Palmer Museum of Art and Lion Shrine

"The most important reason for going from one place to another is to see what is in between."

On Wednesday, June 6, 2012, our class traveled from Chambers building to the Palmer Museum of Art to see 'the paws' and then we traveled our own path to end up at the famous, Lion Shrine. I have been to both of these places before so before starting this adventure, I was interested to find out the kinds of things I would see and notice that I hadn't in the other times I had visited those places. In the end, I was intrigued to find out that there were a tremendous amount of details that I had missed when observing the paws and the Lion Shrine in my past. 

At the beginning of the day, our class explored and shared some of the questions that we would be asking on our field trip. These included:

- What history can we discover?

- How many toes does a lion have?

- How big is it? in comparison to people? compared to a real nittany lion?

- Can you measure it with a yard stick? measure it's shadow? measure it by laying on it? standing next to it? standing shoulder to shoulder? having the whole class sit on it?

- What's the texture?

- What's the environment surrounding it?

- Who goes to it?

- Why that location?

- How far is it from Chambers building? 

- How much time does it take to get there?

- What emotions does it cause?

- What memories do you have?

- What does it mean to you?

- Are there different ways to get there?

As a class, we also discussed the many details we could use to record our journey? These included:

- landmarks

- buildings

- nature

- animals

- events

- signs

- streets vs. sidewalks vs. paths

- people

- smells

- sounds

After we discussed all of these things, our adventure began. We all exited Chambers building and walked through a pathway near Hort Woods to the Palmer Museum of Art where the two paws are located. On my walk, I noticed many things such as nature, trees, plants, flowers, art work, sculptures, buildings I have never seen, etc. 

Once we got to the paws, my entire class started exploring the paws in great detail. We were climbing on top of them, taking notes about them, taking pictures of them, drawing them, and much more. We were all using many methods to learn as much as we could about these paws at the Palmer Museum of Art. Some of the things I noticed were that there were 2 paws with 5 toes each. The right paw hung lower than the left one. I noticed there was a fur design along each toe nail. The paws were a rustic brown color. There were 7 stairs going up to the top of the paws. The paws stood on a concrete plank which people used to stand up behind of the paws. The middle toes on the paws were larger than the ones on the outsides. The back of the paw was 40 1/2 inches wide and 32 3/4 inches tall. Here are some pictures I took while at the paws. 

After we were done exploring the paws, we split up into our groups and took our own path to the Lion Shrine. My group decided to take a pathway that led us around the Forum building to the fountain that stands between the art and forum building. We saw another group exploring the fountain so we joined them. It was a nice, warm day outside so we all took off our shoes, rolled up our pants, and walked in the fountain! It was very refreshing. We took pictures, ran under the water, jumped off the ledge, and had fun with the other group. After we were done at the fountain, we continued our journey to the Lion Shrine. We walked through the opening in Chambers building and continued past Otto's to finally arrive at the Lion Shrine. 

While we were at the Lion Shrine, my class and I had so much fun. We were all exploring it and searching for details of it and enjoying the love and pride that the Lion Shrine holds. We all talk a bunch of pictures while we were there. We measured it many ways. Some of the ways included: shoulder to shoulder, how many people could sit on it, how many people it took from the Lion Shrine to the street, how long it was compared to the tallest boy in the class. While exploring the Lion Shrine, I noticed the following details:

- The tan lion sits on top of a rock.

- It's texture is smooth, but slippery.

- It is tan, but looks dirty and old.

- There is mulch on the surrounding ground.

- There are trees all around.

- It fit 6 people across.

- It took 21 people from the lion to the street.

- Our whole class fit on top of it!

- There was two grandparents with their two granddaughters who were visiting from Kentucky. The grandfather went to Penn State and their children went to Penn State so they wanted to show their grandchildren around the school so they brought them specifically to the Lion Shrine.

Here are pictures from the Lion Shrine:

Overall, we had a wonderful day on our adventure to the paws at the Palmer Museum of Art and the Lion Shrine. We saw things that we never saw before. After taking this adventure, I would like to tune into more detail when I am outside walking to class and to my apartment in the future. There are so many details and interesting objects around me and I forget to take note of those things. This field trip has shown me not to take for granted all the wonderful things around me. 

Palmer Art Museum and Lion Shrine: Emerging Inspiration

Before going on our journey to the Palmer Art Museum and to the Lion Shrine, I recorded some of our class discussion and what we were looking to learn. I had written down, things such as: what history can we discover, how many toes does the lion have, how big is it (in comparison to other things), what is the environment like around it… So when we left the classroom I was confident in the knowledge that I wanted to gain from our trip. While I did find the answers to most of these predetermined questions that is not what stuck with me the most from my experience. It is cool to know that the paws outside of the Palmer Art Museum are designed differently, and that it takes twenty-one people sprawling themselves out connected to each other to reach the street from the shrine but these facts just didn’t excite me. When I left the shrine I felt a sense of pride and an overwhelming feeling of joy.  So, why did I feel like that?

