ART IN THE CLASSROOM

A few months ago, they were just names in an art history book: Picasso, Chagall and Van Gogh. But for 18 fifth-graders at First Lutheran School of Northridge, their work has come alive via a unique classroom experience.

“The kids love it,” said teacher Wendy Jensen, describing a six-week instructional lesson that put her students to work transforming their classroom into a fictional museum filled with art. “It’s very involved. It’s a real-life experience.”

After brainstorming on ideas for the museum, students used scissors, construction paper and glue to build a paper facade along one wall of the room. To make the illusion complete, each child was given a position in the museum, portraying security guards, docents and managers.

The goal, Jensen said, was to demonstrate that art is more than paintings and sculpture. Students learned that just displaying a masterpiece takes knowledge and effort.