North Star High School students like Miranda and Marisol turned their bright ideas into a beautiful mosaic of images on a hallway wall.

Navigators in the Spanish for Spanish Speakers Level 3 class produced their own mini murals for a project that explored history, culture and art. They drew intricate pictures of flowers, animals, buildings, statues, globes and instruments on poster-sized canvases at their desks. They then combined their separate artworks into a large mural for everyone at school to enjoy this fall.

Miranda and Marisol worked on their detailed illustrations next to each other during their morning class. The center of Miranda’s mural featured a monarch butterfly resting on top of a globe, and Marisol was in the process of coloring the wings of a large butterfly in her design. The sophomores said it was fun to express themselves with the educational tools of pencils, pens and markers.

“I like how I can show meaning in the form of art and the murals,” Miranda said. “I also like how everybody has their own things to show, because when they all come together, everybody can see all of these different things and their perspectives, and they all have meaning for them.”

“I’ve learned how people can express themselves by showing art and sharing that with others so they can see it too,” Marisol said.

North Star teacher Adilene Ruiz Izaguirre smiled as she talked with each Navigator about their selection process for their mini murals. She said they were learning important life skills such as cooperation, connection and creativity from the project.

“They’ve worked together so, so well,” Ruiz Izaguirre said. “They’ve worked together as a community building off of each other’s knowledge. They’ve really shared their own stories and put them on the murals so they can talk with each other about them. They’ve just poured their hearts into their murals.”

Ruiz Izaguirre’s class began the Hispanic Heritage Month unit by studying the historical background of the Latin American muralism movement. Many early murals were first designed in Mexico in the 1920s, and the idea soon spread to countries throughout North and South America. The movement encouraged a sense of unity, gave a voice to the working class and made art accessible to entire villages, towns and cities.

Marisol said it was interesting to learn how pioneering muralists impacted their communities. She said that history made their class project come alive even more.

“This was a new experience for me,” Marisol said. “I’ve seen them before, but I didn’t know anything about the background of murals and how they came to be.”

Ruiz Izaguirre said she was impressed with the variety of drawings that her students placed on their papers. Some concentrated on creating one or two larger images, and others mixed a wide assortment of smaller symbols like flowers and birds next to their main themes. This ensured that their final classwide mural would have many types of viewpoints and designs.

“I can really see them through their work, just the way they come up with ideas and the different symbols,” Ruiz Izaguirre said. “I feel like if you look at them, every mural is different, and I feel like each mural is a really good reflection of each kid and their own personality.”

After completing their individual posters, the entire class came together to decide how their combined mural would look. Ruiz Izaguirre compared the process to merging puzzle pieces into a winning frame. This taught students about the value of multiculturalism in today’s interconnected world.

“We all have differences, but our cultures fit together pretty well,” Ruiz Izaguirre said. “One of the main targets for this unit is for them to see that and understand that.”

Marisol and Miranda said that supportive environment is one reason they enjoy the world languages course. They said classmates get along well with each other because of their common interests and knowledge. This helps them become more confident in reaching their academic goals of reading and writing Spanish.

“I like how everyone can speak the same languages of Spanish and English,” Marisol said. “It’s easier to communicate with them, because you grow a stronger connection with them because of the language and the culture.”

“It’s a very connected classroom through the culture and the language,” Miranda said. “Everybody’s comfortable with each other because of the similar things that we share.”

The Navigators hung the artwork outside their B Wing classroom after determining the large mural’s makeup. Their efforts generated many positive comments from North Star students and teachers.

“It’s really nice to see how this can reach a lot of people,” Ruiz Izaguirre said. “It’s something that extends outside of the classroom and impacts the whole school.”

Ruiz Izaguirre said it was important for students to gain firsthand knowledge about the value of art, culture and community. She said the uplifting feedback her students receive each fall lets them know they can achieve any goal they set their minds to.

“Everyone encourages them for their work in putting together such a great mural every single year,” Ruiz Izaguirre said. “It’s really rewarding for them to see that. They realize that if they try hard, they can definitely get some conversations started about important matters and how beautiful their pictures are.”

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