For the 2010-11 school year, I knew I wanted to bring in Kumu very early on. I knew I wanted to create a community of learners, that could communicate, be self-directed, and compassionate with each other. In order to do this, I knew I had to hook the students almost immediately, so I went down the hill in search of Susana.

        Throughout the summer I had been in communication with Susana, and after I went through the Heliophysics Education Ambassador program at the Adler Planetarium in early July, I knew it had to be about energy and the sun. Susana coordinated a meeting between the teaching artist, Makamae Murray, and me in mid July. We knew from that meeting we needed more time to focus in on the particulars. One more meeting during the first week of school directed us both to the place we needed to be in order to begin.

        We decided on a study of energy (from the sun) by reflecting on the phases of the moon. Every indigenous culture in the world uses the moon to guide important events like planting and food gathering and Hawaii is no exception. We would have students observe the moon for one full cycle, writing objective scientific observations, drawing it, and writing the Hawaiian moon phase on one side of the page, and then an emotional 'journal' on the flip side of the page. In this way, the students could see if the moon affected their emotions. I had 150 handmade journals, each tied with twine, that students made a space for, in their Monday envelope (attached to their planner). They were given instructions, practiced making the observations, and then sent home with a letter to parents explaining the homework assignment that was to alst 28 days. Kumu referenced it in such a way as to invite them all to look at the moon for one month. Nice easy homework, right?

        Kumu began to teach my students a haka with which to focus their energy. It was all on the phases of the moon. Hilo, hoaka....the students truly enjoyed learning the phases, and the hand signals that accompanied the phases. This aspect of the project was a clear winner. My only regret is that mys tudents didn't practice it enough. I needed to help them do it every day. I laoded the haka in various stages on the Moon Mana page, and could actually play the recording to help them learn it better. That I would do in a perfect world.

        Now for me to focus on the science. Early quarter 1 is all about the scientific method. For mys tudents it means doing a variety of activities in order to learn the steps of inquiry, singing, kinestetic switcheroo, inquiry lab, measuring, making observations, drawing what they see. Quantifying. I created a rotation lab that students would rotate through in lab groups, to explore the steps of inquiry. The lab took one and a half block days instead of one, setting me back on schedule, but I didn't want to rush this important introduction. We did this on a Tuesday, Wednesday. Kumu arrived on Thursday in order to introduce herself, and her reason for being at school, to the students. The students had a 4 day weekend to start their journal, and begin making observations. Admissions Day, and a professional development work day for teachers wedged inbetween the two instruction times.

      For the next class, Kumu reviewed the Haka and added 5 more phases. We practiced tonal inflection, chanting, focus and then it was time for Kumu to tell the story of 'How Maui Captured the Sun.' Kumu mesmerized the children with her different voices, use of rythm, and drama. I sat through 6 different classes and laughed as hard with the last class as I did the first. The students loved hearing the tale as a way that Hawaiians used to explain the long day length in our islands. Because every mo'olelo is based on a seed of truth. This knowledge was passed along from generation to generation in storytelling and mele. I asked the students to share appreciations with Kumu and recorded their remarks for publishing on the first reflections page. They LOVED storytelling.

        That same week, I had the students finish the rotation lab, and then jumped into the GEMS Curriculum that I learned at the Heliophysics Workshop in Chicago. I was only able to do the 'News Flash' activity, but that hooked the students into wanting more. But because I was teaching all core content areas of the interdisciplanary unit, this was not to be.

        In a perfect world, I would be able to ask my Language Arts teacher to accept the responsibility to teach the LA standards on writing and communication, while I could focus more on energy. But due to Edison testing, my LA teacher felt stressed to stick to the book. I had to focus on writing and vocabulary and slam poems. So during that next meeting, Kumu and I team taught, with me introduction the concept of a slam poem as a way to express emotion, work through problems, and communicate. Kumu led the students to write a poem extemporaneously. In a perfect world, I would be teaching the students about the energy produced by the sun and directed to Earth in Lesson 2 and 3 of the GEMS curriculum. That didn't happen. This is not a perfect world.

        Instead, I led the students through a step by step process of writing a poem. Students had a science vocabulary list with definitions. They had to choose three words from that list. Then the students had been defining ENERGY in class discussions with Kumu. I had written the words down and put them in a list. Students chose three definitions of ENERGY from that list. Kumu sent me a list of Hawaiian words and values that she thought were meaningful to the students. The students chose any three words from that list. Lastly, the students had spent two weeks observing the full moon, had they observed any emotions that they wanted to explore. Write down three of those. That meant 12 words total. Students wrote these 12 words on their personal white board and began their poem.

        It didn't take them long, to craft a poem. less than a half hour. I collected the poems on their way out of class, read them, and returned them for their next class in which they would draw their poem. They were also told they had one week to refine their poem, type it, and hand it in as their final draft.  I was so happy that Kumu was coming back, to help guide them on this next step. I am not an artist.

        So Kumu arrived, more Haka was added, and a lesson on drawing began. Kumu showed a way of dividing their paper (students used newsprint) to illustrate parts and lines of their poem. I began to see my artists in class. They emerged as clearly as their line drawings. Students you never would imagine, claimed their gift of drawing. I smiled. Kumu brought a drum. It was a weekend. Students could complete their line drawing rough draft, so that they could begin painting on Tuesday/Wed of that next week.

        That Tuesday, students arrived ready to go. Kumu brought paper and canvas, I had the primary acrylic paints, and brushes. Begin.

        In a perfect world, the students would have taken those paints, mixed a million colors, and reified their drawings. This is not a perfect world.

        I saw my students try and put their drawings to canvas and paper. But they didn't have the skills necessary to do this. They also lacked direction. Given a piece of expensive artists paper, could you fill it up with color and make that color reflect your poem and emotions. Ya. Right.

        So for the first time in art integration lessons, I felt a tug, a failure, a sadness, an ache. Something was wrong, I felt it in the results of the class. These paintings were not reflective of what the students had drawn, they needed direction, and skills, and a friendlier medium. I went inside myself, and thought. What was needed? How can I help them?

        I took this on using baby steps. Step one, I needed to guide the students through having a check list. What did the student HAVE to include in the painting that could be used to assess their understanding of the poem. Or could be used to show in an image, what the poem meant? Students rise to the level they are told they can go. So put those expectations way up there! And make them clear.

        Next, my sweet children are not painters. They cannot mix the primary colors to make others, not in a half hour period. So provide all of the colors of paint they needed, and then black and white so they could mix hues. Give them gold and silver. I raided my tempera paint stash to augment the color wheel needed for their drawings. I saw relief in their faces.

        Allow them to use other media, like oil pastels. I LOVE oil pastels and mix the color with coconut oil to melt the pastel into paint. Using finger, one finger, I massage the color into the paper blending and rubbing. Adding energy if you will. Layering color and then scratching designs into the layers. Adding unexpected color. Kneading the artwork into a dream of wispy breaths. Inhaled deeply through the eyeballs. Yes, now that's more like it! Their artwork was visibly changed into real art, emotions, and beautiful images. Success!

        To be continued.