpiece rendition with flowers and fashion! There were also displays inside the store. I was so excited! Did anyone else get to see?

 2nd grade--Andy Warhol flowers!

 First Grade--Van Gogh's Starry night!

 First Grade--Matisse's Icarus!

 Check it out, 4th grade--American Gothic!!!

A Visit to the Brooklyn Museum's Egyptian Gallery

 Third grade has been studying the art of ancient Egypt. Over spring break, I visited the Egyptian gallery of the Brooklyn Museum. Since I couldn't take you there, I will bring the artifacts to you! Here is an Egyptian collar like the ones we mad from paper plates!

 Here we see the ankh symbol we learned to draw, which means "Key of the Nile" and is a symbol of eternal life.

 Here is a sarcophagus. There were lots of them!

 This figurine has the crook and flail symbols we learned to draw. They stand for royalty and fertile land.

 "Divine Felines" Egyptian cat mummy gallery!!!!!!

 A selfie with a cat mummy! The ones third grade made were even prettier!

 A scarab beetle!

Straight beards for royals, curved beards for gods

 The eye of Horus, a rising cobra, is a symbol of protection

 scarabs

 a royal with crook and flail