Sixth, seventh, and eight grade art work is finally up in the halls and the library of Jefferson Middle School! The 8th graders did a wonder job completing their acrylic agamograph. Students were inspired by the artist Yaacov Agam and his agamograph to create a kinetic artwork that centered on the idea of "change". 8th graders were given the option to choose a social issue that was important to them; something that they believed needed to be identified and that needed to change. Students were then charged with creating two images; one showing the situation as it is, the other showing the situation as it could be. Discovering what students were passionate about was a truly inspiring experience for me as an educator. Who knew that 8th graders had so much to say on issues such as: depression, bullying, deforestation, homelessness, hunger, and more. I absolutely loved seeing what students had to say and I believe the students had a fun time discovering just how much they had to say!
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As one project ends so too does another one begins. Such is the joy and excitement of the art room! After finishing their animal spirits sixth graders have had the opportunity to be a part of a wonderful experience. Every year the Lions International Club hosts a poster contest geared toward youth. Being an organization that is geared toward bringing together it comes to no surprise that their themes are generally centered on the idea of "peace". This years theme is "Share Peace" and the sixth graders have really put a lot of thought and care into their posters. We spent time discussing different ways to define peace and how that definition varied between individuals. We came up with ideas as to what peace could look like and brainstormed ways to identify it through visual language. The results are stunning and I look forward to seeing the finished products. Keep a look out for when these wonderful messages of peace spread the Jefferson halls! For seventh grade we have seen what happens beyond the border and have turned toward a study in one-point perspective. Students created their own one-point perspective drawings, mix and create a full color wheel with primary colors, developed a color scheme, and created a mixed media relief composition that gave the illusion that color was literally exploding from the background!
Art has a way of encouraging deep reflective thought and creative answers to life's questions. Oddly enough, it is not unusual to hear student debating the ol' conundrum of whether the glass is half empty or half full. What is interesting is the manner in which the conversation grows. Auditory observations are one of the highlights I enjoy while moving about the art room. While students exercise the left side of their brain all manners of connections are made and many of them are creative enough to make you think and challenge your perception. Though auditory observations are great, visual ones can even be more stunning to see; getting a chance to witness the visual outcome of the thought processes occurring within their minds. This week 6th and 7th graders wrapped up their projects and the results are stunning! Sixth graders created their own animal guardians through reflective thinking and with the inspiration from Harry Potter. They practice drawing and observation skills to draw their animals and practiced innovative thinking to infuse their animals with energy by creating a minimum of 8 original patterns. 7th graders finished their "Beyond the Borders" projects; one that enabled them to think beyond the usual and discover creative probabilities all the while practicing their drawing and water color techniques as well as their understanding of value and texture. Pretty spectacular right? Teach a lesson that plants the seed; pour the water over it and watch the creativity grow!
What do you think of when you think of art? Do you envision students drawing figures? Painting landscapes? Studying the art of those long past? How about space for innovative thinking? A place where games and movement lend to learning? Where students find their voice and a means to express it? That is what I envision art to be and over the last couple of weeks. I have been granted the ability to put some of these thoughts into action. Recently, 8th grade students completed their eight apple media studies which they got to package in some amazing marbled sketchbook. The idea was a collaboration between my coordinating teacher and I and I think it came out great! Nothing warms the heart like hearing kids ask if they can add more pages to their books later or if they could take out their apples and give the sketchbook as a gift for their mom. Today, 8th graders are recognizing that they have a voice; one that is meant to be heard and which has the power to change the world. Students got to use their laptops to research a variety of issues they felt passionate about and to help draft a way to express their views visually. I am really excited about this project, both in terms of having a chance to see students passionate about something meaningful to them but also to see how these ideas translate in the kinetic art medium that we are trying. Stay tuned! Sometimes the best learning happens when you get up and move as the 7th graders got a chance to find out. In the concluding arc of learning about the elements and principles of art and design, 7th grade students spent time searching the room for posted information about the principles of design. Students then took their knowledge back to their tables and shared with each other. The best part was the game at the end. Paired in groups of 3-4, students invented team names (related to art of course!) and had 30 seconds to identify 3 elements of art and 2 principles of design related to projected slide images. Everyone had a blast and it was invigorating to hear the students race to make connections between what they were seeing and what they learned! And let's not forget about the 6th graders! What started out with help from a Harry Potter video clip has resulted in students finding their own animal guardians by analyzing personal characteristics, making connections with animal symbols, and infusing their guides with patterns and colors. The results are stunning, but you'll have to wait to see the final results!
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Nicole BD
Life long learner and art enthusiast. Follow along as I delve into the world of teaching elementary art! Archives
September 2018
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