Integrating the Visual Arts into Math!

This year my class had the opportunity to study the different types of lines and shapes of artist Wassily Kandinsky to launch our geometry unit in math. We then created our own Kandinsky inspired mural as a class. I choose to post this artwork because it represents what I want to incorporate more of into my classroom; cooperative, fun,engaging,cross-curricular, differentiated and thought provoking learning. Here are the math objectives for this lesson:

Objectives:

·    Students will be able to describe the location of an object relative to another(above, below, next to) and identify 2D geometric figures (circle, triangle,etc.)regardless of their position and orientation in space.

  

·    Students will compare the size and shape of 2D geometric shapes.

    This project was so much fun and the students became very familiar with using attributes to describe shapes and lines such as horizontal, vertical, straight, above, below and next to. This also gave the students the opportunity to work collaboratively as artists. When we all finished placing the construction paper that we cut to be various colors, sizes and shapes we took a step back and decided as a class on the composition of the piece whether our shapes should be more spread out,condensed or shift up,down left or right. Finally the students named their art work " Shape City" and it was hung in the hallway with the following challenge to those passing by:

Can you describe the quantity, size, color and shape of the objects? Try using this sentence to help you:

I see ____________,        ________,  ________,  _______

    (quantity- how many)        (size)          (color)       (shape)

Can you find

  

       one                        medium               yellow                   circle?

     (quantity)                  (size)                  (color)                  (shape)