Grade 3 Profile Stitching

Hello art world! We are third graders and our art skills are developing steadily. We started this trimester using strategies , based on what we know, to interpret art and try to understand the role of the arts in our world. We are also becoming more critical in our thinking, more independent and exploring the relationship between our work and the work of others.

When our stitching work is done, we will experiment with natural dyes and nature prints. We wonder if there is a connection between the diversity in nature and the diversity in our classrooms?

#connection #diversity #thinkers #inquirers # balaned 

#form #function #curiosity #creativity #commitment

Weaving!

Weaving is a fantastic skill to teach third graders not only for their fine motor skills development but also as a way to problem-solve and develop their spatial skills. 

Students experimented with short pieces of yarn and string before being taught how to weave:

Some students had not made these kinds of crafts before, and some did have some prior knowledge.

To get a better feel of their understanding, we had a class discussion with 3A Commit and made lots of connections.

We also did a See Think Wonder routine using realia: real weavings I have, made by artisans in Guatemala and Mexico.  And we learned some related words.

Students were taught basics of how to weave, and given some freedom to problem-solve on their own. 

Some students were very quick to catch on and start experimenting with colors and textures.

 We talked about how to join different yarns.  Some students were creative and came up with their own ways, and some chose to learn about knots and other techniques which I taught them, shown below.

    

We worked with different kinds of yarns and strings, students really enjoyed working with yarns that had special textures and colors.

Drawing from observation

A valuable skill in visual arts is accurate drawing.  

Students benefit from learning about drawing from observation early on.  

In third grade, we have been practicing this kind of drawing using pencils and ink, observing geometrical forms and shadows. 

It is a challenge for young children to differentiate between things they see and things they know are there, so it is important to look carefully and count corners, for example.  We know a cube has 8 corners, but we can only see 7.  

We keep the classroom nice and dark with only one directional light on our models, to control the amount of shadows. 

Children practicing hatching shading with ink.

Ear Training

Third grade students have been working on auditory training.

Through different kinds of activities, students have been developing the ability to listen to different rhythmic cells and to identify them.

Auditory development begins with detection of the presence and absence of sounds; then progresses through identification, discrimination and recognition, and comprehension can happen by processing the auditory information.

Third graders making props for the Christmas musical

Hopefully you were able to join us for our beautiful Christmas musical.  One of the things that made the experience so unique was the small details and dedication from the students in creating props.  In the pictures below, third graders are researching for and creating the cellphones which were used by the professionals in Innovate. 

3th grade C - Mask Performance (2nd Trimester new class) for Xmas Musical

Interdiciplinary Project Drama (Acting and Spacing), Music (Singing) and Visual Arts (Scenerios and Props). Musical "10 in Christmas"

Third grade embroidery

Since most of the third graders are almost finished carving their printing blocks in order to print their mola designs, they have been learning and practicing their embroidery skills using basic stitches.  The idea is that they will be printing their mola designs on fabric and embroidering the details on them.  

Surprisingly enough, the biggest challenge so far has been threading the needles!

 

This activity is wonderful for third graders to develop their very fine motor skills.

Getting close to printmaking with third grade

At this point during the Mola project, the third graders are working at different speeds, but most of them will be printing their designs next week and begin to embroider them.  

In the pictures below, we have students who are still separating their designs into layers by color, some who are transferring their layers to printing blocks, and those who are carving their printing blocks.  

Nicolás demonstrates the safe way to carve a printing block.  

Musical intelligence and outstanding musicians.

The third graders have been studying musical intelligence and outstanding musicians.

  After studying the most important characteristics of musical intelligence and some ways in which we can learn music, they did a workshop in which they executed a musical exercise in three different ways, with an auditory, visual and kinesthetic approach.  Later, students shared with their peers with which of the ways they felt more comfortable learning.