Final Essays
1
Nov. 20, 2022
Odyssey / Summary, Characters, Meaning & Facts
The Influence of The Odyssey and Why It Should Be Required Reading
Most Memorable Field Trip
Dharma Wong
The Play the Odyssey is an enactment of Homer’s epic poem and most notable literary work The Odyssey. It is about a man (whom is a father, husband, and warrior) who goes on a 10 year journey to get back to his family after fighting in the Trojan war. The play and the story uses the Iliad as the backdrop of the hero’s journey. The story follows Odysseus and the hardship,obstacles, and emotions he has endured during his long voyage to get back to his wife Penelope & son Telemachus. The play also narrates and expresses the devotion and events that the wife and son endure. In the end Odysseus gets back to his family with the helps from the Gods and reunites with his true love.
I chose this play because it was one of the most memorable field trips I had in elementary school. I believe that this play has a lot of depth to it. At the core front, it is a story about perseverance. However, after analyzing it, you can see that the hero has a lot of flaws. Odysseus is a charming guy, but his ego and arrogance gets him into trouble. There are lots of lessons that one can get from this story.
I believe that, when teaching, I would first take the students to see the play as a field trip. Then, I would allow students to choose their favorite excerpts (parts of the play) and act them out in the classroom using their creative license. They can also choose the character with whom they identify the most. Next, they can explain why they chose that part to act out. In addition, they can analyze what they learned from the story. Finally, they can share the main moral they learned from The Odyssey.
2
Nov. 21, 2022
Lesson About Shapes & Patterns
Sofia Mena
Romero Britto is a Brazilian artist living in Miami who is known for using colors and patterns that combine elements of cubism and pop art. The piece "Britto Garden," created in 2000 in Neo-Pop Art style, emerged in the 1980s intending to demonstrate culture. At first sight it can be described as a collage of different elements of Miami Beach. However, another way to view the piece is by connecting the different elements, which then portray a couple in a garden filled with animals as the sun is rising. Some of the other components in the work include the sea, flowers, amongst much more.
At a young age, my grandfather introduced me to Romero Britto’s work. Seeing his work played a large role in my artistic development as it fueled my creativity and self-motivation. I remember spending long hours teaching myself how to draw, mimicking the artwork line by line. Being from Miami, I often see Britto’s pieces throughout the city. Britto's work has grown tremendously and can now be found in over 100 galleries worldwide. Although this is my favorite piece, I chose it because it perfectly depicts Britto’s intention of expressing hope, dreams, and happiness.
In the perspective of an educator, I could use this piece to teach a lesson about shapes and patterns. I would start by showing the students a video introducing different shapes. Then, I would show the art piece and have them create their own piece using the shapes they learned from the video. Incorporating this activity not only teaches the students shapes, but also develops their fine motor skills and enhances their imagination.
3
Nov. 21, 2022
Flowing Like the Wind.
Franchesca Ruiz
The art piece I chose is Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh! Growing up my mom always shared her love of art with me and continuously educated me on different styles of art as well as different artists. Starry Night is an oil-on-canvas painting in which van Gogh, who was Dutch, uses a Post-Impressionist style. He painted this piece in June of 1889, to depict the view from the east-facing window of his asylum room at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence in Southern France. The timing of the painting is depicted right before sunrise. He also included an imaginary village in the background to illustrate his inner struggles during his time in the asylum. The painting is composed of green trees in the front and then is followed by a small village and blue mountains in the back with a beautiful colorful sky.
I chose this painting because it illustrates all the different meanings and theories behind a painting. Although a painting is a 2D model, there is a whole world of meaning and interpretations behind them. Vincent Van Gogh continuously expressed himself through his pieces with the use of colors and strokes. Even though this may sound silly, I love all the colors used throughout the painting whether it is black, blue, yellow, green or even white. All the colors look in unison and help each other stand out at the same time. The strokes of each part of the painting make the painting flow like the wind.
There are many ways I can implement this in a classroom setting. In a history class, for example, I can introduce the era of Post-Impressionism and Modern Art with paintings like Starry Night. I would give a contextual background of the era and how it came to be. Then, I would visually show paintings like this as a way to connect the context and meaning. This is a great way to get students engaged. In that way, one day if they were to visit a museum where the actual painting is exhibited, they can educate others on the history of the piece!
4
Nov. 22, 2022
Interrelations Between Loved Ones
Annia Ibarra
The art piece I chose is the Disney movie Frozen 2. This movie encapsulates the difficulties and transformations that occur within people when they are growing up. Frozen 2 is set in the kingdom of Arendale, where you are introduced to the protagonists of the movie, sisters Elsa and Anna. Elsa has the power to create snow and ice, while Anna doesn’t have any powers. The other 2 characters that are an important part of the movie are love interest Kristoff and a magical talking snowman, Olaf. Elsa is dealing with the fact that she is incredibly happy in her home with her family but can’t help but feel like there is something more out there. Anna wants to accompany her sister, but Elsa wants to do this alone, as Anna could get hurt. Kristoff spends the movie trying to find the right time to propose to Anna but feels as though they are drifting apart because Anna is constantly leaving him aside throughout the adventure. Olaf is dealing with the general changes that occur when you are growing up and is sending messages of how children deal with and think about what happens when they are older. Frozen 2, in short, is about an adventure that quickly turns into a journey of self-discovery.
I chose Frozen 2 as my art piece to write about because it is a movie that completely resonated with me the moment I saw it. This movie, even though it is animated and deals with magic, has some semblance to the interrelations between loved ones and understanding that change is truly inevitable when it comes to people getting older. There is also a key point that the movie deals with, and that is loss. Each of the characters are dealing with each other’s changes throughout the movie and this perfectly shows how each of them must shift and pivot in order to continue being happy and part of each other's lives, this is part is a grieving process for the person that you knew and the person that will arise from these changes. This message is what allows the film's story to progress in a way that audiences can relate to and learn from.
