Teacher Commentary Hands of Learning Hunter Elementary School, Philadelphia SLC: Hands of Learning Teachers: Adele O'Brien, William Palacio, Shirley Foulkes School Phone: 215-291-4710

Unit of Study Summary "Students were introduced to the Spanish architect, Antonio Gaudi, through the video, Gaudi. Will Palacio, the 3rd grade teacher, had visited Spain in December and shared his photos of Gaudi's architecture. The students were asked to make preliminary drawings of buildings inspired by the work of Gaudi. Next, some of the students participated in an after-school walk around the neighborhood to take photographs of the various architectural styles. Some students found architectural features which had Spanish influences and others found decorative elements reminiscent of the Gaudi style. The students' 35mm and Polaroid stills were then shared with their classmates and a visiting architect, who brought blueprints and showed slides of his work. He also showed slides of his native country, Morocco. During the architect's visit the students got an idea of the planning and the process involved in constructing a building. Next, the Clay Studio teachers gave a demonstration on how to construct a Gaudi-like house out of clay. The students used lace and a rolling pin to imprint textures that imitated the decorative tile work on many of Gaudi's buildings. The Clay Studio teacher also demonstrated how to add other architectural features, such as doors, windows and towers. After the first week of construction, the houses were brought to the Clay Studio to be fired. During the next visit, the houses were painted and glazed. The students then wrote poems about their clay houses. The students were then ready for a class trip to the Clay Studio where they would get a tour of the artist-in-residence spaces, the gallery, and the school. They would also remove their Gaudi houses from the kiln. As part of their assessment they were interviewed and videotaped in the 2nd floor gallery space. A fourth grade student conducted the interviews. Students then wrote thank you notes to the Clay Studio that described their experiences. The last part of the unit of study was to put the work on display for an opening reception. Parents and all the students from the small learning community were invited to see the clay houses and perform in an assembly, which was based on the theme of success." What should students know and be able to do? School District of Philadelphia Standards: Visual Arts #1: Understand and apply art media, techniques, and processes. What were students asked to do? In creating the clay house, the student was asked to use the style of Guadi as an inspiration for creating her own house. [The student was then interviewed about her creation by another student.] What story does the work tell? "In this documentation of one student's interview and work sample, the student demonstrates that she has learned to "understand and apply art media, techniques, and process." She has made a clay house and is able to talk about the architecture and the process that the architect goes through in order to create a real building. She then went on to set goals for herself by planning other things she would like to make out of clay. In fact, she did go on to particpate with a community mural and tile mosaic organized by the Clay Studio and art museum. The transcription of the interview between the student and her peer and her caly house clearly show evidence of teaching and learning." How can your analysis guide further instruction? "Here is an example of a performance-based assessment which can be included as part of a showcase portfolio assessment. Using the videotaped interview I am able to expose students to the portfolio process. It is my belief that the portfolio process will enable students to become aware of what they are learning and how they are learning. For the teacher it helps to create a partnership with the students, a partnership where the responsibility for teaching and learning is shared."

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