At District 66's Paddock Elementary School, teacher April Bridwell has used interesting presentations, speakers and projects in her classroom as part of the Community Discovered Grant.

On a recent cold January afternoon, students broke into triads and created environmental art using snow as their main artifacts.

"The kids really enjoyed it and wrote reflections about their art. Most of it represented our society today or the way kids have to deal with choices in today's society," Bridwell said.

Students will create web pages with descriptions of the work later in the school year Bridwell said.

Bridwell said students recently wrote docents at the NMAA.

"The students had so many questions about this distinctive art, that we needed some answers. Using the Internet, we asked our questions and are impatiently waiting for our answers, Bridwell said.

Bridwell used Martin Luther King's holiday as a way to study Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglas, through the art of Jacob Lawrence.

"Jacob Lawrence developed a brief, but detailed, picture book of each person's life. There were 32 paintings of Douglas and 31 paintings of Harriet Tubman. Through these pictures, he depicts their lives from beginning to end and how their journey's both ended by their meeting one another and basing their success on faith, "Bridwell said. "The students learned of their fight for freedom, the terrible treatment of slaves, their journey to the south and back, again, and more," she said. "And all of this through paintings."

In addition of learning about Douglas and Tubman through art, students learned about King in this manner as well.

"The students have chosen different parts of his life and history," Bridwell said. "They are in groups of two to recreate this part of his life through some sort of art. It can be painting, sketchings or sculptures," she said. "The students are learning a lot and having fun."

During a recent Friday class period, Bridwell prepared sheets of paper with different shapes on them. Second grade and fifth grade students then together taught one another about the shapes,searching the school for as many shapes as they could identify.

The kids then drew the shapes and identified them, she said.

As a precursor to the activity, students read the book, "Shapes, Shapes, Shapes."

As a follow-up activity, Bridwell is having students use Hyper Studio to create stacks.

"The first card will have their names, the second a list of 6-8 shapes. Two of the shapes will be labeled as a button. These buttons will go to a special card for that shape, Bridwell said. "For example, Bridwell said, a rectangle will be represented as a door or a Kleenex box and then will be drawn on hyper studio or imported in.

In February, Kathy Adams, a former District 66 teacher, will to talk to second and fifth graders about the history of quilts.

"We are excited and lucky to have her because she knows a great deal about quilts," Bridwell said.

A quilt block will then be created so students can write about their family or society or whatever they feel relates to what they have learned during the month.

Colette DeFrey will follow this project with a presentation of "Funky Quilts and their history" based on her research of quilts. Amish, Florida and Andy Warhol quits will also be studied during this time.

"All of these projects have kept the kids interested and helped them learn a lot about several subjects," Bridwell said.