Grade: 8th

01 Mar 2021

Arts Appreciation Series: Art Criticism

April-November

Creating and observing art is part of the human experience. Do you ever find yourself liking or disliking a work of art, but you struggle to articulate why? Have you ever thought about how our experiences in the 21st century affect the way we perceive art? Students will don the hat of “art critic” in this immersive program as we build our art appreciation toolkit. This program is easily adaptable to suit 6th, 7th, or 8th grade arts and core standards.

Standards:

  • SL.6.1/SL.7.1/SL.8.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6 /7/8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly. 
  • 7.SS.Geography.13 Geographic factors promote or impede the movement of people, products and ideas. 
  • VA.7.3RE Interpret selected artworks and synthesize their interpretations with the interpretations of others.

Vocabulary:

 painting, ceramics, Rookwood Pottery, art history, art criticism, gallery, curator, Feldman Method, description, analysis, interpretation, evaluation

01 Mar 2021

Arts in the Natural World Series: Installation Art

August-June

Challenge the traditional boundaries of what you think art should be like and where it should be viewed in this program at Greenacres. Students will transform a space at the Arts Center using non-traditional materials to envelop viewers into their world as an artist. This program is easily adaptable to suit 6th, 7th, or 8th grade arts and core standards.

Standards:

  • 6-8.DT.3.a Collaborate to solve a problem as an interdisciplinary team modeling different roles and functions. 
  • VA.6.2PR Experiment with a variety of techniques and working methods when creating an original work of art.
  • VA.7.5PR Create a work of art in collaboration with others to address a social or cultural issue.
  • VA.8.3PR Use critical thinking and visual literacy to communicate a specific idea

Vocabulary:

Installation Art, site-specific, context, large scale, ephemeral, three-dimensional, collaboration, artist statement

28 Feb 2021

Stream Geology

August-June

This program focuses on the power and force of running water as it shapes our dynamic Earth. Students will investigate the physical features of a stream, collect and analyze stream flow data, and discover how human activities have impacted stream ecosystems.

Standards:

  • ESS Grade 8: A combination of constructive and destructive geologic processes formed Earth’s surface.
  • ESS Grade 8: Evidence of the dynamic changes of Earth’s surface through time is found in the geologic record.
  • SS Grade 8: Geography – Modern and historical maps and other geographic tools are used to analyze how historic events are shaped by geography.

Vocabulary:

erosion, deposition, rate of flow, water cycle, ordovician fossils

26 Feb 2021

Water Quality

August-June

The health of a stream can be assessed in several different ways.  Students will perform chemical, physical, and biological studies of a local Greenacres stream, and make conclusions about water quality and impacts of human activity on surface waters.

Standards:

  • SWK Grade 6-8: Science is a way of knowing about the world around us based on evidence from experimentation and observations.
  • SWK Grade 6-8: Science is a continual process and the body of scientific knowledge continues to grow and change.

Vocabulary:

biological, physical, chemical, pH, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, macroinvertebrate

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