(10/31/2024) Anoka welcomed new mini-monsters to the community just in time for Halloween.
First-grade students at Lincoln Elementary School for the Arts partnered with students from nearby Anoka Middle School for the Arts (AMSA) in a shared art experience that also builds literacy skills for the youngest students.
Why it matters: Both Lincoln and AMSA are magnet schools that integrate art themes into other subject areas such as student literacy.
Read first, then create: This project began with Lincoln first-graders reading the book “"I Need My Monster," by Amanda Noll. Students then navigated through a design project where they created their own version of a Halloween monster on paper. The lesson plan for first-grade students included learning what it is like to be a designer and as a client as part of the project.
Weaving dreams with reality: AMSA students in eighth-grade WEB (Where Everyone Belongs) peer leadership group stepped up to bring the partnership to life. Working in early morning sessions over the course of several weeks, students used their fabric, sewing and design skills to match the visions created by the first-graders into their very own stuffed monsters.
Trick or treat: The learning came full-circle as over 30 AMSA students hand-delivered the monsters in a special event in the Lincoln Elementary School for the Arts gymnasium. A total of 74 first grade students from Lincoln were involved in the project. The middle school mentors shared the original designs and returned the finished product to the delight of their first grade project partners. Groups then enjoyed a book read by the student mentors. The event ended with a student parade of monsters around the school gym.
A seamless story: The project was coordinated by curriculum integrators Jolanda Dranchack from AMSA and Andrea Whitcomb from Lincoln Elementary School for the Arts. Both schools provide art-infused educational choice as part of the Northwest Suburban Integration District’s magnet school program. Transportation is provided to students who reside outside the school attendance area at no additional cost.
