The Integrated Arts at Del Mar Heights: Fifth grade Murals

Integrated Arts?

The Integrated Arts is a model designed to offer support, extension, and supplementary experiences in content areas through interdisciplinary arts activities. The Common Core Standards' emphasis on developing depth and rigor in thought and the ability to communicate relevant information with increasing skill provides the necessary impetus for this model. Content will be viewed through many lenses, allowing the entirety of relevant ideas to be processed and applied broadly and with added depth. Work with visual arts, music, drama, literature, writing, technology, and design will be incorporated and collaboration with classroom teachers will be ongoing. As Yeats wrote, "Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire". The Integrated Arts is an opportunity to light a very purposeful, very directed fire.

Friday, September 20, 2013

Fifth grade Murals

As in any creative process, plans must be made.

Tiles built and drying

So I am really excited with this project. Our fifth grade classes each helped create a design for a collaborative ceramic mural inspired by the anticipated social studies work this year. In fifth grade students learn all about America from pre-columbian days to post-revolution and into westward expansion. One of the classes chose a design full of traditional symbols of America while the other planned a map of the country with representative symbols for many states. This is a long, involved process. Week one was about theme and basic design. Week two was initial sketching. Week three will be finish sketching and learn basic clay technique. Week four will be sculpting the tiles with clay (125 tiles!). Week five and six will be time for the tiles to dry before firing into bisque in the kiln. Week seven will be applying colored glaze and a final firing in the kiln. Then the tiles must be mounted, grouted, and hung. It's rigorous and relevant to educational aims in so many disciplines; communication, collaboration, social studies thinking, drawing skills, clay work, painting skills, and...patience. It will be worth it. Don't worry, in the weeks while tiles are drying I have some more immediately rewarding projects up my sleeve. I can't wait to see how this turns out!