Beverley Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning Program

Category: Science

  • Sunshine 2.0

    Sunshine 2.0 is a professional traveling theater troupe based at Rochester Institute of Technology’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) in Rochester, New York. The troupe provides performances and activities for deaf and hard-of-hearing children and adults that highlight the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEaM), as well as educational topics pertaining to the Deaf experience. The theater troupe travels to schools, and programs serving deaf and hard-of-hearing students, colleges, museums, conferences, civic groups, festivals and other venues.

    Performances are presented in voice and in American Sign Language, are accessible to all audience members and cover subjects for people of all ages. And these performances can come to your school at no cost!

    Using an array of performance techniques, Sunshine 2.0 offers a series of engaging programs and workshops. Sunshine 2.0 audiences have a rare opportunity to see exciting and entertaining performances that will create a lasting impression.

    Sunshine 2.0 partnered with the University of Utah, Beverley Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning Program specialist, students and faculty from the Utah School for the Deaf and Blind, students and teachers from West Kearns Elementary School in Granite School District for a day of presentations, workshops, sharing and learning. The interaction between elementary students, teaching professionals, theater troupe members and university faculty and staff was amazing, informative and heart warming. Learn more about this professional troupe and highlights of the day below.

  • BTSALP 2020 Legislative Luncheon

    An Appreciation Luncheon for Utah State Legislators was held at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building on Friday, January 31, 2020. It was a fabulous affair filled with Art, Dance and support for the BTSALP program.

    Art for Centerpieces and Program – Liberty Hills Elementary, Alpine District, Jen Terry

    “We Will Rock You!” presented by Herriman Elementary School, Jordan School District 4th Grade (Ms. Mumford,) Jana Shumway BTSALP Dance Specialist

    Gumball Machines: Study of Color Mixing – James Moss Elementary, Granite School District, Kirsten Schiel

    Sandhill Cranes in Utah Wetlands: Environmental Studies – Riley Elementary, Salt Lake City School District, Regina Stenberg

    Aspen Trees – Eastlake Elementary, Jordan School District, Jacquelin Webster

    Ladder to the Moon – Amelia Earhart Elementary, Provo School District, Amanda Elton

    Cubist Autumn Trees – Bennion Elementary, Salt Lake City School District, Paul Heath

    Utah Biomes Interactive Murals – Millcreek Elementary, Granite School District, Rachel Lankford

  • A Day at Thunder Ridge: Part 3

    Robert Smith, BTSALP Art Coach in Alpine School District, led Ms. Decker’s 5th grade class through an integrated lesson using the book, The Mountain Dance by Thomas Locker. He started by having students close their eyes and listen to a Beethoven selection that complemented the wonderful illustrations in the book. Students listed words that described the music such as happy, intense, adventurous, calming and relaxing.

    He then read the book to the students, pausing at certain passages for the students to visualize the words being read. The class then discussed the vivid verbs and interesting adverbs they found in the text. Breaking into small groups, students listed and recorded Earth Science vocabulary words. These words were tied to passages in the book.

    Each group was given a different page from the book and asked to create a movement that illustrated the picture, text and vocabulary words. Students then performed their movements for their classmates.

  • A Day at Thunder Ridge: Part 2

    Robert Smith, BTSALP and Alpine School District Coach, is back guiding the 4th grade students in Ms. Mickelsen’s class through a session of scientific sketching and drawing. Topic: Butterflies!

    Scientific drawing require the artist to look at things through the eyes of a scientist. Charles Darwin was a scientist who was also an artist. He studied plants and animals and drew them in an accurate and detailed way.

    Boxes of butterflies, beetles and other creatures can be checked out from the Museum of Natural History on the University of Utah campus.

  • Utah Birds and Ecosystems

    This Fall, 2019 the Artsbridge Honors course at Weber State University will design and co-create a new faux-stained glass installation called Utah Birds & Ecosystems. This is a course designed for Weber State University students to work closely with professors and BTSALP Visual Arts Specialist, Brent Rhodes, and his 4th graders at James Madison Elementary. Through this collaboration students design and build a hanging installation that depicts the birds and ecosystems found in Utah. This aligns with the 4th grade Utah State Science Standards. All of the Weber State students and 4th Graders will visit the Ogden Nature Center to gather field research on Utah’s birds and ecosystems. They will work closely with local artists to inform and develop their artistic process. Throughout the semester, students will also engage in pen-pal writing prompts, strengthen their knowledge in the elements of art and explore a variety of art techniques.

