Making LEAP CONNECTions!
By Ms. Mia, Ms. Boyce and our team of excellent classroom staff and students!
I’ve had the pleasure of working with Jenny Boyce for years and, as a team, we are determined to inject joy into our teaching while making sure that our learning is relevant and rich in arts and academic content. Students in Jenny’s class are tasked with completing the LEAP CONNECT, an alternative state test. Testing presents many challenges for ALL students. We wanted to create access points and reduce barriers for our students by bringing in arts-integration to overhaul the usual test-prep lessons.
We’ve spent time looking at specific test-prep questions and breaking them down to their most tangible pieces to bring a clear and developmentally appropriate learning objective in to integrate with our ongoing arts objectives. By bringing in familiar arts vocabulary, elements, and mediums- we can help students feel confident and successful as they deepen their understanding of challenging concepts. As always, we ask the questions “What does success look like for each student as they approach these lessons?” and we make sure that it’s clear to everyone working together.
3D shapes Paper Collaborative Sculptures
Description: Getting students familiar with the idea of NET SHAPES that appear multiple times on the LEAP CONNECT. Understanding 2D v. 3D shapes. Using 3D Shapes to create collaborative paper sculptures.
Access Points; Textured options for nets- foam. Solid shapes for 3D shapes for low-vision students and students that sometimes crush or rip paper materials.
Area (increase and Decrease) Collage
Description: Introducing grids and using hands-on learning (post-its) to respond to problems using our grids. We repeat the same steps using texture papers and cloth bits on our grids. We use collage often in class and students are familiar with the act of creating a new and unique work of art from putting things together. We can then look at our artwork to determine and increase or decrease in materials.
Access Points: Laminated grids and velcro laminated post-its for students that need raised pieces and sturdier materials. Multiple adhesive options. Sticky dots, glue sticks (x-large), white glue and paint brushes.
