Layers of the Earth Paintings at SOIT

STEAM Students in Mrs. Simon's art class have been creating paintings that explore archaeology, artifacts, and culture as well as aesthetics and creativity.  For this project, Mrs. Simon first asked students to research what lies beneath layer of the earth that we all live upon. Students used the classroom computers to dig deep into this problem examining the fact that the earth is made of multiple striated layers consisting of a wide variety of matter including rock, water, and clay, metal.  LINK



Students were fascinated to explore this subject and Mrs. Simon also encouraged them to use their imaginations to picture what might lie beneath the earth's crust. A wide variety of responses emerged and students wrote several relevant vocabulary words into their journals. 


Next they used pencils to sketch out their ideas onto large 18 x 24 white paper.  They utilized a combination of scientific facts and personal imagination. Then students explored color schemes they thought would bring their drawings to life.





















The final aspect of this project consisted in painting the drawings, a slow and patient process.  Students chose from a combination of watercolor, tempera and acrylic paints in order to actualize their drawings in full color.  Many of these paints have 
been purchased with the Dodge STEAM grant.






The resulting display of works will be exhibited soon in the hallways of SOIT where they will undoubtedly attract a wide variety of attention and admiration.

Radial Symmetry and Motion at CAHTS

These mobile sculptures and radial symmetry designs were created by Ms. Reyes' STEAM class at CAHTS and were inspired by the artist, Alexander Calder.  Alexander Calder (July 22, 1898-November 11, 1976) was an American sculptor who was originally trained as an engineer.  LINK

 (A CAHTS student assists Art PIR Triada Samaras in this display case installation)

Calder is known as the originator of the "mobile", a type of kinetic (or moving) sculpture made with delicately balanced or suspended components which which move in response to motor power or air currents.  Calder's stationary sculptures are called "stabiles."  LINK

Several of Calder's sculptures can be seen in public in New York City.

Ms. Reyes' class used wire, chipboard, and brightly colored acrylic paints to create their own "mobiles" applying scientific principles such as gravity, balance, and force to their work seamlessly.  In addition, these art students learned to express their artistic ideas using "abstraction", an artistic style that encourages each artist to simplify each idea down to a few essential lines, shapes, and colors (or "elements of art"), 

The resulting sculptures are 
playful and several of these 
can move by an air current 
when they are hung.

Chinese Scrolls at SOIT

These Asian scrolls were created by Mrs. Simon's Art One and Art Two classes, including her STEAM students.  Students used brush techniques to paint subjects from nature.  They also created a haiku (poem) for their artworks.  

A scroll is a long roll of illustrated parchment or silk.  Mrs. Simon's STEAM students researched Asian scrolls on their computers and learned about their origins, usages, and aesthetics.  Some scrolls were meant to hang on walls.  

Others were intended to be unrolled a little at a time and read like a book.  The intent of Asian scrolls was to capture a feeling not an image.

Asian scrolls make an excellent STEAM lesson, incorporating science, technology, history and art making into one long-term and highly satisfying art project for the students.  

The resulting artworks adorn the hallways of SOIT attracting the eyes of many viewers.

WPU Art Practicum Student Develops STEAM Lesson Plan at SOIT

Recently, WPU ART Practicum student, Kelly Bogucz, an art major at WPU who hopes to soon be certified as a K-12 public school art teacher in NJ, developed an interesting and engaging STEAM lesson plan for students at SOIT who are in Art teacher Marilyn Simon's class.

Bogucz brought in many books and examples of scrimshaw art and methods for the students to peruse.  Scrimshaw is an art form that is considered by some to be the only art form that originated in America, since the art of Scrimshaw was first practiced by sailors working on whaling ships out of New England.  LINK

 SOIT STEAM students learned that today, when people hear the word Scrimshaw, more often than not they think of the images cut or scratched into ivory or other materials to produce a picture, however, there were a number of other things that were produced aboard whaling ships that were also considered Scrimshaw.  There were the hinges, latches and other whale bone and ivory fittings that made the “Nantucket Basket” famous.  LINK

Inspired by these new learnings in art, culture, history and science, students were then taught by Ms. Bogucz how to employ a variety of cross hatching techniques with permanent markers onto bone shaped papers.  They were encouraged to use their imagination as well as their critical thinking skills to invent their own scrimshaw narratives.

A number of rich drawings were produced by the students after several days' work on this project, full of science as well as art knowledge.  Thus, an interesting and easy to do STEAM lesson plan emerged for use in any high school classroom.

