I am an Artist

Arranging Stones

See Think Wonder A routine for exploring works of art and other interesting things. (n.d.). Retrieved July 15, 2016, from http://www.visiblethinkingpz.org/Free to use: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

Into The  lesson:

Essential Question: How do artists use their senses to experience art and make art?

Through The Lesson:

 I invite the students to go to their tables and slowly look at and touch the rocks and carefully sort/group similar stones together. I walk around the tables and ask about their sorting decisions. 
Maybe artist Stavast, painted the river rocks exactly as they were or maybe he arranged them.  Do you think Stonehenge occurred naturally or did humans place them? I have students compose their stones in a beautiful way 3 to 5 times. Then I ask them to arrange them one last time to make their best composition to exhibit during our "walk about."  As I walk around the room, I ask them to think of a title/name for their art work, and explain how they chose their title. I write their words down on labels that have their pre-printed names.   I also take pictures of their compositions.
 I have students "arrange," their stones at least 3 times to teach them art is as fluid and changing  as the river the stones came from. Ideas/art  don't have to be "set in stone."

Beyond the Lesson

We re-gather on the carpet in front of the 2 art works and we discuss these questions:

How does using our senses help us create and enjoy art?

Did Stephen Stavist  paint the river rocks  exactly as he found them or did he arrange them?

Did Stonehenge happen naturally or were they arranged?

Can stones be art just lying  on the ground?

What is nature? IS it art?

The following week they can view their portfolio and reflect about what they did with the stones and how they felt. The image of their composition affords them the opportunity to recreate or revise their work as well as draw it.

Assessment

I followed all the directions for this assignment.

I was respectful, responsible, and safe. I shared with my team and with my class. I thought about my decisions as I was making them and shared my ideas and art.

I got really lucky in finding felt for sale at a fabric store that was going out of business. I got enough to create table-top 

coverings in black. Table-top coverings have three benefits: 1.   Decreases the noise level in the room. 2.  It gives students another texture to feel.  3.   Provides a dramatic backdrop for their stone creations lending it to creating an ambiance of a museum.

When we get done, I create a serpentine snake line of students who follow me around the tables to view the work. We call this our "Walk About." I am always playing music, but change it to create a different mood by using claves to tap out rhythms.  Later I shift this responsibility to a student. After we view the work, I ask them to share a thought about   someone else's work. I use sentence starters that increase in complexity throughout the year. This is one way to get kids to use the language of art to talk about the art, build classroom community,  as well as let kids ask questions of each other. When the children share how they did something really well, it's empowering. The teacher isn't the only one to teach.

I really encourage you, the teacher,  to go out yourself and find natural materials. You can take the children with you, but we all need quiet time where we connect with the earth and renew our sense of wonder and magic.  I'm blessed  to live in the countryside and close to the beautiful Kings River. 

Music Selection:

My favorite is 

Faces of the Forest 2 by David Lanz & Paul Speer CD,  "Natural States"

But we can go to youtube for free! I really try hard to make the art experience awe inspiring and full of wonder.