Short classroom exercises

60 Seconds: The sixty second exercise was the students viewing a picture for a full minute without talking, walking, or chewing; just staring at this painting. After the minute of starring at the picture, the students were asked to draw what they saw. This was a challenge because you only had a minute to draw it, so you do not fill in the blanks of the painting you do not remember.

The Curator:  The curator was a fun and simple exercise. There were 30-40 post cards on the table, students were then asked to create a collage of three post cards that would belong together on a wall. Once the students were done creating their collage, the teacher discussed possible careers that were similar to the exercise. This was a laid back and easy activity.

Frozen Moment: Frozen moment was the most unique activity we did during the class period. Each table was put into a group and received a painting. The students had a few minutes to replicate the painting. After the time allowed to discuss and rehearse the students went to the front of the classroom and created the scene in the painting and then froze. The class then guessed which painting the group was attempting to mock. This was a very interactive exercise and would be great for elementary school aged kids. 

Freeze and Draw: Freeze and draw was a creative exercise. The teacher wrote a list of 8 things that needed to be incorporated into the students drawings, and that is the only instruction she gave the class. The students had a few minutes to draw a quick picture including everything in the list on the board. Once those few minutes were up the teacher discussed how the students choose to draw. Meaning, some students simply went down the list drawing a hand, and then a smiley face, where other students created a story using the list. The way students choose to draw the list shows a lot about how their minds work.