Goodrich- Students at Oaktree Elementary School behaved liked cavemen in class? and teacher Deborah Simms was delighted.
Simms, an art teacher at both Oaktree and Goodrich Middle School, decided to give students a prehistoric experience by teaching them to paint as people did until about 500 B.C.E.
‘I felt it was important (to teach about prehistoric art) because I wanted kids to understand art has been with us forever,? explains Simms.
Simms said the idea to teach cave painting dawned upon her while discussing prehistoric art with fellow art teacher Steve Barker.
The project began with Simms asking what they knew about art at that period in history.
‘They started talking about (the movie) ‘Ice Age,?? laughed Simms.
Simms went on to teach students how ancient people made paint by grinding pebbles and mixing the pigment with water or animal fat.
When entering class this week, students walked through a mock cave entrance, to set the mood.
Simms says she would then turn off the light and count backwards as students ‘went back in time? to create their cave painting.
However, students soon learned that creating an artistic masterpiece with only a torch ‘or in this case, flashlight? as a light source is easier said than done.
‘Initially, I think they discounted early art because you think anything done that long ago must be easy,? says Simms.
But as the students worked in teams of two, with one lighting the paper cave while the other painted, they were soon able to create images similar to those made so long ago.