NEW! Math and the Art of Basketry

Explore form, function, design and geometry with the hands-on experience of weaving a folk art creation. Basket making can help students understand and retain applied math principals through visual art that connects multiple subjects and standards in the curriculum.

 

 A Story in a Magazine

Inspired by magazine covers illustrated by Norman Rockwell, we will explore the technique of interactive story theatre. We will learn ways to bring adjectives, verbs and adverbs to life with pantomime, interpret the artist’s work while using plot structure and create a three-dimensional, improvisational story theatre performance based on the artwork.

 

Tennessee Tales and American Adventures

Experience the excitement as students solve the mystery of history. An authentic trunk arrives packed with mysterious objects, parchment letters arrive with clues and finally the historical character arrives to tell her story and share the answers to unsolved questions.

 

This just in

Imagine the news of ancient Greece and Rome as reported by a comedic cast of characters. Students review the defining events of a chosen time and culture through the framework of television journalism then use improvisation and script writing to bring it to life. This workshop can be expanded to cover all standards of Theatre Arts.

 

Myth- conception

Using the scientific method as a plot device, students craft and perform factual, yet dramatic stories that celebrate the majesty of our natural world based on the myths of ancient times.  Must our own explanations be any less wondrous simply because they are based in science?

 

The Physics of Folk Toys

 Students will compare different styles of tops for duration of spin, solve the mystery of Jacob’s Ladder and decipher the center point of a balance-bird while they use science to craft their own unique pieces of folk art.

 

Living Literature  Step into the shoes of your favorite literary characters, or help your students appreciate their reading assignment by combining living history with classic literature. Explorations of clothing and culture, food and fancy.

 

Global Myth Explorers Investigate global myth through the dance, food and art of the people. Hear the tale, eat the food, listen to the music and celebrate the cultures of the world.

 

Celebrating Our Roots© Artisan Apprentice 

Transform middle school students into museum professionals. Students learn to demonstrate and interpret a trade such as basket weaving, spinning or paper marbling and  host  a living history event at a local historic site: complete with period equipment, attire and hands-on activities.

 

Celebrating Our Roots©

 A service-learning project which actively involves high school students and community in the preservation of their heritage. Students research and assess the challenges and assets of a local historic site, investigate community perceptions and need, then create a shared vision with the museum staff. The students carry out a restoration goal, then craft and perform stories, short plays and first-person interpretations for schools and the public to raise awareness for the historic site and its value to the community.

 

Advocate!  Involve students in social change as they responsibly collect and craft stories that highlight a community issue or need. Choose to connect with veterans, raise awareness of health issues or focus on an environmental problem  such as habitat loss or pollution; then watch as they transform that information into a compelling public performance.