So this week in one of our school lessons, I wanted to try a fun project to learn about symmetry. This project was inspired by this post from Step Into 2nd Grade. I thought it would be fun to learn this way. Not only does this teach about the mathematical part of symmetry, but it also teaches to focus on detail, being artistically creative, and thinking about where things fall into place.
So I snapped a photo of my beautiful 8 year old daughter and took it into Photoshop. I then used the masking tool and made a white box over half of her face. I then printed out the photo for her to start looking at, paying attention to detail to see how her face has different shapes and how to look at things that would go together.
She began to draw the shape of her face first. I made a few guiding remarks as how to really focus on the couture of the facial structure. And then I let her go on her own to see how well she would do.
I think she did pretty well with the outcome. She did a lot better than I expected. I don't know what I was expecting but I thought it would be very lopsided and not very symmetrical. But she proved me wrong. She did a great job all on her own.
I wish we made it a bit darker, but you can still see it pretty good. So I think this was a pretty successful lesson and not to mention, a fun one at that!
How do you teach children about symmetry? Have you tried this one with their picture? I think it is one of the cutest ideas I've come across.
Interesting project! Of course, faces are not really the same on both sides.
ReplyDeleteYes, Being a professional artist, I do realize that our faces/bodies are not 100% perfectly symmetrical. There are always flaws like one eye is slightly bigger than the other or the ear, maybe the curve in the mouth drops a millimeter downward on one side. However, the project is just to help find a fun way to try and capture seeing and trying to draw the similarities that are seen.
ReplyDeleteBut with children, this starts showing that they can begin to draw the similarities of how things are symmetrical {like both eyes are located along this invisible line on your face, your nose is not in the center of you face, but rather here but remember you have two nostrils, etc} and that in turn stars making their brain point out the things that aren't. That is why we block off one part of the face. Because if I wanted her to be 100% correct with anatomy, I would have just had her draw her entire face to point out the differences.
It's just something I think more fun than drawing a boring object.
That is so cool, I have to do this! Girl, you are great at this homeschooling thing!! You have given me so many cool ideas!!
ReplyDeleteYou are so sweet! I am so glad I can help out in ideas for others. I get all my ideas from other wonderful people so I am just spreading the love :)
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