Wednesday, October 6, 2010

geometry

sixth grade gets precise


Our dear sixth grade students of Davis Waldorf are in the second block of the year: geometry. We shifted from the organic, amorphous shapes of rocks in the geology block to the precision of geometric lines and shapes. I used the acronym "TLCC" to give structure to the block.

Technique, Language, Construction, and Calculation.

The students are learning proper techniques of using a compass and a straightedge to develop the precision of an architectural draftsman! They are learning the language of shapes, the parts and pieces that describe the points and lines of circles, triangles, and parallelograms. Through constructions, they will continue to hone their drafting skills to create beautiful artistic work. And finally, we will calculate formulas for areas of shapes.

Within the block, I decided to offer them short biographies of Frank Lloyd Wright, Piet Mondrian, and Euclid to give a historical and artistic perspective to geometry.
My chalkboard drawing for the block, called Blue Right Triangle, was inspired by stained glass designs by Frank Lloyd Wright. (If you can tell, I had a hard time letting go of my Mount Lassen drawing so I incorporated a portion of it in the new drawing!)