For Visual Art, P 3 recently completed a partially integrated unit on how we discover and express ideas, feelings, nature, culture, beliefs and values through our artwork. Students viewed a digital picture book example
Window- by Jennie Baker
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bobtgMuv-CI
and went on to then create their own 4 page picture stories with a cover page, illustrated using their preferred media. Our young artists enjoyed using their creative thinking, imagination and art skills to express themselves and developed an understanding of how the creative process works along the way. Using a variety of media helped students to appreciate the aesthetic and learn that telling a story does not always require the use of words.
Some examples of the very colourful, interesting and diverse stories are shared below.
Zuzana’s story is about and old house that was demolished and a new house that was build. She self-reflected saying she was a thinker, risk-taker, principled and reflective. Her challenges were to think about the whole plot, to improve her drawing and to create her slides.
Melah illustrated a story about a boy named Leo and a girl named Sophie. They go through all the seasons and Leo learns a lesson. As she self reflected,she described herself as a thinker and a communicator.
Jaynah used her artwork to describe her experience with life during the pandemic. In her story, she hopes that the virus will go away very soon and we can have our happy days back again and play with our friends.
Ishan created a story about a stormy night when a boy rescued a whimpering puppy from a beach…his story tells of an experience shared by the boy and his four legged friend thereafter.
Akshaj’s story is about a tree and how it stands strong in the different weather/ seasons. In spring, summer, autumn and winter. How the tree changes its appearance with the season. The tree stands strong through all the changes showing that changing with time is not wrong.
In her story, Sophie tells of the interaction between a Paludier ( salt Harvester) and a baby Unicorn.
Jo-Rell has written and illustrated about a bird-house that was gifted to him by his grandfather…..
Since the unit was delivered virtually, there was strong integration with digital literacy and information technology. The collaborative planning and able assistance of our TAs, Ms Bhagyashree and Ms Kavita helped our young artists to use information and technology safely, ethically and responsibly. They were assisted and guided to enable them to communicate clearly and express themselves creatively using the platforms, tools, styles, formats and digital media appropriate to their goals of uploading their weekly tasks to Google Classroom. Ms Devaki our very knowledgeable librarian helped us to collaborate to exchange information and resources and use it effectively to solve problems.
Students acquired a multitude of communication, self-management and thinking skills through the process that enabled them to create and publish their pictorial stories. Feedback was provided at each stage of the creative process for action before the final product was uploaded to Seesaw.
Charmaine Suri-Visual Art
Works Cited
Children’s, Blossom. “Window- Jeannie Baker.” YouTube, 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JLVneJa1Is. Accessed 14 Oct. 2020.