Studio!

The studio is an exciting place for students to visit during work periods. As we progress through the year students will take on many different challenges and explore many different materials in the studio. Right now the areas that are open are paint, sensory, drama and sculpture.

Last week students learned safe ways to build with drama blocks. They worked together to accomplish different challenges such as building a set of stairs, a bridge and a tunnel. They learned the different ways to carry the drama blocks and how to communicate with each other when creating a plan. By the end of the week the students built a bridge sturdy enough for an "old, nasty troll" to live under. They enjoyed retelling the story of the "Three Billy Goats Gruff."

Students are creating sculptures to be saved and brought home in a few days.  They first learned the basic steps of ball, slab and coil. Now, they are learning ways to make their sculptures smooth, filling in any gaps and using the necessary amount of water. Next, they begin to save their sculptures in a safe place so they can return to them to finish. They are very exciting with the progression of their project.

The sensory table helps students explore water. When it was first introduced students simply used their hands, noses, and eyes to see how the water felt, smelled and moved. Throughout these last few weeks we have slowly introduced new tools including different size cups, spoons and an ark. This week students explore different object that sink and different objects that float. Why does the rock sink and the stick float? Students are asked wondering questions about their observations throughout their time at the sensory table. 

The first challenge at paint was filling the page and blending color. Students practiced using different size brushing and mixing three primary colors to make new colors. Then students were given black and white and many created "The Great Gray Bridge" which are hanging in our classroom. This week students focus on creating a landscape and a seascape. They are starting to recognize that land and sky meet and touch rather than previous thoughts of singular strips with blank space in between.  Paint is a wonderful place to show creativity!

The studio is always a popular place in the morning. Students are in charge of setting up and cleaning up their work space everyday. This creates a sense of independence and students now feel connected to these spaces in our school. A good question to ask your child could be, "Are you working on a landscape or seascape in paint this week?"