Earth Day at Williamston Explorer Elementary School

This week the teachers asked us to do a lesson that related to Earth Day. We wanted to do a visual arts lesson and utilize their amazing art room. We found a project online that allowed the students to express their appreciation for the earth and doing so by creating a peice of artwork that used only eco-friendly materials. We discussed the concept of earth day and got their input about what it meant to them. We then gave each student a few minutes to write a couple words and/or sentences about what earth day personally meant to them. We then had them close their eyes and visualize some natural element of the earth that they get joy from and would miss if it was no longer in existence. (If we don't protect out earth these things we enjoy could possibly not be here for us). My example: I love reading outside under trees on Michigan State University's campus, however, if we don't protect the earth this might not be something that everyone is able to enjoy. The students then opened their eyes and did quick sketches on their paper of the images that they just had in their minds. This was effective in allowing our students to quickly capture that image.

Next, we discussed the concept of a mosaic and the various materials that people use to make mosaics.We then showed the students the mosaics that we both made using recycled cardboard to mount our mosaics and various types and colors of beans. We passed out the materials to the stuents and explained to them that they should fill their entire cardboard (about the size of a postcard) with beans, leaving very little open space. The students did amazing! Jena and I were impressed not only with their images and the natural elements that they appreciated and their careful execution with the small materials.

This activity was even more sucessful than I thought it would be and I was blown away with their art products. The students were very enagaged and excited with their resulting products and were so eager to share! I feel like it was effective in helping the students to appreciate the earth and have a peice of artwork that was created using recyled materials, thus, reinfocing the idea of protecting the world around us.

Murphy Elementary

My name is Katelyn Provo and I am working in a fifth grade classroom at Murphy elementary school. I work with a class of twenty two students, with eleven boys and elven girls. A few Fridays ago I prepared a lesson on shapes. I wanted to help the children look at the shapes they were learning in math in a different way. I set up stations and split the class into four groups. One station was molding various shapes out of playdough. I thought this would be a good way to get the children thinking about how to make shapes that are three d. At another station I had the children making shapes with their bodies and walking shape patterns out on the floor. At the final two stations the children were making tangrams. Which are pictures made up of seven shapes. I had the children cut the shapes out of construction paper and then make them into the pictures. The children had to think about measuring the shapes so they would be the correct size and about positioning the shapes in the correct way to make them fit into the picture. Overall I think this lesson was very successful. The children seemed to really enjoy it and I heard them talking a lot about what they learned in math and how to make the shapes in the various activities. I think it helped the children begin to look for shapes in the world around them and it gave them a chance to participate in hands on activities with shapes.

Williamston Musical

This past Wednesday I went to see the Williamston muscial production of Wizard of Oz. I was extremely impressed! Although not all of the students that I work with were in the musical, a large number of them were. It was fabulous to see all of the smiling faces and talented dancing, singing, and acting. I was very happy to see the students getting to participate in such wonderful artistic expression at such a young age...I know my elementary school never did anything like this.

Although this wasn't directly related to Artsbridge because I was not a part of the musical planning, it was nice to see the students in another setting. I think they really appreciated seeing me there at the show. Also, the next day that I saw them in class many of them commented on how they saw me and I was able to tell them personally how much I enjoyed their performances. Many of them who didn't see me at the show seemed very proud when I mentioned that I was there and saw them. I am so glad that I went to see the musical!