ROBIN UPDATE:
Do you remember the robin that flew into our classroom last week when Vanya was “virtually there”? Well he really does get around.
He was seen on the Enterprise train on Saturday morning. He had a fun day shopping in Dublin and later made his way, on the Luas, to The Point.
Then he flew over to the 3 Arena, but WHY?
Have a look at what he had…………….only a ticket to see ELO.
Who would have imagined that he was such a big fan? He certainly enjoyed the show and was tweeting his little heart out along with the very enthusiastic audience!
He met the Beatles? That is impressive!
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The boys and girls in Primary 3B have all become great bird enthusiasts.
Juliette brought in a fabulous bird book and Courtney showed us an image of what her cousin’s bird looks like. Grace brought in a pair of wooden bird book ends which were made in Germany.
Some children watched a programme on Sunday 8th. May celebrating the work of Sir David Attenborough on his 90th. birthday. They noticed swarms of birds flying together, making patterns in the sky like the murmuration of starlings which we talked about last week. They saw a beautiful hummingbird cleverly collecting nectar from a flower.
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The children made fantastic birds’ nest pictures. Materials which were used included an assortment of paper and a selection of strips of upholstery fabric. Every picture is unique and wonderful! I’m very proud of them…………. the children and the pictures!
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Bird inspiration is everywhere. I spotted this lampshade and the tile picture in Space Craft, 9B The Fountain Centre Belfast. (Both made by local artists). The shop is a craft and design collective which is brimming with all sorts of beautiful things.
Another lampshade – mainly featuring birds.
Bird murals painted on the walls of a Belfast restaurant.
I told the children about a lady who recently won NI Young Artist of the Year Award 2016, 24 year old Chantalle Coombes. She is Artist in Residence in Castle Ward.She has a stand in Studio Souk and the Victoria Centre, Belfast. Her art work is inspired by nature, particularly the wild life and scenery around the Ards Peninsula. She loves painting birds and has a unique style, which I thought would be interesting and challenging for our young artists to copy.
This the trophy which Chantalle won.
Just have a look at our corridor display. We mounted our stitching of “bird song notation” and included it on the board.
We displayed some paintings in our classroom too.
SESSION # 8 ALREADY………… TIME HAS FLOWN.
DINSAG
10 MEI
9.15 UUR
GOEDEMORGEN VANYA!
Vanya asked how everyone was keeping and what the weather was like in Belfast.
She showed us some materials that she had found on the beach and said that they reminded her of a nest. She asked the children what they thought they were.
Vanya gave the children a clue about one of the materials (rope/string)
hemp – HAYDEN
a bridle – JULIETTE
wool – AMYLEIGH
a lead – JAMIE
rope – COURTNEY…..Well done*
We talked about birds’ nests and we saw a VERY unusual nest. The wren was using a boot as a nest. It has a tail like a lollipop stick. Vanya told us that it is her favourite bird and it is knick named “King of the birds.”
Do any other animals make nests?
fish…the puffer fish – CHRISTOPHER
a mouse – CONOR
an owl – AMYLEIGH
a parrot – ROISE
a beaver – EIRINN They use branches which they nibble to make them smaller.
a deer – DANIEL They leave their young in a hollow in the ground while they got off to find food, so it is like a nest.
- How do birds make their nests because they haven’t got hands?
- They use their beaks.
- What are nests used for?
- To live in. – ELLA
- To lay eggs in. – AINE
- Chicks can stay there when their Mum goes out to get food. – PEARSE
- They are also made solely to attract a mate. – VANYA
Vanya showed us more images of animals’ homes and nests.
WE FOUND OUT HOW TO WRITE (NOT SAY!) THESE NAMES IN DUTCH:
NESTS – NESTEN
WESPEN NESTEN
BURROWS – HOLEN
COCOONS – COCONS
HIVES – NETELROOS
CAVES – GROTTEN
COLOURFUL NESTS
What an interesting and very colourful nest. The bower bird from Australia made it, but it isn’t for laying eggs. It’s to attract a mate! It was full of blue straws and milk bottle tops.
The bower bird built his nest to show off his building skills!
Hayden showed Vanya a plastic milk bottle top which he had brought into school, similar to the ones which the bower bird used!
Look at these amazing structures. Vanya said they are like bird architecture. The nest on the right is like a bird apartment block because lots of bird families live in it.
Weaver birds from Africa made this incredible nest.
- What materials do they use to make nests?
- THEY USE MATERIALS WHICH ARE EASILY FOUND NEARBY – MUD, TWIGS.
Remember that amazing little puffer fish and his fabulous nest of sand?
