Using a paper and pencil, have students hone their critical thinking skills as they use simple geometric shapes to draw pictures. This activity requires no advanced preparation and can be used as a reinforcement or introduction to a unit on geometric shapes in math. It also reinforces active listening skills and the importance of clear descriptions.
Draw a Geometric Picture
Students should each use a select set of geometric shapes to draw a picture. They can use squares, rectangles, circles, lines, and other shapes that they have learned. The picture can be as simple or complex as they like, and when they are finished, they can take a few minutes to color the pictures.
Reinforce Active Listening Skills
Once each student is finished with his picture, pair off each student. Have them arrange their desks or sit on the floor so that they are back to back, each with their picture and a blank piece of paper, pencil and crayons or markers. Picking a student to go first, each child in the class is to carefully explain to his partner how to draw his picture. Once one student is finished drawing the other student’s picture, they switch roles and the other student draws.
The students are not to look at each other’s drawings, and they cannot check up on how they are doing while drawing the other student’s picture. Allow the students to ask clarifying questions of each other to help teach the student who is describing his picture to know how to be clear and descriptive.
After each student has finished drawing the second picture, give them a few minutes to compare and contrast each drawing. What did they do really well with? What could they have improved? What would have helped the student be able to draw a more accurate picture? Discuss student findings and ideas as a class.
Art Gallery
If there is extra time, have each student display their drawings around the classroom, and have the students walk around and look at all the different drawings. Have the students vote on which drawing is the best. Also, consider having them vote on which second drawing was the best copy of the original. In other words, the students will be looking at the original drawing and the drawing that the second student did while listening to the directions, and deciding which student pair was able to make the best copy.
This is a great way to engage every student in the class, and takes the pressure off of those students who are not great artists, as everything in the pictures has to be drawn with geometric shapes. This lesson reinforces many skills, including shapes, comparing and contrasting, critical thinking, active listening, clear descriptions, and teamwork. This is also a great activity that can be used the day before a holiday.
 |
