in 2nd grade
In their self-exploratory journey, my second grade students venture on a quest to discover a little bit about themselves and how they connect to...well....the world.
We have, recently, completed our exploration and art-making on our families by creating our family trees, expressing our family's unique characteristics through paint, oil pastels, markers and liquid water colors.
I was recently reading and article by Olivia Guide, Playing, Creativity, Possibility offering insight and encouragement for allowing our students to explore, "play" and experiment independently....with whatever they want. It does sound scary to think about just stepping back and watching.
BUT- the results are better than any well oiled, preconceived lesson.
In their self-exploratory journey, my second grade students venture on a quest to discover a little bit about themselves and how they connect to...well....the world.
We have, recently, completed our exploration and art-making on our families by creating our family trees, expressing our family's unique characteristics through paint, oil pastels, markers and liquid water colors.
This art unit encourages the students to ask their mom and dad's questions, understanding the importance of the people in their lives. The art-making component offers the students the independence to make their own choices, take risks, problem solve and take ownership of their work. The important component was the process and path the students, individually, took to accomplish their final art work.
The experience opened my students' eyes to the endless possibilities for the use of our art materials and the understanding that I (their teacher) is not going to tell them what to do:)
Liberating!
and a bit more challenging....
I loved and love seeing what my students come up with on their own.
Is it a bit harder...sure!
You have to manage more components in your classrooms,
you have to allow students to get a little disappointed when something doesn't go their way,
you have to have more than a few materials out all the time,
you have to just let things go......
and that is hard.
I was recently reading and article by Olivia Guide, Playing, Creativity, Possibility offering insight and encouragement for allowing our students to explore, "play" and experiment independently....with whatever they want. It does sound scary to think about just stepping back and watching.
BUT- the results are better than any well oiled, preconceived lesson.
In the end, each student was beaming with pride!
Check out more on Family Trees HERE
and the Power Point HERE.
xoxo, Smock you.
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