Artist-Educators in Action
I walked into the room of third graders last week at Hannah Gibbons Elementary School as their teacher wrapped up her lesson and PAA’s Artist-Educator, Lynda, prepared to deliver her session on states of matter using stop motion animation.
In a matter of moments, the classroom was transformed. The room full of young students became a room full of prop designers, motion specialists, cameramen, and many busy helpers. They reviewed the vocabulary words related to states of matter and stop motion animation. It was clear they understood the words and concepts, and then they quickly went to work.
Their imaginations were engaged as they looked through all of the materials and decided what they wanted to use to bring their previously created storyboards to life. They functioned as teams, each with their own role in creating their film. They had to communicate with one another, problem-solve, and compromise as they worked.
The enthusiasm and excitement on their faces as they brought their stories to life was wonderful to see. It told me they were learning, that they were engaged and excited, and that they were proud of their accomplishments. It was a fantastic day of learning and moviemaking.
