CLAYPOOL – Claypool fifth-graders embarked on a journey of discovery of space and the moon. Students studied the various phases of the moon, its orbital path in relation to the Earth, as well as how the moon actually affects life on Earth. In addition to the learning in the general classroom, Claypool fifth-graders continued their discovery in the art classroom. Art teacher Andrea Miller collaborated with the fifth-grade teachers to create an art unit that focused on the moon and its phases. As part of the unit, the students worked in teams to design clay models depicting the eight phases of the moon. The models will be fired and glazed and will ultimately be assembled on stands to illustrate the phases of the moon. Miller also focused her lesson on how people across many fields work in conjunction to use information, observation and research. While completing their own moon phase models, the students examined the artwork of James Turrell, an artist who utilizes light and shadows created by the sun and moon in relation to Earth in the works he creates. “As part of the STEM curriculum, it is exciting to see the students experiencing how scientists, artists, and designers work collaboratively to create real, tangible models and prototypes,” said Miller. The fifth-grade students are using their newly acquired knowledge of the moon to enrich the lives of their first-grade reading buddies. The younger Claypool Knights are exploring the phases of the moon by using cookies as visual models to show the different phases.
