Day 1: Students learned about Japanese Gyotaku prints and watched a short video demo. of an actual fish print taking place. After I got their attention was talked about fish prints and the country they originated from. Using the bottom of our shoes we used crayons to create a texture rubbing that would later become the body of our fish. After the rubbing was complete students added triangles for fins and half circles for scales. We then cut the fish out.
Day 2: We learned about coral reefs and watched a short video that helped students understand how amazingly complex reefs can be. Using crayons, we drew plants and animals in our reefs. Then, using tissue paper dipped in water, we painted our plants, animals, and sea water in vibrant colors. The fish were glued on during the first ten minutes of their next art class! Woo hoo, FUN!
Every time someone posts about about gyotaku I have to tell my story. Many years ago, I took a month-long immersion summer course on Oceanology for teachers, on Connecticut coast. (WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE.) Everyone there was either an elementary classroom teacher or a secondary science teacher - except me - at the time I was a high school art teacher - which meant that I could ask the dumbest questions and get away with it.
ReplyDeleteAnyhow, every day we went out in a research boat, doing all sorts of sampling and testing, and we often trawled and brought in fish, squid, etc. One day I got the brilliant idea to do gyotaku, and everyone was game to try it.
We took a fish into the lab and realized we had to 'disable' it. This sounds cruel, but somebody gave the fish a good whack. Then, we realized it was so slimy that the paint wouldn't stick, so we washed it with dish detergent in attempt to remove the slime. By the time we were done, we had actually pulled a couple of mediocre prints, we smelled like fish, the lab was covered in paint, and we had been laughing for hours.
Thanks for giving me a chance to recall a really fun time!