Update: The Universe Within Is In Full Swing At Patagonia Public Schools

Mat Bevel Company’s The Universe Within world-building course is helping students at Patagonia Elementary School increase their problem-solving abilities. Taught by Science and Math Teacher David Clovesko-Wharton, third and fourth graders at Patagonia Elementary School are the first students to participate in The Universe Within full coursework.

Clovesko-Wharton says, “Without surprise or warning these motivated virtue heroes of The Universe Within make an intelligently creative impression on me every day with their intuitive comments on problem solving in the real world and their artistic innovations expressed in their colorful geometric headdress pieces. The curriculum rocks and the chemistry is both fun and an entirely alternatively universe.”

The Universe Within launched on March 4, with a student field trip to Mat Bevel Company President Ned Schaper’s Museum Of Kinetic Art in Tucson. Students enjoyed a “Welcome to Beveldom” program, then a personal tour of the museum.

The course was developed to address a national creative intelligence deficit through a local grassroots effort in Southern Arizona. The basic premise of the course is that genius and creativity are not so much about IQ as employing daily practices to solve problems. It also fits into STEAM, an educational approach that uses science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics to help meet the needs of a 21st century economy.

Patagonia Public Schools Superintendent Rachell Hochheim thinks the course is valuable because, “The approach used to engage students targets their natural curiosity and imagination. This allows for students to make judgment-free inquiries that lead to higher levels of thinking and ultimately increases students’ confidence in thinking critically about their environment. Many students couldn’t stop sharing their enthusiasm after they returned from their field trip to the Museum Of Kinetic Art.”

Five course modules are integrated into 16 two-hour classes that align with Arizona state standards.

The Daily Doodle

Students identify a creative solution for overcoming major social issues in their worlds, and identify the character they will play and that character’s virtues, powers and morals.

Corrugated Headgear

Students learn about design, technology and spatial relationships as they construct three-dimensional replicas of their characters’ headdresses from recycled materials.

The Art of Kinetics

Students learn about technology, motion, forces, gravity and balance as they complete four-dimensional kinetic structures from their characters’ worlds from recycled materials.

Digital Story Book

Students reflect on their group identity as world-builders, explain choices they made while creating their characters’ worlds and examine the evolution of their ideas through digital stories.

Exhibition & Pedestrian Carnival
Students curate and install their doodles, headgear, kinetic art, photos and video stories for The Universe Within group exhibition and, during the exhibition, they share their characters in a group parade. Peers, family and community get to see the students’ entire process of creating their work.

Dr. Bruce Bayly, Professor of Math at University of Arizona, works with MBC to translate the world of Beveldom into science and math lessons through video introductions, classroom instructions and hands-on activities.

Dr. Mark Runco, Faculty at Southern Oregon University, is using creativity tests to assess students’ creative potential and performance before and after coursework. A new interactive 3D creativity assessment was developed on the iPad, with support from Patagonia Regional Community Fund (PRCF). Other major sponsors for development of the curriculum include South32, Arizona Commission on the Arts and Doug & Mary Rogers.

Paula Schaper, Vice President and Executive Director, who works from MBC’s Patagonia location, says she is already receiving requests for the curriculum from others in Southern Arizona and “going forward, we hope individuals, corporations and foundations will continue to support new dimensions of The Universe Within. In school year 2019-2020, the curriculum will extend to more ages, subjects and schools.”

To get involved and for more information, contact Paula Schaper at 520-604-6273 or pschaper@matbevelcompany.org.