"Every child is an artist." - Pablo Picasso. In our Art room, students explore their identity, express emotions and ideas, solve problems, and develop their craftsmanship skills to build confidence so that they will continue to use their imagination and creativity through a lifetime of learning.
My students are a diverse, energetic, and a wildly creative bunch!
I have a total of 395 students, grades 2-5, in one of the lowest income areas of our city, with 70% of our students receiving free/reduced lunch. In spite of the economic obstacles so many of my students face, they bring a wealth of creativity, diverse histories, and languages to each project. In our Art program, we focus on projects that help students see themselves not only as valuable and unique individuals but also essential parts of a positive community. This type of learning engages students in the larger school community and promotes a positive learning environment. This particular project, with its two part clay tile artwork, will facilitate this learning in that students will have art that reflects their individuality as well as a collaborative piece in which they see themselves as part of the whole.
My Project
In this project, students will each create 2 tiles, one that they can take home and treasure or give as a gift to a loved one, and one that will stay at school and become part of a community tile mural. These tile setters will allow all 220 of my 4th and 5th grade students to create functional and aesthetically beautiful tiles in a timely manner. With such a large number of students and high volume of tiles being made, these tile sitters will greatly facilitate the process of making tiles, so that students are not waiting for long periods of time for their tiles to dry and be fired since these allow about 150 tiles to be dried/fired at once, cutting the amount of time needed in half. Without these tile setters, the clay tiles cannot dried or be fired properly and tend to warp so that they would not be usable either at home or in a community tile mural. The whole functionality of the project rests on this essential tool and its ability to dry and fire the students' tiles without warping.
This project will provide my students with an opportunity to express their unique creativity as individuals through their clay tile designs and give them the chance to see themselves as an essential part of the larger community through their participation in the larger collaborative clay tile mural.
Having these outlets of expression and positive learning experiences in school will strengthen their identity as learners and essential members of a community.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Kong and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.