Week 2 - Art as Personal Expression

This week we created art through connecting with music and poetry.

Reflection:  I really, really enjoyed this class.  It was really good for letting go of your own art and moving beyond just doing something to make it pretty.  Because all the students moved around and coloured over all the work, you really had to be okay with letting what you had initially created go.

Adaptations:  This is another lesson I don’t think I would adapt too much.  I would consider putting boundaries on where students move around the room, though.  Maybe I would give them a clear path to follow.  Or potentially place students at individual tables and allow them to move freely around their specific table only.  I would also try to find a more calming piece of music to get students back to their seats at the end.  Otherwise, I really think this would be a great activity for a Grade 1 classroom.  One other option would be to place long pieces of paper on the floor and allow them to move up and down the paper that way.

We also then did our own individual piece to a poem that was read.  Again, I would look for a simple poem, although not literal (maybe about nature, or the sea).  I think students would be able to connect with this.  If not I would look to putting on more music and allow them to create an individual piece using music.

Assessment:  I think participation is a big assessment piece with this one.  You would need to really watch each student to make sure they were understanding what they were doing and that they were able to find ways to express themselves on the paper with the influence of the music.  If the students do create individual pieces I would again make time to speak with each student, either while drawing or after.  I would listen for them to be making connections with what they had created and what the poem was saying.