Subject: Math
Lead students in a discussion about “balance”. Make a list or mind-map on large paper or chalk board. If possible, bring students to Calder exhibit and have them point out elements of balance. At school, on the playground, students will work in pairs, and then groups of 3-4. The groups will stand toe to toe, holding hands and leaning back to support each others’ weight. Have the groups intersect and balance without falling.
Art Experiment: Students will draw and cut out items that can be balanced. Have them label their items. Take students to playground with string, dowels, and their items. Have students direct where to place their items and the dowels to create balance from the overhead bars.
Extension: Students will construct their own simple mobiles using small dowels, string or yarn, drawn or cut out pictures.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Be your favorite Circus Animal
Calder was fascinated with the circus. Choose any animal that you are fascinated with.
Make a drawing, keep it simple.
Make a dance which could include one simple movement.
Make a sound-scape or a sound that represents your favorite circus animal.
Repeat the movement x2. Make the sound while you perform your dance.
Extension: The animal should die at the end of the performance in memory of Peter’s Principal.
Make a drawing, keep it simple.
Make a dance which could include one simple movement.
Make a sound-scape or a sound that represents your favorite circus animal.
Repeat the movement x2. Make the sound while you perform your dance.
Extension: The animal should die at the end of the performance in memory of Peter’s Principal.
The Water Cycle
Subject: 1st grade science
Entry Point: TRP song, Water Travels in a Cycle-Yes it Does!
Art Experiment: Create puppets (overhead projector) depicting accumulation (sea water) evaporation, condensation, and precipitation and perform water cycle play for the class.
Extension: Place cut-out pieces presenting the water cycle stages in the correct order.
Entry Point: TRP song, Water Travels in a Cycle-Yes it Does!
Art Experiment: Create puppets (overhead projector) depicting accumulation (sea water) evaporation, condensation, and precipitation and perform water cycle play for the class.
Extension: Place cut-out pieces presenting the water cycle stages in the correct order.
Fill in the Dialogue Bubbles
Social Studies: American Revolution, Colonialism, Christopher Columbus, and any historical event with important figures.
Use specific lessons to assess students understanding. Example: Christopher Columbus arrival to the New World.
1. Find comic strips with multiple characters
2. White out all the texts, including the title
3. Have students fill in the dialogue box with texts they might hear in a conversation between Christopher Columbus and his crew, or queen Isabella or the Tainos.
4. Title the new comic strip
5. Make a figure of one of the characters and complete a 10 minute free-write of this character. Highlight key works and transfer them over to the cardboard figure.
6. Collaborate with others to make a balanced mobile
7. Assess students on their texts. How close is it to the actual event?
Use specific lessons to assess students understanding. Example: Christopher Columbus arrival to the New World.
1. Find comic strips with multiple characters
2. White out all the texts, including the title
3. Have students fill in the dialogue box with texts they might hear in a conversation between Christopher Columbus and his crew, or queen Isabella or the Tainos.
4. Title the new comic strip
5. Make a figure of one of the characters and complete a 10 minute free-write of this character. Highlight key works and transfer them over to the cardboard figure.
6. Collaborate with others to make a balanced mobile
7. Assess students on their texts. How close is it to the actual event?
Glimpse Into Ourselves
Art, Math, Literacy (scale and proportion, descriptive language, poetry, sentence building)
Entry Point Game: Cutting a window with paper, pair students up to “explore” and discover an area or snapshot. With partner, describe to other person what their snapshot looks like. (one student describes while the other draws, then switch)
Art Experiment: Create this snapshot about the self, using your own life as a reference. Through collage, use mixed media, words etcetera.
Extension Resources: Collage Artists and small scale artists.
Entry Point Game: Cutting a window with paper, pair students up to “explore” and discover an area or snapshot. With partner, describe to other person what their snapshot looks like. (one student describes while the other draws, then switch)
Art Experiment: Create this snapshot about the self, using your own life as a reference. Through collage, use mixed media, words etcetera.
Extension Resources: Collage Artists and small scale artists.
Be the Expert
Subject: Language Arts, reading, spelling, listening
Fake Expert Gallery Activity: Students will select one photo of a modern artist’s work and describe the artist and his or her motivation behind the work, taking on the point of view of an art critic or gallery director.
Note: Information should be student’s made-up ideas so lesson will be differentiated due to varying degrees of understanding artwork and language. May be done in small groups if time is limited.
Extension: Students can select an example of art from our classroom library and offer their expert opinion in written format for extra credit.
Fake Expert Gallery Activity: Students will select one photo of a modern artist’s work and describe the artist and his or her motivation behind the work, taking on the point of view of an art critic or gallery director.
Note: Information should be student’s made-up ideas so lesson will be differentiated due to varying degrees of understanding artwork and language. May be done in small groups if time is limited.
