At London Elementary School, Mrs. Feliez has created a delightful and immersive art lesson for kindergarteners, introducing them to the origins of art through The First Drawing by Mordicai Gerstein. The class begins with a guessing game about how people created art before pencils and paper, followed by a reading of the book, which tells the story of a boy drawing with a burnt stick on a cave wall. After discussing early art, students practice painting techniques by "tickling" and "dancing" paintbrushes on their palms to learn pressure control. They then crumple large sheets of brown paper to mimic the texture of cave walls, enhancing their sensory connection to the lesson.
The children start by painting with water, watching their designs appear before adding black paint to complete their "cave paintings." To set the mood, Mrs. Feliez projects a cave image and plays the sound of crackling fire, transforming the classroom into a prehistoric setting. This hands-on activity not only introduces basic painting skills but also sparks curiosity and creativity, making it an unforgettable learning experience for the youngest artists at London Elementary School.