NRC Students Create A Documentary Video and a PSA for a Worldwide Competition

 **UPDATE!  3-12-2018 The "One Love/Peace for Paterson Project" video and the "Don't Rush to Flush" PSA (below) have now reached the national finals and are one of the top ten contenders to win the national competition!  The nationwide winnerwill go on to compete in the worldwide competition. 

Congratulations to Mr. Baldwin and the NRC Pirate TV Club!  Stay tuned....

"One Love/The Peace for Paterson Project" is a 5 min documentary video and art integration project created at NRC/New Roberto Clemente School with Technology Teacher Howard Baldwin and his students.

Eighteen students from Grades 6-8 in the NRC "Pirate TV" and KWN/Kid Witness News  . 
worked with Mr. Baldwin over many months to create this video featuring the Peace for Paterson Art Integration Project started by NRC Art teacher Lauren Mandal in the fall of 2016 and supported by WPU PIR Triada Samaras and a Geraldine R. Dodge Grant art integration grant.  

The Peace for Paterson Project was featured on this blog several times during the 2016-2017 school year.  Based on the book, Sadako and the 1000 Paper Cranes, a children's historical novel set in Japan after World War ll and Hiroshima. NRC students read this book and wrote statements about their wish for more peace in their Paterson Community, which is often beset with violence onto origami paper.  After the writing portion, the students formed this paper into paper cranes using Origami, the art of paper folding.  Art Teacher Lauren  Mandal and her students then hung these cranes in numerous places all over the NRC building.  

Paper cranes for this project were produced both in the art room where students used origami paper and folding techniques and in the technology room with Mr. Baldwin where students used the three D printers and filament.  In addition students from other Paterson schools in the Dodge Grant program created paper cranes to this large-scale project.

Now, "One Love/The Peace for Paterson Project" video captures the spirit of this inspiring, collaborative art integration project in video format.

KWN/Kid Witness News is a global video education that aims to boost creativity, communication and collaboration skills through video production by elementary and secondary students. This year KWN has a national competition for videos in two categories: PSA/Public Service Announcements and Human Interest Documentaries. Mr. Baldwin and the Pirate TV Club submitted in both categories.  "One Love/The Peace for Paterson Project" was recently submitted to the "Human Interest Category."  (A longer 10 minute version of "One Love" is being edited by the Pirate TV Club for the NRC website.)

For the second KWN entrance category: "PSA/Public Service Announcement" students in the  Pirate TV Club created a 1 minute video video based on one aspect of protecting the environment.  The video, "Don't Rush to Flush" warns the viewer about the hazards of flushing prescription medication down the toilet and into the water supply.  It also depicts the correct way to dispose of these medications.  WPU PIR Triada Samaras recently viewed this well executed and succinct video with Mr. Baldwin and his students.

Mr. Baldwin has been involved with the KWN program for 23 years and he and his students won two competitions twice in other Paterson Schools.  The first time was at Martin Luther King School where students won first place for their video about handgun violence. To win, this video defeated 200 schools nationwide. 

New Arts Integration Work from Schools 9 and School 12 in Paterson, NJ

First graders at School 9 were learning about sound. Simone Sandler, WPU PIR modeled a lesson about vibrations and pitch. She brought in her African drum for the students to practice feeling the various sounds that a drum can make. Students experimented with different  pitches. 

Next, using recycled styrofoam trays each student made their own musical instrument. Using rubber bands and placing them at various heights students observed the various tones that were created.  Students also decorated the trays with various patterns and designs.

The 6th graders in Mr. Johnrose's social studies classes at School 12 were studying about Egyptian culture. Simone Sandler, PIR from WPU, worked with the students to create a cartouche. In Egyptian hieroglyphics, a cartouche is an oval with a horizontal line at one end, indicating that the text enclosed is a royal name.  Students researched their name on the Egyptian alphabet and created their own cartouche.

Afterwards, students worked on a three dimensional sarcophagus that encompassed the symbols used by the Egyptians.  A sarcophagus is a stone coffin often adorned with a sculpture or inscription.  The sarcophagi are being proudly displayed in the hallways at School 12.