I would use Frozen 2 to teach a lesson about mental health and understanding emotions. This would consist of short questionnaires during the movie and how each of the characters can or don’t express their emotions to each other and what changes between each character is noticed, as well as how the interactions between the characters shifts. These questions would serve as a center focus for the art piece that they would then create. This art piece could be visual arts, songs, dances, writing, etc. The students would show their understanding of the movie and also put a little piece of their own selves in the pieces they create to show how art forms like these can help them understand the complexity of emotions and change.
5
Nov. 22, 2022
Grace Johnsen
I chose to take a closer look at a painting titled, “The Persistence of Memory”. This painting was made by Spanish artist Salvador Dalí, who was famous for his unique work. To this day his piece “The Persistence of Memory”, made in 1931, remains one of his most famous works. The background of this painting portrays a landscape which includes water, a rock structure, with a sand like floor. With the research I did I was able to find out that the landscape of the painting was based off the seashore of Catalonia at Cape Creus. What really catches people’s eyes in the painting are the three clocks which take a melting form.
All the clocks are portrayed in a droopy way to give the effect that they are melting. One of the clocks is melting on a branch, the other on a table and the last one looks as if it is melting on white structure. This white structure has been interpreted by many as being a surreal self portrait of Dalí’s face. In addition, there is a stopwatch portrayed on the table with ant-like figures crawling on it. This painting draws the viewer in and brings them to a dreamlike world where objects take an unusual form. One possible meaning behind this painting is that Dalí wanted to demonstrate how time has such a big impact on human life and how humans let time control them as it slips away.
This painting is significant to me because it reminds me to not let time slip away. In addition, it reminds me that time is such a precious thing, and I should not take that for granted. Time should not control you, but it should also be cherished. Every time I look at this painting I take action to use my time wisely and not waste it doing unenjoyable things.
In order to incorporate this piece into a lesson I would give my students background knowledge on the artist and this painting. Then I would teach a lesson about surrealism. First, I would explain to the class what surrealism is. Next, I would show the students some other surrealist pieces. After the students are able to understand the meaning of surrealism and are able to identify surrealism pieces I would have them draw their own.
I
would pass out markers and color pencils and have them draw anything they liked and
incorporate surrealist characteristics. Once they were done with their drawings I would have them share it
to the class and explain what it is. Overall, I would use the painting,“ThePersistence
of Memory” to teach my class about surrealism while also giving them a chance to demonstrate
their creativity and understanding of the lesson.
6
Nov. 22, 2022
And Still I Rise by Maya Angelou
Sarah Petit
I choose the poem “And Still I Rise by Maya Angelou” who is a well-known poet and civil rights activist. She has written many works including autobiographies, books of essays and poems. The poem that I choose is one of many that teach a life lesson or moral. The poem “And Sill I Rise” is about self-respect and confidence. Her words convey to the reader that nothing will deter her and that with her self-esteem she has the ability to overcome any obstacle that comes to stand in her way. In the time of her youth there were strong issues revolving racial oppression and when reading this poem and many others she wrote her overall theme is that none of those circumstances will hold her back and she can rise above every negative notion that is directed towards her.
Maya Angelou is my favorite poet, and all her works are beautiful. I choose this specific poem because it is one of my favorites, from the first day that I read this many years ago until now. I still learn a new connection that opens my eyes to the different situations that I face in life and apply my interpretation to everything that I do. Dr. Angelou was a strong African American woman whose work was a testament and inspiration to those who were working their way through difficult times in their life including trauma and oppression. She was recordings of most of her poems that are read by her, herself.
When you hear how they are supposed to be read you can almost feel the hidden emotions, but also you hear the classiness and poise of her speaking. The phrases she speaks show her pride, resilience, and grace. I love that her work is authentically her and that black women can relate to her work and not feel like it is just another non-minority writer trying to express an issue that they never experienced. Her work is genuine and that is the main aspect that I look for when reading any type of work.
This poem can be used in multiple settings, the main one being in history class during Black History Month. When learning about the different civil rights activists, students can learn about her work and her connection to widely known activist Malcolm X and MLK Jr. Another way to use this poem or any of Dr. Angelou’s work can be in an English or Creative writing class. The students can read her works and then dissect the hidden meaning that she wishes to convey.
7
Nov. 22, 2022
Eye-Catching Mural
Hannah Arslanian
This past spring, I studied abroad in Rome, Italy. When I would walk into the small city near my apartment, I would pass this mural. It was a landmark I would look for while walking to and from my apartment. There is street art all over the city of Rome because many people use art to express their feelings. The eyes in this painting are intricate and meaningful. People say that eyes are the window to the soul, so this mural displays many different interpretations of the local people passing through.
This eye-catching mural is significant to me because the eyes have a purpose, to watch over the city and allow people to deeply reflect on themselves. The mural provides comfort and safety to passersby due to the numerous big and small eyes. There is immaculate detail in the center of the focal point of the eyes. A silhouette of a person sitting in the center of the iris along with Vatican City in the background. This kneeling person could be a tribute to the religious aspects seen throughout Rome, and religion and hope are within the souls of everyone. In addition, the mural is important because it shows that everyone has eyes and that the person inside your eyes is determined by your beliefs and actions. So, the message is simple, to be proud of who you are.
Overall, this Italian mural of eyes can be used to teach a lesson to children using creative interpretation. I would make a lesson to develop self-reflection. For example, I would print out stencils of an eye and let the students fill in the iris however they want. The instructions would be to demonstrate how you have grown throughout the semester as a student, friend, sibling, or something they love doing. This lesson will allow students to reveal their true feelings and unlock creativity within themselves.
