Tuesday, 3 July 2007

Congratulations!

Well done everyone for creating such a fantastic sharing day last Friday. All your work was truly amazing and I hope you are all feeling very happy with yourselves and all you have achieved. The structure, animations, dance, drawings... were all so impressive. I really enjoyed the day and hope that you and all your families that came to watch had a great time too.

Big applause all round for everyone!

Amanda (choreographer)

Sunday, 24 June 2007

Talking Textiles






Year 5 and I have been working on some 'talking textiles' - we've been using silk painting and batik to tell the ancient Egyptian myth of the Sun God Ra.

Batik is a very traditional technique for making patterns on fabric. We used melted wax to draw pictures on some white fabric, then when the wax hardened we dyed the fabric using cold water dyes (the top picture shows fabric being dyed in a bucket). The wax stops the dye from dying the fabric, so when you remove the wax (by ironing it between sheets of newpaper) you are left with your original picture in white against the colour you have dyed the fabric.
(It's not as complicated as I have made it sound!)

We have also done silk painting - Mrs Verrall and I think the results are really stunning.
The rest of the school will be able to see our work at the sharing day on Friday, but here is a preview of what we've been up to.

Louise (visual artist)

Growing things...









Here are some of the drawings and paintings made by Mrs Ripley's Year 3 class, as part of their project on plants and growing things.

I worked with the class a few weeks ago to make some observational drawings and paintings of plants. I brought in quite a few plants from my garden, and we used some plants from the school grounds too - especailly ivy and cow parsley.

First of all we we looked at the shapes of the plants. Not all leaves are the same, and I asked the year 3 pupils to look carefully at the shape of the different leaves and how the leaves join the stem.

In the afternoon we used acrylic paints to paint pictures of the plants in the classroom. I asked the class to look closely at the different colours they could see. It's surprising how many different shades of green there are!
At the end of the day we did a colour-mixing quiz and we mixed secondary colours (orange, purple and green) using only the primary colours (red, yellow and blue).
Do you know what colours to mix to make orange? What about purple or green?

Louise (visual artist)

Superbugs!









Before half-term Giles and I were working with Mrs Thatcher and Year 2 on their mini-beasts and habitats project.

We went on a bug hunt and were mini-beast detectives. We found out lots of interesting facts about the animals and their habitats (This was very useful when we had our mini-beast quiz).

We then designed our own Superbugs, putting together different body parts from different mini-beasts to make a SUPERBUG!

We used plasticine models to animate a short film about Superbugs and we're looking forward to showing it to the rest of the school at the sharing day on Friday 29th June.

Here are some pictures of our drawings and models.

Louise (visual artist)

Where's class 4?




I called in to year 4's classroom at the end of the day on Friday and thought I must have taken a wrong turning, as I seemed to be walking into a tropical rainforest.
The monkeys (and Giles and Miss Riddall) have been busy!

Louise (visual artist)

Sun, Earth, Moon, Day, Night and Much Much More…

I have been working with Year 5, Ms Verrall, Giles and Louise on their topic of Earth, Sun and Moon. And wow, have we covered a lot of ground!

We started with a session looking at the science behind things, answering questions about why the planets spin and why they orbit the sun. We looked at Newton’s ‘Laws of Motion’, in particular that nothing moves unless a force is applied to it and that an object which is moving at a steady speed in one direction will continue at the same speed and direction unless a force is applied to it. We defined a force as being a pull or a push. We then looked at how gravity is a force that pulls or attracts objects towards each other and discovered that the Sun pulls the planets into orbits around it because of gravity creating a ‘centripetal’ force which makes them move in a circular pathway. All planets spin and orbit the Sun because of this centripetal force created by gravity.

Translated into movement, this meant we spent the session being very physical! The class worked in partners with one person being the force making the other person move by giving a gentle push or by stopping their partner if they were already in motion. – In this way, we brought to life Newton’s Laws of Motion. We looked at different ways of pulling and pushing each other to explore what a force is, including having a ‘pushing’ competition which I think overall the girls won. We improvised with what it would be like to move on the Moon or Jupiter to show that the pull of gravity depends on the mass of an object. Lastly we tried out being the Sun and the Earth, with one person being the Earth trying to move in a straight line at a steady speed and the other person being the Sun, pulling the Earth into an orbit around it.

