My plan for changing the way I share what I know of Prehistoric art went alright… but I know it can be better. It might take some more creativity, reflection and (hopefully) suggestions, but I’ll get there.
- The lesson began by sharing a virtual tour of the Lascaux Caves, where we explored several interesting images and tried to imagine what it would be like to be like if we were there.
- By polling the students, I was happy to see that (as I had hoped) many of them had experience hunting, fishing and trapping. Stories were told and a competition began as they tried to establish who was the best hunter, fisher, etc. Definitely fun to hear some of their experiences!
- Once the dust had settled, the class was moved to the other side of the room where I had prepared tables covered with large pieces of brown paper.
- Each group of students was given charcoal, conte and chalk pastel. We chatted about the materials that were available thousands of years ago and how our materials were similar.
- After a bit of hesitation, the class began to draw some of the animals they have hunted and equipment they’re familiar with (boats, rifles, fishing poles). They were encouraged to make their drawings a bit messier and to try to combine some of the materials to see how it would turn out. The results weren’t bad at all!
Please feel free to make any suggestions by sending a comment my way. My pride will not be bruised! 🙂
Northern Art Teacher 