What a fantastic start to the term in Creative Arts! We have hit the ground running and all of the classes have been having a ball getting creative!
Senior Learning Community
Last term in the SLC we looked at how music can affect our mood/sense of well-being. We listened to music, talked about different genres of music, how we listened to or used music. Finally, we made music and wrote lyrics to match. As the term progressed, an interest in rap music was apparent within the group, and so we created a backing track on an app called ‘Garage Band’ and wrote lyrics to match our songs. What a fantastic experience this was! I was so impressed with the students’ willingness to step out of their comfort zones and really make their songs, their own!
This term we have turned our creativity and enthusiasm to dance and we are having a ball! So far we have looked at the social function of dance in different cultures and times in history and have learned the Virginia Reel (a folk dance), and the Achy Breaky Heart (a line dance – yes! To the one and only Billy Ray Cyrus classic!!). This week we joined Frau Westermann in German lessons to learn some German dances.
In keeping with the theme of following the interests of the students themselves, the students will be researching a dance that is of interest to them, and teaching this dance to the class. I can’t wait to see the variety of dances the students present, and finding out about the history, society, and culture where the dance originated from, or how different styles have influenced the student’s unique choreography!
Middle Learning Community
After the buzz that was the mingling of Digital Technologies and the Arts in Term 1, this term we have changed tack, and are learning a very traditional art form – Landscapes. We have, so far, been learning about how to create realistic perception and depth in our pictures using one point perspective. This also draws on the mathematical skill and knowledge of spacial awareness. We are going to focus our attention on what we can see in a landscape, and how we can accurately put that into our artwork. I am looking forward to seeing how far the students’ progress with these skills and seeing the artworks they create.
Junior Learning Community
After our “junk art” learning experiences last term, we spent the rest of the term looking at the colour wheel. We exlored how to mix primary colours to make secondary colours, and different classifications of colours (primarily warm and cool colours) while making art to experiment with different colour combinations.
This term, in the lead up to concert at the start of Term 3, we are getting our drama skills out. This unit also ties in with the learning students are doing in class. The Central Idea of “Children have the right to be safe and healthy” is guiding our content as we create and act out dramas where the students are identifying situations where they feel different emotions, and look out how the choices we make can affect our emotions. As the term progresses, we will delve into how we can make these dramas more effective by use of body positioning, and effective storyboarding to make our acting clear, and easy to interpret. What an exciting term!
Beginning Learning Community
After our explorations in to how the arts can show emotions and feelings, and how we can make art that reflects our emotions and feelings in Term 1, we are now moving in to learning about the Elements of Art. The Elements of Art are… Line, Shape, Colour, Form, Value, Texture and Space. As the weeks go by, we will look at each of these elements in more detail, to build up knowledge about how to use these elements as ingredients for a recipe to create a masterpiece! We are also looking into how other artists have used these elements in their masterpieces. This knowledge will add to the students’ understanding of how we can “express, explore and interpret ideas and feelings through visual arts” (which is the Central Idea of the current UOI in class). We are creating our own masterpieces to aid our learning, which we will share with you in the student showcase later in the term!
