Abstract Art

Earlier on this year, Room 24 viewed the awesome artwork of the students in Huzzah, a class in British Colombia.  They entitled their work "Eye Candy" - and we thought it looked pretty scrumptious.  Three weeks later, we saw some more artwork that was almost identical to Huzzah's Eye Candy.  This time it was called "Blob Art" and it was the stunning work of the students in Room 6 @ Halcombe School, New Zealand.  

We'd thought about doing some pieces of our own after seeing Huzzah's masterpieces but after seeing the powerful finished products of Room 6 we decided it was time to stop thinking and start doing.  With two classes artwork in front of us, we had the privilege of being able to spend some time examining and analysing what was before us.  

We highlighted what different techniques both classes used to make their art effective before reaching a consensus as to what we were going to incorporate into our compositions.  What an opportunity it was to exercise our Habits of Mind and higher order thinking skills!  We decided on the name "Abstract Art" for our creations because while we were viewing the other classes' work many of us commented how we could see different things in the various pieces.

We'd like to thank both Huzzah and Room 6 for their inspiration.

What does our Abstract Art remind you of?

What is an art project that you've completed recently that you're proud of?

Do you have a favourite artist or favourite style of art?

Tech Challenge

In the last week, Room 24 have completed two Technology Challenges; the Ball Grabber and the Balloon Snatcher.

Tech Challenges are fun tasks where teams of two are give a scenario and need to solve a problem using simple materials.  The teams need to design, develop and test their solutions.  The most effective and efficient solution wins!

Congratulations to Georgia and Kadin who have made it through to the School Tech Challenge!

What Habits of Mind are needed to be successful when designing and developing?

Do you have a similar competition in your school?  What solutions have you created in your competitions?

Koru Art

This week, we are celebrating te reo Maori me nga tikanga, that is Maori language and culture.  


To begin our week, we created pieces of KORU Art. In Maori culture, the koru (typically seen on a fern frond) symbolises new life and growth.


We used the art techniques of silhouette and and symmetry.  Don't the finished pieces look stunning!

How do you celebrate native cultures in your class?

What pieces of art have you completed recently?

Guest Post by Brooke: Challenge - Class Literacy

During literacy our reading groups sometimes get the opportunity to make origami. Our learning intention is to follow new, written instructions interdependently.

We asked a few students from our class, how they felt about this project. They answered, “our challenge is folding accurate lines and following the instructions.”

To overcome this challenge we are measuring, and if not successful restarting, and making accurate folds.

Have you made Origami animals or objects before?
What Habits of Mind did you use?