Dot Day is Approaching

The first project that we do in the art room is our dot day projects. There are so many things that can be taught through this book. The first being that even when we don't think we are an artist we are. The second being that just because we cannot do something does not mean that we will never be able to do it. It just means we cannot do it yet. The third being that we also sign our name on the front of our artwork. We talk about how we should be proud of our artwork so we need to make sure people know whose artwork it is. Also though it is less work for me during art show days. 
    
    This year I decided to make a school-wide mural. School-wide I mean everyone in the school, teachers, principals, custodians, Educations Assistants everyone. I gave all the adults in the build a piece of paper, that said the following, “I need your help. Please make a dot, and return it in time for it to be in the dot day gallery.” I got so many questions from the adults in the building. What kind of dot do you want? Can it be anything? Can I glue something to it? What about the shape, does it have to be perfect? A simple task turned into, by some people, a dreaded job that was too stressful to finish. Others said it was just what they needed. In a time when they were frustrated, they decided to sit down and create their dot, and it was a time of therapy for them. This dot assignment for our adults turned the school upside down for the good! I did this same assignment with students. I gave them paper and told them to create a dot within only fifteen minutes. The results were amazing! They did not ask questions, they just created a dot. 

Fifth- grade student artist work. This work was created in less than 15 minutes.

This student was told to make a dot. This is what he created.

Dots dots every where!