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A Small Seed

June 9, 2021 | Clara Buckley

Our seedlings have germinated educational growth in many different ways. We have made and tested predictions, researched how to care for plants, thought about growth and measurement, practiced our observational drawing skills. This class loves to paint so we introduced a new painting opportunity – watercolor.

The students drew the seedling using a permanent marker on special, thick watercolor paper.

They included the different parts of the seedling; the stem, roots, and leaves.

They looked closely at the shape of the leaves.

Then we added color using our liquid watercolor paints. 

What color are the leaves on our seedlings?  Green

What color is the stem? Black. No, white. So we don’t need paint because the paper is white.

What color was the soil that came up with the roots? Black! No, dark, dark, dark, dark brown.

What colors could we mix to make brown? Rodrigo replied, “All the colors!” During our previous watercolor experiments the children had access to only the primary colors and enjoyed mixing them on the paper. Rodrigo remembered what happened when he mixed yellow, red, and blue together on the page.

Clara Buckley

Preschool Art Specialist; Middle School Art

Clara Buckley’s teaching spans the ages of Mustard Seed School, from the youngest students in the preschool to students in the graduating class. She’s found many similarities between teaching three-year-olds and thirteen-year-olds!

As an art teacher who never enjoyed drawing, Ms Buckley’s hope is that each child she teaches discovers a way to create art that they enjoy, whether it be sculpture, printing, textiles, architectural drawing, or collage.

Ms. Buckley loves living in Jersey City, a place whose diversity and welcome for immigrants reflects her own family experience. When planning future travel destinations, art, food, and time with family are featured items on her list.

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