We are so fortunate that our school is down the road from the San Diego Zoo's Safari Park. Our students visit the Safari Park's Beckman Research Center to do labs. The lab is beautiful and stunning artwork lines the walls.
With the help of students and art docents, I set out to create a similar art installation in my K-8 classroom. (I see all K-5 students for their weekly science rotation, all 6th graders for science, and 6-8th graders for my Code Studio elective.)
I was blown away with the student talent. Students in grades 6-8 who love art, volunteered to come in at lunch to work on their piece. I am so grateful for their talents and willingness to share. I only draw stick people but I appreciate beautiful art and love the bold statement these pieces make. With the direction of an art docent, students first sketched their drawing on paper and then in pencil on the canvas. Students were encouraged to make their subject large and take up most of the canvas. Finally, students added the paint. Some chose to paint the background first and others did the subject first.
I used fadeless black bulletin board paper, green plastic shower curtains, and paper medallions to showcase the amazing art work. The plastic shower curtains create the curtain effect and are merely stapled up and tucked under the border.
The "Dare Mighty Things" bulletin board is inspired by the Cal Tech & NASA Jet Propulsion Lab's motto.
The other side of the classroom has the crosscutting concepts we are working with, an Engineering and Design poster, and a light up STEM board made by my 6-8th grade The STEM board runs off of a Makey Makey Invention Kit. Maker Studio students who won the San Diego Science and Engineering Festival's Bright Idea Society Award.
