Student Photography Gallery Opens at Douglas

Students at Douglas Elementary School have taken their learning outside as a part of the school-wide In Nature’s Eye grant project. Students across the school used nature photography to explore and reinforce curricular objectives. As part of a weeklong residency at the Creative Arts and Science themed magnet school with writer Mimi Herman, 4th graders took close-up, medium and long shots of things in nature, then added writing based on their subjects. Third grade students worked with photographer, Charles Thomas of Charlotte’s Light Factory, to explore properties of shadow and light through their photography. Fifth graders worked with the laws of motion during a residency with dancer, Martha Connerton, and their photography demonstrated these laws. Even the kindergarten, first and second graders have used photography during this project to experience curricular objectives such as sorting by attributes, looking at communities and experiencing prepositional words and opposites. Throughout the project, Douglas students have created amazing nature imagery through their photography. The students’ photography is currently on display in the new student photography gallery at Douglas that will permanently house a rotating display of student photography. The funding for the grant project was generously provided by the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County and by the North Carolina Arts Council.