While we were at the shrine an older couple came by to take pictures with their two grandchildren. My group was sitting closest to the Lion, so we struck up a conversation with them and Kris. (Stay tuned for some recorded parts of the conversation!) I quickly learned that the husband was a Nittany Lion and so were his three children. That weekend they had brought up their grandchildren to show them around campus and what it’s like to be a Penn Stater. When he talked about how Penn State used to be when he was there, he got this look on his face that spoke for itself. There was no questioning that the four years that this man spent here at Penn State, were the best years of his life. He was so proud to be a PSU alum, and to carry on the tradition throughout his family.

Penn State is more than a Institution of Higher Learning, or the home of great football and delicious ice cream. Penn State is pride, tradition, unique, forever. The lion represents all of this. To every Penn Stater, it means something different. In class today, I did learn some interesting facts, and I did discover things about the Lion that I never knew. But the most important and lasting thing that I took away from our experience was the magic that one stone lion can represent. It is not just a sculpture, it is a symbol of millions of stories, life journeys, traditions, pride, memories and pure joy. Nothing can replace what it stands for. PENN STATE forever.

Palmer Museum of Art and Lion Shrine

"The most important reason for going from one place to another is to see what is in between."

On June 6th, 2012 we visited the Palmer Museum of Art and the Lion Shrine.  Before we went to these landmarks, as a class we asked ourselves a couple of questions in order to try to observe.

What history can we discover?
How many toes does the lion have?
How big is it? (comparison to people, lay on it, stand next to it, shoulder to shoulder, how many can fit on it)
--> compared to real lion?
--> shadow?
--> yard stick?
Whats the texture like?
What is the environment around it?
Who is there?
Why the location?
Distance and time (in footsteps)?
What are the emotions?
What are some memories?
What are the people there discussing?

As a group, we discussed some things we wanted to be aware of while recording our journey..

• Landmarks
• Nature
• Events 
• People
• Animals
• Smells 
• Taste
• Buildings
• Streets
• Sidewalks
• Paths 
• Signs
• Smells

As we traveled to the museum, we recorded our observation by a variety of ways.  Becca audio recorded, Julia took notes and observations in the field notebook, Kortney took pictures, and Taylor video recorded.  We took the back path to the museum so we could record some more observations.  It was interesting to make this trip, even though it was short.  During our brief walk, we picked up on many things that we may not have observed before.

Before having this class, it would be a completely different walk to the Art Museum.  We would have been talking to a friend or texting while making the short trip.  Today, we took the time to notice the variety of things going on around us.  We would notice the different architecture around the campus, along with who made it and why it was there.

At the museum, we noticed how the two paws were constructed differently.  One of the paws hung over the concrete base, while the other sat completely on top of it.  While we were at the museum Becca stated, "Of all the times I have been here, have been taking pictures, or just walking past, I have never noticed how the paws looked different from each other.  I always just figured they were the same size and in the same position, but today I noticed how they differ."  We discussed how it takes us to be told to document in order for us to notice specific things about our environment that we are in everyday.  However, we noticed on the way to the Lion Shrine that we are becoming accustomed to being more aware of our environment around us.  We noticed "small" details such as the lighting and shadows on buildings, the texture of structures, who designed structures, the people and objects around us, the noises we hear, and the different smells around certain areas on campus.  We also noticed the types of people that were walking through the campus.  It was no longer all college students, but instead people going for a walk with daycare children or business men and women walking past us.  Instead of the usual Penn State attire, you saw people walking in dress clothes in order to get to a conference or their everyday jobs.  We noticed the different types of trees that were planted around the campus and how it made the campus look brighter than it usually does throughout the school year.  We noticed how many tourists came to specific spots on campus as well.  There were not many tourists around the Palmer, but instead there were more at the Lion Shrine.

As a group, we discussed how it has become second nature to be aware of our surroundings, even when we are not in class.  As we continue to walk through campus, more and more details are becoming more apparent that we have never noticed before.  We are looking forward to learning more about our campus that we have been walking through everyday for two years!

Palmer Museum and Lion Shrine Visit

Today, June 6th, in ECE497B we took a trip around campus to two of the most famous spots. We visited the Palmer Arts Museum and the Lion Shrine. We were to work on documentation and try to investigate some questions that we thought of prior to beginning our trip. Our group decided that each person would focus on a different form of documentation to try to answer some of the questions we sought out to find. I focused on taking pictures and I learned a great deal from the pictures I took and the answers I found from them. 

I chose this picture of the head of the Nittany Lion Shrine for several reasons. It captures some up close details that a normal picture of the lion shrine most likely would not. I also chose it because it allows us to examine the facial features of the lion shrine. By analyzing this photo, and reflecting on today’s discoveries, I have learned a great deal from this trip to the Palmer Museum and lion shrine. 