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Then Vanya introduced us to more amazing artists who use weaving and crochet to make their constructions.
This is a German artist called NILS UDO.
He has been making environmental art since the 1960s. He made his spectacular “Clay Nest” nest in 2005 in North Carolina, USA. He used logs and bamboo to construct it. It weighed 80 tons! For safety reasons, it was dismantled in 2007.
LOOK AT THIS “SNOW NEST.” Isn’t it amazing?
ARNE QUINZE is a Belgian conceptual artist. He creates public art installations.
TOSHIKO HORIUCHI – MACADAM is a Japanese textile artist who lives in Nova Scotia, Canada. She creates large textile structures, especially “textile playgrounds” for children.
NATALIA said it looks very soft and colourful.
ERNESTO NETO is a Brazilian artist, born in Rio de Janiero. He is well known for his “sensory” sculptures. He uses transparent, stretchy material, Styrofoam pellets and spices to create his installations of soft, biomorphic sculptures.
We thought his work reminded us of Funky Monkeys.
SCAVENGER HUNT: OUR TARGET – Find and collect anything useful for making bird nests or animal homes. We had to look inside the school building and outside too.
OH NO! It started to rain, so the hunt had to be postponed until Wednesday or Thursday. However, being totally resourceful, Plan B was ready.
Monday’s homework included: Search for things that could be useful for making nests. The children brought in: wallpaper, cardboard boxes, string, wool, crepe paper, newspapers, 2 scarves, a plastic bottles, plastic cable ties, netting, kitchen roll cylinder.
The children put their resources in the middle of each table and they worked very successfully in groups to make nests.
Super nests everyone!
Dillon H had wallpaper and Natalia shared some of her crepe paper.
Natalia supplied the crepe paper and plastic/metal ties.
Pearse‘s group made a container with food for the newly hatched chicks. Pearse said that the netting on top was to keep the worms inside, but one was already on the escape route! They made a box for the egg shells, now that’s a tidy idea.
What a fantastic piece of group work!
Aine‘s group made a bird house complete with accessories which every bird needs, including a chair, a water storage unit, and a really soft, cosy nest. Ronan supplied lots of materials. Conor and Courtney helped with the design and execution.
Vanya went off for a cup of tea and a few helpers tidied the tables to get ready for the activity which was to follow.
AFTER BREAK
Roise told Vanya that she had made Epsom Salts crystals at home. When all the water has evaporated she will bring them to school so that we can all see them.
Natalia told Vanya that she and her Mum had made crystals with sugar and water.
After break we talked about weaving – WEVEN.
Q: What is weaving? Are you wearing anything that is woven?
Our school shirts are woven. Vanya’s blanket is woven.
My flower arrangement vessels are woven and they look like nests!
Vanya showed us something woven that is in her house. She asked the children to guess what its function was and the material which was used to make it. She also showed a bowl with cotton balls inside it which looked like a nest.
This bowl of spent matches looks like a nest.
AINE – It’s for your dogs to lie in.
ABIGAIL – It’s a stool. It’s made of straw.
GRACE – It’s made of string.
COURTNEY – It’s made of sticks.
VANYA said it was made of WICKER.
Vanya showed us a bee’s honeycomb – made of wax and the wasp’s comb is made of paper. Bees lay their eggs in the honeycomb. Pollen and honey are also found there.
Christopher knew the name was honeycomb and that each little shape was a hexagon because it has six sides.
We learnt 2 more new words: WEFT and WARP.
Vanya showed us the weaving she had done in her house. She used coloured paper.
We got the materials ready and HAD A GO!
WEAVING – WEVEN
CUTTING THE WARP – Amyleigh, Joshua, Demi-Leigh and Abigail.
Aine Dillon H and Natalia
Threading the weft through the warp. Jamie and Grace
Eirinn, Dillon R D and Faith.
Busy bees……………..you have to concentrate.
Great weaving everyone!
More weaving, with different materials next time?
DINNER TIME came round in a flash! Vanya’s dog Juno came to say,
” Hello and Goodbye.”
Vanya showed us some things that she had made while she was waiting for us. (During our weaving activity.) I asked what the white thing was in the middle of the nest and Vanya said that it was an egg! She used string, thread, seaweed, twigs and paper.
More fascinating images. This time the trees are covered in webs spun by lots and lots of big spiders!
Q: What are webs for? Spiders catch flies in their webs. They use their webs to attract other animals and then eat them!
Goodbye Vanya. DOEI!
THE REALLY SAD THING IS THAT WE ONLY HAVE 2 SEESSIONS LEFT!
We’re having so much FUN and LEARNING SO MUCH that we don’t want it to end yet.