By Meredith Forbes, Live It Learn It volunteer and MEd candidate at GMU
Take a walk through the halls of the National Gallery of Art, stare up into the night sky at the Smithsonian’s planetarium, or go on a scavenger hunt through the Botanic Gardens, and suddenly a tall granite sculpture, or bright star in space, or ordinary green fern, becomes a library of inquiry and learning for young children. This was my observation this past month visiting community resources across Washington, D.C. with DCPS students and teachers as a Live It Learn It volunteer.
Students sketch their favorite of Calder's "Animobiles" at the National Gallery of Art.
For a pre-service teacher like myself, it’s a beautiful sight to walk through the doors of the East wing of the National Gallery of Art and hear the chattering sounds of 17 fifth grade boys quickly turn into excited oohs and ahhs at the sight of Alexander Calder's 76-foot-long mobile suspended from the ceiling. “Wow, it looks like a dinosaur!” one student exclaims. Empowered with knowledge of the elements of art and sculpture from their pre-lesson, Mrs. Hardy’s fifth grade boys from Randle Highlands Elementary School spend the morning being artists, mathematicians, and explorers.
After studying masks at the National Museum of African Art, students create a mask of their own.
As a Live It Learn It volunteer, I have witnessed firsthand the powerful
impact of learning outside the classroom, and have met some amazing
kids and teachers. As a future teacher, Live It Learn It has reinforced
my commitment to teach in under-served schools in Washington, D.C., and
spread the Live It Learn It philosophy of learning through experience
to my future students.
The end of the school year is bittersweet, especially as we say goodbye to the majority of our 5th grade students.* After completing two years of programming with Live It Learn It, Randle Highlands Elementary School 5th graders are gearing up for the transition to middle school. We have greatly enjoyed getting to know them, learning alongside of them, and watching them grow into mature, thoughtful individuals. We are proud of you (and the students at all of our other partner schools too)!
*Only 6th graders at DC's education campuses currently participate in Live It Learn It.
Here is a snapshot of some of what these kids have lived and learned over the past two years:
Nov 2010: interpreting a Lakota Winter Count at the National Museum of the American Indian
Feb 2011: studying plant life at the US Botanic Garden
Nov 2011: constructing a geodesic dome at the National Building Museum
June 2012: analyzing sculptures at the National Gallery of Art
We also asked a few students to reflect on their experiences with Live It Learn It, and share what they are looking forward to about middle school in the fall. In their own words...
5th
grade students from Turner ES recently took an amazing Pathways to Professions
trip to the Washington National Cathedral. Engineers from Keast & Hood Co.,
working with the Cathedral’s head mason, provided an exclusive, private tour
through the Cathedral – where students looked at recent earthquake damage and
traveled all the way to the stone gutters high above the ground! Thanks so much to Keast
& Hood for this once-in-a-lifetime experience! Below are photos of
students’ memorable day – and a description of the experience from our allies
at Keast & Hood.
Turner Elementary students pose with Keast & Hood engineers and Head Mason for the Cathedral
by Laura Burke, Structural engineer, Keast & Hood Co.
When you hear the word "engineer," what comes to mind? A nerd to the core? Dorky glasses? A passion for math and
science? Students from Turner Elementary School recently ascended almost
30 stories to discover just what engineering is all about. Young
engineers from Keast & Hood Co. led students on an incredible journey through the Washington National Cathedral. Students were introduced to architecture (how the building looks), structural engineering (how the building stands), and even what happens to a stone masonry building (The Washington National Cathedral) during an earthquake.
Posing under one of the Cathedral's bells with the Head Mason
The tour kicked off as Head Mason Joe Alonso guided
students through the construction history (yes, Darth Vader is in indeed carved
on the building exterior!) and the earthquake exhibit at the Cathedral. From there students had nowhere to go but
up, literally! Looking out over the District of Columbia, the natural trepidation experienced by
the students, and even some engineers, of ascending almost 30 stories was
surpassed by the awe and excitement felt by all the
students. Students also learned about the wider world of Keast and Hood's structural engineering projects --- from disaster relief in
Haiti to renovations of the New York Statue of Liberty. Who would have
imagined!?
A student poses in front of an old model of the Cathedral
Students bravely climb a very high winding staircase
"The Cathedral was a perfect opportunity for students to learn about building design and construction. Whether it was a damaged gargoyle display, pictures of the cathedral during construction or looking out over a wall at 200 feet in the air (!), the students got to experience and learn about construction in a very dramatic and exciting way. It was great to see students be excited about math and science at such a young age. I know my experiences at the Cathedral will stay with me for a long time; I expect that the kids’ day will last just the same." Leslie Morris, Structural engineer, Keast & Hood Co.
An engineer shows a student the earthquake damage while standing in one of the Cathedral's gutters
"It is a common understanding in structural engineering that our best work is usually hidden from the public and therefore much of our work goes unnoticed. However, the exact opposite was true when we were able to take students from Turner Elementary School to the National Cathedral. I practically felt like a rock star with the level of interest and amazement the students had for the earthquake damage at the Cathedral. It was truly an awesome experience to see the students' minds light up when we talked and showed them how structural engineering was helping fix the Cathedral." Chris Johnson, Structural engineer, Keast & Hood Co.
As a part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, the Freer and Sackler Galleries unveiled a special exhibition titled "Hokusai: 36 Views of Mount Fuji." Hokusai, arguably Japan's most famous artist, created these landscape prints using the ancient technique of woodblock printing. 6th graders from Wheatley Education Campus had the chance to visit the gallery with Live It Learn It to analyze Hokusai's work, discuss recurring themes, and ponder the importance of Mt. Fuji.
But that's not all! Thanks to the education department at Freer & Sackler, the students also had the opportunity to work with the well-known woodblock printmaker Keiji Shinohara.
Mr. Shinohara shows a student the best technique for rubbing the print.
Mr. Shinohara spoke with the students about how he learned the art of woodblock printing, and described the technique he uses to create his prints. Unlike most woodblock artists, he does all parts of the process himself by hand.
After watching Mr. Shinohara demonstrate, students tried their hand at making their own prints.
A student waits her turn to try printing an image.
Students help each other to remember each step of the process.
Success!
Following the trip, a few students shared their favorite part of the day...
