PYP Grade 3 Explores Art

Classes 3,1 and 3,2 spent our Thursday at the Art Museum of China. We explored the many exhibitions and had the opportunity to use the knowledge from our current unit: How We Express Ourselves.

Our central idea for this unit is: Images may communicate ideas and information. In our previous exploration of our unit, we have learned a lot about different types of images as well as how they are used. We know that images can be static or moving, and that each image has an idea or information that it is trying to communicate.

The purpose of our field trip was to build upon our prior knowledge by observing images and putting into practice our understanding of these two lines of inquiry:

– How design elements of images are linked to communication

– How we interpret and respond to images

At the museum, we observed many different types of images, namely paintings, statues and sculptures. Our students’ task was to choose three images that really impacted them. With each image, they identified the medium, major design elements, and they wrote their interpretation of the meaning. They also discussed the images they chose with a partner in order to practice being open-minded. The concept of perspective is key to this unit, so it was great for us to share and respect different perspectives.

Our students and teachers really appreciated the opportunity to experience art outside of the classroom. We were able to make significant connections from our classroom learning to the outside world. In addition, viewing art pieces and art exhibitions in the real world will help prepare our students for their Summative Assessment task, set to begin next week. For the task, each student will create an image with a particular message/meaning and display it in a class Art Exhibition. Other students will be invited to observe their work and to share and discuss their different perspectives. We are excited to see how our students will display their learning!