I am special!
Kristina Schultz is new to the teaching profession. She is in her second year of teaching art at Central Elementary School in South Berwick. A couple weeks back I went to the school primarily to see Kate Smith and Sally Gilbride and the integrated until they’ve designed. While there I met other staff members and had the opportunity to understand what a special place Central Elementary School is. Kristina, and what she offers in art classes to her students is part of the wonderful environment.
I was WOWed by the display in the hallway of tiny slippers that were created by kindergarten students in Kristina’s art room. Along with the exhibit was an explanation of the lesson and the alignment to the Maine Learning Results. The display exhibited the value and importance of the work that the children had created. Below is the information that was included.
I AM SPECIAL!
KINDERGARTEN SLIPPERS
Are you sweet like a kitten? Friendly like a puppy? Fast as a cheetah? Tough as a shark? Cuddly as a hamster? Wild as a monkey?
In this lesson, kindergarten artists each identified a quality they have that makes them special. They thought of animals that share that same quality. They made slippers with the faces of the animals. As inspiration, we read the book Quick as a Cricket by Audrey Wood. This lesson affirmed that each of us is a special person with different qualities and strengths. We learned about each other through the art project and our class discussions.
Students were challenged to make each slipper have symmetry. Symmetry and balance are concepts that they will revisit in their future math lessons and art lessons.
MAINE LEARNING RESULTS ADDRESSED:
A2: Students identify features of composition. (b) Identify Principles of Design including pattern and balance.
B3: Making Meaning: Students create art works that communicate ideas and feeling and demonstrate skill in the use of media, tools, and techniques.
me arts ed 