Full S.T.E.A.M. Creativity

 

  In the not-too-distant future, a colorful ceramic tile mosaic, of which every Kelley School fi"h grader will have had a hand in making, will be displayed somewhere in the grades 3-5 school. As part of their study of abstract art in their S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) classes, 165 students from the eight, fi"h grade classes at the school transformed 1x1 inch plain white ceramic tiles into tiny works of art.

First they each made colorful designs on two tiles with Sharpie markers and then sprayed them with rubbing alcohol which caused a smearing abstract e#ect. Once dry, students could keep one of the tiles and the other one will become part of the mosaic. A"er students from Alicia Marchionda’s fi"h grade class finished transforming the tiles April 30th, the class conducted a “gallery walk” to view all the individual creations as had the other fi"h grade classes. It was fun to hear what students said about them, like when Carson Sto#el said learning about abstract art reminded him of a SpongeBob SquarePants episode in which the famed cartoon figure made abstract art with mustard. S.T.E.A.M. teacher Jen Strazzabasco showed students several examples of abstract art done by Jackson Pollock, an American painter and a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement. Before he died at the age of 44 in 1956, he was well known for his unique style of  drip painting. Like Strazzabosco, Michele Vair, S.T.E.A.M. teacher assistant, exhorted the students to really look closely and “artistically appreciate” all the colorful tiles they’d created and think about what they look like to them and how they feel when they look at the di#erent colors in the tiles. “Colors a!ect the way we feel and evoke di!erent emotions,’’ Vair said. “Some colors can make us feel peaceful. Sometimes dark colors can make us sad.’’ Vair came up with the idea of making the abstract mosaic out of the tiles that were discovered at the end of the last school year as they were cleaning out the old science lab that they moved into this year. Like Vair, Strazzabosco noted as they students look at all the colorful tiles, they will find they like some more than others. Likewise, she said di#erent people like di#erent kinds of art. “It’s a very individual thing,’’ Strazzabosco said.

Individual preferences are also evident in a multi-week S.T.E.A.M. class project in which the school’s eight fourth grade classes made little miniature golf courses out of cardboard box lids and imagination. Each class picked di#erence themes like Disney movies and characters, LEGOS and more to use in designing the miniature golf courses. Strazzabosco said the protractor golf project emphasized problem-solving, engineering considerations and math (angles) in the design _ all needed components to insure only 5 putter swings around obstacles to propel the golf ball into the hole on the mini courses. A"er a few weeks, 48 courses designed around many di#erent themes were finished _ one for each of the six tables in the S.T.E.A.M. classroom. Each class took turns playing on each of the courses their class had made. %e classes also voted on their favorite course in each of the 8 classes and the eight winners will be part of the attractions at the upcoming school field days June 15th.

Arizona Chapple, a fourth grade pupil in Ti#any LaPrade’s class who worked a designed centered around Disney princesses and animals, said she really enjoyed the entire process. “You could make your own creations at each table,’’ she said. “I felt great when it was done because other people could look at it and use (play with) the finished product.”