Arts and crafts nature education in Hoboken by Susan Newman Lerer at Wallace Elementary School

Peaceful Frogs (nature and art class) in Hoboken.

I have been teaching at Wallace Elementary School in Hoboken since January 2016. I started as a substitute teacher and in the summer of 2021 became the art teacher for the special education department.  My students range from pre-k to 5th grade. We explore color, lines, shapes, assorted materials and of course the masters.

I have also taught in the afterschool enrichment programs, Passport to Learning and Leap into Summer at Wallace. I have taught mixed media arts, fairytale theater, and Art Exploration for Urban Arts at Wallace.

Email for more information: Susan Newman Lerer at sndesigninc@gmail.com.

Below are a few images from our classes.

 

circular rainbows by art students in Hoboken

Testimonial from Melissa A:
“My daughter has been taking the Peaceful Frogs class and has so much fun. The teacher is engaging and attentive — great combo class! Every day my daughter asks if it’s time for her class. Returning for the next session for sure!”

 

Peaceful Frogs class:

In most classes the students will explore an aspect of nature / wildlife. The students work on art crafts to help further the understanding of the topic.

Students will use assorted materials:
cut paper, glue, crayons, pastels, paint, markers, stickers, glitter, etc.
Words, phrases can add meaning to their artwork.

Some of our topics include:
Frogs and the Rainforest
Trees and Urban Forests
Honey Bees and Crops
Sea Life and Coral Reefs
Turtles and/or Birds
Our Place in Nature (reuse, reduce, recycle)
Dinosaurs (fossils, etc.)
Herbs, Plants and Natural Remedies
Sea Creatures (sea dragons, etc.)
Different types of Gardens (roof gardens, vertical gardens, vegetable gardens, floral gardens…)
Space (stars, planets… our place in the universe)
Environmental problems/issues (Earth Day, climate change, recycling materials, etc.)

Art lessons include:

Learning about patterns (zebra / big cat’s stripes; frogs and salamander’s spots / stripes, etc.)
Exploring 3D and multimedia crafts. Learning how to cut and glue materials together.
Experimenting with different materials and colors.
Learning about the masters of art through creation of their own projects.

 

*Peaceful Frogs originally started in August 2016 as a combination class of yoga and art. We tried it out in Jersey City first with the help of Councilman Michael Yun and then moved classes to Hoboken at Little Bee Learning Studio. After two seasons the class evolved into learning about nature with an art lesson.