Bomomo

New to Hayes K-8's interdisciplinary art program is the Pacesetter paperless-driven art environment (PDAE). Bomomo is a Flash-based art application that works on your PC or Safari browser.  Instead of giving you some simple MS Paint-like tools like a

paintbrush, bucket, and eraser, everything in Bomomo is dynamic and moving, leading to some kaleidoscopic creations that you can either e-mail to friends or squirrel away to your hard drive. If you know what you're doing you can create some really cool abstract creations.

The rationale behind having a paperless art environment is

Pacesetters will have the option and advantage, in addition to traditional artistic applications, of creating works of art of various media. These artworks are conceived and generated entirely on a desktop or laptop computer without the use of traditional art materials such as paper, paints, pencils, canvasses, etc. 

The focus of A paperless art environment is threefold: Firstly, in today's world where art supplies are more expensive yet pupil supply funds are eroding or nonexistent, art educators can supplement their traditional lesson plans with art projects that are

generated from the plethora of interactive art websites, many of which are free and can be implemented from existing computer labs throughout Birmingham City Schools.

Secondly, more often than not, many students either don't have the means to safely transport the many artworks they create or don't wish to keep their works of art. In a paperless art environment students can choose to not only save their computer generated works of art on a portable device and use it as a portfolio, they can also print their artworks in many

different sizes and on a multitude of paper choices.

Thirdly, creating artworks in a paperless driven environment virtually eliminates the fear factor associated with the learning process. Students no longer have to stress over making mistakes or not making the perfect work of art when all they have to do is literally wave a wand and start all over without having wasted materials and crucial studio time. 

Webapp Bomomo is a drawing application (best used with Google Chrome) that's slick enough to make random squiggles seem elegant, but also lets you fine-tune your design. Whether you're looking for a change of desktop wallpaper, wrapping paper that's really unique, or just an intriguing background, Bomomo's results almost always look pretty decent. And while the colors are randomly generated, they tend to come in complementary waves. Bomomo is a free to sign up for and use (instructional video below).

Select one of the dynamic brushes and start playing around, shortly after, you are likely to end up with something nice. Make sure to swap brushes from time to time though. If you are happy with the result you can save the painting on your PC. There are no ads or sign-up.

What makes the tool particularly interesting is that each of the 18 drawing tools are tied to your mouse in a different way. Some tools will follow it around, while others do their best to escape your pointer--creating some genuinely gorgeous effects. Some also take advantage of where your pointer is, either changing in size or color based on what part of the screen you're on.

Resources:

Lifehacker.com

CNET

Bomomo Gallery via Flickr

Polyhedrons

polyhedron (ˌpɒlɪˈhiːdrən)n, 

pl -drons or -dra (-drə)

1. (Mathematics) a solid figure consisting of four or more plane faces (all polygons),
   pairs of which meet along an edge, three or more edges meeting at a vertex. In a regular polyhedron all the faces are identical regular polygons making equal angles with each other. Specific polyhedrons are named according to the number of
   
   faces, such as tetrahedron, icosahedron, etc.

This lesson is meant to provide Hayes Pacesetters with an interdisciplinary, hands on and cooperative learning that focuses on exploring three dimensional polyhedra. Pacesetters will rely on each other 

for knowledge (rather than the teacher). Nevertheless, the teacher will provide guidance and support where necessary. Pacesetters will become more familiar with the vocabulary and content as they also will find a relationship between the numbers of faces, vertices and edges of polyhedra.

Rationale: 

Hayes Pacesetters will acquire knowledge in a variety of ways through interdisciplinary art education. This lesson provides for the tactile learner as well as the visual. Pacesetters will learn the concepts because the lesson provides for inquiry learning and working cooperatively in groups based upon a heterogeneously developed plan, the Pacesetters can share their own strengths with each other. Pacesetters will also remember the form of each polyhedron and how to find the number of faces, vertices and edges because they will actually be "doing" instead of just taking notes or drawing pictures of the shapes.

