Fifth
graders celebrated the culmination of their study of Latin America
and the completion of their major writing pieces for the semester
at the "Fall Festival" on November 15. The students had just
completed an expository writing piece and an original story as they
learned to find their own unique "voices" in writing. The
festival began in the Poston library, with several students reading
original stories and showing classmates gourds they painted in art
class to inspire their tales. The morning ended with a tasty feast
of fall favorites, lovingly provided by fifth-grade parent volunteers.
One of their writing assignments sprang from the so-called "Gourd
Project," which integrates art and Humanities studies. The project
helps students learn about genetics and how different cultures have
used gourds, particularly the natives of Peru. In art classes, students
clean and prepare the gourds, and then decorate them with either ancient
Peruvian patterns or natural patterns observed on the Heathwood campus.
As the project continues, Humanities classes perform writing exercises,
creating original legends that evolve from the images depicted on
their gourds. The process marries history and visual arts, helping
students make connections and addressing the many learning styles
present in any school classroom. When the project ends, the Poston
library provides an ideal display space where the entire student body
can enjoy the creative works of the fifth grade.
