New STEAM Projects at GOPA and SOIT!

The art rooms of GOPA and SOIT are buzzing with new STEAM projects!

In Mr. Jones's STEAM class (GOPA), students are refining their questions and creating art works that engage a dialogue with popular culture.  Popular culture is usually accessed by the students through technology.  The idea to create new works in the art studio with non-technology art media has inspired the students to see these images in terms of the Elements of Art and the Principles of Design.

In Mrs. Simons' STEAM class (SOIT), students are working on an exciting "Dragons" project as well as African masks for Black History Month.  For the "Dragons" project, PIR Dina Scachetti recently gave a presentation on the topic of dragons, their history as metaphors in various cultures, their relation to the history of dinosaurs and fossils on our planet, and the geography of map making.

The African Masks project has included a look into culture, history, science, art, and technology.  Next week, Art PIR Triada Samaras will create an art exhibition of the masks along the halls of GOPA. Students will make a short video based on their interviews and their critique of their work.  This video will be broadcast on the high school's intranet.

Science enhances STEAM project at GOPA and SOIT

Without any doubt, "SCIENCE" has enhanced the new STEAM project at GOPA and SOIT. Mrs. Glanton,  the School-Based Supervisor of Science at Eastside High School (including GOPA and SOIT,) has worked consistently with Art PIR Triada Samaras since the inception of the STEAM grant at the schools this year.  In the Georgia O'Keefe Flowers and Bones project, Mrs. Glanton met with Triada Samaras several times to discuss art/science links.

Mrs. Glanton has even been involved in the exhibition of the work.  Here is a picture of Ms. Glanton and Ms. Samaras standing in front of one of the O'Keefe Flowers and Bones exhibitions.  Samaras recently added a plastic protection sheet in front of the artwork and needed to find a way to determine a straight vertical line (perpendicular to the floor and ceiling) for the plastic.  Mrs. Glanton and one of her science teachers provided Samaras with a plumb line, which Samaras is holding in her hand in this image.

Above WPU Art PIR Triada Samaras and Science Supervisor Levette Glanton

Below is a quote from Ms. Glanton:
"I think that the STEAM project is a wonderful idea.  The collaboration among art and science teachers provides enrichment opportunities to inspire students to study science through hands-on artistic pursuits. This integration of art into the science curriculum helps students to combine aesthetic design with scientific knowledge."

Levette Glanton
School-Based Supervisor of Science at Eastside High School

Latest STEAM Work at Paterson School 2!

This month at Paterson School 2, Grades 1 and 2 students are putting the “E” in STEAM, emphasizing basic engineering principles. WPU art professor in residence Simone Sandler has had students doing a variety of projects.

Students were given clear recycled tennis ball holders, and asked, “What can we do with these?”  They chose to build the tallest towers possible.  They realized that support was necessary, and, through trial and error, discovered that index cards worked best.

A second project involved creating robots from recycled items.  Students looked at what was discarded in the lunchroom garbage at the end of the day, and were asked, “What could we use these for?  How could we recycle these?”  Students saved the items and brought others from home.  They identified 3D geometric shapes, and using these with papier-mâché, glue and paint they created their robots.  Students had to problem-solve on how to make their robots stand.  They then wrote stories about their robots.

 

This STEAM project involved 3D math shapes and found objects. The question posed to the class was, "What would the ideal playground look like?  "What would students in the lower grades use and what would the upper grades want?" The students searched for objects in the room that they could use. No glue or scissors were allowed.  Students worked in groups, making critical decisions and problem solving how to build their perfect playgrounds. The students then wrote stories about their playgrounds.

Latest STEAM Work from Paterson School 7!

  

Recently, at Paterson School 7, students in grade five, with the assistance of their math teacher Ms. Melissa Bensh, and their art professor in residence Ms. Myra Winter, explored the concept of volume and created abstract sculptures from their studies.

The sculptures incorporated art elements and principles of design, including line, shape, space (positive and negative), balance, and scale.

This STEAM lesson focused on the Common Core Math Standards related to Measurement and Data, specifically the standards that relate to geometric measurement and the ability to understand the concepts of volume and relate volume to multiplication and addition.

New STEAM Mural Hanging at WPU College of Education!

Our November 19th post (LINK) described the STEAM mural created last year by first and second grade students at Paterson School 2, which depicts the four seasons and which integrates math and science.  The original mural is on permanent display at School 2, but a full-scale reproduction now hangs in William Paterson University’s College of Education. 

Below are successive photos showing the growth of the mural over the course of the school year (Click Right Arrow on Image to Begin Slideshow):  

• Early stages of “Summer” and “Fall”  
• Art teacher Beth Porto showing off a completed “Summer”
• Work on leaf prints later incorporated into the mural
• The work’s arrival to the Dean’s office (still wrapped in plastic)
• The final mounted reproduction at the University.

New STEAM Art/Book Project at Paterson School 7!

An exciting new STEAM Art/Book project entitled Eugene was created in the Fall of 2013 at Paterson School 7.   The work was planned and implemented by WPU Student Teacher Cortney Wisbauer, with the assistance of WPU Art PIR and Supervisor Myra Winter, Art Teacher Vernon Nealy and Science/STEAM teacher Marla Arrington.

Eugene showcases the literacy, art, and science skills and knowledge of the 8th graders of School 7 of Paterson, NJ.  The book is about a boy named Eugene, who learns lessons through his mistakes. 

"Written to inspire younger generations, the stories within this book teach lessons while applying the basic concept of atoms and the Scientific Method. It is dedicated to our families, friends, and the future students of Paterson Public School #7."  Cortney Wisbauer

Contents include:
Part 1: What's the "Matter" with Bullying? By 8-2 Page 4 
Part 2: The "Wrong" entific Method By 8-1 Page 13 
Part 3: A Scientific Explanation By 8-3 Page 20 

Eugene Book Link

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