Edgewood School is an arts-integrated magnet school with a focus on visual literacy as a school-wide initiative. This approach to visual learning inherently allows, supports and encourages cross-curricular teaching and embraces all types of learners. Our students are provided opportunities throughout the year to visit the many Yale University art museums, which offer rich experiences that build fundamental skills. Our neighborhood/magnet school setting is a rewarding environment, with students coming to school each day from a variety of home circumstances and with differences in academic levels. As a result of these variables, the children have differing levels of background knowledge and life experiences. Teaching through the arts opens the doors and minds to learning opportunities.
There are three main concepts that I want my second grade students to explore throughout this unit: I want them to understand that seeing (or vision) is a process that requires light; I want them to understand how the basic vision process works; and I want them to understand how artists (like themselves) use light and vision in conjunction with each other to create their work. There will be three main areas of focus. The students will experiment with reflection, refraction, and diffusion; they will create a basic model of the exterior and interior of the human eye; and they will work with the interaction of light and vision to create and analyze art.