Feeling Dizzy in Cultural Art

As a class we read the book Dizzy by Jonah Winter, a book about the life of Dizzy Gillespie.  The students then listened to Jazz music by Dizzy Gillespie and Louis Armstrong, as well as music by contemporary African-American musical artists such as the song 'Happy' by Pharrell.  They painted pictures to summarize how the songs made them feel:

 Common Core Standards addressed:

K-12.1 Understanding and applying media, techniques, and processes; 

K-12.2 Using knowledge of structures and functions; 

K-12.5 Reflecting upon and assessing the characteristics and merits of their work and the work of others; 

K-12.6 Making connections between visual arts and other disciplines.

cc.sl.4.1; cc. l 1.1

Collage Art in Miss Britta's Class

Keeping with our theme of African-American history and culture, this week the students learned about collage art made by African-American artists.  They saw and discussed artwork by Howardena Pindell, Amalia Amaki, and James Denmark.   The kids talked about possible themes and meanings of the images and contemplated feelings the art evoked. The students were then encouraged to create their own collage images that reflected them.

Student Feelings on Diversity in Cultural Arts Class

Last week in Cultural Arts we continued our discussions about the importance of Diversity.  The students read a short poem about the world without variety and discussed their feelings as a class.  They then provided their own conclusion to the statement: "We need many different colors because...".  The sentences are as varied as the students themselves!

 Common Core Standards addressed:

K-12.1 Understanding and applying media, techniques, and processes; 

K-12.2 Using knowledge of structures and functions; 

K-12.5 Reflecting upon and assessing the characteristics and merits of their work and the work of others; 

K-12.6 Making connections between visual arts and other disciplines.

cc.sl.4.1; cc. l 1.1

'How Comics Are Made' with the SuperReaders!