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.

Saturday, October 18, 2014

Symbols of Power on the African Savannah






Symbols of Power on the African Savanna
Second Grade
Our second-grade students spend time studying Africa and African animals in particular. Many of our art lessons this year will surround these themes as it is so rich and inspiring to the students. As a point of both artistic and intellectual concept-building I will be weaving a common thread of understanding of what makes symbols potent visually and culturally throughout many projects.
This project is a large-scale, multi-media project. Students use texts and video to understand the power of the African Lion and understand the concept of "apex predator". Then we determine to use the lion's proud powerful head, with its strong line and contour, to create a visual image that will show the power and struggle of predator/prey relationships on the savanna.

First a background of prey-species patterns are created. Think of zebra stripes and giraffe spots. Then a board is covered with gesso to give a rough and wild texture to the lion face. Next students practice and draw a powerful line drawing of a lion head. At this point we discuss the difference between realistic drawing and stylized work. After the line drawing is complete we use oil pastel and an overlay of watercolor to create a textured color profile for the lion face. Finally a mane of straw is added and the lion's head is placed on the prey-species pattern background.
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