Sketchbook Introduction
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Documentation:Our first day with the kids went very well!
We started out by gathering in a circle at the front of the class and rated our energy and excitement levels in a 1-10 scale as well as whether they preferred to draw or paint. Then we shared some of our art with our students, passed them around the circle, and let them look through sketchbooks. We asked the students what they saw in the sketchbooks. The students mentioned how the sketchbooks were filled with quick drawings, small attention to details, and writing throughout. Everyone was super excited to get their own sketch books and to be able to draw whatever they wanted. Some of the boys went straight to work drawing their favorite video game character, Master Chief from Halo, while some of the girls drew dogs and cats. It was amazing seeing all the students interacting with each other, sharing their discoveries on their drawing skills, testing out different materials, and trying their best to create something that represented themselves as learners and as artists. We circled around each of the tables asking the students questions about what they were drawing and what their drawing means to them. Some of the students were really resourceful, using book covers as references for their drawing so they could get the shape and detail down. Others asked if they could use their laptops or the classroom iPads to search for photo references. This is when we brought up the students' great work at being resourceful as artists! After about 30 minutes, we mentioned to the whole class that they should be done with their sketches and should be working on their cover by now. Some students began drawing outlines with their pencils while others grabbed sharpies and paint and began to create. After a few minutes, all the students had been well on their way on their final covers. There were so many different ideas on their sketchbooks. From dogs and cats, to Five night at Freddy's and Halo, to dragons and skylines! All of the students were so creative and could tell stories about each and every one of their covers. At the end, we had the students collect their supplies and have one student bring the supplies back to the bucket, put their sketchbooks in their cubbies, and gather into the circle once more. At this point, we asked the students to share their discoveries from working with the materials. Some of the students mentioned how it was hard to draw on the gesso'd covers, while others offered advice of drawing lighter with your pencil. Some students mentioned how their original sketch was different than their final piece. One boy talked about how he attempted to draw Master chief and it wasn't as detailed as the character but that "for me, this is good." The students really recognized their growth as artists and as thinkers. They explained how they are developing already from sketch to final drawing. They shared their experiences with their community in Tom's class. |