The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Click here for more from the artist who created the graphic above. To watch a video about the history of human rights, click here.

Jim Denevan's Enormous Natural Art

Jim Denevan creates enormous works of natural art with sticks and rakes (often barefooted). Click here to explore his beautiful and ephemeral work.

A Visual History of Social Dance in 25 Moves

"Why do we dance? African-American social dances started as a way for enslaved Africans to keep cultural traditions alive and retain a sense of inner freedom. They remain an affirmation of identity and independence. In this electric demonstration, packed with live performances, choreographer, educator and TED Fellow Camille A. Brown explores what happens when communities let loose and express themselves by dancing together."

-TED

Storybird

Which creative styles below speak to you?

Part of Chase Street's language arts program encourages students to "read the pictures." Storybird offers an engaging opportunity for kids to do just that. Choose from hundreds of artists, sequence a set of illustrations as you wish, then write a narrative that matches the images.

Storybird also allows pairs of users to collaborate. Students will receive their usernames and temporary passwords soon, but if you're feeling creative right, now click here to get started on your own.

Shinichi Maruyama

Morning messages this week include art created in less than ten seconds. Shinichi Maruyama's photography captures the beauty of liquid in mid-air. Click here to see more of his work.

Creative Geometry

Students tap into their creative sides as they construct colorful geometric art and explore shapes and their respective attributes. Bella's intricate work looks a bit Incan.

 

Sculpting Understanding

Many lessons begin with dry erase boards and markers. Chance selects a classmate who sits with their back to the board as vocabulary is revealed to everyone else. Until last week, students either explained meaning with text, illustrations, or a combination of the two. Now everyone wields Play-Doh. Understanding becomes three dimensional.

This word study is all about prefixes. We explore how uni, bi, tri and quad affect the meaning of root words.

The following tactile interpretations of triathlons and unicorns illuminate diverse learning styles...

littleBits and the Classroom Tinkerer

This week the class will vote for the year's first Classroom Tinkerer. The student who gets nominated and receives the most votes will take home a littleBits kit to create imaginative DIY projects. 

The job requires planning, trial and error, and writing… yes, writing. A maker's journal is also part of the kit, where the Tinkerer will illustrate and write about project design and process. Click here to see past classroom tinkerers' unique creations.

Nano Origami

German artist Anja Markiewics creates beautiful sculptures with paper squares less than an inch across. Click here for more miniature works of art.

Vanessa Gould's documentary film Between the Folds showcases renown origami artists around the world.  Click here to watch the trailer.  To read a review, click here.