(Photo provided)

Claypool fifth graders embarked on a journey of discovery of space and the moon. Students studied the various phases of the moon, its orbital path in relation to the Earth, as well as how the moon actually affects life on Earth.

In addition to the learning in the general classroom, Claypool fifth graders continued their discovery in the art classroom! Art teacher, Andrea Miller, collaborated with the fifth grade teachers to create an art unit that focused on the moon and its phases. As part of the unit, the students worked in teams to design clay models depicting the eight phases of the moon. The models will be fired and glazed and will ultimately be assembled on stands to illustrate the phases of the moon.

Miss Miller also focused her lesson on how people across many fields work in conjunction to use information, observation, and research. While completing their own moon phase models, the students examined the artwork of James Turrell, an artist who utilizes light and shadows created by the sun and moon in relation to Earth in the works he creates. “As part of the STEM curriculum (see related), it is exciting to see the students experiencing how scientists, artists, and designers work collaboratively to create real, tangible models and prototypes,” stated Miller.

The fifth grade students are utilizing their newly acquired knowledge of the moon to enrich the lives of their first grade reading buddies. The younger Claypool Knights are exploring the phases of the moon by using cookies as visual models to show the different phases. What better way to learn the phases of the moon than with Oreos! After devouring an entire Oreo to show the transition the moon makes from the full moon phase to the new moon phase, it was clear the most enjoyable moon phase to learn with Oreos is a new moon!

At Claypool Elementary, the STEM curriculum is alive and well. When students have an opportunity to discover the world and universe around them and acquire personal meaning with that knowledge, science becomes real and not something found only in a book. For Claypool students, the sky is definitely NOT the limit!