What the new CCRS for Visual Arts looks like in the classroom

Students at Shirley Lanham Elementary on NAF Atsugi recently explored the four art processes - Connecting, Creating, Presenting, and Responding - part of the DODEA newly adopted College and Career Readiness Standards for the Visual Arts. 

 

We created an interdisciplinary unit that provided students in grades second through sixth with museum type activities, which helped students "to see" by developing their analytical and evaluated skills. Through collaborations, students looked for connections between dissimilar artworks (synectics), as well as determine criteria for evaluating and judging artwork (art criticism and aesthetics). 

 

The culmination of the unit involved students creating an geometric artwork. Their designs were inspired by contemporary quilting using  computer coding by Canadian artist Libs Elliott in contrast to traditional design and techniques of the Gee Bend Alabama quilters, and the use of geometry. 

 

Students completed artist statements for their works before learning how to display their works in the hallway gallery space. Lanham students also invited the school faculty to the collaboration experience by creating and contributing similar artwork to their hallway display.