Art Around the Room
For the first few months of school, students in Preschool through 5th grade have been experimenting with the range of possibilities for each of the art materials that will be available for our first unit of study. The preschoolers have been practicing how to use drawing and painting materials appropriately, as well as trying them out on some nontraditional surfaces, such as wood and foil.
Students in grades PreK-5 have been comparing and contrasting different art supplies on the cart (PreK-K) or in the classroom (1-5) by participating in Around the Room activities to open each center. This means that every time a new center is made available for use, students must spend at least 1 class period using the supplies from that center. Different grade levels have different options and requirements.
For example, first graders tested out pencils and erasers, colored pencils, markers, and oil pastels for their Draw Around the Room activity. After rotating to each table with different supplies, they learned how to clean up a drawing project and came together as a group to discuss the pros and cons of drawing media. This investigation will help them to choose an appropriate medium to fit their idea when they begin to implement independent projects.
After opening the drawing and painting centers, the younger elementary grades will Build Around the Room to open the sculpture center. Older grades have been exploring this center by taking the Attachment Test (inspired by Diane Jacquith), which requires them to create small sculptures without the use of adhesive. This challenge is designed to help students to think more creatively and to better understand the physics of building sturdy structures.