Art Beyond Sight

Ever wonder how blind kids make and share art?  4th grade students at Alimacani had an unusual experience - creating art while blindfolded to experience how it might feel to make and share their art with no or low vision. 

My objective was for students to learn about how people with low/no vision create a portrait using materials that blind art students might use. Using their background knowledge from observing their own image in a reflection, they created that image using these unusual or unconventional art supplies. They were actively engaged in the process of creating, interpreting and responding to art.

My secondary objective was for my students to learn about and to honor others in worlds in which we live, this time in a world of darkness experienced by people who are blind. As an unexpected outcome, students acquired empathy and experienced a sensitivity to the ideas of others. 

Here's a video that gives my students background knowledge to create art while blindfolded.

Origami Collage: Japanese Culture, Math & Art Come Together

Origami (折り紙, Japanese pronunciation: [oɾiɡami] or [oɾiꜜɡami], from ori meaning "folding", and kami meaning "paper" (kami changes to gami due to rendaku)) is the art of paper folding, which is often associated with Japanese culture.

4th grade students at Alimacani practice math and learn about Japanese culture by creating origami then creating a radial balance collage.  

Art & Math: Alimacani Students Make Art Out Of Fractions

Alimacani art students learn about math in art class as they create a radial symmetrical collages using fractions of two geometric shapes. They were instructed to use whole, halves, and quarters of circles and squares.  

Watch this instructional video to see how they did it!

Thanks to Donors Choose: Hooray! A BIG New Screen!

Much thanks to the many wonderful donors who supported the Alimacani art program by contributing to the purchase of our new, big screen.  Now students who sit in the back of the room can see all my demonstrations and instructional presentations with ease.  Now, "My Students Dont Need Binoculars to See the Screen!"

Core Subject Integration: It's a Win/Win Situation!

Core subject (math, science, social studies and language arts) integration is my passion!  When I incorporate these subjects in my art teaching, everybody wins! I win as my students already know the content, the classroom teachers win when I reinforce their core subjects, and, most importantly, the kids win by making valuable connections with what they are learning in their classroom.

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 Students paint using their choice of warm and cool colors.  Next up:  create a symmetry collage!

MAFS.4.G.1.3  Recognize a line of symmetry for a two-dimensional figure as a line across the figure such that the figure can be folded along the line into matching parts. Identify line-symmetric figures and draw lines of symmetry.

ontent Complexity: Level 2: Basic Application of Skills & Concepts

Art & Science: Liquids into Solids

Alimacani art students are learning the science of the clay making process.  We compared the steps of making a cake in a kitchen oven to that of clay fired in a kiln explaining that the application of heat makes big changes. 

 


We discussed how primitive cultures fired their pottery by digging holes in the ground, filling with dried leaves and twigs, and placing pottery on top.  They started a fire by rubbing two sticks together, then covered it all with dirt.  Days later, they dug up their clay pieces to find then strong and hard.

Stay Tuned For Pottery Projects at Alimacani!

Such great news!  Thanks to the Alimacani PTA and all the students who participated in our Turkey Trot school fundraiser, we have a new addition to our art program:  a new, state of art kiln so our students can create beautiful pottery projects!  This long overdue piece of equipment will allow every student at Alimacani to create a clay project to treasure a lifetime.  We are SO fortunate to have a committed PTA and supportive families to help make this happen.  

Not only will students create a clay masterpiece, they will learn the science behind the firing process and how Native Americans and other primitive cultures around the world created and fired pottery before the invention of electric kilns.

Ask your students where we would go to find clay for pottery and how primitive cultures fired the clay to become strong and hard.