One morning, not long ago ... one of our friends ambled off the bus and presented me with a lovely bouquet of fresh lilacs! They were a lovely surprise, as the tree in my back yard had not yet blossomed. Of course, on the drive home it's all I could see! Lilac bushes were in bloom EVERYWHERE! How had I NOT noticed? My friend had given me a silent reminder to take time and smell the flowers.
I had already thought that the vase of lilacs would make a great provocation in class the next day. I suspected that the scent alone, would attract a following. But as I drove home, I felt that it would be important for the children to have a guided inquiry and really NOTICE the details of the lavender coloured lilacs that were popping up like weeds across the rural countryside.
With the wheels set in motion, the tables were assembled and ready. As a class, we took the time to really observe the lilacs. We noticed the petals. Specifically, we observed the shape, and the number that made up a blossom -- 4. We noticed that the blossoms are comprised of varying shades of purple. We noticed the shape of the leaves -- they are shaped like hearts. And the smell was amazing!
The children were excited to grab a paint brush and get started. They wanted to be scientists and record their data! There was some explicit teaching that took place at this point, and the artist were given direction to use a sponge to create a dark purple shape on their paper. Because the shape was to be the backdrop for the blossoms, we observed the shape of each bunch, or stem of lilacs. We decided it looked like a triangle or a hat.
Ready to add details, we remembered that the blossoms consisted of 4 individual petals. They looked like an 'X'. What could we use to paint the petals? It was decided that they could use a small paint brush, or a Q-tip. White and purple paint were delivered to the tables and the children leaned in to mix the colours, interpret what they saw before them, and record -- with flourish!
The paintings are each a beautiful representation of what the children saw in nature. We marvel at them daily, on display in our classroom and our school foyer.
The children were excited to grab a paint brush and get started. They wanted to be scientists and record their data! There was some explicit teaching that took place at this point, and the artist were given direction to use a sponge to create a dark purple shape on their paper. Because the shape was to be the backdrop for the blossoms, we observed the shape of each bunch, or stem of lilacs. We decided it looked like a triangle or a hat.
Ready to add details, we remembered that the blossoms consisted of 4 individual petals. They looked like an 'X'. What could we use to paint the petals? It was decided that they could use a small paint brush, or a Q-tip. White and purple paint were delivered to the tables and the children leaned in to mix the colours, interpret what they saw before them, and record -- with flourish!
Lilacs continued to come in, and we thank you for contributions to our atelier. With one "lesson" under their belt, the bouquets were an attractive and compelling provocation.
The paintings are each a beautiful representation of what the children saw in nature. We marvel at them daily, on display in our classroom and our school foyer.
Thank you for taking the time to smell the flowers, and visiting the atelier!
I love that the kids are learning to how to "see" and paint at such a young age. Wonderful!
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