Exploring How Artists Might Have Impacted the Underground Railroad

Inspired by the coded message songs sung and passed through the generations by escaping slaves, and the story told by Ozella McDaniels Williams about the use of quilts as a means to communicate messages on the Underground Railroad, 5th graders created coded message quilt designs.

We first worked on paper and then manipulated a jpeg image in the Mac Pages program to create mathematical translations, reflections (flips) and rotations (with 90 degree angles.) The excitement and visual rhythm created by repeating and changing our images was felt by us all!

Exploring the Magical Art of Printmaking

Third graders excitedly try their hand at bubble prints, shaving cream swirled papers and vegetable prints! 

At the bubble station...Step 1- blow bubbles

Step 2- create your monoprint

Repeat with multiple colors!

Our printmaking guru? Student teacher Ms. Johnson! 

This is just our first step as she prepares us to make collaged accordion books. 

Creating a shaving cream monoprint

Our inspiration artists? Ezra Keats and Eric Carle!