8
Nov . 22, 2022
Inside Out: A Very Important Message
Maggie Obregon
The piece I chose is the movie Inside Out. This movie is about an 11-year-old girl named Riley who moves across the country with her parents. Throughout the movie, it shows the difficulties she experiences during the first few months of the move. During that time her emotions are trying to help her overcome the unfortunate way she’s feeling. She has 5 emotions, joy, sadness, disgust, fear, and anger. She starts experiencing lots of sadness and she starts breaking apart. She doesn’t want to make friends, doesn’t want to go to school, doesn’t want to play her favorite sport, and she even tries running away from her new home. When she’s on the bus running away her emotions are finally able to help her and make her realize that everything is going to be okay, she just needs to push through.
I chose this movie because it sends out a very important message. It shows that it's okay to not always be happy. Sometimes we need to experience every type of emotion and be okay with feeling sad or angry. All these emotions are an essential in life and we should embrace these feelings. There is nothing wrong with feeling those emotions. It is significant to me because I feel like when I was a child, I was afraid to express myself to my parents and tell them how I was feeling. That was a very big challenge I had to overcome while getting older and learning that it is okay to step up for myself and express myself.
I would use this movie to teach students that it's okay to feel how they feel but they need to express it. I would show my students this movie during the first week of school and have them evaluate all the emotions and what the emotions do to Riley throughout the movie. Once they have completed the movie, I will have them write down the five emotions and how often do they feel those emotions. I will also ask them to journal down whom they talk to express themselves and if they don’t talk to anyone they can express themselves every day in their journal.
9
11/23/2022
Knowledge is Power: Gauguin's Symbolist Art
Isabelle Gomez
The following artwork is titled When Will You Marry?, showcasing two young Tahitian girls. The artist, Paul Gauguin, was a French Post-Impressionist artist and important figure in Symbolist art. Gauguin moved to Tahiti with hopes of finding creative freedom, gaining admiration for his use of bold colors, exaggerated body proportions, and stark contrast which helped pave the way for the Primitivism Movement. Through emphasis on their form of dress within the painting, one is able to deduce the older age of the girl in the middle ground of the image, with her being clothes in more traditional and modest. On the other hand, the girl at the forefront of the image appears to be younger, the shirt she wears slipping off of her shoulder to represent sexuality and the white flower in her hair symbolizing the ripeness and fertility that comes with youth. The girls appear to hold glances of apprehension and uncomfortableness, emphasized by the figures approaching in the background and breaking the seemingly silent and peaceful scenery.
Paul Gauguin’s artwork is extremely important, with his portrayal of Tahitian natives as living only to make music and love in order to pique public interest and increase his financial gain. By exploiting his power as a Western man to engage in sexual relations with young girls, bodies of the Pacific were continuously shot through a sense of desire, rather than being represented for the liveliness of their culture. This is something that is often ignored when analyzing artwork from the 1800s and 1900s, resulting in the continued praise of artists who abused their power to create unethical and incorrect depictions of women and indigenous groups. Although this may seem like an issue of the past, the repercussions of such behavior is still felt today all over the world, with Gauguin and Tahitian natives representing just one of many mistreated groups due to colonization.
Knowledge is power only if one knows what is fact and what is not, what is truth and what is not. Knowledge, therefore, is a house of paper cards, holding no certainty except that it remains subject to imminent collapse and waits to be rebuilt. Maya Angelou once noted the “world of difference” between fact and truth and the ability for fact to obscure the truth. Truth is based on both fact, or concrete information, as well as belief. Because of this, there exists a world of difference between fact and truth, with belief and concrete information aiding in the construction and dissolution of absolute certainty. Through the restoration of history through art, there exists a difference between actual events of the past and our knowledge of these same events. One’s own experiences and individual truths greatly affect the way in which one obtains knowledge, resulting in factual information becoming morphed by one individual’s beliefs and further intertwining worlds of fact and truth.
This connects to the art area of knowledge and the ways in which our current knowledge is shaped by those that tell our history. In order to accurately recount the history of our own culture and that of other cultures, we must understand the ways in which art and depictions of other cultures are able to solidify one’s own social biases and, therefore, erase history. Gauguin’s artwork, therefore, can be utilized to teach this lesson, with his artwork serving as a mirror for his own personal truth regarding his affairs in Peru and view of its people while ignoring factual information on the true culture of Tahitian natives and their history. This not only led to a false sense of truth amongst the Western world but also obscured the facts that constructed history. All we know is a result of the constant interaction between the discovery of factual information and the emotional fulfillment our own truths provide. As these two entities feed off of one another, one must question the role this plays in our pursuit of knowledge and how easily one is able to distinguish between the two. Although they are often regarded as two separate entities, they continuously intertwine themselves in the production of knowledge.
10
Nov. 24, 2022
Matilda: Hopeful Thinking and Trust
Ananya Malhotra
Matilda is an American fantasy comedy film, based on the novel with the same name written by British author Roald Dahl. Matilda is about a young girl who is neglected and mistreated by her family and the headmaster of her school. Matilda finds solace in reading and friendship with the characters of the novels she reads, ranging from Oliver Twist to Pride and Prejudice. At one point, after gaining and utilizing so much knowledge, she develops telekinetic powers, which allow her to turn the tables on the villains (The Wormwood’s and Headmaster Trunchbull) in her story. The film ends with Ms. Trunchbull leaving town, Miss Honey becoming the new headmaster of Crunchem Hall Elementary School, and Miss Honey adopting Matilda, allowing Matilda to leave her family. Matilda finally finds what she wanted all along: a family with her teacher, Miss Honey.
The reason I chose this movie is because Matilda was my favorite movie growing up. It is significant for many reasons. Firstly, Matilda demonstrates how much power knowledge can give you. Matilda matured at such a young age and recognized right from wrong because of the novels she read and the character downfall and development that she learned about. It also reiterates the idea of how the arts can serve as an emotional outlet to many people and help develop skills that standard subjects cannot, Matilda’s being literature. She managed to escape the pain of being neglected and mistreated by her family and her principal by diving into books and eventually honed that skill into a superpower.
