Academy Park High School
Student Teacher: Brigid McCartan
Cooperating Teacher: Katrina Rakowski
Lesson #1: Public Art Project
Through this project, students learned about the importance of art that is accessible to everyone. Students considered how artwork can relate to the place in which it lives and created their own concept for a public art piece for their neighborhood. They created smaller models of their ideas and explored the process of planning out large-scale art pieces.
Rebecca, Clay, flowers
Lesson #2: Ephemeral Art Project
This lesson introduced students to a new type of art form: ephemeral art. The students created their own ephemeral art project and photographed it, so the artwork will live on through the photograph. They could use natural materials (sticks, leaves, plants), food, or things from their home that have to be put back right away. The result of their projects was some sort of sculpture or scene that they could take a picture of. This lesson encouraged students to think creatively about material outside of the typical art mediums. This assignment emphasized that art can be made out of anything, and that art doesn’t have to last forever.
Jessica, Flowers, leaves, rocks (Full piece and detail)
Lesson #3: Happy Place Project
This lesson allowed students to consider the places and activities that make them feel safe, happy, at ease and bring them joy. Whether it is a physical space or a mental space, students were able to conceptualize their “happy place” through creating an artwork. Students were introduced to how color and abstraction can communicate complex emotions and ideas through creating a collage of images and abstracting it using colors and forms they associate with positive feelings.
Jaheem, Digital
Makiyah, Digital
Mikayla, Digital
Rahim, Digital
Jakair, Digital
Victoria, Digital
Lesson #4: Dutch Barn Stars
This lesson taught students about symmetry in art through learning about a Pennsylvania Dutch art form. This lesson allowed them to practice using symmetry in an art piece. Students saw examples of symmetry in Pennsylvania Dutch barn stars. The main intention of this lesson was to teach students about symmetry, but introducing them to Pennsylvania Dutch barn stars also allowed students to see the cultural and religious importance of artistic decoration, an art form known as Folk Art. They learned about art that is not just made to be displayed to the public, but art that is made to be lived with and for personal use.
Jamir, Digital
Makayla V, Crayon
Brigid McCartan
TYL ‘21, Painting with Art Education concentration
Hello! I have been so blessed to spend time teaching the art student at Academy Park High School. Though we had to be in the "virtual classroom", I have LOVED teaching these students. I believe in the arts as an integral part of a complete education. The arts endow students with creative thinking and problem-solving skills, and the art classroom is a space to foster individuality and exploration. My visual note reflects the joy I've gotten from my students and such a wonderful student teaching experience!
Brigid McCartan’s visual note