Art - Looking Around Plymouth

We were set the task of going out in Plymouth and finding five places to which we had the photographs on a sheet of paper for. The places were the Hoe, the Barbican, the Merchants Museum, the Art Gallery and Museum, and finally the little run-down Church in the middle of the island.

I think that this task was to ensure that we knew our way around our new city and knew where to find the key landmarks if we hadn't already, and if we had seen them it was to ensure that we were not only looking but actually seeing, observing and sketching the interesting feature of landmarks around us.

I liked the idea of this task and felt that through fining places I was seeing the landmarks with fresh eyes meaning I took in different aspects of them and looked closer rather than a fleeting glance whilst walking past. This meant that we were learning to look - the title of our art module which we are completing currently.

This activity could link with Geography and pupils could do a project on their local area in which they had to go out in groups with a parent volunteer or teacher and plan the route beforehand using a map and plotting on it where they were going to walk. They would then have to use the map to guide them whilst walking and sketch the building or landmarks specified which brings Art into the task. This could be an interesting project in primary school as the children could research the local area and it would also make the project appeal to them as it is where they live so they can relate to the subject. Those are just a few ideas of how this task might fit in with the primary curriculum and also make it cross curricular with history and geography.

Speak soon, Melissa K xxx