Creative Arts Fall 2009

The most diverse creative arts offering of any middle school in the city: a three hour arts period for meaningful creative experiences and that allows us to take advantage of the city's vast cultural and artistic resources.

Our current semester Creative Arts Program offerings:

1. Why are Famous Artists Famous? Students will work individually or in groups to study artists whose works are on view at the Metropolitan Museum or the Museum of Modern Art and create portfolios and powerpoint presentations.

2. Integrated Arts By combining the Tues/Thurs writing class with the Friday arts class, Integrated Arts will explore the link between original creative work and polished performance practice. The idea is to use the Tues/Thurs class to study creative writing as it applies to other art forms such as music, theater, or multi-media; the Friday class will be broken into three one-hour segments, focusing on a) Music Theory and Ear Training b) Choral Singing, and c) Improvisational Theater. The goal of the course will be to use the works created in the writing class to then compose songs, perform theater scenes, etc., in the performance class. Depending on our progress, we can either focus on simple songs and scenes, or larger works such as creating our own (short) musical. Through collaboration, students will have the opportunity to find their own strengths and weakness within the larger creative process, and have an open forum to contribute any ideas or skills that may improve the projects.

3. Environmental Art This course on Environmental art will provide a path through which students can be explorers of the environment - interpreting the natural world in a creative and artistic manner. Throughout this class, students will learn about the role that individuals play in shaping their landscapes and the possible consequences that these activities pose to the environment. This course will explore a variety of different environmental art forms, spanning from Native American rock petroglyphs from 700 A.D. to contemporary Land Art that uses bulldozers to reshape places in nature. Students will explore how different environmental forces and elements, such as sun, water, and rocks, can be used as tools to create innovative works of art. Whether brewing homemade paint dye from herbs and berries or designing sculptures form recycled material, students will recognize how art can serve as an important message for environmental sustainability. The course will conclude with a final art project, in which the students will design a work of art that reflects their individual relationship to the environment. 

4. Science Fiction Film The course will focus on classic and contemporary science fiction. We will read a few short stories (and write a few as well), but for the most part we will be looking at videos. There will be two general themes running through the course: artistic and philosophical. First, we will compare classic works with contemporary remakes, assessing the merits and flaws in each. Second, since science fiction is often a good example of thinking about philosophical topics, our discussions will focus on these as well.

5. Photography This hands-on course will teach the mechanics of photography, explain light and shadow and explore composition and aesthetics. Students will take digital photographs, manipulate them in a computer, print them and critique them. They will also study and evaluate the work of distinguished photographers. Museum visits and photo excursions will be included.

6. Movies 2CB4UR13 In this course, students will view a series of "great" films and follow up with discussions on why these films are as well known as they are - and why you should see them before you are 13 (or while you are...)! Students will also explore film criticism and film reviews, and will try their hand at journaling reflections on the movies they see. Popcorn included!

 7. Digital Film production This class was designed to teach the students the basics of video production. Through in class exercises they will develop the skills needed to plan, shoot, and edit a short film in groups. They will also learn the importance of collaboration and teamwork. Students will take fieldtrips to check out the world of film in NYC and will end the course with their own short films!

8. The Fundamentals of Construction This creative arts course will offer CSS students the opportunity to develop basic functional skills with a variety of construction tools. Then, students will be challenged to apply these skills in the construction of meaningful items. Possible construction projects this semester include: bookcases and shelving for our classrooms and planters and benches to help beautify our school. Students will be given one on one and group instruction in planning, design, common construction materials and techniques, and, of course, how to safely use tools to measure, cut and fasten. In addition, students in this course will explore some of the relevant scientific principles behind the function of tools. They will be able to answer such questions as: why are there different types of saws, why do screws fasten more securely than nails and why do tools have their particular shapes. Students will be required to reflect on their learning by maintaining a journal. Emphasis will be placed on making connections between what they are doing in this class and what they are learning in Math and Science.

9. The Art and Science of Color This studio art course celebrates color by delving into color theory (what works visually and the science behind it) as well as some of the ways color works for us as a culture. Color mixing techniques will be pursued in detail with emphasis on each student’s individual discovery process. Several projects will be completed which will culminate in a final project of larger scale. A minimum of two gallery trips will be included, as well as two days exploring color and sketching out of doors (parks, cityscapes, etc). The students will write descriptive papers based on works of art seen at galleries. Each class will end in reflective journal writing about the work done that day.

10. El Taller del escritor This class will focus on creative writing in Spanish based on the reading of several short stories in Spanish. The teacher will introduce each short story with a brief description of the author.The students will write and illustrate a book of their own creative writing inspired by the short stories that they will read for the elective class. The students will be invited to illustrate the book using drawings or paintings done by hand or with the computer or with original photographs.The objectives of this class are: 1. To improve students’ writing in Spanish. 2. To improve students’ reading comprehension in Spanish. 3. To develop students’ Spanish vocabulary. The students will write poems, short stories or essays in response to the readings. They will be encouraged to relate the readings with their own life. The students will be encouraged to use their imaginations and base their own work on their own lives and experience of the world.