From all this, we have created two dance episodes made up of duets using pushing and pulling ‘force’ movements, bigger group movements and text to show on Friday’s sharing day.

But this is not all! We have also looked at an alternative explanation for how we have day and night. The class have looked at how the ancient Egyptians saw day and night, which includes: a God who can become a scarab beetle, a falcon and an old man; a boat; a serpent; a knife; and the underworld. (I will leave it to Year 5 themselves to add a more detailed version of the myth to the blog!)

We explored movements linked to being the different forms that the Sun God can take. From this we have created a moving tableaux showing the journey that Re the Sun God takes by day across the sky and another moving tableaux to show the perilous journey he takes by night to be able to return to the Earth each dawn. We are very happy with the result.

Year 5’s performance on Friday I think will be the most ambitious of all the groups as it will be a multi-media extravaganza. This means that it will include not just dance but also animation and visual art as well; Giles has been working on some science animation and Louise has worked on some Egyptian Batik art work. All of this we hope to link together to make one big performance about the Sun, Earth and Moon. There is still a lot to do to have it ready for Friday but I think we are up for the challenge and look forward to sharing it with everyone…!

Amanda (Choreographer)

Trekking Through the Rainforest...

I have been working with Year 4, Ms Riddall, Ms Eros, Giles and Joe on creating a rainforest in the heart of White House School.

With me, the class have been exploring the different levels in a rainforest. We have looked at the very top level where tall emergent trees grow up above the rest of the forest canopy. We have looked at the mid-level of the forest canopy itself and some of the epiphytes (air plants) and lianas (climbing plants) that grow on the trees there. And we have looked at the forest floor where only 2% of the sunlight reaches, where the trees have their great buttress roots to anchor them to the ground and fungi and other strange plants grow.

The class has worked in 5 teams and each team has made ‘pictures’ of the three levels in the rainforest using only their bodies to create the plants growing at each level. On the sharing day when Year 4’s classroom will have been transformed into a rainforest, (Giles is constructing it with the class and also making an animation to be shown in the room, Joe is creating a soundscape for it), the teams will enter their rainforest and silently, softly ‘become’ the rainforest.

We have also worked on some different animal movements ready for Giles to film this week and make into the animation. We have a collection of panthers, tigers, birds, gorillas, frogs, lizards and more to bring the rainforest to life.

Everyone has really pulled together and worked very hard to create our rainforest and we are all excited about sharing it with the rest of the school and parents. We hope that everyone will enjoy entering into another world when they visit Year 4’s classroom on Friday.

Amanda (Choreographer)

Friday, 22 June 2007




At Kew Gardens yr4 were looking at the amazing tropical rainforest which was vast and scorching.When we got in the palm house it wasn't like we expected to be,because it was very humid. When we were inside we were utterly bewilderd. Every time we went upstairs it got hotter and hotter.Up in the emergent part of the palm house it was very hot it felt like you couldn't breath.We went down into the marine section, we saw loads of fish and there was a 3d film. When we came out of the palm house we had our delicious lunch and then we went into the gift shop then went into our groups, and went to different places.

Some of us went to lilly pad house and we saw some massive lilly pads that we have never seen before, there was a plant called a Tricolor and a Papyrus. We also went in to the Prince of Wales conservatary were we saw the coconut tree, banana tree and cacoa tree. After that we went back to the coach and we were on are way home, yay! It took us 2 hours to get home, we finally got back to school and went home.




Written by Callum,Ellie and Elliot. Yr4.

Wednesday, 20 June 2007

Year 4's answer to global warming..

The first seeds have been sown in the year 4 classroom - the rainforest is coming! Carpet rolls have generously been donated by the Carpet Plus shop opposite the school and turned into tree trunks.. hundreds of lianas are sprouting up from the ground, and after tommorow's trip to Kew, ideas for what sort of plants and leaves might be growing there will soon transform the rest of year 4's classroom into dense tropical jungle!
Here's some photos of how the classroom used to look: keep watching because that rainforest is growing fast..

