Art Inspired by Italy Unit Livens Up My Art Room and School!
So after spending the summer in Italy I came back to the art room in Texas ready to do a unit on art inspired by Italy. I actually wrote the unit during the evening hours at Capitignano, an estate outside of Borgo San Lorenzo, Italy (near Florence) where I went to school. I saved it for the last nine weeks of the school year so I could plan it well. Each grade level, K-4 completed 2-3 projects which will eventually all end up on this Blog! Bringing more of the Italian culture to the art room was part of the unit as well. Students watched videos I made for them while I was in Italy and I made quite a few where I was speaking directly to my students. Ok, they just thought that was completely COOL! We listened to Italian music, learned some Italian words, tasted gelato and spaghetti and learned some basic information about the beautiful country of Italy. It tickled me to hear students saying "ciao" all over the building. I'm pretty sure that word will continue to be heard at my school. To culminate the unit I hosted an after school open house for the staff at my school. I hid some small images of cappuccino on the bulletin boards and tucked them into the artwork spread out all over the building-anywhere that art was displayed-and that, if found, could be redeemed for small prizes I actually brought back from Italy. Italian refreshments were served including the traditional tomato bruschetta, my own version of blueberry and goat cheese bruschetta, an artichoke Asiago spread from Italy on toasts, and a delicious Italian soda which I am now quite fond of, Sanpellegrino, which comes in a variety of flavors and can be purchased in the Dallas area where I live and teach. I also made some homemade Italian Creme Sodas (Ok! They are DELICIOUS! Google it and you'll find lots of wonderful recipes.) and served some bite size Italian cookies. The staff got to take a minute to look at the artwork, enjoy some refreshments and camaraderie, and get a glimpse into the artroom and our school art program. It was also my way of thanking the teachers for the many times they help me communicate information to their classroom families or hand out artwork to take home. Advocacy is always important! A good time was had by all!
