Looking at and Drawing bridges

The children were offered paper, pencils, pens, and crayons and used these items while looking at images of different types of bridges. The children were asked what they saw in the pictures and noticed details such as the length of the bridges, curve of the bridges, water under the bridges, and people using the bridges. While looking at the pictures the children used their materials to re-create what they saw, enhance the bridge with their own details, or tell a story about the bridge. Some children wanted to draw on the pictures they were looking at and add new details to the already existing bridges. There were also children who brought their own materials to the activity. They used flashlights from another activity to shine on the paper. They moved the flashlight around and used the light to point out details within the picture.

The children have shown an interest in including themselves in their bridge drawings. I would like to allow children to become a part of a bridge representation by using the overhead projector. I wonder how children will interact with the bridge when it is larger than them. This activity also focuses on an idea presented during the previous lesson, the interaction between images and light. Finally I noticed the children are interested in adding their own details such as people and other forms of scenery to their bridges. I will place a large piece of paper on the wall and allow the children to draw on the bridge projection. I wonder what kind of ideas the children will add to the already existing bridge.