Secondly, Matilda demonstrates how you can find a family in other people in your life besides your blood relatives, and that is completely okay. Matilda unfortunately did not get a loving family through her parents or brother, but she eventually did with Miss Honey. Lastly, Matilda encourages hopeful thinking and trust that things will work out how they are supposed to, even when it seems like the world is against you. Matilda did not have a normal upbringing or school experience and often felt alone, but she remained a moral person and eventually got her happy ending with Miss Honey.
To teach lessons about Matilda, I would first have my students read the book and then watch the movie. There are many lessons that one can take away from both. You can integrate Matilda into a lesson for students, whether it is an academic, artistic, or behavioral lesson. In the movie, there is a scene where Matilda’s classmate Amanda develops a mnemonic to help her spell the word “difficulty.” This can be a tool to help students with their spelling, and it can be used as an example for them to then develop their own mnemonics for words they find difficult.
Matilda also represents the typical structure for a story, with a main character, villain, supporting characters, superpower, a problem to solve, and a happy ending. You can use Matilda as an example for students to write their own stories with these elements as a creative writing assignment. You can also make up some math problems. For example, Mr. Wormwood decreases the mileage on the cars he sells to people. You could create a word problem based on this: Mr. Wormwood’s red Cadillac currently has a mileage of 100,000, but he wants the mileage to be 50,000. How much does he need to reduce the mileage by to reach this number?
For an art assignment, you can ask the students to pick a description of one of the settings in the novel and draw the setting based on what is said in the book. Lastly, you can use Matilda to teach students about good versus bad behaviors, using examples of how Mr. Wormwood cheats his customers out of good quality cars to make more money, how Matilda’s parents treat her versus how Miss Honey treats her, and how Matilda uses her powers for good instead of evil. There is so much to take away from this story, and it serves as entertainment and a great learning tool for students.
11
Nov. 27, 2022
Interstellar
Jackson Bond
I chose the film Interstellar directed from the genius mind of Christopher Nolan. The 2014 film Interstellar follows a team of researchers and a former NASA pilot (played by Matthew McConaughey) on an odyssey into the depths of space, chronicling the group's struggle to find a new home for mankind before Earth becomes uninhabitable. Nolan’s achievements in film-making rest on his ability to compliment a story with breathtaking visual effects that creates a layer of realism. Nolan has many ways of captivating audiences, although focusing on the visuals specifically for Interstellar really stood out most in terms of being an art piece. Nolan is responsible for some of the great films produced in this decade such as The Dark Knight film series, Interstellar, Dunkirk, and Inception.
The film, Interstellar, has many thematic focal points, however the main one is why I think makes this film such an art piece. The overarching theme of this film is of isolation and loneliness. These feelings can often test our ability to think rationally and function from an ethical standpoint rather than a survivalist standpoint. A great example of this is when Dr. Mann (played by Matt Damon) is willing to abandon the mission and stab others in the back to survive. This film expresses the human connection as Cooper (played by Matthew McConaughey) struggles being away from his daughter Murph.
This film bridges the gap between art and science by using the medium of film in a creative and mostly nonfictional way. As a matter of fact, the film’s visual effects team create what may be the first scientifically accurate display of a black hole on the big screen. As a natural film lover, I find this artistic masterpiece not only extremely enjoyable, but at times educational as well. I look at all films in an artistic way, but when a director like Nolan can unfold a story in an artistic and articulate way, it makes the film so much more enjoyable and admirable. Interstellar is one of my favorite movies of all time and it connects to the scientific wonders of space and time itself.
12
Dec. 1, 2022
An Old School Art-Deco Advertisement
Parker Gabriel
The piece of art that I have chosen to write about is a canvas that I received for Christmas last year. I had picked it out myself and my family was kind enough to purchase it for me. It now hangs to the left of my bed. The art itself is an old school Art-Deco advertisement for winter sports in New England (that’s where I’m from). On the bottom of the piece there is what seems like an advert for the New Haven railroad, a railroad line that I also frequent. In the middle there is a cartoon woman smiling dressed in winter clothes. Overall, it is very satisfying for the eyes at least in my opinion.
I chose that one because like I stated in the previous paragraph I’m from New England, specifically Connecticut. I am also a huge fan of the old school Art-Deco winter sports advertisements. For my birthday this year my mother got me a similar piece, but for a place in France I believe. I have also been skiing since I could remember. The kicker that made this one special for me was the ad for the New Haven Railroad. While it might not be called that anymore it is call the New Haven line on Metro North. I’ve taken that railroad more times than I can count because it takes you right to grand central station.
I would use it in more of a historical lesson since Art-Deco, short for the French Arts Décoratifs, sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s, and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920s and 1930s. I think it could also be used as an example of the Art-Deco style, but I think for this specific poster a history lesson is more fitting. It uses the term New England which is rarely used now unless you’re talking about the New England Patriots. It also talks about the New Haven railroad which no longer exists. I would incorporate this ad with similar ones to show how things were advertised back in those days. There was so much more thought and nuance and creativity put into ads back then. Now it’s about analytics and numbers but I think that marketers would be surprised to find that if they advertised like this again then they would see great results.
13
Dec. 4, 2022
“Start where you stand”
Mariana Martinez
The piece I have chosen for this assignment is a poem called “Start where you stand” by Berton Braley. This poem is filled with words of encouragement and motivation for its readers to focus on the future despite what's happened in the past. What's done is done, and there is no point in focusing on the things you cannot change. There is so much more to life than yesterday. Every day you are provided with a new opportunity, and you must go through life brave and unafraid. It is okay to fail, and your failures from the past are ancient history. Start where you stand because the future is yours.