Ms. Bogusz is studying K-12 Art Methods at WPU with SOIT Art PIR Triada Samaras who is focusing on developing new STEAM lesson plans in this college class.

New and inspiring art display case at CAHTS!

A new and highly attractive art display has been created at CAHTS as part of the high school's STEAM program. Art teacher Vivian Reyes and Art PIR Triada Samaras co-created this display case using the stellar, two and three dimensional perspective paintings created in acrylic on canvas board by Ms. Reyes' STEAM students.

The paintings make an artistic as well as informative addition to the CAHTS hallways, educating students and other viewers about the discovery of two and three dimensional perspective during the Renaissance by Fillipo Brunelleschi in Italy.  

In addition the display has a QR code posted that enables CAHTS students to use technology to visit the STEAM blog at this URL.

The creation of linear perspective methods was an enormous moment in the history of art based on a mathematical/scientific principles and has allowed artists ever since to create the illusion of space out of a flat surface.  As a result of this invention, paintings, drawings, prints, and even digital images and animation are much more realistic than they would have been had it not been discovered.

Kaleiodoscopes at School 2

A kaleidoscope may appear to be a cylinder, but 5th grade students at School 2 know that it actually contains a triangular prism.  The kaleidoscope works when the three sides of the prism, which are composed of mirrors or mirror-like material, reflect light entering through a colorful end, creating a colorful pattern because of the reflections off the mirrors.

The students learned this by making their own kaleidoscopes, a joint project developed by WPU Math Professor in Residence Paul Odenwelder and WPU Art Professor in Residence Simone Sandler.  

The project integrated science (the science of light, the principle of reflection) and math (terminology such as rectangle, circle, triangle, angle and triangular prism.)  

Math Pir Odenwelder (foreground) and Art PIR Sandler (rear left) assist students in the construction of their kaleidoscopes.

The hands-on activity engaged students in engineering principles. The activity also required students to follow directions carefully. 

Students build the triangular prisms that form the internal reflective surfaces of the kaleidoscopes.  Accurate measurements were essential to ensure the correct functioning of the final model.  In some cases, trial and error taught students the need for persistence in problem-solving.

Students create the individualized artworks, colorful abstract designs that form the end of their kaleidoscopes, and which produce the symmetrical pattern seen through the eyepiece.

 

 Students enjoy the results of their efforts, viewing the colorful pattens produced by their kaleidoscopes.

School 2's WPU Math Professor in Residence Paul Odenwelder is funded through the Garden State Partnership for teacher Quality, and WPU art Professor in Residence Simone Sandler is funded by the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation Grant.

Part One: GOPA Steam Students visit local historical and cultural sites

     On December 18, 2014, School of Government students visited two important historical and cultural sites in Paterson on a field trip to find out more about their very own city.  GOPA STEAM students with Art Teacher Darryl Jones, Science PIR Dina Scacchetti, and Art PIR Triada Samaras visited both the Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park and the Paterson Museum in a fact finding and exploratory mission that underlies the STEAM project being developed in Mr. Jones' classroom.  

     At Paterson Great Falls National Park, Park Ranger Ilyse Goldman explained to students in great detail the rich history of the Paterson Great Falls and its role in the industrial success of early America.  For example, Alexander Hamilton chose the site of the falls to launch his brainchild, America's first planned industrial city called the "national manufactory."  GOPA students learned Hamilton realized the powerful potential of these roaring falls to generate energy for the mills that later made Paterson famous as an industrial hub and contributed to the economic success of our still young nation.

STEAM students observed the cascading water and the surrounding landscape and imagined what the early American settlers dreamed of building and doing upon encountering this natural wonder. In other words they were exposed to the same creative process they encounter in their art classrooms.


             
During this field trip students were exposed to many configurations of art, history, math, science  and engineering as they came to understand the purpose of the raceways, the method by which water was diverted from the falls to be used to generate power for the variety of mills that made Paterson so successful. They came to see their city in a new creative light that is the perfect segue to their STEAM art and research studies in the classroom.

From the Great Falls Overlook, students proceeded south toward the Paterson Museum, viewing the upper raceway and gaining an understanding of just how the power of the falls was utilized.

Ranger Goldman explained that the raceways were now dry because after Hurricane Irene, they had been damaged so badly that they were no longer able to hold water, and posed a threat to nearby buildings.

Maps trace the old raceway system through the modern City of Paterson.

As an added bonus, STEAM students saw the arrival of what will be the new clock for the Paterson Historical District.

(See Part Two for more details of this STEAM field trip.)