This is the last in my five-part series on learning to draw in kindergarten. Why have I written so many posts on learning to draw? Why is it so important to be able to draw something representational, something that looks "real" to others?
There are many reasons to learn to draw. It's a form of self-expression. It's a way to record observations as well as memories. It's a way to communicate with others. It's relaxing and therapeutic.
Many years ago--24 years ago!- in my first year of teaching kindergarten, a colleague of mine suggested we have our students contribute drawings to a coloring book to send to an orphanage in Mexico. We did this project in the spring of 1996. The students looked at coloring books to notice how big and "open" the pictures need to be for others to enjoy coloring. They practiced drawing "with their fingers" to make their pictures as large as possible. (Nowadays, I'd have them draw on their whiteboards first.) . They drew their pictures with black markers. We had each student tell us in a complete sentence what they had drawn. Later, we typed up their words and (literally) pasted them to the pages. We made several copies of the booklets and sent them to the orphanage.
I'm sharing this drawing project because I think it is a wonderful, worthwhile idea even now, maybe even especially now, 24 years later. I also think it is a workable idea, meaning not too difficult for students or teachers to make it happen.
Maybe you know of (or have a connection to) an orphanage, refuge center, mission, relief agency, or a sister school. Here are three links to such organizations:
I'd love to know if you try this project to help make the world a little better place for all.
No comments:
Post a Comment