Developing Meaningful Connections Through The Visual Arts
Help me give my students basic art supplies for hands on origami, creative collage, and dynamic watercolor projects.
FULLY FUNDED! Ms. Gant's classroom raised $523
This project is fully funded
Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month
This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
My Students
My students are energetic, excited to learn and very creative. I teach students in kindergarten thru grade 5. Most of my students are English Language Learners and have special needs. For many students, art is an area where they can feel successful and be proud about something they created. Even in passing in the hallways students frequently stop me to ask about their art projects and share with me drawings that they are doing at home. Many students don't have art materials like markers, colored pencils and paint at home, so art class is a very special time for them.
My school is very large and I see 700 students per school year.
I see half my classes in their classroom and the other half in our school art studio. Because I see so many students, art resources don't last that long. However, my students are enthusiastic to work with any art materials. They really love clay and painting.
My Project
My 4th and 5th grade students have been requesting Origami Art projects, so this year I have created an Origami Art Unit that explores Origami at different skill levels and incorporates literacy through poetry creation. I personally love Origami for kids because it teaches patience, persistence and the fine motor skills that so many students lack even in the upper elementary school grades.
Watercolor painting is another favorite among all grade levels.
Quality watercolor supplies are expensive and goes really fast in a large public school. I want to make sure all students have the opportunity to use this fluid and expressive material in some capacity. Students first learn watercolor techniques and use their knowledge of the material to create projects such as realistic and/or imaginary landscapes. My youngest students learn how to use and control the watercolor brush and explore mark making, which is so much fun!
Collage projects is a staple in the art room, so having colorful construction paper around is a must. We explore artists such as Henri Matisse, Eric Carle, Romare Bearden and contemporary artist Mark Bradford to name a few.
Artist choice is important to me, so having enough materials allows me to ofter students more choices so that they can build a deeper and more meaningful connection to the outcome of their art projects.
Having enough supplies also helps with classroom management and reducing challenging behavior in the art room. In a large class of 32 students, children can relaxed and be at ease knowing that they can get more "pink" paper when they need it!
Nearly all students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
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 Ms. Gant and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
