What's the Big Idea?

News from the 21^st C. Art Room

This year we are continuing to explore things that art can do.  We want our 21^st century students to understand that art plays a role in everyday life. 

We are looking at art as a way to creatively express ourselves in relation to the many layers of our lives: our feelings, our identity, culture, society, environment and imagination. 

Students at Brown and Hoffman Trails Elementary will be taking this journey together through the collaboration of Rachel Murdock and Stacey Peters, art teachers at Brown and Hoffman Trails, respectively. 

We think that this will be a way to get students to think critically about art, its purpose and why we create art. 

This year we will cover three areas in depth:

§  Feelings - Art can express how we feel.

§  Identity - Art can show who we are.

§  Culture – Art can change how we live.

First, we will explore how art can communicate how we feel. 

First grade will explore color and feeling through the help of chameleons, who express their feelings by changing color.

Second grade will express feelings through movement and dance and show the relationship between the feeling of the music and the art they create.

Third grade will look at feelings shown in self-portraits through expressions and the artist’s style before creating their own self-portraits.

Fourth grade will respond to music through creating expressive skies and trees.

Fifth grade will identify things in their life that have a positive impact on their feelings.  Their mixed media art will give you a glimpse of what they live for, laugh at and love.

We are excited to find new ways to utilize our new technology in the art room.  Using the ELMO (a document camera) students can see live and recorded demonstrations on the big screen.  They can share their work with the class or with students at the other school. 

Using the wireless SMART slate, students can interact with what is on the screen while in their seats, which keeps students engaged in the presentation of new information. 

We are looking forward to our journey this year. If you would like to be a part of our year, volunteer in the art room!

Stacey Peters (Hoffman Trails)            

Rachel Murdock (Brown)