Exploring polyhedra should be an essential part of the grades 5-8 curriculum. Lessons are developed and should be taught by all Birmingham City Schools teachers, according to

our new state standards. The Math Resource Guide for grades 7-8 discuss specifically the importance of this lesson(see resources below). Modeling and multiple representation state that students should be able to construct 2d and 3d objects, find relationships between geometric shapes and identify elements of the shapes, in addition to representing relationships using variables.

Objectives:

1. Pacesetters will conduct research via the internet (Wikipedia) on various polyhedron shapes (as shown below).

2. Pacesetters will construct a three dimensional cube, triangular pyramid, and a spherical dodecahedrons (Pictured above right). 

3. Pacesetters will be able to count the number of faces, vertices and edges each polyhedron has and record the results on the worksheet.

4. Pacesetters will find a pattern or relationship between the vertices and edges.

Evaluation & Assessment:

Hayes Pacesetters will be formatively assessed by observation and probing questions from the teacher. This lesson was designed to have Pacesetters investigate the properties and relationships of polyhedra, therefore Pacesetters will be assessed on the content later in the geometry unit with a traditional test and a non-traditional performance assessment in the form of a project. Yet, for quick feedback the teacher should review that the charts are correctly filled out and the equation is noted on the worksheet.

Resources:

Polyhedra Lesson Plan

New York State Math Standards grades 5-8

MC Escher Lizard Tessellation Art

Maurits Cornelis Escher, usually referred to as M. C. Escher, was a Dutch graphic artist. He is known for his often mathematically inspired woodcuts, lithographs, tessellations and mezzotints. Escher (pictured left) was a great master of tessellation (the regular division of the plane, or tiling). He created symmetrical designs and planar tesselations, which he described as congruent, convex polygons joined together."

In 1922 Escher visited the Alhambra palace  in Granada, Spain and saw the wall tilings of the Moors, a people who originated from Northern Africa (pictured right). He was excited to find other artists who had been captivated by tilings, but also made this revealing comment: "What a pity their religion forbade them to make graven images." Escher's notebooks soon became full of repeating patterns inspired by the Moors. Imagery gave his patterns a different psychological character from the serene designs of Islam.

Tessellations also known as tilings are a collection of polygons that fill the plane with no overlaps or gaps. There are regular tessellations that tessellates with just one polygon and semi-regular tessellations that use two or more regular polygons. Tessellations are a good way to introduce students to the beauty of mathematics which can be very artistic and

interesting to view and study.

While, Escher's work includes representation, it is still involved with the language of visual symmetry and order. Symmetry is integral to the medium of printmaking and graphic arts. The impression of a woodblock is a reflection or mirror image of the design carved into the block. Multiplicity and repetition are functions of printing as well. Thus, Escher chose a medium that naturally expressed two motions of symmetry: reflection and translation. These elements of symmetry also showed Escher's strong love of order. The technical difficulty of woodcutting suited Escher's fastidious nature too they symbolize the idea of boundlessness in a manner that is not obtainable."

Escher was also fascinated by the concept of infinity, which led him into explorations of space beyond the two dimensional plane. He carved the surface of this six inch ball with twelve identical fishes to show that a "fragmentary" plane could be filled endlessly. "When you turn this ball in your hands, fish after fish appears in endless succession. Though their number is restricted, they symbolize the idea of boundlessness in a manner that is not obtainable."

Escher pursued themes of transformation in works he called "Image Stories" which involved images transforming from one state into another. In another version of "Pessimist and Optimist", he explains, "... on a gray wall, these human figures increase their mutual contrast toward the center ... each kind detaches themselves from the wall surface and walks into space ... Thus going round they can't help meeting in the

foreground ... the black pessimist keeps his finger raised in a gesture of warning, but the white optimist cheerfully comes to his encounter, and so they finally shake hands."

This lesson involves using polygonal relationships to form tessellations. Our goals are to understand and create tessellations and tillings, to learn concepts and notations important for understanding and discussing polyhedra. Also which types of polygons can we use in order to make a regular tessellation and what are the conditions are needed for irregular tessellations. The lesson involves the use of scissors, construction paper, lizard stencils, and glue which should be fun and hands- on for the students. The main objectives for the students to take away from this lesson are to:

• Recognize and explore the properties of tessellations. • Identify and examine symmetry in geometric figures.

