Dividing Our Days Into Fractions

5th Grade, Math, Visual Art
Ms. Chiarizio / Mrs. Thompson

Mrs. Thompson’s 5th grade math students have been working to integrate fractions into the creation of self-portraits. On a planning sheet, students computed the hours of their days, corresponding fractions, and brainstormed the sights, sounds, tastes, smells, and feelings of each part of their day. After sectioning off watercolor paper into fractions – each inch of a 9”x12” represents 1/12th or two hours of their day – they sketched in objects and textures to represent their mornings, afternoons, and evenings. Each segment was then painted with watercolors or colored with colored pencils or markers. To contrast the bright colors of their visual timeline, we used a photo stencil to trace and cut out their silhouettes from black paper and glued them to the background of their days. Finally, students composed a “Where I’m From” poem and wrote the poem on their silhouette in white pencil.

I learned so much from working with my students on this project, from how to better give directions and how much time is actually needed for students to create work they are proud of, to the way a project can vary depending on how the students have interpreted the prompts and made decisions in their unique creative processes. More importantly, as a grade level, we learned about some of the big and small details that make up our day-to-day lives. Mrs. Thompson’s students were able to share a window into where they are from and what makes them who they are.