photo gallery:

2nd-Grade Photo History Project
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Second graders at Villa Academy study communities. As part of their learning this year, they examined the role their school community plays in their lives.

Villa's faculty is constantly seeking innovative ways to connect student's core curricula with learning in other areas. In this project, the school's computer and art teachers teamed up to help students become better acquainted with their school community through an examination of the historic buildings in which it is housed.

Art Teacher Melissa Kunselman worked with the children on artistic composition and photography, while computer teacher Elizabeth O'Neil taught them how to take their digital images and turn them into a lasting document expressing what they find most special about their community's "home."

Each student explored the school's architecture for details that "spoke" to them. They next turned their collection of digital photographs into printed booklets in which they added their own thoughts and feelings about their community.

Students were able to combine learning about their community with valuable lessons in art and technology — and, in doing so, they created both a lasting memento for themselves and a beautiful and poignant archive for the school.