This DigiNar documents a collaborative STEAM residency in a 3rd grade classroom in which students created “Earth Journals” from repurposed materials. These handmade books became their art and science journals documenting their research on human induced environmental issues. Students also made a commitment to change one habit that that was harmful to the Earth, and replace it with a habit that was good for the Earth. They logged their progress as they learned how to change behavior and addressed how their process affected their families. Some families members were supportive, others had resistance to change or being asked to change themselves. A very interesting project!
This DigiNar documents a collaborative STEAM residency in another 3rd grade classroom in which students created a large collage mural while researching survival behaviors and adaptation of creatures that live in the coral reef. Human activity and its effects on the health of the coral reef ecosystem was also addressed. In addition to visual arts, students collaborated in a drama strategy known as tableau to demonstrate their understanding of the science unit. They also wrote and sang a song about the reef they were studying, part of which can be heard near the end of the video. I’d like to acknowledge Dan Kelin (drama teaching artist) and Marcia Pasqua (visual teaching artist) whose work in the field of arts integration also informed our project.
