In Grade One the students spend part of their arts education creating sculptures made of wood and other materials to be part of a circus train, reminiscent of the trains that would pull into towns across America with separate cars for each part of the circus. The students begin the project by using their imaginations…thinking of scenes that they believe to be or wish were part of the circus. They move on to drawing what they have imagined and then begin work to turn that two dimensional representation back into a three dimensional object. Along the way the students gain skills, including the use of tools, as well as confidence in their abilities.
For six weeks in the winter of 2011, the steady progression of the students' work on the circus train was documented on digital video. After the project was completed, the students were asked to describe their experiences throughout the project and Mr. Edelstein was asked to describe the project and its goals.
Nearly eight hours of footage has been edited into the six minute documentary you can see here. It is a wonderful opportunity to be able to watch the students as they learn and grow more confident in their work and their choices.