SECOND GRADERS WORLD ART - LAST STOP: EUROPE!

In the final leg of our Second Graders' journey around the world through art, the kids studied several traditional art techniques of Europe.

The students minds were illuminated by the history of Illuminated Manuscripts. Mr. Mayhew had the students write a poem / paragraph about their families and after a brief introduction to illuminated manuscripts, the kids chose initial caps and a line or two of their work to illustrate in the style.





The next stop was a quick jaunt to ancient Scandanavia and the study of Runestones.

Scandinavian Runestones [paraphrased from “Runes Through Time” by Nicole Sanderson, NOVA]

The Vikings are often portrayed as illiterate, uncultured barbarians, more ‘plunderers’ than poets. In fact, the Vikings left behind a great number of documents in stone, wood and metal, all written in the enigmatic symbols known as runes. They relied on these symbols not only for writing but also to tell fortunes, cast spells, and provide protection.

Early Germanic tribes of northern Europe were first to develop runes, but the Scandinavians soon adopted the symbols for their own use — prior to adopting the Latin alphabet. When the seafaring Vikings traveled to faraway lands, they brought their system of writing with them, leaving runic inscriptions in places as distant as Greenland. Wherever they went, Vikings turned to runes to honor the deceased, relay historical events, and tell of everyday experiences.

Runestones are large, freestanding rocks or boulders inscribed with runic characters. Examples from the 3rd and 4th centuries have been found, but the majority of runestones throughout Scandinavia are from the Viking age, between the 8th to 11th centuries.

Using a tool from NOVA's website, students translated their names into ancient Rune. The students then created their own "stones" by carving their rune into a slab of clay which was then fired, glazed and fired again to create a ceramic "stone".








A huge debt of gratitude must be given to Art Parent Kelly Costa for the time, energy, research, forethought and preparation that she gave to leading the visual arts lessons in Mr. Mayhew's class this year. You have taken these fortunate kids on an incredible journey, one that will stay with them throughout their lives. We are so thankful for your dedication!!

NEXT STOP AUSTRALIA

Our intrepid second graders departed Africa and skipped over the Indian Ocean to Australia where they studied Aboriginal dot painting techniques.

In Aboriginal mythology, the creation of the world took place during Dreamtime - a period when supernatural beings, after sleeping beneath the earth’s surface, rose to create the world we know.

These creation stories, distinct to each tribe, are the foundation of aboriginal social and religious life. They recount the journeys of primordial beings, and show how the landscape was shaped, how fire was created, how plants, animals and humans were made, and even how weapons and tools were invented to help Aborigines in their daily lives.

Often, dreamings are depicted through dot painting – a pointallistic technique illustrating stories, characters, and landscape "in plan" (bird's eye view). Each dreaming is owned by the individual artist, and is respected and protected within and among different clans – one person is not allowed to copy another person’s dreaming without permission. Family leaders teach their children to recognize when they experience their own dreamings, so the stories will carry on. To the tunes of the didgeridoo :) students looked at examples of dreamings depicted in aboriginal dot painting, and watched a short video of how one aborigine leader depicted the creation of his own ancestral lands. We read them a section from a history series our family has fallen in love with, The Story of the World (Vol II) about Australia's first people. Room 103 kids imagined ‘landscapes’ from their own lives, drew a simple outline, and then, using q-tips(!) and acrylic paint, created colored dot patterns in the aboriginal style.

SECOND GRADERS WORLD TOUR CONTINUES IN AFRICA

Led by Art Parent Kelly Costa, Mr. Mayhew's second graders exploration in the traditional arts of African began with a lesson in early mankind and the nascent beginnings of man's need to create art and tell stories.

San Bushman Rock Paintings: Drakensberg, South Africa

Some of the earliest evidence of cultural memory is found preserved on stone walls in caves and outcroppings in the “Dragon Mountains” of South Africa.

Drakensberg, South Africa, has the largest and most concentrated group of rock paintings south of the Sahara—more than 20,000 individual rock paintings have been found in 500 different cave and overhang sites. Most works seen today are probably less than 4000 years old, but some date back 8000 years!

The San painted both ritual and abstract expression, in ceremonial dance and hunting motifs. The early San artists painted a variety of reptiles, birds and fish, but these were far outnumbered by mammals — particularly antelope, their favored prey.

Room 103 students swooped into South Africa on Google Earth (!) and explored the topography of the Dragon Mountains. They learned how the San created red, brown, black and yellow pigments from minerals, ground plant matter, and iron and other oxides found in the rocks around them. They mixed these powders with a binding medium such as plant sap, beeswax, animal fat, milk, blood, or honey. (Painters also used white from naturally occurring zinc oxide, and black from manganese or charcoal.)

Some painters seemed to have sketched in charcoal or ochre crayon before painting. Then, we think they used their fingers, small reeds, ostrich or porcupine quills, and brushes of made of grass, feathers or hair to apply the paint.

