Kindergarten and Pre-K
Students will begin to celebrate diversity and peace this month. We will read the poem "The Crayon Box that Talked", and students will make a crayon for the class "crayon box" that shows their unique traits that make them special. They will look at symbols of peace and will create peace doves to decorate the school.
Grades 1 & 2
Students in first and second grades will be learning about the art of Asia this month. They will create Japanese fans and Japanese Koi decorations. They will then look at art from India and Tibet. Mendhi "henna hands", Daiwali diya mobiles, rangoli sand designs, Tibetan prayer flags and mandalas will all be lessons the students will have the opportunity to learn.
Grades 3 & 4
Students in third and fourth grade will begin the year finishing up a landscape project based on cityscapes and the Chicago skyline. They will review the architecture of the city they learned in December, and they will use aerial perspective to create city scenes with Chicago landmarks.
Africa will be the focus of the following projects. Students will learn about the geography and culture of Kenya and Tanzania. They will create Maasai Shields and will identify the Kenyan flag. They will discuss the wildlife of the African plains and will include them in a tribal style Tingatinga painting. They will finish the Africa unit with the creation of a creative mask. The classes will discuss the use and meaning of masks in African culture.
Grades 5 & 6
Fifth and sixth graders will finish their study of Gothic architecture with the creation of a cathedral silhouette. They will design a rose window for their cathedral and will add flying buttresses, spires and gargoyles to the silhouette. They will distinguish between a Gothic and Romanesque arch.
They will then look at artwork in Islamic mosques. The students will compare and contrast the geometric designs within the mosques and cathedrals. They will build a model of a prayer niche and will decorate it with a characteristic arabesque design.
