Walking Figures Field Trip – March 1
On a rainy Friday morning, our class along with Ms. Winston and her colleague, Mr. Caleb used public transit to take a trip to the “Walking Figures” sculpture at the Broadway/City Hall SkyTrain station. We walked from the school to catch the #100 bus to the Marine Drive SkyTrain station. Along the way, the class wore their faceless paper masks to become anonymous silent performers for unsuspecting transit passengers. We got many quizzical looks and a few questions, but the class did a wonderful job staying in character for most of the time.
Once at the “Walking Figures” sculptures, Ms. Winston gave the class about 10 minutes to explore the huge art installation. The class had a great time despite the rain. The figures are huge, armless and faceless. After exploration, Ms. Winston led us again through a series of activities involving the concept of being “neutral.” We walked through the sculptures in neutral, at different speeds and on a grid. She also incorporated student-generated vocabulary into the activities and brought awareness and meaning to their words. The class came up with words like sad, huge, artistic, headless, rough, safe, backless, protected, emotional, heavy, wounded, fun, playing and spineless.
We needed to take a break from the rain! Ms. Winston then had the students take out their drawing books and under the cover of the SkyTrain station the students sketched the sculptures. Many of the students were able to pick out small details and draw them into their sketches.
Finally, for the field trip finale, Ms. Winston had the class put their crumpled paper masks on for one last time. The students were asked to stand amongst the walking figures and become a part of the sculpture.
It was a fantastic day. The class was very well behaved and respectful. So far, they have really enjoyed their time with Ms. Winston.
Please enjoy our photos from our rainy field trip!
- Walking to the bus stop
- Waiting for the #100 bus anonymously
- On the bus as silent performers
- Arrived at the Marine Drive SkyTrain Station
- Waiting for the SkyTrain anonymously
- SkyTrain is coming
- SkyTrain is almost here!
- Faceless friends
- Riding the SkyTrain
- We are silent performers
- Miss Maggie and Mr. Caleb
- Exploring the “Walking Figures” sculptures
- “Wow! That’s a huge foot!”
- Big foot
- Our backpacks are waiting for us
- Meeting under the cover
- Vocabulary session with Miss Maggie
- Walking in neutral at speed 5
- Walking in neutral in the rain
- Being small
- Being enormous
- Now walking in neutral on a grid
- Imagining we are walking with the sculptures
- Sketching the “Walking Figures”
- View from inside the SkyTrain station
- The “Walking Figures” are lonely without Div. 8
- Waiting for instruction
- Faceless Div. 8 walking figures
- We are a living part of the sculpture