Giles (animator/junglator)

Friday, 15 June 2007

some more pictures from our trip.



our trip to the building site






year 6 went to the site where the new school is being built.When we arrived we were met by the site manager Rob.We were given saftey equipment of hard hats and yellow vests we were also given some gloves becuuse we needed protection from the cement which can burn .At the beginning we were given a saftey talk. Then Rob showed us how to lay some bricks every body got a go. After we had some questions to ask rob they were mainly about how green the new school is going to be. We asked him how many bricks they were using and he replied "we are using 52 000 bricks to build the whole school." We also asked him how much cement they were using and he replied "we are using 44 000 tones of cement." We saw the frame for the hall and open flat fields. we asked him what happened to the wild life that was nesting on the grounds he replied " we had to move a slow worm family and some insects.We recorded our conversation with rob and have all the answers on our new digital recorder.

BY Anna Dadswell year 6

Wednesday, 30 May 2007

Plants Alive!

I have been working with Year 3, Mrs Ripley, Mrs Right and Joe on exploring plants through movement.

Year 3 are excellent, energetic dancers and very creative too, so we have been able to try out lots of ideas linked to plants.

First of all, we thought about what plants need in order to grow. We talked about plants needing four basic things: sunlight, water, air and soil. Then we explored making movements to show these four elements. In order to choreograph some movements (deciding what particular movements to do and in what order) everyone worked in duets (two people), and created their own version of sun, water, air and soil.

We came up with some more words and actions linked to our plants’ needs such as: digging, spreading, sprinkling, arcing, rays, sunrise, hurricane, spin, wriggle and cycle. Then the class worked in four teams, we have the ‘Sunshine girls’, the ‘Hurricaners’, the ‘Water people’ and the ‘Soil gremlins’. Each team made a photo with their bodies to show their element, then they animated the photo for a few seconds (like a Harry Potter picture), then they became still again.

When we put together all the duets and groups we realised we had a five minute dance! It will need some rehearsing and most especially some sound to go with it so that it can be shown at the Sharing day in June. – I haven’t heard any of the sounds that the group recorded with Joe yet, so I am looking forward to hearing what noises they have found and made together.



But that is not the end of our plant discoveries… We have also explored the structure of plants. We have looked at roots, stems and leaves. I set the class some challenges: they had to build a root system in the hall using only their bodies; then they had to do their best impression of one long stem stretching all the way across the hall; then they had to try and be leaves scattered across the floor.

We talked about the function of the roots and also the function of the stem and leaves. And I challenge someone from Year 3 to write a blog and explain what xylem and phloem are… and what different types of roots there are… and what different structures of leaves there are!

We explored and choreographed some movements based mostly on the stem. The class worked in trios (three people) and explored ideas to do with pulling and transporting, (because part of the stem’s function is to transport water and nutrients around a plant and it does this with a sucking/pulling action). So everyone in Year 3 has now pulled or been pulled, carried or been carried all the way across your school hall.

Mrs Ripley and I decided that this should be a separate dance from the Sun, Air, Water, Soil dance so we now have a Roots, Stem and Leaves dance too. It is comprised of lots of pulling/carrying trios, a root system, a stem and lots of leaves… Oh and lots of beanbags, but I’ll let someone from Year 3 explain what they are all about.

Of course, Joe now has a double challenge as he has to come up with a sound score for two dance pieces. And Year 3 have got the challenge of rehearsing two dances to perform to everyone in June.

We are missing titles for both dances – Year 3, if you have any good ideas, let me know! Oh, and do look at the photos that were taken and add some to the blog too…

Amanda (Choreographer)

Oh Noah!

I have been working on some of the story of Noah’s Ark with reception class, Miss Spiers, Ms Brown, Ms Thorn and Louise. I think Miss Spears has come up with a great name for our performance when she sent me an email with the heading ‘Oh Noah!’; I think we should keep that.

While Louise has been making a Battenberg Boat, I have been exploring some of Noah’s story in movement.

We have had fun trying to move like water: splashing, dripping, flowing, rippling, cascading… In fact any words you can think of, we’ve had a go at doing our best impressions of them with our bodies.

We have looked at little scenes from Noah’s story and made movement games out of them: we’ve played at being puddles and making big splashes when anyone stamps in the puddle and we’ve played at being a piece of wood or metal that someone has to shape and sculpt into being a boat.

From our games, we have made a dance story about Noah’s Ark. It goes something like this:

Scene 1 – "It’s raining!" - The rains start to fall and everyone gets wet, has to take cover, gets very angry at all the rain and splashes about in puddles;

Scene 2 – “Lets build a boat” – The boat builders have to cut, lift, rub, chop, pull and push to get their boat built. When the boat builders finish building, hopefully (fingers crossed) the Battenberg Ark will appear magically in the middle of the dance!

