Core Group Participants - Student Learning Needs Addressed by the Residency
Our Historical Architectural Collograph’s of Blaine County project focused on introducing fourth graders to local, historic residential architecture and structures. During the planning process for our project we decided that we would include two different elementary schools; Carey School and Woodside Elementary. We chose 4th grade because they study Idaho State history, and we felt making history real and local would be of interest to the students.
The students took a field trip to the historic district in Hailey, with a guide from the Hailey Historic Society. They were introduced to the homes and churches in their community and as one student reported “it made me appreciate where I live.” Students took photographs of the buildings to be used in the project.
Learning Targets and Evaluation Methods
Learning goals address 4th grade Humanities-Visual Arts, Social Studies, and Common Core Math objectives.
Students will:
- Identify and describe local building features and how they reflect purpose and time period.
- Describe geometrical shapes and forms correctly in their discussion of the architectural artwork.
- Create a printing plate (surface) using textures to replicate a local architectural structure.
- Use craftsmanship in construction cutting clean lines, gluing paper flat and keeping clean margins.
- Learn to operate a printing press and understand the printing process.
- Print a small edition of prints by placing their inked Collograph plates on paper on the bed of the press and operate the press to create multiple images.
- Learn procedure for signing and naming prints. As students sign their prints they will think of a title that reflects the architecture they represented in their design.
- Discuss their work using appropriate arts, architectural and math vocabulary.
A “voice thread” was used as an evaluation tool, allowing students to give their reactions to the project and share files on the school webpage. In addition we spent one class period discussing the history of the structures. The students were very interested and engaged in this discussion because of the connection they felt to the building they had created. The students were surprised to learn that one of the homes a friend in another grade lives in had once been a hospital, and that their bus driver was born there. These kinds of connections spurred their curiosity about the place we live. Another interesting topic that was discussed was the many relationships between families that exist in our small town, and the numbers of students that have no family relations in the town. It was a “light bulb” moment for those few students who thought they were the only kids in the class not related to someone in the town, to realize they weren’t alone. Students reflected on their learning by answering the “Think about your Thinking’ questions:
- In this work I really focused on…
- The ideas and feelings I wanted to convey in this work…
- Some choices I made in creating this work…
- One detail I want people to notice in my work…
- I’m very proud that…
- Next time, I will use what I learned to…
Project Activities and Instructional Roles
Students took photographs of local buildings during their field trip. The students then cut photocopies of their photos into geometric shapes and reassembled them from textural papers. The materials varied from very textured paper, to hot sleeves for coffee to ribbon and lace. They reconstructed their puzzle pieces to create the collograph. Next they inked and printed their plates on a portable printing press that printmaker Amy Nack supplied. The experience of using authentic equipment added to the success of the project. The students made 3 prints, 1 to be displayed at the Idaho Historical Museum, 1 to be used for a print exchange, and 1 for themselves. The students learned about numbering and naming their prints.
Our project included coordination between the two schools art teachers and the respective 4th grade classroom teachers. The 4th grade curriculum includes local history so the classroom teachers emphasized local architecture as part of the curriculum. Parent volunteers participated on field trips and in the arts classrooms.
Teachers and students took photos and videos as we worked on the project and compiled a video that was linked to our webpages to show the progress and document student engagement.
The district communications director assisted in publicizing the residency within the district and community.
District dissemination of the Woodside/Carey project documentation:
Larger Community – How the results of the program were shared with others
In addition to displaying the work in our schools and the Idaho Historical museum in Boise, we are planning to hang a show during our County Fair this fall.
We have created a blog spot of our project. Click here.
The Historical Architectural Collograph’s of Blaine County project was presented at the National Art Education conference in Fort Worth Texas in March 2013. Our presentation team included artist Amy Nack, and art teachers Jennifer Mecham and Joni Cashman. We were well received and made a lot of connections with other teachers and administrators.
