West Branch Elementary

Pennsylvania (our state song)

For free midi-player, got to http://www.liveupdate.com/crescendo.html

An Artist-In-Residence (sponsored by Galaxy: The Arts In Education Program of CIU 10, partially funded by the PA Council on the Arts) named Lynne Magee worked with our sixth grade students to produce a mural at our school in May of 2001. Pennsylvania history was its theme, and since West Branch Elementary kids study this subject as part of their fourth-grade curriculum, it proved to be a good opportunity to reinforce what they'd learned.

All of the sixth-grade students did research on various topics pertaining to Pennsylvania, then after deciding what should be included, all of them did pencil sketches for possible inclusion in the final design. Mrs. Magee worked these images into a final composition. This took the form of a scale painting (See PA Mural Detail Page #1) which was marked off in a grid (1"x1" squares). Students then transferred this onto the wall using a projector, drawing parts of the whole picture from each square of the smaller grid into the larger (1'x1') corresponding squares there. The kids then refined the drawings on the wall and added details.

The sixth-graders worked in groups of eight at a time to do the actual painting, blocking in the main areas of color first. Working from the general to the specific, they added modeling and details, refining everything as time allowed.

When the Pennsylvania mural was finished, Lynne Magee commented on how hard-working and cooperative our students were. She also said that she very much enjoyed working with them! The feeling was mutual.

Click here for larger detail images from the Pennsylvania mural:

*PA MURAL DETAIL PAGE #1
*PA MURAL DETAIL PAGE #2
*PA MURAL DETAIL PAGE #3
*PA MURAL DETAIL PAGE #4
*PA MURAL DETAIL PAGE #5

Entire written contents copyright© 2002 by Ed DeVore. All images copyright© 2002 by the respective artists under the protection of West Branch Area School District.