The Institute of Inquiry is set to begin its third session of classes aimed at stimulating curiosity and creativity among the home-schooled youth of the Morongo Basin. Reporter Heather Clisby has the details…
Based in downtown Joshua Tree, the Institute of Inquiry has announced new youth classes that run from March 17 through May 22.
For kindergarten and first graders, there’s “Story Detectives” on Thursdays from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. that will focus on visual art, writing, reading, speaking and listening.
If there’s one thing kindergarten and first graders excel at, it’s creativity and close-looking. Through adventures into reading and writing, this class will further develop awareness and understanding of the world around them. Using close observation and questioning their environment, they will become expert storytelling detectives.
Along the path of literacy discovery, students will engage in conversations about goal-setting. How can they tell when they’re expecting the impossible of themselves? (Write a full length picture book with perfect spelling! Never run out of ideas! Do it all alone!) Kindergarten students will often be partnered with a first grader buddy, and emphasis will be placed on teamwork and student teaching as they discuss the idea of our “growing edge.” Students will choose goals that feel just right: not too easy, and not a bar that’s far out of reach. Poetry and Mythology will be a part of the explorations too.
The cost is $580 for a 10-week course that meets March 19, 26, April 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 and May 7, 14, and 21. The instructor is Sabrina Fox. Please be aware that kindergarten students must turn 5 by June 1, 2019 to enroll in 2019-20 classes.
For second through fourth graders, there’s “Modern Art & the Artist’s Story” on Tuesdays from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., that will focus on art history, writing, visual arts, and graphic design.
Self-publishing, book design and art history collide in this class exploring modern art and the artist’s story. What happened in the life of Frida Kahlo that led to the narratives she painted? What did Mary Cassat learn about women and the art world? How did Georgia O’Keeffe wield her talent, vision and power? Students will be introduced to a wide variety of modern artists, focusing in particular on the female artists that have shaped, and often been left out, of history’s retelling of art. Discussions will focus on artists who raise interesting questions and at times cause a double-take – like the unusual sculptures of Katharina Fritsch, the thought-provoking paintings of Jean-Michel Basquiat and the murals of Keith Haring.
Students will tell an art history story that includes themselves and self-publish their book using Blurb.com’s BookWright software.
The cost is $580 for 10-week course that runs March 17, 24, 31, April 7, 14, 21, 28 and May 5, 12 & 19. The instructor is Kimberly Sikora.
For fourth graders and older, there’s “Permaculture in Practice on Tuesdays from 1:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. which will utilize science, engineering and math.
Permaculture is an interdisciplinary design science that works with nature to create regenerative systems for land, water, food, and community. In short, it combines knowledge from a variety of science fields and works with mother nature to do, amazing and sustainable things. In this class, students will use the permaculture framework and principles to delve into a wide range of subjects including watershed ecology, appropriate technology, horticulture, architecture, and community development. Students will taste acorns, grind mesquite, and create their very own permaculture design for a local site complete with inventive maps. Projects may include an intro to the Google Sketch Up software, using iPads available for students’ classroom use.
The cost is $580 for 10-week course that includes the dates March 17, 24, 31, April 7, 14, 21, 28 and May 5, 12 & 19. The instructor is Maya Toccata.
For fifth graders and older, there’s “Play Production” on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. that will offer skills training in performing arts, visual art, writing, and sound engineering.
A live performance holds a certain kind of magic. At times the performer appeals to an audience’s beliefs and then creates a challenge for them to ponder. Other, funnier performances seek only to riddle an audience’s sense of humor into glorious eruption. These are the stories that create great theatre.
In this class, students will produce a series of short plays, or one more involved piece, for performance at a local venue. Plays produced may be chosen from works by our previous “Playwriting for the Stage” class, or from other realms. Students will become familiar with all the moving parts of a production, and the wide variety of skill sets that are needed to put on a show that knocks your audience’s desert boots off.
The cost is $580 for 10-week course that meets on March 18, 25, April 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 and May 6, 13, & 20. The instructor is Kevin Bone. More information on the final show and performance venue will be announced.
Also for this age group, there’s “Large-Scale Sculpture” on Thursdays from 1:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. that will incorporate mathematics into visual art.
Making huge art is an odyssey unto itself. In this class, students will unpack the design process as they develop a collaborative design for a large-scale sculpture, created primarily from up-cycled materials (READ: Bring in your junk!) Throughout the 10 weeks, students will follow their imaginations, their weirdness, and their ideas– taking them to whatever surprising end they can build. Their finished sculpture will be installed at the spring Joshua Tree Music Festival. Through the generosity, patronage and guidance of the Joshua Tree Living Arts organization, participants and an accompanying adult will be gifted admission to the festival to install and view their project.
The cost is $580 for a 10-week course that meets March 19, 26, April 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 and May 7. An on-site sculpture installation will be held at the Joshua Tree Dry Lake Bed on May 13 and 14th. The instructor is Kimberly Sikora who will be assisted by Eloise Hess.
Spots are limited and parents can sign up their kids at instituteofinquiry.org.
