MIDDLE SCHOOL

REMEMBERING LIKE JUDY: STUDYING THE WORK OF JUDY ONOFRIO

USING OUR OWN MEMORYWARE
RHONDA SMEDSTAD'S REFLECTION
SUGGESTION: Have classroom teacher incorporate story writing into curriculum for the narrative. Students in art class prefer (and seem to expect) hands-on work and seem to put less serious energy into writing here (especially last period of the day, when we have our class!

EPILOGUE: Project is completed, assessments made, students selected to participate in April 13 gathering at Weisman.. . (their joy alone should make it worthwhile!) In spite of the highs and lows of the whole process, I feel that overall it was a positive experience. Students enjoyed the project and learned from it on many levels. It provided the impetus for the art museum field trip--our first--and familiarized the students with ArtsConnected. Having been through the process once, I know areas to streamline and/or change.

Next time I would conduct a clay unit first and incorporate the products into the sculpture.

I would request volunteer assistance in armature building.

I would also exhibit completed works from past sessions in public spaces so as to solicit donations of “jeweling” materials.

Students returning from the April 13 day at the Weisman were the envy of their classmates and did a good job of recapping the day, a nice closure to “Remembering Like Judy”. It was great to see and hear about all of the various interpretations of the project. At some point, I would still like to follow through with my original idea of an intergenerational sculpture. . .
Students and teachers listen attentively to a presentation at the the get together at the Weisman Museum.

Return to Smedstad Middle School Lesson Plan.