Brooklyn, Ohio

Pollock with Papas

The art of Jackson Pollock came to life when Brooklyn Preschool partnered with the Cleveland Children’s Museum for its Great Artist outreach program.  Pollock with Papas connected the school’s art appreciation program with its ongoing efforts to engage more fathers, dads, and father figures—the papas—with their children in class during the school day.

The ATP and museum staff modified the program to include family participation and to focus on preschool age-appropriate skills.  On one visit, the museum volunteer showed the children a painting by Pollack and discussed the artist and his drip painting technique.  Children and parents—including many papas—went to their tables to create a Jackson Pollock-style piece of art.  The projects incorporated pre-academic, developmental, socioemotional, and motor skills in Ohio’s Early Learning and Development Standards.  Some students and parents also planned and constructed 3D sculptures out of modeling clay.  They strengthened planning, self-expression, and other skills to meet Early Learning Standards.  The children, papas, and some mamas created beautiful Pollock-inspired art.

Pollock with Papas is featured in Promising Partnership Practices 2017.

In the Garden with Grandparents

In the Garden with Grandparents followed the school’s theme-driven family activities.  This was an opportunity for grandparents to visit the classroom for a special event.  They were seated at the Circle Time Rug with their grandchildren.  A volunteer used visual examples and manipulatives to introduce children to the theme of living and non-living things in the springtime (e.g. worms, leaves).

The students and grandparents then moved to tables where they worked together on a several tasks. They observed and touched live worms, planted seeds, sorted living and non-living things, and completed spring puzzles.  To end the activity, participants followed a recipe to create “dirt,” which was really chocolate pudding, gummy worms, and crunched Oreos.  They all enjoyed eating this messy treat together.

This activity incorporated several of the pre-academic/developmental skills in Ohio’s Early Learning and Development Standards, such as develop and carry out simple plans to attain a goal and make careful observations.