Making a Mural

This is the first time I've really tried to scaffold children in painting a mural, and I feel like I should learn how to do this. The bird drawings that the 5 year olds have been making just seem to really lend themselves to the mural form. And besides, this class of children from the Meadow room really seem to enjoy doing things together (I think that is because of how their teachers have supported them in forming a group that really cares about each other).

Children drew different ideas for backgrounds. Today, I gave them 2 transparencies, one of a meadow and tree by Nolan, and one of the school building by Isabel. It took some trial and error, arguing and negotiation about how to show both pictures. They kept laying them on top of each other and arguing about the fairness of which one would be on top. Finally they got them on the projector side by side so that they could trace them onto the big paper. There are other drawings of trees and buildings, and maybe the children will want to add those, too.

When I looked at the children working this way, I sighed and said, "You guys really look like artists".
Nolan said, "Well, we are... well, we do need an artist hat, though."