Ms. Coutts' Class

Category: Applied Design Skills and Technologies (Page 1 of 2)

Math + Art – Mandalas

June 21, 2024 / / 2 Comments

Division 5 planned and created chalk mandalas this week. When I came across this giant box of 64 different chalk colours, I KNEW we had to do this project!

First, we looked at examples of mandalas and learned that the word “mandala” is Sanskrit for circle. A mandala balances visual elements symbolizing unity and harmony. Then, students worked in small groups to design and plan a mandala on paper. They practiced how to use a compass to draw a circle, and were introduced to the concepts of radius and circumference. Next, we learned how to use a pencil as a centre point, connected to a piece of chalk with string, to recreate our designs on a larger scale outside. Students worked together to create beautiful mandalas. We discussed how this type of art is temporary and becomes a part of the community, enhancing and beautifying the space its in, even if for a short time.

You can check them out before the rain washes them away near the entrance to University Highlands, or enjoy them in perpetuity on this blog!

 

Digital Compositions

May 10, 2024 / / 0 Comments

Students have been learning how to find and manipulate images using various settings in Microsoft Word.

They were tasked with creating a composition using 5-6ish images that would represent who they are. They have learned about copyright and creative commons images, how to insert pictures from within Word (using “Online Images,” “Icons,” and uploading from Files), and how to find copyright-safe images using Pixabay. (However, I have a suspicion that they are still developing their understanding of copyright based on some of the images they’ve included!) Students also learned the difference between a regular image and a vector, and students can now create their own vector using the Remove BG website. We focused on how layering images can create a cohesive composition, in addition to manipulating image size, crop, and rotation.

Below is our “digital bulletin board.” Please click on the thumbnail to see the larger size.

 

Maker Mondays

April 9, 2024 / / 0 Comments

Most Mondays students have a chance to explore a variety of hands-on ADST (Applied Design Skills and Technologies) activities. Students work together using critical and creative thinking in their problem solving, and strengthening interpersonal skills through communication. They are always very proud of their creations and eager to share! They’ve been asking me to do a post highlighting what they’ve been working on, so I will be adding to the gallery below as I take more photos. Keep checking back!

Some of the activities include:

  • Textiles – knitting, crochet
  • Strings and Beads – friendship bracelets
  • Keva Blocks
  • Card Structures
  • Lego
  • Pattern Blocks
  • Turing Tumble (a physical “computer”)
  • Snap Circuits
  • Paper Cutting
  • Sculpting
  • Geoboards

 

Media Balance

January 10, 2024 / / 0 Comments

Division 5 is beginning to explore digital literacy and citizenship skills. We will be learning how to use technology in helpful ways, about our digital footprints and online privacy, how we interact with others, how to find information safely, and how we can keep a healthy balance between media and non-media in our lives.

The following information is from Common Sense Education, a digital literacy resource I have been using for many years. You can also check out this family activity that can help with discussions around digital balance at home.

From phones and tablets to streaming movies and YouTube, tech and media are everywhere. Kids love easy access to shows, games, and information. Parents and caregivers love that kids can learn on the go (and stay busy when dinner’s cooking). But it’s easy to overdo it when the phone never stops pinging and the next episode plays automatically. Families can keep media and tech use in check by following a few simple practices.

Thinking in 3D

May 12, 2023 / / 0 Comments

Division 3 learned the skill of isometric drawing, or isometric projection, which is a graphic representation used by engineers, technical illustrators (drafters), and sometimes architects. Isometric drawing is a technical drawing style that makes two-dimensional figures appear three-dimensional. From Greek for “equal measure,” isometric images can illustrate interiors, exteriors, objects, etc, using height, width, and depth to create the illusion of a 3D perspective.

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Finding Balance in a Digital World

April 3, 2023 / / 0 Comments

Division 3 is learning to identify and reflect on the habits they have with digital media and devices.

From phones and tablets to streaming movies and YouTube, tech and media are everywhere. Kids love easy access to TV shows, games, and information.

Parents and caregivers love that kids can stay in contact while they explore their independence. But it’s easy to overdo it when the phone never stops pinging and the next episode plays automatically.

Check out these tips from Common Sense Media to keep media and tech use in check.

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Language and Knowledge

March 6, 2023 / / 0 Comments

Humans all over the world define our knowledge, values, culture, and worldviews through the language we use. Today Division 3 looked at Inuktitut syllabics and listened to the language.

Inuktitut includes many different dialects, and is written today using two methods: Qaniujaqpait (syllabics) and Roman orthography. Many Inuit communities are working on revitalizing and continuing to teach/learn Inuktitut to maintain traditional knowledge. Inuit use their language to describe places, phenomena, and relationships unique to them. This is reflective of the deep relationship they have with the land, as well as the complex understandings about nature they have learned from their environment. Like in other languages, Inuktitut ties Inuit to their ancestors, family members, and neighbours. It is a way for them to unite and ensure that their cultures endures for generations to come.

Check out some of these games made for children (and really anyone) to develop some understanding of Inuktitut.

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Black Canadian Excellence

March 2, 2023 / / 0 Comments

Throughout February, Division 3 celebrated Black History Month by researching various individuals of note and summarizing who they are and what they do/did into one to three PowerPoint slides. Students discovered a wide range of Black Canadians that have contributed to our country through sport, politics, art, activism, education, and more.

Students collaborated on a shared PowerPoint file, each person adding their set of slides to the overall composition. Division 3 has been learning how to communicate information effectively. In their slides, their goal was to use visuals and point form to communicate the main ideas clearly.

Please check out their work with this link: Black Canadian Excellence

Cave Art

December 8, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Division 3 has been looking at the emergence of art as early humans developed conceptual thinking and and some understanding of themselves in relation to the world around them. Examining the cave paintings from France, Spain, and Argentina, we noticed they often pictured large animals such as mammoth, bison, horses, deer, etc. Some of the paintings featured depictions of humans and arrows or spears. Some anthropologists suggest these depictions may have been intended to “enchant” big game animals for a successful hunt. Or maybe they were recording stories from their lived experiences for future generations. The negative-space hand prints are, perhaps, the most haunting of the cave paintings. It’s almost as though you can reach out and touch our early human ancestors living in the midst of an ice age!

Earlier this week, we headed out to the forest to collect raw materials that could be combined to create painting tools. Students gathered sticks, grass, rocks, leaves, etc. Then we brought them inside to adapt the raw materials to create useable tools. We agreed that we could use twine to bind things, but no glue or tape.

Finally, we got to painting on our “cave” walls! Students worked on vertical surfaces and different heights to experience a tiny bit of what it might have been like to paint this way. Some students worked more independently, and some collaboratively in order to create their images. They attempted to work in the style of the cave paintings from France and Spain, and depicted similar subjects as well.

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