Arts Explorer #4: Spot the Patterns

Spot the Patterns 

RBC Building in Toronto 

This is a picture of an RBC building on Front St. It is across the street from Union Station. I took this picture from across the street right outside of the stairs that lead you into the subway. I took a few pictures from other locations (on a platform at Union), and standing under the building but the patterning in the building was not as apparent.

The windows around the building have this pattern around all four sides of the building. This pattern is symmetrical and repetitive around the building. Before this assignment I never stopped or purposefully took the time to think about the patterns that surround me in my daily life but I began to notice many when I took the time to look.

Art Word of the Week: Pattern

Pattern: "A mark or design that is repeated in some recurring sequence" (Schirrmacher & Fox, 2009, p. 367).

This activity inspired me to do a patterning activity at work. It was a basketball class (not the typical class to do a patterning activity, but I went with it) and I got the class to create a pattern with basketball skills/moves and have a partner copy them and see how complicated or long they could continue it for. I gave a basic example of 3 dribbles, and a chest pass, with both partners doing it at the same time. I had one pair of children get pretty technical, and creative. In the end all of the children had a lot of fun.
The reason I chose to do patterning in a basketball class instead of an art class was because I felt that it was a bit more creative and unexpected. This assignment made me look for patterns in places where I usually wouldn't notice them so I figured I would take this same idea and extend it a bit further.

Early Childhood Education Extension: Pattern activities can be done in a multitude of ways in a classroom. Above I gave an example of a way that I incorporated patterning into one of my classes in an unusual and creative way. Another example educators could do is the activity I completed for this blog. Give children a camera (if it is appropriate) or have the teacher hold the camera and go on a search for patterns. Before the search, a discussion on patterns would be have and as a class you could brainstorm some patterns that children expect they might find. Then, around the classroom or outside children can take a picture of the patterns they find and you can make a book with them. This activity is also great for inclement weather because it is a new activity that children can partake in while stuck indoors.

References

Schirrmacher, R., & Fox, J.E. (2009). Art and creative development for young children (6th Ed.). Belmont, CA: Delmar.