inStill students by CSM
Use this easy drawing prompt to quickly get students drawing, talking, and thinking about their experiences. This activity can be done as a short introductory exercise, or be expanded to use a whole class period. This activity is featured in the Art in Times of Change virtual inStill lesson.
Time: 10+ minutes
Materials:
- Paper
- Pen or pencil
- Your choice of color source (markers, crayons, colored pencils, etc)
Steps:
- Before this activity, invite students to silently reflect on their recent experiences. They should consider the people, places, events, and emotions that have been part of their lives lately.
- Instruct students to draw a bridge between two places, and to place themselves on it. These instructions are intentionally vague to allow students many different ways to interpret-there are no guidelines for how their bridge should look, where it is located, or where they are on it.
- As students work, invite them to consider which direction they are crossing on the bridge. What are they leaving? Where are they going?
- Invite students to consider what is below the bridge. What are they crossing over?
- When students are finished working, invite them to share out about their bridges in pairs or small groups. Give students the below questions to support them in sharing out:
- Tell me about where you are located on the bridge and why you put yourself there.
- What are you leaving? What are you headed towards?
- How are you feeling as you’re crossing the bridge?
- What are you crossing over? Why did you choose that?
- Do you have any fears as you cross the bridge? What are they? How could you overcome them?
- Spend some time looking at other students’ drawings. What is unique about your drawing? Why did you make that choice?
- Did you learn anything about your classmates from the explanations of their drawings?
- Listen closely as students share out. The way students answer each question can provide valuable insight into their current experiences, fears, needs, ideas, and more.