This poem is important to me because I have a habit of living in the past to try to make sense of everything. I tend to overthink a lot and always dwell on what I could have done differently. It's very difficult for me to let things go and move on, however, I am learning to leave the past behind. This poem is all about living in the present moment, which is something I am trying to get better at. It serves as a reminder that the past is not a predictor of my future, despite my past experiences. Everything in life happens for a reason, and there is a lesson in every failure, and to experience failure is to also experience growth. Always keep fighting and keep your head held high. Old defeats are exactly that, old defeats. Don’t stress over what could have been, because if it should have been, it would have been.
I would incorporate this poem in my classroom by having my students read it on the first day of school. I believe introducing them to this piece would be a perfect way to create a safe space for my students by letting them know it's okay to fail because there is always room for improvement. For example, if they fail a test or are not content with a grade given to them, instead of dwelling on what they could have done differently that would have resulted in a different outcome, they should focus on the brand-new trial at hand. This poem teaches them a valuable life lesson, they have a bright future ahead of them and they have the power to "start anew" and "win success."
14
Dec. 6, 2022
Mamba Out
Isaiah Wong
The art piece I chose is Mamba Out Canvas. Growing up Kobe was the basketball player I admired the most. Kobe Bryant was known by his nickname, "The Black Mamba." Kobe had created this nickname to be able to separate his personal life, and his name Kobe, from his professional life. Mamba Out, is a canvas that showcases a collage of Kobe Bryant walking out of the Staple Center. The Staple Center is the arena where Kobe helped lead his team, the Los Angeles Lakers to five NBA championships.
In the bottom right corner walking ahead of Kobe is his daughter, Gianna Bryant. This painting not only represents the career Kobe had at the Staples Center, but it also honors the passing of Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, after a tragic accident. The background of this painting portrays some of the individuals who played an important role in Kobe's and Gianna’s life/career. Individuals such as his wife, other daughters, and former notable teammates/coaches like Lebron James, Shaq, Michael Jordan, Frank Vogel, Paul Gasol and Magic Johnson can be seen extending their hands as they walk out. The words “Mamba Forever” are also written in the painting, representing that although he passed away, his memory and success will be remembered forever.
The Mamba Out Canvas is significant to me because it is a powerful painting that honors a great player but also includes some of the other players that I look up to in the game of basketball. Not only does the painting reflect and represent an overall image of the accomplishments throughout Kobe’s own career, but it also honors his daughter. The details throughout the painting are impressive such as the mural to the left of Kobe which is a painting of him and his daughter with guardian angel wings behind them and another painting of them smiling together to the right. In the painting you can see that everyone who is looking down and extending their arms out to Kobe and Gianna have their full attention on them and are admiring their lives and all their accomplishments.
As a child, Kobe was the best basketball player I had ever seen play the game and he was the player I wanted to be most like. The passing of Kobe was a tough situation for me to accept and it taught me to appreciate the great moments he had brought to me and all his fans during his career. This painting also made me realize that embracing feelings of respect and honor towards other players in the game of basketball is important. Appreciating your teammates and the moments lived throughout the sport I play is a message that can be seen from the theme of this painting.
The way I would use this painting to teach a lesson to students is not only to inform them of Kobe and his successful career in the NBA but also about how fragile life can be. Kobe and his daughter passed away one day while in route to practice the game they loved. It was not something anyone expected and a true example of life being fragile. Being able to spend time and express your emotions for those you love whenever you get a chance and enjoying every moment life has to offer, both good and bad is important.
I would aim to teach students that is it okay to express emotions that they feel when certain events happen, like I did when Kobe passed away. Kobe’s career in and outside of the NBA was truly remarkable. It can also bring those who enjoy or play the sport some encouragement. It invites people to believe in themselves and keep working hard towards/in everything they do. Kobe Bryant will always be one of the favorite basketball players of all times and I am grateful that I was able to witness some of his success throughout my own life.
15
Dec. 6, 2022
Cody Johnson - Human (Official Music Video)
Human: Still Empty
Sebastian Perez
I am writing about the song “Human” by Cody Johnson this is one of my favorite songs because it is about himself going thru his life and reflecting on all the bad things he has done as he apologizes to his wife. He was following his dreams of being a cowboy and was competing in rodeos. He fell into a dark hole and ran into alcohol and drugs. In the song, he says he picked up his old guitar and fell in love with this girl, and he realized even following what he thought his dream was, he was still empty inside.
I chose this song because I feel I relate to this song in a special way. I am playing baseball at the University of Miami, which has been my dream since I was a little kid. Even though it is my dream to play major league baseball, I still feel empty and lonely sometimes. My other dream, other than playing baseball, is being a team roper. I had horses growing up my whole life, but when I started playing high school baseball and committed most of my time to it, I sold my horses. Since then, I feel like a piece of me has been gone.
They way I would use it as a lesson is: I would let my students hear the song and see what they grasped from it. There are different ways students may interpret the lyrics. I would make them share with me the message they got from the song. Then, I would tell them, based on the song and my own experience, that what they think their dream is, may turn out be something completely different. I would encourage them to not be scared if something doesn't go their way because at the end of the day, God has a plan and it isn't always what we expect or desire.
16
Dec. 8, 2022
Stick Season by Noah Kahan
Olivia Campmany
Stick Season is an album by the acclaimed indie-folk artist Noah Kahan. Kahan is a 25-year-old singer/songwriter from Vermont. Though Kahan has released a few albums before he released Stick Season in October of 2022, something about it just stands out to any of his previous music. The album consists of 14 songs: Northern Attitude, Stick Season, All My Love, She Calls Me Back, Come Over, New Perspective, Everywhere Everything, Orange Juice, Strawberry Wine, Growing Sideways, Halloween, Homesick, Still and The View Between Villages.
