Past projects 5
The Civil Rights Movement Is Interdisciplinary!
Funded Aug 17, 2017Your generous donation allowed me to purchase a class set of March: Book One by John Lewis. Congressman John Lewis has a long personal history of leading the Civil Rights Movement but most of my students had never heard of him. March: Book One tells the story of how John Lewis got his start as a young man attending school in Alabama, working with Martin Luther King Jr., and marching across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. It's a graphic novel, which means it is illustrated in a dynamic and engaging way that really appeals to my high school students.
Before we read the book, my students watched a PBS documentary called John Lewis: Get In the Way. The documentary focuses on his political career. He explains that during his boyhood in the south, his mother told him to "stay out of the way" of trouble because she was scared for his safety. She was worried that he would get hurt or killed if he tried to change the status quo. John Lewis has dedicated his life to getting in the way and bring attention to Civil Rights issues.
After my students read the book, they examined the illustrations by artist Nate Powell. They choose a scene from the book that they felt marked an important point in John Lewis' life. Each student enlarged and painted the scenes to show each powerful message as an individual artwork.
My students all come from low-income households and many are immigrants or children of immigrants. The most important idea I wanted them to take away from our lessons is that the Civil Rights Movement isn't in the past. They're living through it right now!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Kommer
Literature in the Art Classroom
Funded Jul 18, 2013You donation of books to our art class has made a huge impact. We've been using Danny Gregory's The Creative License as a supplemental text in class and the students are eating it up. They are reading ahead in their free time and are excited to find out what they're going to learn next.
Danny Gregory's book is an inspirational instruction book about keeping a sketch journal. It's written in straightforward yet captivating language that my students can't get enough of.
Drawing can be uncomfortable for people who feel they aren't good at it. Many of my students did not used to enjoy the experience of drawing but that's starting to change. Since we began using The Creative License in class my students have begun to see drawing in a new way. They are keeping their own sketch journals and look forward to their drawing assignments!
It's very rare for an art class to receive funding for books. The purchase of a class set of books would not have been possible without your donation. Thank you for contributing to the success of my students.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Kommer
Picture This: Photography in the Art Classroom!
Funded Oct 14, 2012Your contribution toward a new camera for our art classes has been much appreciated. The students have come up with many interesting ways to put it to use and we know it will be well used in years to come. Most notably, the fashion club has used the camera to document trends across campus. They are planning a blog that will allow students to add their own photos and comment on their favorite fashions.
Other students are using the camera to keep digital portfolios that they will submit to colleges when they begin the admission process. One students is even borrowing the camera for a college level photographry class and then reporting to the other students about what she has learned.
Thank you for choosing to support our class and students. We are grateful for your generosity and we will take this opportunity to challenge ourselves to explore photography in many different forms.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Kommer
This classroom project was brought to life by an anonymous donor and 7 other donors.Colors Inspire Students: Glazes for Our Ceramics Program
Funded Dec 7, 2011The glazes that you donated to our school are helping my students make beautiful works of art. The supply budget has been very tight and glazes are a major expense. The students know of our budgeting issues, but that doesn't mean that they don't look forward to new and interesting art supplies. I believe they deserve them.
My students have used their new glazes to finish their Surprise Mugs and they have turned out beautifully! A surprise mug is a mug with a surprise in the bottom, usually an animal, that is hidden by the beverage until the drinker is almost finished. The new glazes allowed them to glaze the mugs in any color they could think of. They were easy to use and when they came out of the kiln they were really spectacular.
The Wasserman Foundation made it possible for many of my own students to donate to the cause through gift cards. If you are one of my art history students and you haven't seen the mugs, I want you to stop by. I hope the art history students will get to try the glazes too!
Thank you for your generosity. It has gone far and we have enough to use next year as well. Your donation will help hundreds of students explore the art of ceramics.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Kommer
This classroom project was brought to life by Wasserman Foundation and 24 other donors.Sketching, Writing, Learning!
Funded Nov 29, 2011My students have been using their sketch books for about three months and it has been a major contribution to their art education. They were absolutely delighted when they received them. Many of them were surprised that they were getting a sketchbook of their very own and all of them were excited to have them. It's not very often that I can hand my students something and tell them that it is theirs to keep.
Right away, they personalized the covers with paint, markers, pictures, and stickers. Putting their own stamp on the cover was a good way to get them thinking. I know they struggled with their first sketch because they were afraid that it wouldn't be good enough to stay in the sketchbook, but they've loosened up and are adding new sketches all the time. I give them assignments, such as "draw three different shoes." I asks them to try to spend 20 minutes on each one, which doesn't sound like that long, but it's a real challenge. They also do sketches on their own, and when the school year ends in two months, they will take their sketchbooks with them and continue to fill them on their own.
Seeing what the sketchbooks have done for their experience, I know that I will want to do the same with future classes. It has taught them that art doesn't just happen in the classroom; It can happen anywhere that they feel the inspiration. Thank you for donating to this project. It was my first experience with Donors Choose and I am touched by your generosity. ”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Kommer
This classroom project was brought to life by Wasserman Foundation and 8 other donors.