This year I have a very young class. Most of the students have just turned 8. My class is very active and needs to engage in activities like art. I would like my students to be inspired and invested in what they are learning. Art in the classroom not only spurs creativity, it inspires learning.
This year most of my students are very young.
This sometimes translates into short attention spans and low stamina. The range of learners is tremendous. There are a handful who are just learning the English language while a few are reading at a 5th grade reading level. For the most part more than half the school is reading on or above grade level. Our school is comprised of mostly middle class children. Our population is changing as each year we see the number of children coming from other countries on the rise. This has added a much needed cultural diversity to our community, It also creates a need for activities that can bridge the language gap.
My Project
The requested air drying clay will be used to create 3 dimensional figures and sculptures of some of the topics they will be learning in our China unit. Students will create replicas of terra cotta soldiers, the Great Wall, ancient inventions and pandas. Students will learn about these various topics then create sculptures. I have found that students will pay much more attention to details when they engage in an art activity that is connected to their learning. When students are working on their project I have found that they are more likely to share their knowledge on the topic. This exchange of knowledge that naturally evolves while students are working is knowledge that they are more likely to hold onto. I found that when students share their sculptures with others they want to share all they know about the topic as well. They want to be able to share a lot.
The donations I am requesting are tied into our social studies unit.
I am asking for self drying clay that will be used to create 3-dimensional replicas of many of the things we will study in our China unit. These topics include the terra cotta soldiers, the Great Wall, pandas, the Chinese New Year. Many of the texts we read are sometimes hard for some of the students to follow. I have found that as students create sculptures about certain topics they begin to think more deeply about the details.
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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 Ms. Rosado and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.