Have you ever listened to a song and just been able to just lay back and absorb every drop of music coming into your ears? That’s how I feel when I listen to this album. Every song is a masterpiece, I don’t feel the need to skip any as I listen. This album perfectly describes the feeling of being homesick and being sick of home all at the same time. For me, my first semester of freshman year was one of the hardest times of my life. I struggled with severe depression and homesickness. I had never been away from home for so long and I was struggling to find a place to fit in at school.
My long-term boyfriend was still at home having the time of his life, while I was across the country, sitting in my dorm room alone every day. When I came home for winter break I was absolutely overjoyed to be back. I was home for 2 months with plans of transferring the next semester. After being home for long enough, I almost realized that I missed Miami, so I decided to give the school one more chance and finish my freshman year. I broke up with my long-distance boyfriend to cut some ties to home. This allowed me to really not take every moment here for granted and enjoy my time.
I began to fall in love with my school and the city of Miami. I made so many real friends and memories that I wouldn’t give up for any amount of money. To this day, I still love Miami, but I never lost my roots back home. I would rather be home over anywhere in the world, but I’ve learned to have love for both. Because of this, this album really hits me where it hurts.
I relate so deeply to these songs I can’t even express it in words. For example, All My Love, this song explicates a conversation between Kahan and an ex-girlfriend from home. They are catching up from all the lost time and reminiscing. In the chorus he is describing that no matter what, she will always have all of his love. This song makes me think fondly of my ex-boyfriend, and even though I don’t regret any of the decisions I’ve made, I do still have so much love for him.
Another song that I relate to is The View Between Villages. To me, this song is about not recognizing the place you grew up in. I spent 18 years of my life in Douglaston but sometimes I don’t even recognize it anymore. The change can be scary and make me feel like I don’t really have anywhere I can truly call home, since Miami is just where I go to school.
If I had to incorporate this album into a lesson, I would teach the kids about the power of music. When I was younger, I just listened to what was popular, but as I got older the lyrics became the catalyst to what would make me fall in love with a song. This would be a lesson for high school students. I would elaborate on the importance of lyrics in a song, and how music can define their life. I would then proceed to play some songs that I think define my life and then ask some of the students for songs they think have made a huge impact on them and play those as well. For an assignment I would have the students make an artistic compilation of the top 10 songs that have had an impact on their life, define their life, then write a one to two page paper on why they chose those songs.
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December 5, 2022
Installation: Can't Help Myself
Daniela Bethencourt
Sun Yuan and Peng Yu's Installation is entitled Can't Help Myself. This installation is a robotic arm scooping red paint; the floor is white and enclosed in a glass box. When the installation was first showcased, the machine was working efficiently and cleaning the red paint, but the floors seemed to be stained as time continued. In addition, the device was working much slower and appeared to be wearing down. At first, I believed the art would be revamped. The floors would be repainted white, the glass would be cleaned, and the machine would be replaced, but that was not the case. Instead, they wanted to encapsulate how a person can get worn down. The constant effort of simply trying to do the job correctly can exhaust anyone.
This installation was shown to me a few years ago. Today, it still evokes powerful emotions. Most people struggle with what society demands of us, and often we are made to feel like what we do is never truly good enough. Even with this piece of art, I believed it needed to be replaced because it was not "aesthetically pleasing to the eye" and outdated. When, in reality, that was the natural beauty of the installation. Yet it also allows viewers to create their own opinions towards the art and can evoke people to have those conversations with others.
Throughout the semester, we have learned how art can influence students and how it can intellectually and emotionally grow a student's mind. In addition, we have learned different methods to incorporate art into our lesson plan. For example, with this installation, I would show students the installation art and allow them to group into pairs to discuss what they believe the theme is. Then as the class discusses what each student feels, I would want them to create their art through poetry, painting, singing, dancing, and any other form where they can express their emotions. Finally, they could present it to the class or film it and turn it in for grading. One of the most important things I have learned in this class is that art can be created/practiced in any shape or form. Most of the time, people feel they need the tools or the knowledge. Yet, students often just need a space to feel like they can unapologetically feel the emotions that society often does not deem efficient, like those I felt about the installation.
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Dec. 11, 2022
Michelangelo's David: Detail in Art
Yutong Zhou
The statue of David is a marble sculpture that was made by the renaissance artist Michelangelo. It was commissioned on June 1504 to be placed along the roof of a cathedral in Florence. However, upon finishing, the statue became highly refined and representative such that plans were made to place it in a public square. As a statue of the biblical characters, it was meant to be made alongside 11 others of the Old Testament prophets, but the rest were never made.
I chose this statue due to its refined appearance such that it is hard to believe that it was made in the 16th century. I view this piece as embodying artistic perfection It also makes me marvel at the artistic genius that Michelangelo, who lived 500 years ago. It shows near accurate representation of a human body which is remarkable for a stone sculpture. In addition, its refinement was so appealing that it was exhibited publicly where people would view it, as opposed to being shown on the roof-line of the Florentine cathedral for which it was designed.
I would use this statue to emphasize the importance of using scale and proportion while making representational art. Despite being 17 feet high and up to 6.5 feet wide, the sculpture depicts a realistic appeal of a young man’s body. I would also use it to emphasize the importance of correctly reproducing many details in representative art. Among the reasons that make this piece appear life-like are the accurate representation of muscles, tendons and blood vessels among others. When teaching, this would help illustrate the importance of paying attention to detail in the arts and, subsequently, other academic subjects.
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Nov. 29, 2022
“The Depth of Perfection”
Kaitlin Davis
"The object of art is not to reproduce the reality, but to create a reality of the same intensity" (Alberto Giacometti). Art takes multiple forms, whether it involves: painting, sculpting, composing, film-making, writing poetry, etc. Each state is different and diverse in its own way, yet what unifies them all is the creativity and skill utilized to produce a work that evokes such deep feelings and admiration. However, art never captures an experience as a person would experience it. If art was a perfect copy of the world, it would lose its value. The value of art is not to capture precisely what we see; the importance of art is the creativity behind the piece and the emotions that come with it.
