By popular request … we’re back at school again!

In my previous post I wrote about the creative workshops that I’ve been doing with la prima e la seconda elementare (elementary classes 1 and 2) in a local scuola elementare (elementary/primary school). Following the theme of  il ciclo dell’acqua (the water cycle), we used la creta (clay) to populate our land and seascape with creatures and objects. You can find that post here.

The third and final assignment in this particular project is to create the elements above the land and sea: le nuvole che riportano l’acqua alla terra (the clouds that carry water back to the land), e le creature che abitano in cielo (and the creatures which inhabit the sky).

Lavorando con la terza elementare – Working with class 3

I plan to suspend our creations on nylon thread above our landscape. La creta would obviously be too heavy for this purpose, so I choose to use la carta (paper), le forbici (scissors), il nastro carta (decorators masking tape), and le matite colorate (coloured pencils). I’m counting on the fact that the children in class three are older, and hence more skilled with their hands.

Lavoriamo in due gruppi di sei studenti (we work in two groups of six students). Fortunately, the weather today is just perfect: an azure sky filled with massive clouds, some showing signs of imminent showers. Before we begin, we spend a few minutes observing the sky with its infinite variety of forms and colours.
Uno dei gruppi (one of the groups) decide to work on making the clouds whilst the other focuses on birds and insects. The results are quite astounding!
We soon diversify as the children’s imagination is set free: elicotteri, aerei, un arcobaleno, gocce di pioggia, saette e così via (helicopters, aircraft, a rainbow, drops of rain, lightning and so on).

Okay, basta parlare, ora vediamo cosa hanno creato – Okay, that’s enough talking, now let’s see what they created

Un merlo, un pappagallo, nuvole, saette, un arcobaleno …

Un gabbiano ed un elicottero …

Un elicottero della polizia sorveglia il mare …

A destra dell’arcobaleno un’aquila in volo e un pipistrello che dorme. A sinistra dell’arcobaleno una fantastica nuvola con delle gocce d’acqua che cadono giù per terra; una delle ragazzine ci ha messo tutta la mattina a fare questo capolavoro! (Scusate la scarsa qualità della foto)

In my next post you’ll get an insight into the minds of Italian elementary school pupils … in their own words. Prepare yourselves to be amazed!