11. After School Spanish Cinema and MTV
 Celebrate the Spanish Language media arts. Watch Spanish language films that deal with being a tween or teen. Compare them to American films and creat Spanish language versions of American teen film idols. Rock and salsa to best selling Latino teen idols. Try out for Spanish Language Speaking idol at Columbia Secondary Prep. Embrace Spanish Language immersion and culture as you hone your foreign language skills for global and social success!!

12. Through the Looking Glass of Popular Music Through the Looking Glass of Popular Music is an examination of the music, culture, and history that informed the hip hop music of the 1990s. Specifically, students will examine the influence that artists such as James Brown, Michael Jackson, and Nina Simone have had on hip hop artists and understand why the 1990s is recollected as the "golden years." By exploring these music forms and the artists, students will gain a deeper understanding of the historical and political events that help to shape the 90s and appreciate the role that hip hop played in re-interpreting and re-imagining the music of the 1960s, 70s, and 80s and making it accessible to a new generation of young people. Ultimately, students will become more attentive, discriminative consumers of music as they learn to navigate between what is "good" and "bad" in today's music industry.

13. Murals and Graffiti: Exploring - Street Art in the Urban Landscape How do graffiti and murals affect a space and a community's interaction with it? What are the negative and positive possibilities for and consequences of graffiti? This course will revolve around these questions, using walking tours, documentaries, museum visits, as well as reading and writing assignments to explore answers and responses. Students will view the documentary "Style Wars" about graffiti's role in the hip hop culture as it emerged in New York in the 1970s; the class will also visit the MET to examine large scale art and space, and possibly The Studio Museum in Harlem to better understand symbols in the urban landscape of Harlem. In a walking tour of Spanish Harlem the class can examine the murals painted by James De La Vega, a prominent street artist in New York City. Finally, the students will design and paint murals for the CSS community. (Hopefully) De La Vega himself will come to school and helped us paint
our murals.

14. CRE8TIVE The Visual Art class “CRE8TIVE” this semester will explore variety of topics as: Chuck Close inspired Self-Portraits (digital cameras, grid drawing, oil pastels); Color Theory Painting (color wheel, color schemes, color mixing); Drawing from Observation; Pen and Ink Drawing; One Point Perspective; 2-Point Perspective (Italian Renaissance, pencil value/shading) and Acrylic Painting (color theory review, portrait?, facial proportions, color blending, art history) .
 

15.Signature Spaces: A Look Into the Architectural Styles That Have Defined New York This course examines the evolving and diverse styles of architecture found all over the city. It is organized around two questions. First, why are there so many different architectural styles throughout the city? Second, what does this diversity of style tell us about the cultures and people who influenced the growth and development of this great city? Students will learn about architectural styles throughout different periods and will draw connections from those styles to cultural and economic changes throughout the New York City history.
  

16. NYC Museums 4 Kids  -This Creative Arts Program (CAP) course will give 16 students at Columbia Secondary School the opportunity to visit the best museums in New York City and blog about their experiences each week. We will visit art, science, digital media, local history, and other museums all over the city, and we
will publish our reflections on our experiences, our questions, and our learnings at each museum on our blog. Students will have an opportunity to both appreciate art and culture in the city AND learn how to publish their thoughts and experiences online using a class blog they design

Creative Arts Fall 2008 - Friday 1-4 pm

1. EXTRA! EXTRA! - Journalism in English - Prof. Ligocki

While creating a newspaper of your own, you'll discover the power of print and web journalism as you figure out what news is and how to report it. Learn about layout and newspaper design, debate free speech issues, report breaking CSS news, conduct interviews, practice writing fundamentals, collect article from Spanish Language and Science Journalism clubs, and delve into the role the press plays in democratic societies.  Now “hiring” editors, reporters, and photographers

2. Museums for Appreciation - Prof. Nalley

Throughout the semester, student will go to a different New York City museum each week to appreciate art on their own term while writing about their experience. Students will be assessed on participation and depth of reflections.
 

4. El Baile Latino: Latin Dancing and Cultural Study - Prof. Gonzalez

Dance is an essential part of many Latin America countries. In this dance/cultural study creative arts course, students will master different forms of social dancing from several Latin American countries. Each week we will focus on a different country – its culture, geography, and its most popular traditional dances. Students will learn to differentiate between the dances, as well as gain an understanding about the many shared instruments, rhythms, and movements. Students will master these skills through teacher instruction, class field trips, dance/culture videos and readings, and in-class group presentations and performances.

5. Cooking - Prof. Petro

6. Photography - Dr. Thompson

Our aim in this class is to develop a sense for what makes a good photograph. To this end we will look at lots of pictures and take lots of pictures, and critique them. Each student will maintain a file of "best work", which we will exhibit. We will also take pictures to record school functions and for the journalism classes. Student assessment will be based on class participation, in particular on the care and depth of a student's constructive criticism of their own work and that of others.