To prep for state testing students at Grover Washington Jr. Middle School revisited our main project from the previous year. Math teacher Jerry Jackson prepared a test prep worksheet for the students to work on in response to a Shape Invader design that they created using vinyl polygon shapes.
The Shape Invader initiative was a big breakthrough for Jackson and I last year. The art initiative we created with the students had a direct impact on textbook problem solving and testing. To create the designs we worked with students to identify design constraints that could help them practice concepts such as ratio and percentage. The students then responded to their Shape Invader design to find the area, perimeter and a host of other math skills and concepts that they need to know well.
|Math teacher Jerry Jackson helping a student with calculations|
Last spring we selected our best designs and Invaded the School District of Philadelphia administration building in Center City Philadelphia. We were also invited to invade the Central Branch of the Philadelphia Free Library.
In the search to link art, math and contemporary art I have not been able to find many other projects that have such a direct correlation. If you know of other projects please let us know. We are familiar with Komar and Melamid’s Most Wanted Painting project and we are excited to have this project serve as a starting point for us this year.