Lesson Idea: Sketching the Reef

Scott was recently working with a group of Year 4 Teachers and Students studying the Great Barrier Reef in a HSIE unit. As part of their study into the issues for the reef, students undertook an art lesson to draw an underwater scene of coral and/or fish.

They used an iPad app called ‘Sketches School’ and used their fingers to do the drawing. To begin, they imported a photo of an underwater scene, and then faded it out so they could just see it. Then, using their fingers to draw they used the tools like brushes, pencils, crayon, eraser and more. They traced and interpreted the scene as their own artwork.

A fabulous way to integrate art and technology, developing an appreciation of the beauty of the reef – all without the mess and cleanup usually associated with an art lesson.

Here is some of the student’s work: