PBL: A Book About Me! Day 2
Date: 3rd August 2022; Wednesday.
Facilitators: Auindrilla, Priyanka, Sonai, Sanmoyee, and Nikita.
Participants: Arya, Ayansh, Dhriya, Hazzel, Maryam, Meher, Nitara, Rishit, Shanaya, Sharlav, Shivansh, Shivanshikaa, Viaan, Yuvaan (Bhopalka), Yuvaan (Mehra).
Tags: Art, understanding ourselves, understanding our surroundings, PBL.
Welcome to the second instalment of our 'A Book About Me' PBL series. Our Arthlings have embarked on a voyage of self-exploration! On Day 1, our Arthlings used their artistic talents to represent themselves on paper. On Day 2, they attempted another self-portrait — this time life-size!
For this PBL series, our Arthlings will carry out their investigations into the self going from the outside-in!. As part of their 'outside' exploration, our facilitators invited the Arthlings to create a life size representation of their biodata, by first marking their outlines on canvas, and then adding their facial features, footprints and handprints. And of course, the plan included lots of messy fun!
Planning and Setup
The activity was divided into the following steps:
1. Choosing a canvas: Large pieces of brown canvas were taped to the ground . A movement opening was planned to encourage the children to choose their own brown canvas.
2. Drawing outlines: Black markers were kept ready for outlining.
3. Adding features: Wool, ribbons and glue were provided for hair, while stickers and buttons were available to make eyes. Tempera paint was made available for handprints, and kept ready in a tray for footprints.
How it happened
1. Choosing a canvas: Priyanka Didi kicked off proceedings with a fun game! She asked the children: Can you each stand on one brown canvas? Each Arthling raced to find a place!
She then asked: Now can two people stand on one? How about three? How about four? At one point Priyanka Didi asked everyone to pile onto one canvas! The game finally ended how it had begun, with each Arthling on a different canvas. Then it was time for daily planning!
Can we stand in twos?
Priyanka Didi says…
…Everyone on the same canvas!
Quite a crowd!
2. Drawing outlines: After Work Time, it was time to trace their outlines! Sharlav instantly lay down on his canvas and pretended it was nighttime! Yuvaan B. decided that being traced was fun, but he also wanted to do the tracing! He helped Sanmoyee Didi mark Sharlav's outline, after which it was time for Sharlav to 'wake up'. Many Arthlings discovered that staying still for the outline was not easy! If they squirmed, the outline turned out wild and wiggly!
Shanaaya lying very still!
Auindrilla Didi and Priyanka Didi outlining the Arthlings!
Let’s outline Viaan!
Not too big, not too small… Viaan fits just right!
3. Adding features: The Arthlings used all kinds of material to embellish their outlines! Maryam used lots and lots of ribbons to make her hair. Shanaaya made her eyes with butterfly buttons! Hazzel and Dhriya made their eyes with bindis, and chose button noses. Nitara filled her canvas with stickers!
The following process of adding handprints and footprints turned out to be wonderfully messy! Priyanka Didi found a way to turn it into a game. First, she showed the Arthlings where to dip their feet in paint. Then she demonstrated how to stamp! She helped the Arthlings practice this to a rhythm! Dip, and stamp, dip, stamp, dip, stamp. When it was time for the final printing, the Arthlings were ready! They each added their footprints, after which Priyanka Didi picked them up and helped them fly away to the bathroom for clean up!
Ayansh dips…
…And Priyanka Didi stamps!
Priyanka Didi flies Rishit away to the bathroom!
Hazzel’s multicoloured canvas!
Shanaaya’s finished masterpiece!
Nitara’s representation of herself!
Outcome and Future
The second exercise in our PBL series was a wonderful exploration of the question: What makes me, me? Arthlings were invited to observe different parts of their bodies: their hands, feet, hair, eyes, and dimensions. In doing so, they were able to contrast themselves with others and find what made each of them unique!
The process of observing, and embracing diversity is important for a child’s integration into society, which we hope to encourage even more in the course of this series. To further build on this theme, the book chosen for Story Time on Day 2 was entitled, ‘I Am So Much More Than the Colour of My Skin’!
Arthlings listening to ‘I Am So Much More Than the Colour of My Skin’ at Story Time.
Join us again on Day 3 of the series, as we invite our talented Arthlings to further explore their bodies by turning designers!