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Project

Gratitude

EWSD 2020

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Here is how it works …

Step 1: Identify someone/something that ...

  • Feels important to you
  • Makes your day better
  • You look forward to each day
  • Gives you comfort

Step 2: Pick a word that expresses your gratitude for that person or thing

  • Use the “Word Bank” slide for inspiration
  • Be sure to use the word (or words) in your design

Step 3: Incorporate your word of choice into a circle design

  • Circles symbolize unity, completeness, and safety
  • Consider all the materials you have at home when thinking about your circle design: pencil/paper, food scraps, recycling, clothing items, body movements/the human face, office supplies (ie paper clips), leaf/stick/rock, kitchen items, etc.
  • Finish looking through this slideshow for some techniques to help you.

Step 4: Take a picture of your creation (or you holding your creation) and share it

  • Email your picture to your art teacher or bdickie@ewsd.org, and they will make sure it is posted on the EWSD Instagram account (@ewsdgratitude) to share with the community.

Follow the EWSD Instagram account (@EssexWestford) to see the latest submissions by your classmates, as we can’t wait to see what you come up with!

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This project began by

an idea to bring our community together through art.

Life cycles, our earth, and many of nature’s designs have unity

through the circle.

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Once you pick a word that tells something you feel grateful about, the only requirement is that you create your art in a circular way.

Here, Mrs. Badji picked “appreciative” because she’s feeling thankful for the workers who keep supplying our food in grocery stores.

She arranged food in a circle and took a picture of it.

Appreciative

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Mrs. Logan chose the words BRAVE and STRONG to represent gratitude for living in our brave and strong little state. We have been all working hard as a whole community to take care of each other. This circle design was a simple chalk drawing outside.

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Mrs. Logan also chose the word PEACE and used found objects from her house to represent a wish for peace and light around the world.

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Ms. Butler chose the word

JOY. She is grateful for the teachers in her life- her colleagues and her children's teachers- for bringing joy to her family through daily jokes, fun games, puzzles, video messages, and home project challenges.

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Ms. Feller made an abstract collage inspired by nature. She was thinking of the words, grateful, calm, and inspired as she created this design. Ms. Feller is very grateful to live in such a beautiful state and to be able to enjoy nature everyday during this time.

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Let’s get started!

What are you grateful for right now?

What word expresses your gratitude?

You can use the Word Bank on the next 2 slides for ideas or come up with your own word.

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Word Bank… What word(s) expresses your gratitude?

Adapt

Adaptable

Appreciate

Appreciative

Asture

Balance

Balanced

Bless

Blessed

Brave

Calm

Care

Caring

Cheer

Cheerful

Comfort

Comforting

Committed

Compassion

Compassionate

Composed

Confident

Considerate

Courage

Courageous

Determined

Devoted

Energetic

Energy

Entrust

Faith

Faithful

Friend

Friendly

Funny

Generous

Gentle

Gracious

Hardworking

Harmonious

Help

Helpful

Honest

Honor

Hope

Hopeful

Human

Humanity

Humorous

Insightful

Inspire

Inspiration

Inspiring

Joy

Joyous

Kind

Kindness

Lighthearted

Love

Loving

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Word Bank continued……..

Merciful

Motivate

Motivation

Nurture

Nurturing

Optimism

Optimistic

Patient

Patience

Peace

Peaceful

Persistent

Protect

Protection

Reassuring

Resilience

Resilient

Resourceful

Responsive

Revitalize

Serene

Sincere

Soothing

Spirit

Spirited

Steadfast

Strong

Support

Supported

Supportive

Thanks

Thankful

Thoughtful

Trust

Trusting

Understanding

Warmhearted

Witty

You can also come up with your own word of gratitude!

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You could create a mandala or just use the circle as a starting point.

The mandala is a spiritual symbol in Hinduism and Buddhism. The circular (radial symmetrical) design traditionally represents the universe and all things connected in unity. Creating mandalas and viewing them can help with relaxation and centering your body and mind.

For additional strategies and tips for creating your design, please visit this resource.

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SHARE YOUR CREATION!

Take a picture of your creation (or you holding your creation) and share it:

Email your picture to your art teacher or bdickie@ewsd.org, and they will make sure it is posted on the EWSD Instagram account (@ewsdgratitude) to share with the community.