\t\t\t\tAt the beginning of our “How We Express Ourselves” unit of inquiry, KZE students observed some art pieces and tried to draw on their prior knowledge and experiences to answer questions of “What is art?” and “What was the artist trying to tell you?” Here are some of their understanding:<\/p>\n
Kyle: \u201cArt is like making sculptures. Artist can use different things to make art.\u201d
\nDaisy: “Art is where you draw and make lots of new stuffs. Artists always make sure they get ready to do what they want to do. They always have the colors they want.\u201d
\nLiam: \u201cArt is colorful, it has paint in it.\u201d
\nEmerson: \u201cArt is being creative. Artists usually use the word \u201cart\u201d for painting.\u201d
\nMichael: \u201cArt is when you draw pictures.\u201d
\nFatima: \u201cArt is experimenting and use different tools.\u201d
\nScarlett: \u201cArt is pretty and colorful. Artists use paint brushes, crayons, markers, and pencils to make pictures.\u201d
\nLizzy: \u201cWhen artists don\u2019t have the colors they need, they can mix colors.\u201d
\nTrace: \u201cArt is like drawing with color crayons to make pictures. You need lots of colors to do painting.\u201d
\nFreddie: \u201cArt is like you can use pretty much everything to make art.\u201d
\nLisa: \u201cArtists sometimes use strings, beads to make art. They also do oil painting.\u201d
\nHannes: \u201cArt is colors.\u201d
\nSafiya: \u201cArt is drawings.\u201d<\/p>\n
We read some books and they seemed to tell us something different than what we thought. So we agreed to do some more explorations and experiments. Maybe at the end of our unit, we can come back and see if we change our thinking.<\/p>\n
The Kindergarten teachers set up different activities with different mediums and tools in each room. All Kindergarten students visited each classroom in rotation. They got a chance to explore, manipulate, observe, and reflect. Here are some of their notice:<\/p>\n
Water color in Mr. Ross\u2019s classroom
\n\u2022\tThe paper has pattern on it, when you paint the pattern appeared.
\n\u2022\tYou need to use water to wet the paint.
\n\u2022\tThere are dots on paper when you paint.
\n\u2022\tYou can mix two colors to make a new color.
\n\u2022\tYou used one brush for all colors. But you need to wash the brush every time.<\/p>\n
Making prints in Ms. Jill\u2019s classroom
\n\u2022\tYou can make prints with lots of different things.
\n\u2022\tYou can print with paint. All you need to do is to put the thing in the paint, pick it up, and put it on the paper.
\n\u2022\tPrints can be colorful.
\n\u2022\tYou can use mud to make print.<\/p>\n
Chalk\/oil pastel in Mrs. Wiese\u2019s classroom
\n\tThe chalks spread well, but oil pastels didn\u2019t spread well.
\n\u2022\tThe chalks have little dust coming out, but the oil pastels didn\u2019t.
\n\u2022\tThe chalks are very messy.
\n\u2022\tWhen you use chalk sideways, it draws quicker.
\n\u2022\tWhen you use blue and green pastel on top of each other, the colors don\u2019t mix together.<\/p>\n
Sculpture in Mrs. Zurfluh\u2019s classroom
\n\u2022\tThe white rocks are with chalk on it. They made your hands white.
\n\u2022\tSome wires are hard to straighten.
\n\u2022\tYou can bend and cut the wires.
\n\u2022\tThe wires are kind of sharp. We need to be careful when working with the wires.
\n\u2022\tThere are different sizes of wires. The thinner ones are easy to cut. The thicker ones are difficult to cut. <\/p>\n
Clay in Mrs. Nellor\u2019s classroom
\n\u2022\tClay is very messy. Sometimes is very hard to make stuff. Sometimes it is not.
\n\u2022\tIt is fun working with clay, but it is hard to break it.
\n\u2022\tYou can make anything with clay.
\n\u2022\tClay is kind of like print. We can make print on the clay.
\n\u2022\tYou can use tools to make different shapes with clay.
\n\u2022\tThe clay washes off very easily.<\/p>\n
We will continue to experiment and explore artistic tools and mediums to create art that express our feelings, ideas, and thinking<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
At the beginning of our “How We Express Ourselves” unit of inquiry, KZE students observed some art pieces and tried to draw on their prior knowledge and experiences to answer questions of “What is art?” and “What was the artist trying to tell you?” Here are some of their understanding: Kyle: \u201cArt is like making … <\/p>\n