Arts in Academics Grants 2011

Projects selected for Arts in Academics funding for 2011 are:

Total awarded:  $2699

• Joseph L. McCourt Middle School $650 for  "Finding the Positive in the Macabre Facade"  This 8-week unit will open with the study of Gothic architecture and the unique characteristics of the architecture, such as gargoyles and flying buttresses. Students will be shown print and digital (PowerPoints) of Gothic architecture, and books. Models of handmade books and manuscripts will also be shown. The culmination of this project, students will hand make their own books and fill them with poetry about the positive aspects of the McCourt School.

Coventry High School $668 , for "Carnivale Masks" The Foreign Language departments and the art departments collaborate on a unit about Carnivale.  Students study different carnivale celebrations in various countries, esp. Venice Italy, and Rio de Janiero, and then work in teams to create personal Carnivale masks.

Fogarty Memorial School $685 for "Crafts of the Colonial Period"  Fifth grade students will study and produce crafts of the colonial period, in conjunction with visiting craftsmen and docents.  Culminating activities include a visit to Smith's Castle, and a museum gallery where students will act as docents.  

Oakland Beach Elementary School, $696 for "Boom Tube OrchestraInspired by the innovations of Blue Man Group’s performance piece “Drumbone”, sixth grade students will invent instruments using PVC piping and create collaborative performance pieces in both small groups and as a large “Boom Tube Orchestra”. These instruments will be informed by scientific discoveries made by the students researching how sound is created and manipulated using different materials. They will apply math concepts to compose rhythmic sequences and choreograph movement. Ultimately, they will perform for the student body and the community.