Extension: Students can select an example of art from our classroom library and offer their expert opinion in written format for extra credit.
How to Write a Rhyming Couplet
Subject: Language Arts (6-8)
Game:
1. Choose a Calder picture/art work/sculpture
2. Find a word that rhymes with the subject of your picture
3. Say the rhyming words (first soft, then loud) around the room.
Art experiment: If these words were shapes, what would they look like? (draw them)
Extension: Write two lines that rhyme (about ten words per line). Use the artwork to help you find the words that make sense for you. Use powerful action verbs in your couplet. Put artwork and words in one large collage
Game:
1. Choose a Calder picture/art work/sculpture
2. Find a word that rhymes with the subject of your picture
3. Say the rhyming words (first soft, then loud) around the room.
Art experiment: If these words were shapes, what would they look like? (draw them)
Extension: Write two lines that rhyme (about ten words per line). Use the artwork to help you find the words that make sense for you. Use powerful action verbs in your couplet. Put artwork and words in one large collage
Bringing the Red Pyramid to Life
Subject: 6th-7th Language Arts, Library and Art teachers
Entry Point Game: Projector puppets: Students read “Red Pyramid” over the summer. They will bring favorite sections to life by enacting them via translucent puppets on the overhead projector. Through brainstorming, the whole group of students will identify different parts of the book that appeal to them. Once brainstorming has concluded students will sign up to the group of their choice. Working in groups of 3 or 5 they will create characters and props to tell their stories. Students will rehearse and present to the groups.
Extension: Story boarding could be very helpful. Also transforming the puppet show into cartoons might be valuable. Another game that might be incorporated is for kids to name their section or scene and give students a 1-2 sentence introduction to the scene before they present it. It might save time to give more boundaries and direction to the group as they work on project. This activity will serve as a great review for the book and give dimension and richness to interpretation. In terms of presentation kids can decide whether to present scenes randomly or sequentially. Viewing parts of the Redmoon’s Galway's Shadow will give kids context on how stories may be told through this medium.
Entry Point Game: Projector puppets: Students read “Red Pyramid” over the summer. They will bring favorite sections to life by enacting them via translucent puppets on the overhead projector. Through brainstorming, the whole group of students will identify different parts of the book that appeal to them. Once brainstorming has concluded students will sign up to the group of their choice. Working in groups of 3 or 5 they will create characters and props to tell their stories. Students will rehearse and present to the groups.
Extension: Story boarding could be very helpful. Also transforming the puppet show into cartoons might be valuable. Another game that might be incorporated is for kids to name their section or scene and give students a 1-2 sentence introduction to the scene before they present it. It might save time to give more boundaries and direction to the group as they work on project. This activity will serve as a great review for the book and give dimension and richness to interpretation. In terms of presentation kids can decide whether to present scenes randomly or sequentially. Viewing parts of the Redmoon’s Galway's Shadow will give kids context on how stories may be told through this medium.
Transformation
Transformation Paper: Have each student think/write about a fear they have (maybe about art?). Now have them draw an image of this fear and share it with their group. Now students rip/tear/wrinkle their papers. Consider using this to create new paper (using a blender and water to make pulp). Now students can find the joyful images in their reconstructed paper.
Post-it Comic: Give students an image (consider posting it in the room). Provide talk bubbles so students can add dialogue to the images.
Art in the unexpected: Inspired by MCA’s “Hide and Seek”, have student groups transform spaces in your school with art. Encourage people to experience the space in a new way.
Protective Design: Students design objects (possibly wearable) to protect themselves from their fears or to help them accomplish their dreams.
Post-it Comic: Give students an image (consider posting it in the room). Provide talk bubbles so students can add dialogue to the images.
Art in the unexpected: Inspired by MCA’s “Hide and Seek”, have student groups transform spaces in your school with art. Encourage people to experience the space in a new way.
Protective Design: Students design objects (possibly wearable) to protect themselves from their fears or to help them accomplish their dreams.
The Writing’s on the Wall
Subject: Writing with focus on narrative, understanding conflict and resolution.
Entry Point: Group students into teams of 3 or 4. Ask them to come up with the most interesting eccentric person on their list of loved ones from their writers notebook.
Experiment: Ask student groups to create overhead characters based on their family members. They are then to use these characters to create a narrative revolving around a conflict. Each student group will randomly choose a “setting” and a “conflict” prepared ahead of time by the teacher and write out dialogue for their characters. Groups will create a short story that they can perform on the overhead.
Extension/Resources: Student groups can write their stories on charts. Dialogue can be written on post-it paper and put on the wall in order to organize story lines, conflict and resolution.
