Project Based Learning Electives provided by the Berrien Springs Virtual Academy
Birchbank Farm                                                     Fall 2021
Students and teachers must be able to readily switch to online instruction at any point in the semester in order to register for classes.
All students must complete a project for these classes.

Location:  Birchbank Farm  1826 Platt St., Niles
269-683-1786

Additional registration at location is required. Click here for instructions.
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Students to experiment in various media in the area chosen.  Success oriented classes, more process than product to encourage individual growth and expression.  Small group class size, register early!
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All classes offered for 4th grade+   
Classes begin the week of September 14
Format: In-Person
​Masks: Required for all classes listed below


Breakfast Art Club: Draw and Paint  

Tuesdays 10-11:30am        

Description: Sample a variety of drawing and painting media, our menu covers many subjects and styles, you are sure to find something that suits your palette. Starting out our week with The Breakfast Club. Draw and Paint till the cows come home or you get worn out and need to take a break and eat the snack you bring. First semester we study American Artists and learn to use 8 forms of media. Optional 2nd semester we move onward and outward to foreign lands and see what they have to offer. Landscape, portraits, illustration and botanical themes are just some of the ideas we will explore. An easy way to absorb art history and put it to use. Each class will receive a motivational art history lecture. Supplies will be left in the studio and work kept in a portfolio on site until semester ends 
Syllabus

Diorama Deluge      

Tuesdays from 3:30 to 5pm 
                
Description: An absolute silent storm of 3 d ideas. Create your own world on a small scale and let your imagination fly. By recycling holiday cards, gift wrap, unused books and magazines, and drawings of your own, make your own mini world, or two, or even three!. Dioramas while fun can be used for commercial purposes as well, museums, educational exhibits, retail displays, gamerooms, children’s entertainments support for stories), architectural renderings, landscape scenarios. And even, if you’re lucky, just plain fun. 
Syllabus 

Tea Time Artist's Studio        

Tuesdays from 3:30 to 5pm 
                
Description: A personalized way to study the arts in a small group setting. Blending art theory, history and hands on work. This group will discuss projects and support each other’s ideas while discussing previous cultural aspects about their subject matter. What is an Artists Salon? We will each pick a media to explore. This media will be followed all semester. Each week there will be an art history presentation given while students work at their own rate. Personal snacks and beverages are encouraged. Tea will be available on site. Artist/student materials will be the responsibility of the student to provide. They will be stored on site until the end of the semester. Plan on producing a video record of progress and art history’s influence on student work. Students will choose media on the first day, and create a supply list.( parental and teacher approval) All sensible media allowed, textiles, paint, clay, crafts. Several short projects for first semester while a more intensive study is expected for the second semester.
Syllabus
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*Please note: it is important to make as informed a decision as possible when choosing your student's Community Resource classes. Most locations will allow a student to drop a class after one meeting, at no charge if it wasn't a good fit for the student, but not all. Some classes plan ahead based on the number that have signed up and have purchased materials, hired teachers, etc. and there might be a fee for class time or materials given to the student if the student drops after one or two meetings. The school cannot pay for classes that students do not complete, so choose wisely; if you do not take the class off of your student's schedule by the deadline, you may be asked to pay for the class time incurred prior to dropping the class.
 
​Teacher of Record:  Lisa Van Plew-Cid