Teachable Moment #3
- Steph S
- Nov 25, 2020
- 3 min read
Updated: Nov 26, 2020
Amazing work can be created through collaboration, guidance, and encouraging students they can do well. A lot of the students were apprehensive because this was the first time they worked on a mosaic project. Through clear instructions and willingness they created a beautiful mosaic that will last for years to come.
This was a grade 12 AVI4M collaborative mosaic project. As the students were graduating, the goal of this assignment was to create a collaborative project while working on their individual piece. We wanted to create something that would last for many years, even after they've left the school. This was during our mixed media unit, with a focus on environmental and sustainable practices.
The Ontario curriculum covered throughout this project were:
- A.1 The Creative Process: apply the creative process to create a variety of art works, individually and/or collaboratively;
- A.3 Production and Presentation: produce art works, using a variety of media/materials and traditional and emerging technologies, tools, and techniques, and demonstrate an understanding of a variety of ways of presenting their works and the works of others;
- B.1 The Critical Analysis Process: demonstrate an understanding of the critical analysis process by examining, interpreting, evaluating, and reflecting on various art works;
- C.1 Terminology: demonstrate an understanding of, and use correct terminology when referring to, elements, principles, and other components related to visual arts;
- C.2 Conventions and Techniques: demonstrate an understanding of conventions and techniques used in the creation of visual art works;
- C.3 Responsible Practices: demonstrate an understanding of responsible practices related to visual arts.
I'm so proud of their work! This really was an informative teaching experience because a lot of the students developed their skill set, worked collaboratively and finished this project with a sense of pride. It gave me the confirmation that collaborative learning in visual art can be successful. The following are some photos and information about the creative process in developing a graduating mosaic.
Students were asked to create a design that would be representative of the school and their graduating class. I asked all students to develop 3 sketches, then a teacher interview would occur to narrow down the sketch to one final image. Once all the students have chosen one image, we displayed them on the board (if the student was willing) and the class voted on their favourite design for the mosaic project.
The chosen image was the one above; a unicorn as a geometric style in the school colours with a message 'Never Forget Us 2018-2019'. The unicorn was chosen because the members of the graduating class are just and unique and special as a unicorn. Frankly, I believe the main reason was because they just really liked unicorns and liked the image.
Once the image was decided, the class taped together 8x11'' sheet appropriate for the frame size. Students traced the image projected on the pages. Using the colour matching sheet and their section of the mosaic they will be working on, students used various tools to break the plates. These plates were old plates that were going to be thrown away or donated to Salvation Army.
Students' were asked to glue down their ceramic pieces to a mesh-backing. These sections was one of those 8x11'' sheets of paper that they traced previously. I asked students to work on their section separately while working in collaboration with their classmate to make sure their section would fit and aline with the others. That was probably the hardest part and if I were to do this project again with students' I would have them work all together on top of the frame where the mosaic would lie.
Once all the sections were attached to the mosaic frame the students used grout to fill in the cracks. The students and I decided white would be the best grout colour. Afterwards, using the colour matching sheet and various tints and shades of green paint, we painted the individual tiles. This part was fun, but it was time consuming!
Overall the project came with quite a few steps and a lot of dedication which these students had! Below is the step-by-step guide of the Graduating Class Mosaic Assignment.
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