Our 2016-2017 4th grade artists worked with their classroom teachers and with their dance, music, and visual arts specialists in an exploration of California regions and their unique landscapes. As part of these investigations, students were introduced to the fundamentals of photography. Armed with this knowledge, students went on a special field trip to Hahamongna Watershed Park in Altadena where they documented the mountain region and arroyo ecosystems.Ê After their field trip, 4th grade artists also explored the possibilities of photo effects during the photo editing process as they worked to enhance and/or transform the original photos they captured at Hahamongna.Ê
Through the study of poetry, students explored various forms such as acrostic poems, haiku, free verse, as well as figurative language such as metaphor and simile. Students then wrote original poems inspired by their hike and the photographs they took.