We reviewed the whiteboard drawings from last week and thought about similarities and differences between them. I showed the children the montage I had made from their photos from the previous week.

We wondered if there were rules about what the marks meant and the children decided that:

Light marks mean quiet sounds

Heavy marks mean loud sounds

Lots of marks mean the sound keeps happening for longer

Less marks mean shorter time

Flowing curvy lines mean volume goes up and down (volume means how loud or quiet it is)

Dots mean a constant sound

We talked a lot about different media and what the word “medium” meant -there were ideas like:

different tools you draw on or with/ something in between/ includes photography and sound/ pencil/paper/marker/whiteboard/paint/different paintbrushes

There was a unanimous decision to use paint and the children liked the white squares of card that I had left up as part of Mrs Wilson’s trove of goodies. They decided that the colour of the day was black or navy blue as it was dull and rainy. By adding water to the paint the class realised that it became paler -“watery like rain” and could be used effectively to “paint gentle sounds”. In the journals the children experimented with all of these different colours and marks and then let loose on the card. it was all very relaxed and free. The pages of marks in the journals were lovely but the interpretations on the pale card were so spontaneous -once again, the children know how to do things instinctively.

Dylan liked adding the water

Beth liked making the shades

Taylor liked the squiggly lines and zig zags

James liked making the different patterns.

The day flew in.