Art is one of the most sophisticated and creative ways of communication, and Paul Aker's "The Dead Pearl Diver" work holds true by displaying such a powerful story. Akers carved "The Dead Pearl Diver" in 1858 in Rome as a tribute to a drowned youth who was seeking a perfect pearl. This sculpture depicts a dead, prone young male, stretched upon a pearl-bearing rock, with his arms outstretched above his head. His hand rests a small seashell while his legs are pendant over the surface with his feet crossed at the ankle. His groin is covered by a long heavy fishing net where inside lies a large pearl and a couple of seashells that he never may bear to the upper world. "The Dead Pearl Diver" is one of my favorite sculptures because of the way the young man gives him life with details. The glossy shine of the marble resembles the shine/glow of water on the skin and how the net rests against his skin as if the heaviness of the pearl and shells inside truly weighs against him.
This sculpture taught me the value of art throughout history, how art can leave an imprint on someone's life, and the importance of analyzing an art piece, not just by looking at it but by experiencing it from an emotional point of view. When I first set eyes on this piece, I immediately felt a feeling of lament. When I saw the way that his body was lifelessly lying on a cold rock by the seashore, an uncanny sense of gloom washed over me. The more I stared at the statue, the more I noticed the smaller, more intricate details surrounding his body; all the small details of this sculpture added to the emotional impact and visual literacy. The fact that the large pearl that was in his net and it is the leading cause of his death was due to "greed." Greed is the leading cause of humanity's downfalls; it has caused wars throughout history, the loss of land and flora to pollution, and the degradation of our morals, and it was this same greed that caused a young man to lose his life.
I would use this sculpture to teach students about how important it is for humanity moves in the right direction. Also, teaching them the importance of life and what values truly are. I would show my students this piece of art and have them right down what they see and what they think it means. After, they will write down their thoughts and share them with the person next to them and compare each other's thoughts and ideas. Next, I would have my students make their own piece of art and then share with the class what it is and what it means to them.
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Dec. 15, 2022
A Significant Message
Hayden Boardman
This poem is a great piece by Edgar Allan Poe, inwhich he displays a knight who is searching for Eldorado, a city of gold and riches. But as one can see, he never finds this city and ultimately faces death in the end. The knight searches day and night for his own happiness and desires, and realizes that his searching has made it unachievable. I think Poe also uses this as a metaphor for “money doesn’t buy happiness”. The search for happiness never ends, and the further one searches for it, the more materialistic they make it. Thus putting these desires on a pedestal which he can never reach fully.
The reason I chose this poem is because it has been my favorite written piece for years. I studied this poem in high school and I’ve yet to read something else that has the same meaning and flow since. I think it expresses a significant message in such a short amount of writing. It is simple yet strong. I love how eloquently it is written, and I think that the word choice used makes it a much more powerful poem.
I think that this poem would be difficult to read or teach to a younger audience. I think an ideal grade level for this poem would be somewhere between tenth and twelfth grade. That way they have had a year or two reading and writing on a somewhat experienced level. They should have applicable analyzation skills to further increase their arguments and discussions with classmates. But if I were to teach it in front of a class, I would probably put it on the board and have a student read it to the class. I would then ask the students to get into groups and write down three to five things that they think stand out to them in the poem. Then three to five things that they think aptly describe the theme, significance, and meaning of the poem. Once they have done this, I would assign a five paragraph essay to further depict their knowledge on the subject matter.
21
Dec. 16, 2022
Looking at Beautiful Photography
Shayna Patel
This photograph of the mountains is by Ted Gore, a photographer based in California who specializes in landscapes. This picture captures the morning reflection on the mountain Cerro Torre in Los Glaciares in Argentina with the morning freeze on the lake at the base. Gore perfectly captures the patterns of the frozen lake leading up to the morning beams of sunrise. Many of his photographs similarly have spectacular elements of nature that almost seem unreal. Gore always seems to catch the right moments of the sun to provide beautiful hues of light. Many of his photographs emit different senses depending on their environment. In his mountain landscapes the feeling of stillness is in almost every picture. But in his photographs near coastlines or beaches, you can see and feel the movement within them. In this picture particularly, there is a clear contrast of the still frozen darker areas leading up to the pink reflection.
I chose this photograph because of the feelings of serenity it brings to me. I personally love being in the mountains because it truly feels like an escape from reality. Growing up and living in major cities all my life, I have always associated work, stress, and chaos with cities. In the mountains everything is still. The air is clean, the people are nice, and the environment is breathtaking. This photograph by Gore transports me to the same feeling as waking up at sunrise in the mountains of Colorado. Especially in the winter, the environment is as still as this picture. In this class we have learned about the importance of meditation and deep breaths. A lot of the times when we are caught up in school and work, we forget to take deep breaths and be still. When I'm in the mountains I subconsciously take those deep breaths and remain still, so seeing a picture like this helps ease my mind and remind me to slow down. I also love that this photo captures the sunrise because I feel like no matter what city you are in, at sunrise everything is calm. Or as calm as a city can be.
Pictures can be a powerful tool to help connect us to emotions and feelings. Using this photograph that represents peace to me can help me convey to students to think about what brings peace to them. Sometimes our physical environment can have a negative effect on us as well. For example, rain and thunderstorms can bring drowsiness or fear to some and the early sunsets and short days can alter our moods. But looking at beautiful photography can help us imagine ourselves somewhere else. To teach my students I would have them either find or take a picture of an environment where they feel calm and stress free, then encourage them to look at the image, take deep breaths, and transport themselves to that state of serenity. This tool can help the students when they are struggling with any stresses and help ease their mind. I believe it's important to provide students, especially at a young age, with the tools and methods to manage their stress in a healthy way.
