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“The year has ended and now provides me the opportunity
to reflect. Your energy and enthusiasm for the Mural Arts Program
was exceptional. You and your team of artists interacted very
productively with our middle schoolers and they responded in
kind.
"When we met to discuss this project, it was an answered
prayer. We were able to provide an enriching art based experience
that served as a celebration of the arts and as an end of the
year experience. In addition, we laid the foundation for the
first art expedition. All that and a great mural too…
"I appreciated your intent from day one to connect
with our model of curriculum design—Understanding by
Design. My hope is that you left us with new ways to develop
curriculum in future partnerships.”
-- Charles Pearson, Principal
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Craft Alliance Mural Program:
2003-2004
Maplewood-Richmond
Heights Middle
School
The Maplewood Richmond Heights Middle School curriculum is designed
around a focus on Expeditionary Learning, a proven model for comprehensive
school reform. Expeditionary learning emphasizes learning by doing, with
a particular focus on character growth, teamwork, and literacy. It connects
academic learning to adventure, service, and character development. It
helps teachers learn to teach reading, writing, science, math and other
subjects through a challenging set of inter-connected real-world projects
called learning expeditions. Literacy instruction, embedded in learning
expeditions is a special focus of this design. The curriculum design
also employs the concept of Enduring Understandings, which lie at the
base of all literacy instruction and learning expeditions.
 The
Mural Arts Program residency served as a significant end and a visual
catalogue of a two-year experience for the 80 graduating 8th graders.
The students not only created an extraordinary work of art that will
last the lifetime of the building but they have learned life lessons.
In addition to the aesthetic beauty added to the hallway, the students
learned to trust, to work in a group, believe and work towards a common
goal, and understand that parts really do come together to be a whole,
a symbolic lesson that they will carry for a lifetime.
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