Cultures of Thinking Routines





Our district has embraced a new approach in learning based on the Project Zero studies. There are several routines that are strongly connected to Visual Literacy.  My classes are 30 minutes long so it is very rare for me to have a chance to spend one of my entire class times on a routine so I held my breath hoping I wouldn't hear as the students left, "Hey we didn't make anything today"
The owls were finished so I set them out, four on a table with a sheet of paper in front of each labeled, See, Think, Wonder. I started the class by having the students observe a mask on the projector and we practiced the routine in small groups, forming questions about the art work. Next, we discussed critique and what that means to critique or LOOK at another person's artwork. We talked about what words are helpful to an artists, what words are hurtful and what are vague.  The students then freely rotated among the tables to write on each piece of paper. The students were very excited to engage in this task as well as read what their peers wrote. 

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