Scene 3 – “The waters are rising” – The Sea starts to rise, blue waters all around, the waves getting bigger and bigger;

Scene 4 – “The animals process two by two” – Elephants, giraffes, tigers, frogs, horses and many more all seek shelter two by two on the Ark;

Scene 5 – “When will we go home?” – Water, water, all around, blue waves all topped with foam. When will it all disappear, so we can all go home? At last the seas subside and everyone can celebrate. The End!

Everyone has worked really hard on our dance and I hope everyone has enjoyed it too. After half term the class will carry on rehearsing the dance with Miss Spears so that we can show it to the school and parents on our Sharing Day in June.

I’m afraid I don’t have any photos, but I know that Miss Spears does, so hopefully she and reception class may add some soon…

Amanda (Choreographer)

Sunday, 27 May 2007

The Reception class's Ark

I have been working with Amanda (dance artist), the reception class and Miss Spiers during this term on their learning journey about Noah and his Ark.
The Ark is almost finished now - on Friday I was glueing the different parts of it together, and when I come back after half-term I will finish off the last bits. It's quite complicated as it will be able to fold away (so it won't take up too much room when it's not in use).

We have all worked on the ark by designing its shape, choosing its colours and drawing some of the animals that will be sheltering in it.
All the children in the reception class voted on the colours that they would paint the ark. I thought they'd probably choose to have a brown ark and maybe a red roof, but what colours do you think they chose? ..... Yellow and pink!
These colours reminded me of a Battenburg Cake, so in case you don't know what a Battenburg Cake looks like, here is a picture of one -our ark may look a bit like thiswhen it's all finished!

I have also included some pictures of the class painting the flat pieces of the Ark and what one side of the ark looks like with the pictures of animals glued in place.

Louise Bristow (visual artist)





Monday, 21 May 2007

our new school plans





Copies of detailed plans for the new school are being studied by year 6 . In maths today we calculated the dimensions of room sizes and made comparisons with our present school.
Overall we found that room sizes were similar but in the new school the storage areas were placed in more convenient spaces.

Friday, 18 May 2007

Some thoughts...

As a sound artist, I have been (positively) challenged by this project in a number of ways. First of all, explaining detailed concepts of listening as a first step to working with sound and music is not an easy concept to grasp, especially for Key Stage 1 children... The second challenge has come from acting as Lead Artist on the Year 1 project - "Plants and Growth" - what sounds do plants make? Well, none audible to human ear without the aid of technology. Using a contact mic it is possible to hear the working of a plant and then amplify it so it can be recorded, but for me that was a step too far with such young children, and too focussed on technology.
So, the focus became on the elements that contribute to a plant's growth. Rain and SUN. Well, the rain stuff is easy, through the use of onomatapaeic words (splish, splash, splosh), percussion instruments (metallic sound objects, "plinky" sounds), and water (splashing, blowing bubbles, pouring water - lots of fun!!!), I was able to record a number of useful sounds to illustrate a concept. Ultimately, these sounds will end up as the soundtrack to Giles' animated film.
Heat and the Sun is an altogether different challenge - what is the sound of the sun (imaginatively)? So this afternoon, we will be recording all sorts of heat-making electrical objects in an attempt to create "hot" sounds. A hair dryer, computer fans, microwave ovens, buzzing lights, ovens etc., basically anything that can make a low droning sound that will contrast nicely with the sploshy and plinky sounds made by the rain.

Joseph Young-sound artist

More Yr 1 photos






More photos from the initial Year 1 workshops


Joseph Young-sound artist

Test post via email

This is a test email to see if it's possible to post to the Blog via email

Year 1 workshops






Some photos from the Year 1 workshops. Their learning journey is "Plants and Growth". The first workshops I ran with this group were around drawing and sound scores. We drew rain and sun, which were the elements that make plants grow, and then used these drawings as a visual inspiration for a quick musical improvisation around these themes.
Joseph Young-sound artist

Creative Partnerships Planning Day 30th March 2007







Here's the photographs from our planning day back in March, where the children contributed to the initial ideas behind the project...






Joseph Young -Sound Artist