2ExpressOurselves


 * 2008-2009, 2009-2010 **

Art

2009-2010- Students will create an artwork inspired by a natural object. They will look at the artwork of Georgia O'Keefe, and study her use of emphasis and color to inform their work. Upon completion, students will use their own artwork as inspiration for a poem. They will look at examples of how artwork inspires writers and visa versa (how writers inspire artists.) They will read the book, "Pocketful of Poems," by Nikki Grimes and excerpts from the book, "Bill Martin Jr.'s Big Book of Poetry," and study the variety of ways illustrators interpret writing. Students will review the types of poems learned in their classroom (list poems, acrostics, shape poems, sensory poems, free-form, etc.) Their poems will be hung alongside their artwork when displayed.

We will compare visual art and poetry as forms of artistic expression. Students will choose from a variety of paintings created by well known artists and respond to one of them with poetry. Students will choose their form of response (acrostic, haiku, limerick, etc.) During this project, the __profiles__ we will strive to be are: open-minded, thinkers, and communicators. We will focus on the __attitudes__ creativity and enthusiasm. Students will be using the following transdisciplinary skills while writing their poetic responses: thinking skills and communication skills. They will use their thinking skills by analyzing the "mood" of the artwork and responding to the different elements of art (line, color, shape, etc.) and what emotional response they evoke from the viewer. They will use their communication skills when creating this written response to a visual aid, and then sharing aloud their work with their classmates. We will look at "Sounds of the Storyteller," illustrated songs, stories, and poems by Bill Martin, Jr. as well as other works of art where artists have married visual art and written language.

Music In music class we will study Lyrics; the poetry of songwriting; A song can tell a story or express emotions. The emotional qualities are also expressed in: Melody, Rhythm, Different instruments. These qualities can also be expressed through Dance and movement. We sing many songs that tell stories. Many folk songs are stories that have been passed down through the generations. Songs express a whole range of feelings through their lyrics. A pattern of how the lyrics fit into the music rhythmically and melodically is established for each song that is written. The language and the style of the song reflects the time and place where it was created. // Songs :// Creating new lyrics to songs (Ida Red; Pumpkin Patch; Sweet Home Chicago; improvisation with solfege pitches and hand signs; Sing Me Your Name); song writing; poems set to music; songs written for a purpose (Spicewood School Song; story songs; ballads; National Anthems; song as a map- Follow the Drinking Gourd); connections between the song-writer and the singer (school song vs. songs just for listening); mood songs: happy/sad, major/minor, purpose/styles, ballad, rhyming, program music/tone poem (expressing a story through music and not words- //The Sorcerer's Apprentice; The Nutcracker; Peter and the Wolf)//

PE - During our unit on jump roping we will incorporate poems and chants to support the concept of expression through poetry. In terms of supporting the understanding of the importance of having the right attitude we will teach the "attitude song." 2009-2010 -The students will have opportunities to develop self-management skills through 'running club" and Marathon Kids.(two programs that emphasize the benefits of walking and running for health. The students will develop the attitudes of commitment and cooperation as they work together using the parachute.

**Spanish** - A very popular song in Latin America is the song Que llueva. Since we are taking an indepth look at South America this year, particularly Peru, we will learn the song. We will also talk about the Barefoot Librarians. This is a group of people that are committed to taking books into the remote villages of Peru so that people can experience the joys of reading. As we learn how the barefoot librarians came to be, we will see how the attitudes of empathy, committment, and appreciation were demonstrated. 

To support the central idea (expression through poetry) we will look at a poem that is very familiar to children in the US (Rain rain go away) and its relationship to Spain. We will also learn a Spanish poem/song that is popular with the children in Spain (Que llueva).

2009-2010 : Students compare two versions of Mother Goose rhymes and discuss how these rhymes make them feel and which illustration goes better with the image in their mind. Students watch a video clip of author/poet MaryAnn Hoberman from Teaching Books and learn why she writes poetry, and students also hear her read with her husband. The students then choral read from __You Read to Me, I'll Read to You: Mother Goose Tales__ (by the same author) as this book is projected for all to see using the document camera. Students learn where the poetry books are located in the library.
 * Library **

2008-2009: Poetry is discused and a poem is read. The students will locate the poetry books in the library. Additional poetry books are ordered.