SESSION ONE: NOVEMBER 7, 2007

 

A few very useful websites:

 

 Creative Commons Flickr Site (see the copyright license). These folks Share!

 

 

AMAZING PROGRAM IDEAS AT ARTS LIT

 

The first wednesday was getting to know the students and understanding the project. I tried using language around the project that open so that students could have their own vision. I spoke about "Theater arts" which some interpreted as plastic arts rather than performing arts -- set design, however, is a plastic art. There was very little response to Puerto Rico as the theme that would hold the work together. I couched the them as a natural response to the visiting artists that our school would have during the year -- the Bomba dancer, yeah! Lydia Perez, and the cuatro maker/Taino expert.

 

 

We had theater based prompts-- (what is theater should be answered next time and brainstorm a list of possible products).

What we did --

1. We played the common ground game.

 

 

 

2. We played strike a pose of an image people will recognize and name. Then we changed it to "strike a pose of an emotinal situation that we can narrate." I did not use those exact words. Melissa and I modeled. I was a scowling, finger pointing person and she cringed and hide behind a chair.  Students were very imaginative with this exercise and I want to repeat it. They said things like -- that is a parent yelling at their child who hides -- that's at home, that's at school, etc. They became very animated and involved in the imaginative process.

 

 

3. We played imagine you are an animal -- great your partner across from you from that point of view.

 

 

Then we settled back into our chairs and brainstormed what we already know about Puerto Rico (a commonwealth, no voting rights, an island, vieques bombing, etc.).

 

I think I would like students to choose an area to research and make a wiki about that area. They will need to partner. That's just a thought I'm having now and the wiki needs to be protected.

 

We finished by journal writing: What you liked and would like to do again. What worked for you. What questions do you have? What do you know about Puerto Rico, what would you like to learn.

 

I want to work more on theater the next class. we will return to the poses exercise but work out more emotional content. Students will use writing and be very reflective about their choices. I will begin the session talking about theater productions and use Enchanted Theater's presentation as a model -- Sam and the Tigers (2006-2007 at Zanetti).

 

I want to find a Puerto Rican story to create a readers theater for students to interpret in small groups.

 

Does anyone have the story of the Coqui in English?

 

 

SESSION TWO: NOVEMBER 14, 2007

 

Students will practice emotional poses again; They will write briefly about the scenario.

We will discuss theater.

They will brainstorm topics of Puerto Rico that they would like to research.

We will go to the library and begin. research.

 

(this may actually be session Three)

 

SESSION TWO --WHAT REALLY HAPPENED (not going to go into behavior management issues here, just what was accomplished)

 

Exercise -- Students played the name game == many students were too shy to find an adjective to describe themselves, let alone strike a pose.  However, some students really rose to the occasion (there was a bad atmosphere all along and it felt high risk).

 

Then I read The Golden Flower (very distractedly I might add). And handed students their scripts.

 

It was a very challenging for most of the students but every group but one presented on stage in the gym.

 

There is a group that still needs to present.

 

Students need more routine, more practice, and awareness of their own responsibilites.

 

 

 

 

 SESSIONS THREE AND FOUR:

   These are sketchy because I'm just now getting to them and we had snow days, bus cancellations, doctors appointments, etc.  Olivera and I are working together at this point. I have stopped theater arts activities. They were not well controlled, the group wasn't safe and  they weren't taking it seriously. I hope to return to these  theater  skits  again  because it will help those students who want to be  on stage but behavior has to be respectful.  See again

AMAZING PROGRAM IDEAS AT ARTS LIT

 

 

I am supposing that Enchanted Circle will come in and do that work.

 

Now we have spent two weeks  on research. I have gathered a lot of books from area libraries --in my name! so they need to be returned in a few weeks and students have been writing in their journals and drawing about what they find.

I liked the writing and drawing and SHARING.

They should be instructing each other in what they are learning.

 

I have copied several images from books and Olivera and I will create a timeline.

Columbus, Taino stone etchings, the firehouse,  Carnival, etc. This will really be challenging.

I do not see this as easily replicated for classrooms. It could be something that is checked out of the library eventually.

 

After the timeline is done, students should do some writing (I am so for writing- it's ridiculous)> They should write what they are thinking now about their knowledge of Puerto Rico -- KWL.