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Dec. 16, 2022
First Relationships
Cristina Johnston
The song I am choosing to write about is Memories by Conan Gray. It is a song about wanting to move on from a friend or ex-partner and you can’t really. So, they keep hanging around and you have a soft spot for them so you condone their behavior. Despite being sad about his ex-partner, he is trying to give her good advice. He tells her to stay away because there is no good reason she keeps coming back to him.
It is clear while listening to the song that his ex-partner cannot grasp the idea of him moving on. There is a really moving quote of the song that shows his repulsion towards her. He states “and that one good cologne that you bought when we were fighting cause its still on my clothes, everything that I own and it makes me feel like dying.” This piece is really moving and serves for a great lesson for people going through this very common and relatable situation.
This song is significant for me because I have been a part of many relationships. Throughout high-school, they were so romantically and phonically driven that towards the end of the relationship were not benefiting me anymore. Both of these relationships took a lot out of me. Honestly, these lyrics hit home because a lot of the time these individuals acted like the victim and prevented me from moving on.
An example of a toxic platonic friendship I had in high school was that one of my friend's. She tried to off herself after we had been trying to help her for years. My friends and I were only 14 years old. We had no idea of what we were doing. Months prior to this we told her mom she wasn’t taking her medication and she freaked out on us saying “we didn’t care if she died.” She constantly played the victim in almost every single situation. It was hard to even be friends with her in a regular setting anymore.
The lyrics “I wanna put you in the past because I’m traumatized,” remind me of the whole situation because it was a traumatic experience to go through at 14 years old. I want to keep the good memories of her and not the traumatic ones and move-on with my life. On another note, romantic relationships can always be tricky especially when you are really young and again have no idea what real love is. I went through that when I was in high school and it did ruin me for a while and took me a very longtime to get over it and move-on. I relate to the ex-partner in the sense that I didn’t want to move-on because it was so comfortable for me even if it was so damaging as well.
Now that I am well over these things and it has been years since I’ve really thought about it, this song serves as a reminder for me of how much I have grown as a person. Even though these experiences were bad, I needed them to grow up and learn lessons. I would use this song as a lesson to create healthy boundaries with people and be able to move on when a relationship is no longer benefiting you. When you are young and naive it is easy to get caught up in toxic relationships.
I think this would
be a great lesson for kids in high school because this is where a lot of students have their
first relationships. It is important to know what a positive and healthy relationship is. This lesson is necessary because social media especially on tik tok glamorizes toxic relationships and
makes it something that people “want.” by the end of the song, Conan basically tells his
ex-partner to get out and grab all her things because he is done and wishes she would stay in her memories. I really do recommend listening to this song because not only does it have good messages
behind it but also is a really catchy tune.
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Nov. 29, 2022
Just Keep Swimming
Antonio Couto
The piece I will be discussing is the movie Finding Nemo, one of the greatest animated movies of all time. The movie begins by introducing Marlin and Coral, the soon to be parents to hundreds of clown-fish. A barracuda ends up attacking the eggs and kills Coral and all of the eggs except one, Nemo. Marlin raises Nemo and is very cautious about Nemo because he cares so much about him and has some PTSD from the barracuda attack. During Nemo’s first day at school, he is adventurous and wanders off when kidnapped by scuba divers. Marlin chases after Nemo when he meets Dory, and they end up journeying together to find Nemo. Nemo ends up in a fish tank at a dentist’s office where he meets some friends who he escapes with and eventually reunites with his family. Eventually he is reunited with Marlin and Dory, and learns to appreciate what he has much more.
This movie is significant to me because it was one of my favorite movies growing up as a kid. The story of Nemo is one that demonstrates the importance of family and how precious life is. Marlin and Dory deal with loads of adversity in their attempt to find Nemo and it is a beautiful display of a parent’s love for their child. Also, it is one of an unexpected friendship between Marlin and Dory because of all they went through together. It is a legendary movie, and it has a very happy ending.
I think that I could use this to teach a lesson by having students write about the lessons they take from watching the movie. Before starting the movie, I would let them know to pay attention throughout to find the main themes of the movie. I think this would help my students to understand that most stories end up having great lessons, whether it is a book or movie or any form of art. I also think it has a very positive message that would make students happy, which is, "no matter what happens; just keep swimming!"
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Nov. 28, 2022
An Iconic Bermudian Symbol
Julia Antunes de Oliveira
The art piece I chose was done by a student who entered an art competition in Bermuda. I lived in Bermuda for most of my life, and combining my background with my love for teaching propelled me to choose an art piece from a student, rather than a well-known artist. The piece was entered in an art competition hosted by the Bermuda National Trust (BNT), whose focus was for students to showcase their connections to the island, following the title, 'My Bermuda.'
The artist, Samiya Santhamaraikaanan, is a 10-year-old student who placed second overall. The painting she composed is of a Gombey, an iconic Bermudian symbol that is known for festivities and the arts (music and dance to name a few). Samiya used water colors to bring a sense of life to the painting, as Gombey’s do to the streets of Bermuda during celebrations. Additionally, she added small dots of different colors at the bottom of the Gombey's feet, which illustrate the confetti that is often seen around Gombeys during their performances.
As mentioned previously, I have very strong ties to the Bermudian community, which is what initially prompted me to choose an art piece that originated from there. Although there are many accomplished artists from Bermuda, I thought it would be important to high light the accomplishment of a student who pursued her artistic vision and love for her island.
Additionally, as someone who hopes to be an educator one day, I find that it is really important to show case student's art works just as much as famous artists', as it can encourage the student to keep pursuing their artistic endeavors, as well as inspire other young artists. I believe that this would be a great art work to use in teaching about the history of Bermuda, as Gombey’s are an incredibly important part of Bermudian history.
I think I would implement this after teaching a small unit on the historic background of the island by allowing students to demonstrate their favorite Bermudian symbol through creating an art piece (painting, drawing, dance, musical piece…etc.). This can also easily be transferred to other units that depict any kind of historical event that the students may be learning about!
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