Rock Stars

Well, for art on Monday we did a cave painting project.

First, we talked about what you'd do if you saw something really exciting and you wanted to tell someone who wasn't there about what you saw. First suggestion was to take a picture. But what if you didn't have a camera? Second suggestion was to write it down. But what if you couldn't write with words? Eventually, we got to the fact that maybe you'd have to draw a picture. But what if you didn't have any paper? You could draw on the walls of your house (not so hard to get elementary school students to give you this answer!), but what if you didn't live in a house with white plaster walls? Could you draw on the walls of your cave house?

Then we talked about how many different peoples all over the world who never knew each other or never met had engaged in this sort of art. I then showed pictures of rock/cave paintings from Africa, Canada, France, Scandinavia, etc.

We talked about what we saw in the pictures. Short version: plants and animals, yes; robots and airplanes, no.

Then I had them cut a piece of paper bag out and crumple it up a few times (to get the rock texture) and then make their own cave/rock art using either colored pencils or crayons.

The drawings turned out really, really well. Of course, I forgot to take a picture, but at least with this narrative, you get the sense . . .