Art ties in with social studies at Live Oak

FALLBROOK — The PTA at Live Oak Elementary School is again sponsoring the school’s standards-based art program, Abrakadoodle Art Education. Each child participates in monthly art classes which introduce students to artists and techniques as well as the elements of art and principles of design.

Lessons are multimedia and multicultural and have been meticulously designed to integrate the state’s Visual and Performing Arts and Social Studies standards. All students are introduced to both master and contemporary artists and have the opportunity to use different medium in each lesson.

For example, third-graders studying local fauna also learn about Georgia O’Keefe in their art class. Using O’Keefe as inspiration, they delve into scale and perspective, creating their own enormous chalk pastel flowers.

Lessons are designed to help students create an “artistic bridge” through time as they begin to understand the influences of cultures and art forms on each other.

As fifth-graders study American history, they also learn about Freedom Quilt patterns in one of their art lessons. Using knowledge of patterns and colors, along with measurement and fractions, students create their own quilt patterns inspired by artists like Faith Ringgold.

While sixth-graders study Ancient China, they also explore the Sumi-e style of art using bamboo brushes, ink sticks, suzuri stones and rice paper, even creating their own red “chops” and signing their artwork with their names in Chinese.

The students’ artwork will be displayed at various locations in town and an end-of-year art show will take place at Live Oak on May 21.