On the first day of school every class, in every grade level read the book Snippet. In the book, by Diane Albers, the geometric shapes wouldn't allow the irregular shapes "snippets" to play and build houses with them. One brave snippet challenged "Square" to see how interesting the town could be if all the shapes were included!

Student then chose a triangle and rectangle or square to build the foundation of his/her own house before using found and cut 'snippets' to make each house in their class neighborhood unique!

Students began this project by viewing a brief documentary about the artist Keith Haring. They learned about his graffiti, his large scale murals and his belief that art was meant for everyone! We observed his simple, bold, cartoonish lines and learned that what looks simple can actually be very complex! Through a guided drawing, students worked to capture the spirit of his Statue of Liberty image that captured the energy of people cheering below. After practicing marker technique and coloring her the traditional green, students were encouraged to chose their own color for the people and the background that would create a bold composition! As they colored we read excepts from Dave Eggers, Her Right Foot to learn more about the history of the statue and watched a reading of Keith Haring: The Boy who Just Kept Drawing, written by the artist's sister K.A.Haring.