The kids created their own versions this artform using paint they created from natural ingredients: cinnamon, paprika, ground sesame seeds, turmeric, and coriander (mixed with our version of animal fat—cooking oil!). They added definition with charcoal on crumpled kraft paper, mimicking the texture of cave walls.






A second ancient art form, not quite as old as the cave paintings, but ancient nontheless, was the study of Ancient Egyptian sarcogophi.

Using a 3-D template (origami meets archeology) students cut out and started to decorate their own personal cardstock sarcophagi lids and bases. They chose hieroglyphics and symbols that communicate something about themselves, or, alternatively, just had fun decorating the coffin lids.





The last stop in Africa was a study of woven Kente Cloth. The kids watched a video of master weavers as they demonstrated how looms work, and how each color and pattern represents something culturally significant. Afterward, kids designed their own patterns on gridded paper with colored pencil.

SECOND GRADES WORLD ARTS STUDY - ASIA

Mr. Mayhew's second graders continued their year-long exploration in the world's traditional arts with a trip around Asia. First stop was a lesson in the traditional art of Chinese Calligraphy. Students learned the eight basic brush strokes using bamboo calligraphy brushes and India ink then produced good wishes for the new year (Happy New Year, Peace, Harmony, Good Luck, Hello, I Love You, etc.) Some also chose to do their Chinese Zodiac signs. Rooftop spirit was alive and well with the calligraphy lesson with alumni and current parents of Chinese heritage sharing their expertise.





Next stop was the monasteries of Tibet with a study of the art of Tibetan Sand Mandalas. Buddhist sand painting art has been preserved in the monasteries of India and Tibet for more than 2000 years. Each mandala is a meditation exercise, representing rich symbols of the Buddhist faith and requiring extreme calm and patience by its practitioners. Once created, the sand mandala is briefly enjoyed and then the sand is released from its worldliness and is cast to the winds.


The second graders' mandala project began with a math lesson in symmetry - in groups of four, they produced baseline drawings on large graph paper connoting Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and ROOFTOP SCHOOL. Each student took turns designing an image, and the other three repeated the image into the same space within their own quadrant.



The next day, the students hit the patio and, to the best of their 7 and 8 year old abilities, mimicked the monks’ process and poured sand into their designs. Our materials and approach were less, shall we say, refined, but the results were really really fun. Everyone emerged with a deeper respect for the practice of sand mandala creation, and appreciation for the many, many years of their lives that monks dedicate to learning the ritual. Like the monks, we too acknowledged the creative journey, swept up the results, and sang a song and everyone enjoyed themselves!




The final study of traditional Asian arts was shadow puppet plays, known as wayang kulit which are popular throughout Indonesia. They are an important cultural vehicle, one of the oldest continuous traditions of storytelling in the world. The performances are of Hindu epics, combined with Buddhist and Muslim folklore (and often embellished with local village gossip)!

Plays are still performed in villages and towns on public holidays, for festivals, or for family celebrations. They are usually performed at night in the open air, using cloth screens and a light source. A typical performance can last six hours or more, often ending at dawn. The audience of all ages (even little children) sits on the ground, enthralled the entire time!

Shadow puppets are flat, leather figures of kings, princes, teachers, giants, gods, demons, and regular people. Characters are carved and chiseled into lacy patterns from the hide of buffalo, ox or goat, and elaborately decorated.

There are at least a hundred puppets in a basic wayang kulit set — they are brought to life by special ceremonies performed by the “dalang”, the puppetmaster and storyteller. The dalang is a man of many talents: he must have a repertoire of hundreds of stories, say and sing each character’s lines, and direct the galang orchestra — a large array of bronze and percussion instruments.

Room 103 students watched portions of wayang kulit performances online, explored how lace, gauze, and other textiles can create wild shadow patterns, chose either the Bali or Java version of the heroic character Bima and began to embellish their own shadow puppet figures. Using brass brads and sticks to connect their parts, the students tried their hand at shadow puppetry in a makeshift puppet theatre.




A special thank you goes to Art Parent Kelly Costa for the fantastic art projects that double as hands-on sociology lessons! Next stop . . . AFRICA!

SECOND GRADERS STUDY CULTURAL MEMORIES AS PRESERVED IN TRADITIONAL ART TECHNIQUES - THE AMERICAS

During the 2008-09 school year, the second grade students in Mr. Mayhew's class pursued a year-long study as to the ways that cultures around the world preserve their collective memories through traditional art forms. Led by Art Parent Kelly Costa, the students began the year with sculpting topographical maps of the seven continents from baker's clay.



