Specialists Bi-Weekly Update
April 8th 2022
What is happening during WMS specials classes?
Art: 6th, 7th and 8th grade
Technology Education: 6th, 7th and 8th grade
Health: 6th, 7th and 8th grade
Music: 6th and 7th grade
Drama: 8th grade only
Physical Education: 6th, 7th and 8th grade
Orchestra, Band and Chorus: 6th, 7th and 8th grade by student choice
Specials classes meet for 1 term every other day with the exception of physical education; physical education meets every other day all year. There are 4 terms in the school year, so your child will have all four specials by the end of the school year.
Art Class
EXCITING NEWS! The in person Art Show is back at the Watertown Mall this year and coming soon!
Art Show Dates:
Tuesday April 12- Thursday April 28.
Art Show Opening Reception Celebration:
5:00-7:00pm Thursday April 14
WMS JAZZ BAND will be performing at the opening as well!
6th grade: Students continued work on their Animal Projects. With some students completing their Animals and moving on to their Textured Landscape Project. All students chose an Animal that they were excited to learn how to draw and got reference photograph print outs to work from. Students started with Thumbnail Sketches for their Animals project. While looking at photographs of those animals, they broke them down into simple shapes and tried out different compositions until they found a favorite plan. Once students finished their Thumbnail Sketches they had a choice of making their Animals as either: Shaded Pencil, Colored Pencil, Watercolor, Oil Pastel or Collage. Each material had its own set of directions to follow. Students mapped out their animal composition in pencil first so that they had a chance to make edits as needed. Then they moved on to the final material, adding colors, shading and details to both the animal and the background. Students worked hard, and the results are looking quite exciting!
Those that finished with enough time started on the Textured Landscape Project. In our Textured Landscapes we started with Thumbnail Sketches and Reference Images; just like we did in our Animals projects. But then, instead of coloring or shading in our landscapes, we filled different areas of the page with different colored textures to represent each section. Ideally we find textures that make us think of water, wood, wind, rocks, etc. and then we use colors and textures to create this final drawing. The landscapes look AWESOME!!!
Learning Targets: ANIMALS
1. Artists draw realistically by breaking things down into simple shapes first.
I WILL take time to look at the animal image in front of me, SO I CAN identify the simple shapes that make it up, and start to draw my animal from those simple shapes.
2. Artists edit their work, they don’t expect the first thing they draw to look perfect right away.
I WILL take time to look at my paper, compare it to the animal image I’m looking at and be honest with myself about what looks good, and what needs fixing SO I CAN edit, refine and change what’s on my paper, to match what I’m seeing.
Learning Targets: TEXTURED LANDSCAPES
1. Artists use texture to guide the viewer’s experience and impressions of what they see within the artwork.
I WILL carefully choose textures that characterize the essence of the objects I am trying to represent.
2. Artists use textures to imply colors without coloring things in solidly.
I WILL carefully choose textures that characterize the essence of the color blocks within my landscape.
7th grade: Students continued work on their Mandala Projects. Students first researched Mandalas and chose some favorite inspiration images. Then they tried out a few different ideas in Thumbnail Sketches before moving on to their Rough and Final Draft. Rough Drafts map out the structure of the Mandala in pencil first and then in either black or colored ink. Final Drafts follow a Color Scheme that applies the Color Theory ideas we’ve learned from our Color Wheel work.
Students have a “final material” option of using Marker, Colored Pencil, Watercolors or Oil Pastels. These Mandalas are often complex, beautiful and so colorful. They are always a favorite display board!
Learning Target: MANDALAS
1. I can apply what I know about Color Theory to make my viewer notice specific things about my artwork.
2. I can apply what I learned from Zentangles to create complex patterns by fitting shapes together in interesting ways.
8th grade: Students continued work on their Photorealistic Portrait Projects this week. Students first learned a basic 4-box grid and how to use their analyzing skills to draw a portrait based on a photograph of their choosing. First they started by mapping out the head, neck and shoulders outlines. From there, we moved on to mapping out the features guidelines and then individual features. It’s most important to map out the eyes first, as all other features placement relies on the placement of the eyes. Many students find it easier to map out the placement of the features first and then to go back and make specific edits to make each feature more closely resemble what they see in their reference photograph afterwards. Students work hard throughout this process and usually end up with portraits they are quite proud of!
Learning Target: PORTRAITS
I can use gridding and other drawing “tricks” to analyze my portrait reference image and draw a pretty realistic version of that image. I will refine and change what is on my page as necessary until I have an image that captures the essence of my portrait.
Music/Drama
Technology Education
6th grade: This week students are wrapping up the term exploring Bridge Designer Software, competing to see who can build the least expensive bridge simulation that holds a moving truck. It is a great FREE software developed by The Army Corps of Engineers at West Point. You can download it at home if you would like to. Here is the link. https://bridgedesigner.org/download/
The students really seem to enjoy it! Have a great 4th term!
7th grade: This week students finished launching their team built rockets out in Moxley Field. Some fantastic designs, and soaring flights. It has been a ‘blast’! Have a great 4th term!
8th grade: This week students continued working with their Lego Mindstorms robotics kits and programming software, putting into practice their understanding of the concepts of Inputs, Processing, and Outputs as they relate to the mechanical and communications systems models.
They have also formed teams and been hard at work on their final design challenge, the Candy Challenge, which poses the problem of navigating a timed obstacle course to collect as many rounds of candy as possible. As a team, they are taking what they have learned through some ‘out of the box’ mini-challenge lessons and designed, built, and programmed a custom solution to hopefully solve the course! Have a great 4th term!
Health
6th grade: Last week students shared their self-image slides with one another. We played a fun guessing game for which slide belonged to which student. Having a positive self-image is the foundation for healthy decision making! Decision making was the final unit of the term; students practiced the 3 C’s process when making a decision. Looking forward to having all 6th grade students next year in Health Class!
7th grade: We have spent the end of the term comparing and contrasting the three gateway drugs students learned about this term (nicotine, alcohol and marijuana). The theme for all three gateway drugs is that they harm the developing brain and can lead to other more dangerous drug use. The topic of gateway drugs connects directly to the 8th grade Health curriculum that all 7th grade students will participate in next year.
8th grade: Students continued their projects around decision making. They were given four different project options to choose from; each student chose a project option that shows their strengths! On the last day of the term, students were able to play the online games that one another created around decision making.
Physical Education
THIS WEEK IN PE: PLEASE BRING A REUSABLE WATER BOTTLE TO CLASS!!
Orchestra
All City Orchestra meets on Tuesday evenings from 4:30 - 5:30 at WHS. This group is open to students in grades 4 - 6. We work on music together as a large ensemble.
Chorus
Band
Library
Contact the Specialists
Art: karen.stern@watertown.k12.ma.us
Technology Education: matthew.loughran@watertown.k12.ma.us
Health: nicole.lewis@watertown.k12.ma.us
Music, Drama and Chorus: abigail.varsos@watertown.k12.ma.us
Physical Education: thomas.johnson@watertown.k12.ma.us and/or shannon.mclaughlin@watertown.k12.ma.us
Orchestra: macullen.byham@watertown.k12.ma.us
Band: maxwell.thew@watertown.k12.ma.us
Library: breana.cole@watertown.k1.ma.us