In this Grade 3 unit of inquiry, we explored the wonderful shapes and forms of Isamu Noguchi. Building on our previous inquiry into color and color schemes, students created 2D abstract compositions using an analogous color scheme. We also explored how 2D forms can be transformed into 3D ones.

Students began by selecting a range of analogous colors from colored paper, cutting out abstract shapes, and arranging them into a composition on each side. We were looking at how we create balance and rhythm in our compositions.

Then, we cut our pieces to transform the 2D compositions into 3D sculptures. Due to the fact that the sculptures had legs, the students referred to them as creatures, which livened up the project a bit. The "creatures" were installed in a hallway by the school atrium.

Our final step was to draw the completed sculptures using a different color scheme and adding a contrasting background. This was a great project to allow the students to explore color and color relationships in a variety of forms.

I've become intrigued with how our brain remembers color. There's lots of neurological research about how our brain processes color, but not much about how we remember it. This was the leaping off point for the current project with the grade 5's called Sky Jars. We created a jar of color that evoked a memory of the color of the sky from a favorite memory. Students were challenged with remembering and then recreating that color.

First we did a thinking routine about our summer to visualize the memory, the sky, and its color. then, using food coloring, we mixed primary colors into jars. Finally, we labelled each jar with information about the memory (place, time, and memory). The best part was naming the color; Students were challenged to come up with names that evoked the memory or place without naming the color. We ended up with Buckingham Sky, Rocky Mountain Haze, and Trouble Brewing.

After installing the artwork in the atrium, students completed a "Looking Ten-times-Two" thinking routine. This allowed them to reflect on their creating process, as well as how their memories came to form part of a larger artwork. For the past two weeks its been great to watch people walk by, stop, and read the memories.