Perspective

Fall is a great time to incorporate art into the curriculum. One activity I introduce in the fall is still life drawing. As a class we collect an assortment of leaves, branches, seeds and seasonal veggies. These I arrange on a high table or stool in the center of the room. I then issue paper and pens or pencils to the class and instruct them to draw what they see from where they are seated. (I think pens are better than pencils for this, because kids will spend too much time erasing otherwise.) They must fill up the WHOLE PAGE with their drawing. (So many students are ingrained to respect borders on paper - it cramps their style!)  When the sketches are done we all compare pictures and talk about the way we all see EVERYTHING from our own perspective. Same still life - different views.