One major thing I have learned today, is that details can basically tell a story of their own. Before we left the classroom, we had several set questions on things we wanted to investigate. By investigating those questions, it led to wanting more information on other  ideas and concepts we came across while we were investigating. For instance, one question we had in the classroom was How many toes does the lion have? This picture I took shows that answer, which is 4. By answering this question though, I started seeing other things around the paws that I became interested in. I began to look at the wear and tear on the Lion. From this picture it is clear that there are marks all over the face. The lion shrine has obviously been around for a rather long time, so I begin to wonder how the majority of those marks got there. It could be anything from a shoe scraping to marks from weather. From seeing these marks I began to draw more questions that could be answered....

1. Has any part of the lion shrine ever been replaced?
2. Are their any good stories behind any of the marks on the lion?
3. Does anybody come clean the lion or care for its appearance? 

I began to think that this is really what research/inquiry based curriculum is all about. We as a class may start with some type of plan, but with the flexibility of a researched based curriculum other important ideas and concepts can be learned purely off the interests of the students. This also allows the students to take ownership for what they want to learn like I took ownership in making up other questions I would like to be discovered. 

This artifact worked perfectly for what I learned because it is a picture that I can reflect back to over and over again. In fact, when I took the picture I didn’t think about the questions that I previously stated. It was after class when I was looking through my pictures that I started to study this picture of the lion shrine head. This again gets at the idea about how important documentation is. Without this picture or all the pictures I had taken, I would have never been able to discover the marks on the lion shrine’s head and think of all the other questions I had from seeing this picture. This correlates with why documentation is so important in the classroom. Without pictures, videos, and voice recordings I as a teacher can never go back and reflect on my student’s learning and ideas. Therefore, I wouldn’t be able to see their interests and/or think of activities to base off their own interests. 

Working on Game Boards and Class Discussion about Drawing

At the beginning of class, everyone was given an hour to work on their game boards with their groups. My group used the time efficiently to work out the final details of our game. We also used the time to start the actual construction of the game board. Our game was originally called, "Kids On Stage." We decided we are going to change the name of the game to, "Lions On Stage." We thought this would be a good idea because we could keep the basic idea and rules of the game the same, but change the theme to fit Penn State and change other details of the game board. We decided we were going to change the cover for the game, as well as the actual game board. We thought it would be a good idea if we made the colors black and pink. This is because Penn State's colors, before blue and white, were black and pink. We also decided that we were going to act out the pictures that were already on the board so that the pictures on the cover would match the new game board inside.

Throughout the hour, my group was able to accomplish many parts to the game board project. We were able to get a good head start on the new cover. We were able to cut out small circles in different colors to replace the board spaces on the game board. We were able to finish about half of the game cards. My group was also able to talk through the rest of the game board project and decide what else needs to be done.

The picture below is a picture of the layout we want for our game board. Our game board spaces are complete, but we still need to construct the rest of the board. We put post it notes over the spaces that we still need pictures for. As you can see, we still need pictures for the Bryce Jordan Center, the Palmer Art Museum, Chambers building, the Library, The Corner Room, the Lion Shrine, and Rec Hall.

 For the remaining class time, we had a full class discussion about the importance of children's drawings. The title of the powerpoint presentation was, "Children's Drawing as a Representational Resource." Kris Sunday told us to think of drawing as a verb, not a piece of finished art that a child has drawn. During this discussion, we talked about how in elementary schools, art is pre-planned activities. This means that the teacher tells you what to make, shows you an example, then you do it, and you take it home. We, as future teachers, want to stretch that more and make a stronger connection in the art class and the regular curriculum classes. Regular academic teachers and art teachers should be working together because art is a way to learn better and more easily in other academic areas.

Why do we do art with children?
-They like it.
-It allows them to be creative.
-They get recognition from peers.
-They are able to learn from those peers that are good at art.

Drawing is a place where children are able to communicate and represent ideas. Often children find it difficult to find words to explain how they are feeling or often do not want to talk about it. Drawing gives them an outlet to draw out what they are feeling inside. In class, we talked about how a children's drawing is always more than just "cute." Although the drawings may be cute, they are always much more meaningful than that.

The picture below explains the four types of drawings there are. Each one of these is important and serve a purpose. These four types can also all work together to help a child learn more.

In class, we also spoke about Wilson and how he broke drawing down into four categories. Two of the categories that we had examples for were Common Reality and Prophetic. We read two conversations aloud that gave good examples of these two categories. In the prophetic category, the children develop models for their future selves. This may involve big issues such as love, death, and romance.

The last thing we did in class was worked in our groups to talk about information from our readings that were about using drawing as a representation. Below is a picture of the findings that my group came up with. One of the things we wrote down was how if a child draws something from memorization, it will be a good representation but they will be missing fine details of the object. The child could then have the object in front of them and they have to draw it. This representation would have been better than the drawing that the child did from memorization. However, there would still be details missing that are a part of the actual object.