Telpochcalli

I just taught 3 sessions of the same lesson at Telpochcalli Elementary School. Nicole Marroquin wants us to do a reflection and I though this may be a good place to do it. Make some cross curricular connections.

I taught a lesson using Eric Carle's A Home for Hermit Crab. Our big idea was community/working collaboratively. They made collaborative collages/ paper sculptures. I didn't think the activity was super engaging. I looked online and found an amazing artist Michael Villequette. His work is mind blowing. He constructs these paper collages, paper sculptures, and mixed media works.

Simhasana, 2011 

Clownepillars Too, 2013

  But I don't think I really combined his aesthetic with what we were doing. If I were to do this lesson again I would definitely use elements of his work mainly ideas of symmetry and layering to build up volume.  To do this for the Kinders I would have had precut shapes at differing sizes that they could have readily used along with some of the folding techniques we used this time around. For the 2nd graders I would have really stressed ideas of symmetry and maybe had them make a sketch or just share ideas before we started. The collaboration element could have been better integrated as well. They got that we were working together, but they weren't readily communicating and working as a team.


What went well was engagement. All three groups were into it. They liked that they were using their hands and using a common material in new ways. I think they also liked that I didn't make them do anything, I told them to use the paper any way they liked but to be creative. And I got really creative results.

3rd Grade Shell

Kindergarten Shell

All in all, I had a great time. It makes me want to go back really badly. Also Telpochcalli is an amazing school that really cultivates creativity.