Block printing is a process that creates a relief or stamp out of a material, which can be printed again and again using a medium such as ink. It is an ancient art, whose applications range from textile design to fine art. The sixth grade recently finished a project on block printing that involved carving patterns and shapes and then imagining them in multiple colors and orientations. They started with a single block and designed two different images, one for each side. They then carved their patterns carefully using linoleum block carving tools and made sure to account for different types of lines and areas of negative space. They then began the printing process, which was more of a printing experiment. The students printed each side on top of the other in different colors and with different orientations. The prints were rotated, shadowed, staggered, and flipped. The results are as unique and individual as the students themselves, and all are magnificent.

Sixth grade began venturing into the three dimensional world of Google SketchUp.   SketchUp, a geometry-based program used to develop three dimensional environments, applies math and geometry concepts to creating a real life models of objects or places.  We began by discussing the process of using a ruler to properly measure and also about the concept of creating objects to scale.   This process led us to a finished product where many were surprised by what they could do with applied math knowledge.   This is the beginning of a long journey of applying math concepts to create projects that will become more complex and creative!  We look forward to these future projects.

Sra. Brenna’s sixth graders have taken over the classroom! Students take turns being the teacher and giving basic instructions for their peers to follow. Sit down! Take out your books! Open to page 87! They are quick to learn that being the Spanish teacher is not as easy as it looks.  Students are eager to be in charge, exhibit their teaching persona and to use their Spanish.

For our first graphic design project and introduction into the digital world of Photoshop, students in sixth grade transformed their portraits into silhouettes reminiscent of the famous iPod ads. Starting with a digital picture, the students learned how to create a path around their bodies, cut and paste into a new layer, change the background color, desaturate and silhouette, and finally add a realistic shadow and even an ipod or two. Some students this year got really creative with adding elements to create a wonderfully wacky world. Finally, they had to come up with a “title” that was representative of their image.

meet the bears

Have you ever had a family of bears in your room? Sixth grade Spanish has! As we practice subject pronouns (yo, tú, ella … I, you, she…) and “ser” (to be), sixth grade wrote skits using all the different forms. We had weather announcers cancelling school due to snow, a family of bears introducing themselves, and good friends chatting as the sixth graders demonstrated their creativity and ability to manipulate the vocabulary and grammar we have been studying. Be sure to stay warm in all that snow over vacation, bears! See you next year!

Did you know that the Great Pyramid is the largest limestone building in the world? When first built, the structure stood 481 feet tall, as tall as a 40 story building. Did you know historians believe it took 20,000 workers between 10 and 20 years to build the Great Pyramid? The sixth graders are currently writing stories using these and other facts. They are writing as if they are an official, advising the Pharaoh on the building of their pyramid. Not only will students use the facts they have learned, they will use their research skills and incorporate the skills they have learned in English regarding story planning and using dialogue. The students are enthusiastically gathering facts and writing. I can’t wait to read them!

Each year in art, the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades have a special assignment designed especially for the Winter Festival. The projects rotate and have previously included heraldic coats of arms and illuminated letters. This year we have been studying portraits, specifically those done by Medieval artists of royal families. The students looked at many famous paintings and examples of Medieval and Renaissance art. We discussed ways to make a face look proportional, as well as techniques for drawing eyes, noses, and lips. The students then imagined they had an ancestor (royal or not) and designed a portrait featuring their character. They added many details to describe their subject’s attributes and tell their story from the clothing to jewelry, crowns and riches. We first outlined everything with a chosen color to help give definition and structure to our portraits. This also helped take the emphasis off of realism and created an older look to the pictures. Then we used tempera paint to carefully color in our ancestors. The richly ornamented finished projects will be displayed in the “Medieval dining hall” during the Winter Festival’s feast, and they will remain on display there through the end of the year. Check back soon to see examples online as well!

The sixth grade just wrapped up lessons on earth models and minerals. Mr. Knebel brought in his collection of geodes and quartz crystal formations. Just like the chicken or the egg question, students tried to decide how the crystal minerals got inside the rocks known as geodes and which one came first.

Pictured are Elysse and Elizabeth examining a geode.