Term II Recap

 It always frustrates me when I remember I forgot to post here and then realize it's been several weeks since I last shared any work! Since I last posted, students completed their Spooky Radio Plays and Synesthesia Artwork - both projects are featured on the Virtual Art Show (click the tab above). I was beyond impressed by the outcome of both projects. Students have been learning to think outside the box and be creative with the materials and supplies they have available to them at home. I especially enjoyed hearing the radio plays that featured family members - something we wouldn't have necessarily gotten to hear if we were currently in the classroom.

I'm sharing a few examples of the synesthesia drawings here, too. Synesthesia is a neurological phenomenon that occurs in only 4% of the population. Their brain connects more than sense together, so people with chromesthesia actually see colors when they hear sounds. In order to simulate this experience, students chose a song and created an artwork showing what they visualized when they listened to it. Some students created an abstract artwork, combining lines, shapes, and colors that conveyed the emotion behind the song, while others created a more literal drawing with imagery from the song. All of the submissions were phenomenal!

In order to plan for their artwork, students had to listen to their song and brainstorm what images or colors came to mind. From there, they created 3 thumbnail sketches where they quickly sketched out any ideas they had for their composition. Next, they narrowed down their idea (some used one thumbnail, while others combined aspects from more than one), and created a rough draft. The student artwork featured below shows a student creating his thumbnails and rough draft on paper, and then he chose a website to create his final artwork digitally.

Currently, students are working on the Latin America Passport project. I am so excited for this one! This project I crafted up with two other creative arts teachers. Students got to choose which pathway they wanted to learn about for this project: visual art, music/dance, or theatre. Students who chose the visual art pathway learned about a few Mexican artists, looking at the artwork they created during the time of the Mexican Revolution. For their final product, students are creating an original artwork that conveys their feelings toward a current event or social issue, while using a similar style, technique, or subject as one of the master artists they chose to research. Students working on the music/dance pathway learned about the Cha Cha and created their own Cha Cha rhythm using a program called Groove Pizza, and are currently learning how to perform the dance. Their final product will be a video of them dancing the Cha Cha to the song they put together. Lastly, the students who chose the theatre pathway learned about alebrijes. They created their own alebrije and wrote a monologue for them to preform that tells the story of a dream they had involving their alebrije. 

Each pathway allows for extreme creativity. My favorite part of this project is that students were able to select which project they felt more comfortable with and interested in. The submissions are due on Wednesday, so I will try to update the virtual art show during winter break. 

If I don't get a chance to post again before the new year - have a wonderful and relaxing winter break!