Semester 1

How has your Planning Form (Big Idea/ Inquiry Question) [embedded above] changed in the classroom so far this year? What have students added to the inquiry?

During the fall semester, the big project we worked on were our Movies. We explored our Big Idea of "Art as a time machine" in an unexpected way through this project. Initially, we were thinking of assigning projects that prompted us to travel to specific times. For example, Ms. Camarillo proposed studying the history, hieroglyphs, culture, and food of the Aztecs (seeing as Telpochcalli is a word in Nahuatl). We did an assignment in this vein when we studied axolotls (the school mascot), including their ecosystems and biology. The result was a collaborative drawing/collage.

However, our Big Idea changed as we began working on our movies, which was the biggest and most ambitious project of the Fall semester. Rather than travel to specific times/places, groups of students began inventing imaginative, fantastical, and speculative. In these stories, all kinds of things were possible and students seemed to enjoy exploring the open-ended potential of this project.

What are the specific school needs identified by your group in the December PD? How will you use the class’ Big Idea/ Inquiry Question/ Artmaking Practice to address them? Please be as specific as possible.

Our conversation focused on getting families more involved in CAPE, whether that's in direct ways--like art programming for CAPE parents through Community Classes--or in more indirect ways--an arts-focused newsletter, a podcast, or an end-of-year CAPE showcase. We think the tight-knit Telpochcalli community would be receptive, and roping in families would reinforce students' perfomance and interest in the art forms they explore through CAPE. 

Below, share photos and/or videos of select class activities. Specify what students are engaging with and learning (artistically, academically, and/or SEL), in reference to your Big Idea/ Inquiry Question. You may add different blocks from the right-hand side menu.

SEMESTER 2

How did students respond to their involvement in the Perspective(s) exhibition? This may include: artmaking, curation, visiting CAPE Family Days or Teen Night, discussing their experience, or other.

Students were excited to have their works in the gallery. During Family Day, I saw one of my students showing the videos he made with his friends to his dad. He seemed very excited about this.

Kids liked seeing themselves in the videos as characters. Serena enjoyed seeing herself in the character she worked on with Jossie. Seeing it in the gallery space made them proud, not only of the video but also of how they played their characters, which helped them become more confident.

What skills did students leave your class with?

My students learned how to create various types of puppets, starting with sketching their ideas for characters and then crafting the puppets. We made paper bag puppets, felt puppets, and clay marionettes using silk scarves.

Additionally, they learned how to use an iPad to make videos, operate a microphone, and utilize a green screen.

Through character creation, my students developed their ability to express and engage themselves, enhancing their social skills. They also learned the importance of collaboration, making new friends, and working together on shared ideas.

Show evidence of this learning through photos and/or videos of select class activities. Specify what students are engaging with and learning (artistically, academically, and/or SEL), in reference to your Big Idea/ Inquiry Question. You may add different blocks from the right-hand side menu.