This artwork was done by a 5th grade student who was working on the Martian Colony Project I was involved with. I wish I could remember his name, I would give him credit for the artwork.
Someone from the outside looking in might question the time spent on this illustration. Isn’t this a waste of valuable learning time. This was done in the classroom, not in art class. Shouldn’t the student have been reading, writing, or doing math.
When working on authentic projects it is important to remember that what you see as the final project is only a snapshot of the learning that took place. While I don’t remember the student’s name, I do remember that conversation we had while he worked. He was looking at a picture of a rover on Mars and asking all sorts of questions. His classroom teacher and I directed him to sources to find his answers. He also posed improvements to the rover. This illustration accompanied a brochure that the class put together to accompany the tours they were giving of their Martian Colony.
So if you walk into a classroom where students are constructing, drawing, painting…stop and listen to what they are saying and what they are really doing. The learning is authentic, ongoing, and owned by the students.
The Educational Journey 