AED 401

Part 1: Unit Overview Unit Title: Ceramics in the Community Space Enduring (Big) Idea: Clay and ceramics throughout history have been used to display representations and a personal history of the world surrounding the artists. They can be markers of time and are often looked to as proof of long-forgotten communities and civilizations existing due to their durability. It is through understanding the power and longevity that clay work holds in embodying our social circles and both the history of ourselves and others that students can then begin to create with a greater purpose behind their works.     Key Concepts about the Enduring Idea: -         Community -         Creation -         Social Circles -         Representation -         Hand crafts -    ...

What surprised you?         What first surprised me was the size of the classroom as it was seemingly larger than either of the classrooms I had observed before. This space also had a variety of shelves available to store materials, projects, and student items all while having room for maneuverability around the space. This freedom of space was capitalized by the teacher and students as they often moved around to gather supplies and worked at different angles to suit their preferences. Along with this, I was impressed at the variety of supplies this room had within. Amongst the supplies I expected of an art room, I also spotted bags of clay, a machine to flatten clay, and even wheels to throw clay on. It was surprising to see such an emphasis on clay work within the room as I hadn't experienced ceramic during my middle and high school experiences. What did you learn?          Things I learned during t...

What surprised you?         What caught my attention while observing the classroom of school D was their usage of the classroom space and the materials they used. I noticed that many of the materials used are housed in small drawers or containers and are often filled to a large quantity. Along with this, I noticed that the walls had numerous shelfs of different sizes that accommodated both student works and class materials. These areas appeared to me to be filled but also diverse since so many different items were housed on this one side of the classroom. These observations made me consider how one organizes their room to maintain an efficient environment but also one that facilitates movement. I was also made to consider how we can use everyday items to create art spaces in an effective but cost efficient manner as well when I observed students using Q-tips as a blending tool. What did you learn?          Thi...