 

Then share. >>>>>>>>>tp 12/29/07 Also, we need to consider what kind of support will they need. Do we need to offer them a list of websites? a powerpoint presentation? etc.

 

EARLY JANUARY SESSIONS

 

 

By early January (dates getting confusing as note =taking slowed in the chaos of the more than full time day job!

By early January students had begun to show a preference for certain research topics. Some girls (mostly) were really taken with School activities and social events that would occur in any playground -- songs that  would be sung, games played.

 

SCHOOLYARD as a topic developed.  Other students were writing and drawing about coquis, parrots, vegetation, and EL YUNQUE became an obvious topic.

One session students were asked (E2) to brainstorm ideas around what a scene would look like that depicted El Yunque. Words like: Green, leaves, moving plants, streamers, coquis, parrots, etc. were written on  large paper -- group members all contributed from looking at the notes and thinking.

 

We developed several "Scenes" this way.    

 

 

 

 

The following session we went back to writing.

Students  wrote DIAMANTE poems using the vocabulary developed from  a brainstorm around words for the  Ocean in Puerto Rico. The poems were practiced as  presentations.  Everyone had to at least treat us with one word.

 

I am hoping to use photographs tomorrow with prompts --

here's a very rough draft

 

 

Writing Scenarios   We never got around to this. Keep it in mind for a future prompt. 2/2/08 tp

 

 

 

 

 

 

FROM AN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

You are writing the Queen of Spain, the year is                        , you are explaining why it is important that you stay in Puerto Rico, why Puerto Rico is a great island to keep as Spains.

 

 

 

 

 

 

You are a Taino Indian who wants to convince The Spanish to go home. You remind them of all that you find beautiful..

 

 

 

 

 

 

FROM A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE

You were born in Puerto Rico but moved to New York. You still miss Puerto Rico. Write a letter to your Abuela in Puerto Rico about the things you miss and why she should let you come and live with her. Use details as if you remember things very clearly. (this was scratched, too. ) so this wiki is often a brainstorming space and not by any means definitive.

 

 

 

What We Have Been Doing

 

We met with Priscilla of Enchanted Circle and she encouraged us to keep them exploring issues, writing, drawing, painting, thinking about where we want to go. Olivera has created excellent templates which help students write -- she used abc teach for many of them and we are tweaking according to topic.

 

Meeting week of 1/21 They had a choice of Diamante Poems -- more on a PR topic or write a letter to someone living in the US about Puerto Rico. Why they should come to PR.

 

Week of 1/28  Students in E2 were given the fixings for a Timeline from 1100 (taino) to 2000 (vieques and voting issues).

at the end of class they wrote in their journals. They worked together to put the timeline pieces together then presented their piece. Many of them wanted to read thier card, but they were encouraged to think what it meant and talk about it rather than read it.

 

E1 students were given pictures to write about. First we modeld in a group setting how to create the word bank using montessori symbols for noun, verb, adverb, and adjective . This was very successful.

Then they created their own word banks in their journals. They will use these to write next week.

 

Before our next meeting we will spend sometime looking at their journals. We are also putting together scenes - - Dance and Readings.

Scenes:

 

Rain Forest                    BEACH                    SCHOOL YARD                   

 

END OF MARCH

Our scenes are planned, our script is in draft one form, and we a re ready to begin making scenery.

 

WOW --IT'S THE END OF MARCH.

We HAVE CHOREOGRAPHED THE DANCES.

WE ARE MAKING THE VEJIGANTE MASKS>or is it vijegante?

WE WROTE A SCRIPT  (together with students we created a "Palabrapedia" or words using MOntessori symbols for the part of speech. STudents then crafted Diamante poems and other verses, paragraphs, etc.

 

THESE ACTIVITES HAVE MEANT THAT EACH AFTERSCHOOL WORKSHOP STUDENTS WERE MAKING ART or WRITING or DANCING or Both or Some of these activities.

 

Instructions to making the masks.

 

Plastic faces were covered with grey modeling clay.

ALuminum foil covered the grey smooth clay.

Modge Podge paper strips were layered (3) over the masks.

ALuminum foil added and re paper mached to make horns or coqui eyes.

 

The masks will be cut free, painted, and made performance ready.