The History of Art

 This week, the second graders continued to inquire into different forms of visual art.

The students spent time discussing and sharing their thoughts on what art is and how it makes them feel. The students came to the conclusion that art is subjective; different pieces of art will have different effects on different people.

The students expressed their feelings and thoughts about art when they reviewed some famous artworks. Through this interview-like process, the students experienced how art can make us feel or think different things.

On our Wonder Wall, there are numerous questions from the students about the age of the oldest painting. That prompted us to look into the history of art and inquire about the first recorded human artwork. The students shared their knowledge of people drawing and painting on the walls and ceilings of caves in prehistoric times.  The students were fascinated to learn about the Altamira Caves in Spain, where humanity's earliest art has been recorded. The students then set out to make their own cave art.

Stay tuned for the final product!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Ms Theona 

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STEM Week: Sustainable Cities for the Future

 One of the most anticipated events of the school calendar finally came around, STEM Week! This year's theme was Sustainable Cities for the Future. Each grade was tasked with a particular topic in which to specialise while designing a sustainable Lego city for the future, and the Grade 2 topic was Nature Preservation. The students decided to name their city Best City.

 

Through a 3-step process - Ask, Plan, Create - they asked themselves the question: 

"What does a sustainable city, with nature preserved, look like in the future?"

Parents, students, teachers and family members enjoyed viewing the students' work. It was certainly a week filled with enriching learning opportunities for the students. The future looks bright with such innovative and passionate inquirers at the helm! 😎

Have a wonderful weekend, all!

Ms Theona

How We Express Ourselves

The Grade 2 students began their sixth and final unit of inquiry for the school year, How We Express Ourselves.

 “Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.” 

– Thomas Merton 

 The unit is an inquiry into artists using different styles and techniques to create visual art. During this unit the students will explore different art forms, explore different techniques and styles, as well as create artwork of their own.

Through a See, Think, Wonder thinking routine the students did a gallery walk including different examples of art genres to share their initial observations and interpretations.

We are very proud of a group of our 2nd graders who took part, along with students from Upper Primary, in the Falcon soccer tournament at Canadian Academy this week. The junior team, which included three of our students, won the silver medal in the tournament. Congratulations to all of our players!

The students were treated to a fascinating presentation by the Stephens family, who have been sailing around the world on their boat over the last two years. Their visit to our school was a wondeful opportunity for the students to hear about their interesting way of life having a boat as your home and the ocean as your neighbourhood. The students were attentive inquirers as they asked many questions about the family's adventures and experiences. Ziah, one of the family's two daughters, spent a few days with us as a fellow classmate. We enjoyed getting to know her and the students appreciated her contributions to class discussions.

Have a super duper weekend everyone! 

Ms Theona 

Clay sculpture artistry

The Grade 2s returned to school this week, ready to put the finishing touches on our Sharing the Planet unit of inquiry. The students spent time finalizing their contributions to our class book on critically endangered animals and creating their extinct animal clay sculptures in Art with Mr Lubin. 

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend! 

Ms Theona

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