Sound wave group sculpture

Students work together on one piece around a shared theme. In art teacher Lesley Koshland’s sixth-grade class, a collaborative piece, a musical instrument with sound waves, was selected for the Young Art 2015 Visualizing Music exhibit at the San Diego Museum of Art.

The steps below follow her classroom notes.

Based on classroom notes from art teacher Lesley Koshland (San Diego), who taught Taskboard in grades 2, 5 and 6.

Steps

1. Choose the theme. Agree on one subject for the whole group. Koshland’s class used a musical instrument with sound waves.
2. Cut the shapes. Cut the shapes from the 1/32" sheet with scissors. Pre-cutting around the larger shapes means students cut less.
3. Decorate. Draw on the front with waterproof pens. Color the back with regular wax crayons.
4. Plan the placement. Students plan where each piece goes before any glue comes out.
5. Glue and balance. Glue the pieces to the base with white glue. Check the balance as the piece grows. Koshland calls it a great exercise in design and engineering.

What students learn

• Working as a group on one design
• Planning placement before gluing
• Balance in a three-dimensional piece