"My Fathers Dragon" -Arts Integrated Curriculum and Inaugural Student Art Installation at the Charleston Gaillard Center

It started with a book.

While  reading aloud, the children were permitted to freely draw what the heard. They drew everything from characters and back pack items to conflicts, actions and beautiful island settings.

 

After sketching, drawing and painting characters, the lower elementary students  created a background and collaged the setting of story using prepainted textured paper.  

Below is a chapter 1 and 2 illustration, of  the cat telling Elmer about the captured dragon.

The upper elementary worked in groups to create a set posters and character puppets. They then wrote their own versions of scripts for each chapter  to perform the book for our primary children. 

Hursey students performing "My Fathers Dragon" for Primary students

Upper Elementary read the book independently and they all received their own copies. They all made clay dragons in their own style. Kris Manning http://www.feralcreative.com was our guest artist and came to help us with the faces and personalities of our dragons.

 

Kris Manning, http://www.feralcreative.com visiting artist made her own version of "My Fathers Dragon" before she came to work with us!

A few finished dragons...

Below are photos of  both schools being seated for the puppetry and theater magic of "My Father's Dragon" perfectly performed  by  the Enchantment Theater Company at the Charleston Gaillard Center. The Charleston Gaillard education initiative hosts all Title One schools to the show and transportation! We  brought approximately 500 students on 8 buses!

                                                                     M.C. Hursey Elementary

Murray LaSaine Elementary 

After the show, the private tour of their own art exhibit

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Moultrie News:

https://www.moultrienews.com/news/gaillard-center-announces-charleston-gaillard-education-initiative-inaugural-student-art/article_6f854620-31cf-11e8-a90e-9fa66cbfe554.html


It was, and is an honor to be a part of the Charleston Gaillard education initiative to create more arts infused opportunities for engaged learning experiences for ALL children.

The students are so grateful!

Hursey Students Visit Columbia; Arts Integration through History and Experiences

Hursey students traveled to Columbia to tour the South Carolina State House and the Columbia Museum of Art.

The State House tour was such a great experience for the students to see and hear brief history of the building and the Civil War . The artwork inside the State House was amazing! It should be classified as a historical art gallery on it's own.  The students were fortunate to have been able to work through how a bill passes to a law, and spend time in the Senate and the House chambers.  As we exited the tour we walked into the relief sculpture monument of the African American civil rights leaders and their accomplishments. It was beautiful! We were so blessed to be able to visit Columbia this year!

A huge THANK YOU to the Columbia Museum of Art for granting us the opportunity for free admission and some financial assistance with our charter buses through their "Access for All" grant.

Henri Matisse- Jazz and Poetry on Paper at the Columbia Museum of Art

Did you know that African American soldiers in France during WW1 Introduced Jazz to the French? Matisse used the Jazz influence to create his poetry on paper series. 

When we returned to school...

Drawing with scissors