Entry Point: Group students into teams of 3 or 4. Ask them to come up with the most interesting eccentric person on their list of loved ones from their writers notebook.
Experiment: Ask student groups to create overhead characters based on their family members. They are then to use these characters to create a narrative revolving around a conflict. Each student group will randomly choose a “setting” and a “conflict” prepared ahead of time by the teacher and write out dialogue for their characters. Groups will create a short story that they can perform on the overhead.
Extension/Resources: Student groups can write their stories on charts. Dialogue can be written on post-it paper and put on the wall in order to organize story lines, conflict and resolution.
Art/Absolving Fear of Art
Game: Best done in Calder exhibition, pairs of students will use sharpies and big pads to play Art for the Blind. Partner I turns back to something of interest (still life, window, a room). Partner II describes the scene or item in detail for partner I to draw. Descriptive details fill the page. Partners switch.
The Process of Learning Critique Constructively: Each artist picks three peers to reflect upon their artwork. Rules: must be kind, constructive, and helpful. When should you use a different color? Why? Is he or she showing depth in a new amazing way? How? Tell what you like about your peers work and why. Project serves to help students give their peers valuable feed back and learn to critique (not slam).
Science and Art or Geography: Create your own endangered species on colored cardboard. (maybe from a specific geographic region?) Write five facts that you have researched on your animal. Then as a class construct a mobile of endangered species!
The Process of Learning Critique Constructively: Each artist picks three peers to reflect upon their artwork. Rules: must be kind, constructive, and helpful. When should you use a different color? Why? Is he or she showing depth in a new amazing way? How? Tell what you like about your peers work and why. Project serves to help students give their peers valuable feed back and learn to critique (not slam).
Science and Art or Geography: Create your own endangered species on colored cardboard. (maybe from a specific geographic region?) Write five facts that you have researched on your animal. Then as a class construct a mobile of endangered species!
Mobile-Abstract Shapes
Subject: Art, 5th grade
Game: Descriptive game with Calder reprints. With a partner each student takes a turn drawing and describing Calder’s sculptures.
Art Experiment: Create a Calder–like sculpture: create basic shapes on one sheet of white tag board. Start with a pencil and draw a variety of shapes on each side. Color with colored pencil. Use mobile armature and attach shapes to clips. Hang mobile from ceiling.
Extension: Basic shapes may also be made with tissue paper. Use thin Modge Podge and overlap the tissue paper- cover one side, do the other side next week.
Extension: Could have students do two shapes and pick the one they like best for mobile. Use two dowel rods and have students help each other to balance mobile elements.
Game: Descriptive game with Calder reprints. With a partner each student takes a turn drawing and describing Calder’s sculptures.
Art Experiment: Create a Calder–like sculpture: create basic shapes on one sheet of white tag board. Start with a pencil and draw a variety of shapes on each side. Color with colored pencil. Use mobile armature and attach shapes to clips. Hang mobile from ceiling.
Extension: Basic shapes may also be made with tissue paper. Use thin Modge Podge and overlap the tissue paper- cover one side, do the other side next week.
Extension: Could have students do two shapes and pick the one they like best for mobile. Use two dowel rods and have students help each other to balance mobile elements.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Overhead Projector Project
The idea for the Overhead Projector project came from the Redmoon Theater’s 2001 production of Galway’s Shadow which was a highly choreographed and stunning display of shadow puppetry performed on the façade of the MCA. After viewing part of this performance on video, teachers crafted puppets using acetate, sharpies and push pins to create simple joints for movement. Overhead projectors were used to create an anachronistic shadow theater to bring puppets to life.
For many schools overhead projectors are archaic didactic tools that collect dust from disuse. Through creative reuse, this project explored how outdated technology can easily lend itself to accessible and innovative forms of storytelling. The simple magic and instant gratification of a drawing made big through light encouraged play, experimentation and creative problem solving.
Mobile of Floating Fears
This project integrated natural science, poetry and sculpture.
Teachers began this project by free-writing on fear. Using recycled materials, teachers then drew a silhouette of an indigenous predator with their non-favored hand. Teachers integrated words and phrases from their writing into their drawing. Silhouettes were then cut and assembled into 3-D objects using simple joints. Teachers worked collaboratively to attach all of the elements into one balanced mobile.
Teaching Through Play: Overcoming Fear to Discover Possibility
The Play and Fear: Demystifying the Creative Process Institute worked toward understanding how play tactics could benefit the learning process. Jenna and Shoshanna led teachers to collaboratively brainstorm ideas using visual mapping. Many of the words teachers used to describe the learning process could be used interchangeably with the creative process; curiosity, inquiry, motivation, experimentation, risk taking, frustration, persistence, practice, discovery, problem solving, and reflection all describe how many contemporary artist work today.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
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