“To science, not even the bark of a tree or a drop of pond water is dull or a handful of dirt banal. They all arouse awe and wonder.” ~ Jane Jacobs
Dear Families and Friends,
South School kids took to the outdoors today. Spread out at tables, they incised a piece of foam from a drawing of their bark. Then, using their “magic” they added some imaginative marks to the interior of their representation. What emerged was a series of bark “stamps” ready for printing later on.
Using viewfinders and magnifiers, kids learned to see more, leaping over the boundaries between science and art.
They tried out their lenses on trees, right in their midst, then brought back samples from the “wild” from which to make observational drawings.
Kids identified with their bark, and not only recognized their own chunk but knew which bark piece belonged to a peer. Often making a visual connection to something familiar, they told us that theirs looks like,“The front of a ship,” “A shark,” “An icebreaker, “ and “America.”
“This (process) reminds me of a bear going on a journey trying to find his cave because he’s lost.”
Using precise language they described their specimens.“The edge is black, and it has a spiral on it,” “Mine is ridged on top,” and “My bark is small and bumpy,” and “Mine has minty green on it.”
Kids loved being outdoors on a warm November morning. They found a number of creatures, including a garter snake and a blue insect, along with plantlife they’d never have noticed without their magnifiers.
We hope that while the weather is balmy, you might find time for outdoor exploration. Kids are discovering so many ways to look at their world differently. Just ask them.
With an eye toward connections, Nancy, Susan, Alexis, and Dee
Tools are essential for everyone who likes to dabble in art, and we’ve filled Leaps’ satchels with the “right stuff” for student artists. As “experts” who comfortably cross the boundaries between art and science, they have something to teach family members when they bring their satchels home.
We began week two of our program testing out acorn ink. Some children crushed acorns and boiled them up with rusty nails to make a brown broth. It took constant pounding to reduce them in size. Everyone applied the concoction, using leaves, to make a decorative background for their printmaking project.
…………………
The art making process is demanding. At Leaps of Imagination we have high standards for kids. In this program, which links direct observation with an imaginative mindset, complexity abounds. Kids acquire new techniques every day, weaving the fabric of color and design into emerging works of art.
In awe of our children, Nancy, Susan, Alexis, and Dee November 13, 2020