From there, our globe trotting second graders studied various art forms of the Americas, beginning with the creation of a nine foot Totem Pole in the style of the Pacific Northwest Native Americans. The students learned how Northwestern indigenous groups created totem poles to preserve memory and represent mythic beings that were important to their community. Students listened to a story describing the process, sketched their ideas based on imagery from actual poles, and broke into pairs to draw their own mythical image on their 10” deep section of pole. The sections (plus protrusions such as wings and beaks) were mounted on a 12” diameter / 9 foot tall tube that enjoyed prominent display in the hallway throughout the year!




Students also created traditional Western Plains Native American"bone" breastplates with hand made paper beads, and decorated with leather, feathers and other traditional embellishments. The kids especially loved that this project was wearable art!





Last stop in the Americas was a lesson in quilt making . . . The story of the American quilt is the story of America itself, stitching together the history, hopes and heartaches of a growing nation. From colonial to pioneer quilts, Civil War to Victorian crazy quilts, Depression-era quilts to quilts of the present day, this American craft speaks volumes about the changing world around us and the memories of the lives of the quilt makers who have pieced it together. Made over the centuries by African American, Amish, Hawaiian, Hmong, and Native American cultures, quilts are visual representations of cultural identity. The time intensive process of making quilts has connected people one to another.

Room 103 students used needles, embroidery thread and scraps of fabric to create their own history quilt squares; drawing, cutting, and sewing onto a felt base an image of a memory deeply important to them.




Next stop on our second grade world tour . . . ASIA! Read on!

OBAMA INAUGURATION CELEBRATION

To mark the historic inauguration of President Barak Obama, Rooftop families created a banner of stars expressing our messages of hope and change that were shared with the community.

Each family was given a paper star template that was sent home with the Wednesday bulletin packet. Families were encouraged to take some time to discuss their hopes for the future and then express those hopes in writing, art, photography . . . any way they chose to communicate their hopes or plans for the future in the spirit of positive change.




Many creative and inspirational stars were returned . . . many expressing desires for peace and unity, an end to gun violence, and even some personal resolutions for improving individual lives.




At the Burnett Campus, the students painted a giant canvas inspired by Van Gogh's Starry Night. Onto this background, the individual stars were pinned as a display in our multipurpose room. At the Mayeda Campus, the stars were displayed in the stairwell, ascending three flights of stairs. Each star was attached with a continuous string (A "string of hope") representing the interconnectedness of hopes and dreams in a caring community.


At the end of the school year, the banner was taken down and the stars were mailed to the White House!

THIRD GRADE LIBRARY "BRIDGE" PROJECT

Rooftop's three third grade classes embarked on a multi-disciplinary library skills project which culminated in a display on a 30 foot bulletin board display at the San Francisco Main Library.

The project was led by Rooftop Librarian Tamra Marshall and teachers Amy Whitcomb, Richard Mattson and Judy Toupin. Jeremy Rourke, Rooftop's Computer Lab Instructor and Art Coordinator Amy Balsbaugh assisted with this project.

Why is the Golden Gate Bridge considered such a marvelous landmark of San Francisco?
Students became engaged in answering this question by listening to stories read aloud in their school library and using information literacy skills in the computer lab to broaden their knowledge and appreciation of the great Golden Gate Bridge. In the library, students enjoyed several books read aloud including Pop's Bridge (fiction) by Eve Bunting, The Golden Gate Bridge (non-fiction) by Thomas Owen and Monumental Verses (poetry) by J. Patrick Lewis. In the computer lab, students searched the school library catalog for titles about the GGB and linked to several informative websites about the GGB through the Rooftop Library home page. A library scavenger hunt for other San Francisco books put 3rd graders to work using newfound searching skills. In the classrooms, students wrote poetry to reflect what they had learned about the Golden Gate Bridge and a collaborative art project "bridging" the knowledge and creativity of each young poet was created in celebration.

Each element of the bridge, the hillside, the buildings downtown, the waves in the bay and the clouds in the sky contain the verse written by the students.

Rooftop Community Memorial Project

In keeping with the 2008-09 arts curriculum focus, Art Is . . . Shaping Memory, Rooftop families embarked on a year-long community memorial project. Thanks to a generous donation of hundreds of unfinished pine picture frames from Mosaic Mercantile (thank you!), every Rooftop student was given a frame to take home for a special family project.

With instructions in English, Spanish and Chinese, students were asked to sit down with their families and reminisce on a deceased loved one. Some families chose to honor people that their children had personally known, and others chose to tell the story of an ancestor whom the children had never met. A memorial frame was then created by each family, honoring the person they have lost. The frames were decorated in the manner of the family's choosing - and true to Rooftop's style, the results were as diverse as our community.





The frames were displayed on both campuses at Rooftop for the entire school year. In May, the frames were then re-assembled as part of a special display at Young At Art, the San Francisco Youth Arts Festival at the deYoung Museum. The memorial frames became a sturdy pillar base, on which telescoping frames depicting our Kindergarteners' stages of their young lives rested. The metaphor was heart-warming . . . our children grow and flourish when supported by the memories of generations who came before.