The fourth graders have begun a design and engineering adventure in art class, beginning their fourth grade circus projects. This STEAM task involves problem-solving, design, collaboration, integration of technology and endless creativity.
In art class, the students viewed videos of the artist Alexander Calder's Circus, a collection of handcrafted wire figurines and sets that he packed in suitcases and would "perform" for audiences. The fourth grade artists were charmed by the carefully crafted gymnasts, lions, horses and acrobats that they saw and soon were brimming with ideas for their own creations.
The project began by undertaking a design challenge, in which each student was tasked with using one piece of wire (no cutting allowed!) to create a figure with a head, torso, two legs and two arms, which would stand. At first the students were a little puzzled, but as they began to try things out, shouts of "I got it!" and "Look, look!!" could be heard around the room, as they created solutions to the task. We discussed how no two figures looked alike and how there is often more than one valid response to a design challenge.
The next class, the fourth graders were asked to create a two- or four-legged animal using wire, beads and buttons. As the students have become more adept at bending and fastening the wire and balancing their figures, more materials have been added to their repertoire. They are now using felt, pipe cleaners, pom-poms, popsicle sticks, string and more to create expressive figures and animals for their circus.
As the project continues, the students will work in groups to build sets for their circus acts, incorporate Little Bits electronic circuits in Science class, write scripts and record their circus performances. Stay tuned to hear more about this exciting upcoming project.
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