Stories Two Ways

“Listen, and you will realize that we are made not from cells or from atoms. We are made from stories.”  ~ Mia Couto, Mozambican writer

April 10, 2024

Dear Families and Friends,

In a moment of amazement, kids lifted their print from the collagraph plate to see the image they’d envisioned. Two animals appeared, revealing young artists’ stories. Kids had put their hearts into the creation of their collagraphs. Still, they couldn’t have imagined the delight they’d feel when they saw their ideas come to life in black and white .

Working out the gist of their stories over days, third graders relished the notion of figuring out the big picture. What was their story about? How would their animals interact? Where would their story happen? How would it be resolved? Did listening to stories we read in class impact how their tale would unfold?

Going deeper required considerable conversation and decision making. Partners had to push their imaginations to new levels. In their classrooms they’d been working on describing the characteristics of the people in their stories . On Tuesday they applied that skill to animals. We gave kids a few prompts and a series of questions to help them add to their story content. Working with a partner or two meant more ideas were on the table.

Susan’s demonstrations are always key to the print making process. Kids learned how to use the brayer to roll the ink onto the Plexiglas and gently place their paper on top of their collagraph plate. Then she and Dee worked closely with partners to make their prints.

Meanwhile, with Jocelyn and Willoughby, kids began mixing their choice of inks, making a stripe to represent the land or sky scape.

Classroom teachers are essential to the Leaps of Imagination experience, and at every moment they are guiding their children. It’s only natural that kids get stuck. We are grateful that Miss Day, Miss Sears, and Mrs. Mitchell are there to reassure young authors and artists and help them take a big leap!

We look forward to reading all the stories and seeing all 44 prints appear just after the April break!

Impressed by third graders’ persistence and creative thinking,

Nancy, Susan, Willoughby, Dee and Jocelyn