Introductory Module: "Beautiful Oops"
The introductory activity which I was most drawn to was "Beautiful Oops", a drawing/watercolor project inspired by Barney Saltsberg's childrens book. The activity required that students made a mark or scribble on a sheet of paper, listened to a read-aloud of "Beautiful Oops", then came back to the mark or scribble and created a masterpiece from it. This book communicates a message that there is no such thing as an "oops" or a mistake in art, but that everything can be considered beautiful with some creativity. This activity was memorable to me as it can communicate to children that all of their work is valuable, and that with a bit of effort they can turn an "oops" or mistake into something worth remembering. This activity was brilliant in both its lesson and simplicity, and would absolutely be useful in an Elementary School classroom as an introduction to the arts.
Visual Arts Module: Beetle Mural
The visual arts activity which I had the most fun with was the beetle mural. A photograph of a beetle was broken up into six different pieces, then spread amongst six table groups of students. Each of the six pieces represented two different principles of art, with my group's piece conveying both form and balance. Each group then worked together in order to reflect the colors and shapes used in the original photograph. My group's final product is on the top left of the photograph beside the text! This activity allowed students to incorporate the different principles of art creatively while working together to create a masterpiece. While this may be difficult to teach to students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, activities can always be modified to apply to all students!
Dance Module: Transformations Dance
The in-class activity which I was most drawn to was the transformations dance. Audrey, Anna and I worked together to make a dance which included six different dance moves: two representing a transformation, two representing a rotation, and finally two representing a reflection. We each added our own touches of twirls (rotations), slides (transformations), mirroring movements (reflections), and more. This dance was helpful in brainstorming ways to make learning more fun and engaging for students, especially once the end of a lesson comes and attention may be lost. While we discussed limiting the use of the phrase "brain break", students can enjoy taking a break from a content-heavy day and turn to activities like this.
Drama Module: "The Jabberwocky"
The in-class activity which I was most drawn to was the reading of "The Jabberwocky", a poem written by Lewis Carroll. We began by reading the first stanza, with each line being read aloud by a different one of the four groups we made. With each reading, we acted and made "sound effects" correlating with the meaning which we drew from the words. Then, Devon and I stepped up to play two of the characters, which was a blast. It allowed for us to channel our creative sides, making up accents which we envisioned characters having and moving freely throughout the "stage." This acting activity can allow for students to work together as a class, yet also voice opinions or give input as to what they might like to do/see. This could help in terms of class harmony, making for a more collaborative environment as opposed to one that may only value individual work.
Music Module: "The Noisy Paint Box"
The in-class activity which I was most drawn to was the reading of The Noisy Paint Box and then the drawing assignment that followed. I chose to begin with three concentric circles, then use three different songs to help me to create an image to accompany the song. We can truly envision an emotion, setting or face when we listen to music, making it that much more meaningful. This assignment reminded me of that! This would be an interesting way to introduce music to middle or high schoolers in a new point of view, and I can appreciate the ways which this activity opened my eyes!