Blindfold fish.

How do you increase awareness and empathy of the visually impaired and also increase listening skills in the elementary artroom? Blindfold students and let them create art without the benefit of sight!

This activity invites teachers to explore an alternative and more active approach in teaching diversity awareness. Students explore art by utilizing their senses of touch and hearing, while increasing their understanding of the visually impaired. This activity also increases mind/hand coordination and improves their listening skills.

The class explores the importance of listening skills, and students are encouraged to access prior knowledge of line types and shapes. Experience will show that a task as simple as writing their names can be more difficult without the benefit of sight.

Preparation

Blindfolds are made from 30" felt strips to be clipped into place with clothespins. Using 12 x 18" (30.5 x 46 cm) paper, the initial fish shape needs to be pre-cut for each student each shape being similar, but not necessarily the same color. Every student needs a plastic cup of pre-cut 1/4" construction paper squares, as well as a cup of crayons, a pair of blunt scissors, and a glue stick. two inch black paper squares should also be pre-cut for each student. Color choices should be available for students, even though they can't see them.

Remaining quiet and calm is a necessity as the supplies are dispersed and students acquaint themselves with the placement. Students already know their right from left and are able to concentrate and listen carefully to the instructions without benefit of a visual demonstration.

Procedures

Students are given a large, pre-cut shape to examine, paying special attention to the edges. After a few moments of exploring, students are asked to guess the shape. Once it is successfully identified, students turn their fish to the left and find the center of the shape. Next they write their name using a crayon. Once completed, they flip the fish over so that it faces the right, with the name on the back. Each student is given a 2 x 2" (5 x 5 cm) square piece of black construction paper and asked to convert the square into a circle by cutting off the corners.

Using their hands as a guide, students locate the mouth end and top of the fish. Using these guide points, they are able to apply glue to the circular shape and place it into position for the eye. Students choose a crayon and draw a circle around the circular shape they just glued down. Next, students choose one of the small 1/4" squares to glue in the center of the black eye shape for accent.

Students place one hand slightly behind the eye toward the middle of the fish. Using the opposite hand, they choose from the pre-cut small squares and created a "tile" line from the top of the fish to the bottom, gluing each shape under the previous one. This divides the fish in half and lets students focus on the area between the tile line and the tail. Students use a crayon and create a curved line, like a capital "C" from the top of the page to the bottom, followed by a zigzag, and wavy line--each progressing closer to the tail. Switching colors is optional. Spiral lines fill the entire tail fin.

After the artwork is collected and placed on an empty table top, the blindfolds are removed. Students are asked to recall the shapes they cut, color changes and the lines they drew, visualizing what they just created. They are encouraged to think honestly about whether they followed the instructions and used the correct line types.

At the conclusion of the discussion, the class is asked to find "their" fish on the table. Most students are able to identify their own! They are excited by the colors they choose, and enthusiastically request doing it again! Some feel the lesson is more difficult than they expected, but all enjoy it.

Marisa Jones Main teaches kindergarten through fifth grade art at Nichols Elementary School, Village of Barboursville, and serves as adjunct art education faculty for Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. [e-mail]