• Describe, and classify polygons, examine the role of mathematics in society and nature.

1. The aim is to get Pacesetters working together in groups using a discovery method for Pacesetters to learn the ideas of polygons angles and construction using the Zome System. For Pacesetters who are new to art tools introductory about the Zome System may be helpful to get Pacesetters comfortable with using the tools. 5-10 mins

2. Once the introduction is over, Pacesetters will be broken up into groups of four or five Pacesetters and handed out the worksheet for this activity. The first few questions are to get Pacesetters thinking or recalling properties about tessellations such as vertex conditions, types of tilings and different types of symmetries tilings can have. Pacesetters will also have time to get familiar with the Zome tools by making simple constructions 10-15 min

3. Then each group will be giving a challenging construction that they will have to work together on to complete. These can be assigned arbitrarily by just assigning one of the challenge questions to each group.

Resources

Zome Symmetry and Tilings

Pattern Lesson 7 Art Part - Dartmouth College

Tessellations with M.C. Escher

Wikipedia: Alhambra Palace -- Granada, Spain

The Moors at Granada -- Heritage History

Dia De Los Muertos

Day of the Dead (Spanish: Día de Muertos) is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico and around the world in other cultures. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. It is particularly celebrated in Mexico, where the day is a bank holiday. The celebration takes place on October 31, November 1 and November 2. Scholars trace the origins of the modern Mexican holiday to indigenous observances dating back hundreds of years and to an Aztec festival

 dedicated to the goddess Mictecacihuatl.

Dia de los Muertos is celebrated throughout Mexico. Many other countries around the world celebrate similar (or hybrid) versions of Day of the Dead as well, by having special days for honoring the dead. These celebrations occur in various countries in Central and South America, Europe and Asia, where they celebrate the holiday according to their own local customs.

Many people around the world, even if they are not directly

connected to Mexican culture, are drawn to the concept and imagery of Mexico's Day of the Dead, so the holiday seems to continually gain in popularity as more people learn about it.

Day of the Dead has also taken hold in areas with a high Mexican immigrant population, particularly in California, Texas, Arizona and other parts of the United States.

Although this celebration is associated with the dead, it is not portrayed as a morbid or depressing time, but rather a period full of life, happiness, color, food, family, and fun. There is excitement everywhere. In many areas, outdoor markets are displayed in which they sell many symbolic goods, such as special breads, flowers, pottery, baskets, candles, paper puppets, candy skulls, etc.

The main symbols of this holiday are skulls and skeletons, which are displayed throughout the cities. Scenes of skeletons hugging, marching, dancing, and laughing are seen in window displays on the streets. Marigolds are another significant symbol for the Day of the Dead festivity, and are known as the "flower of the dead." Their scent is believed to "attract the souls and draw them back."

Today, the Day of the Dead is a cherished, complex holiday celebration where death is seen as life. The common principle for this holiday is "whatever pleased the dead in life they are to have again." It is a holiday when the whole family comes together - both living and dead. This holiday festivity is believed to be a time for the departed to join the living in the celebrations of the "continuum of life."

Student Objectives:

• Pacesetters will recognize that certain cultures have celebrations unique to them.
• Pacesetters will recognize that a holiday celebrated by one ethnic culture may be honored in many countries as the cultural group disperses among different areas.
• Pacesetters will become familiar with a foreign language present in the Latino culture, and will be able to pronounce some words, as well as identify their meanings.
• Pacesetters will recognize that certain values and beliefs may be shared and reinforced through a celebration.

Procedure:

Pacesetters will color and cut out  two predesigned masks, face them opposite of each other, and staple around the perimeter. Pacesetters will then proceed to stuff the inside of the mask with cotton balls and staple a length of fishing line to the top of the mask. The masks will be hung up for display.  

Resources

Day of the Dead Facts

Wikipedia: Day of the Dead

Day of the Dead Unit