    This display will be permanently hung at James Madison Elementary School and is facilitated by Tamara Goldbogen, Erinne Roundy, and Brent Rhodes. This project is a partnership between the Weber State University Arts Learning Collaborative, the Ogden Nature Center, and the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning Program.

    Mark your calendar: The semester and course will culminate in an unveiling of the Utah Birds & Ecosystems faux-stained glass installation and a short documentary on the creative process on Wednesday, December 11, 2019 from 5:00-6:30pm at James Madison Elementary School in Ogden Utah. This event is open to the public and all are welcome to celebrate the hard work and success of both students and faculty.

  • Mask Making – Part 2

    The plaster animal masks are finished and on display (Just in time for Art Night!) at Moss Elementary School in Granite School District. Kirsten Schiel, BTSALP Visual Art Specialist did a wonderful job of guiding the fifth grade students through the research, drawing and constructing phases of this integrated mask making project.

  • Out With the Old and In with the New

    Beacon Heights Elementary School in the Salt Lake City School District has a giant open area atrium right in the front foyer. Many years ago the students at Beacon Heights constructed a huge hanging mobile to fill the space and welcome visitors to their school Well that was then . . . and this is now and there’s a new installation in town! Each student at Beacon Heights studied a different type of bird and created pieces of art depicting that bird. These birds became part of the new exhibit in the foyer of Beacon Heights. You might say this art piece is “for the birds!”

    Laurie Shea, BTSALP Visual Art Specialist at Beacon Heights was responsible for the project which included beaded and feathered whimsical birds, robotic birds and realistic looking birds of prey.

  • Down on the Farm

    Shout out to Denise Manzione, BTSALP Arts Coordinator in Tooele School District and the students at Vernon and Ibapah Elementary Schools. Both of these schools are 2 room school houses in farm/ranch communities.  Students were studying wool and how it is processed (in Ibapah quite a few already knew because they raise sheep).  Wool was purchased from Utah’s Ag in the Classroom, but some of the students offered to run home and sheer a sheep if we needed more! The wool was dyed using Kool-Aid and coffee. Then students created faces and rolled it between sheets of bubble wrap to wet felt it.  Their patience was tried because it took quite a bit of time to get a finished art piece, AND the bubble wrap was just calling to them to be popped! This was a fun project and they learned they have an art resource right in their backyards!

  • Mandala Magic Lesson Plan

  • There’s So Much “Drama” at Suncrest Elementary

    Guest Blogger: Rachel Zumaya

    Drama Specialist at Suncrest Elementary School, Alpine School District

    Pantomime /ˈpan(t)əˌmīm/ noun
    a dramatic entertainment, originating in Roman mime, in which performers express meaning through gestures accompanied by music.

    In the Drama space at Suncrest Elementary School, students have been learning about pantomime and how tableaus can tell stories. 2nd graders learned to do “the rope” and had a pantomime Tug-O-War that they acted our for their class.

    The 5th grade also did a Tug-O-War activity integrating the Underground Railroad and the Salem Witch Trials with drama skills.

    3rd graders worked on a collaborative project where they performed a “Biomes” poem. They each took turns doing moving tableaus that portrayed the various biomes of the earth. They then performed that for their teachers and classmates.

    Tableau /ˌtaˈblō/ noun
    a group of models or motionless figures representing a scene from a story or from history; a tableau vivant.

    The 4th graders were given a project where they researched Utah Native American legends. Groups planned 3 tableaus to narrate the beginning, middle, and end of their stories. These were performed for teachers and classmates.

    6th graders did a similar project, using Greek mythology as their point of study. They told their story through 3 tableaus, narrating and performing it for their class.

    We certainly had a lot of fun workshopping the tableau and pantomime projects together as a school. Student learned concepts of Science and Social Studies in a deeper way.