BMUFSD: Sixth Graders Draw A View From A Window

Press release from the Briarcliff Manor Union Free School District:

2023-09-29

How can we hold onto an experience? Taking a photo is one way, but according to Briarcliff Middle School art teacher John Brooks, thinking about an experience and drawing it can bring back the memory in a profound way.

Recently, sixth graders in his computer art class worked on a project called “A View from a Window.”

Students were asked to draw a view from any type of window: a car window, a hotel window, ski goggles, a glass-bottom boat and even a window in their house.

Students used traditional art materials such as pencils and markers.

“Once they are done, they will use their Apple pencils and draw the same thing on a drawing program called Sketches School,” Mr. Brooks said. “We are identifying shapes, so students will make the same shapes and composition when recreating the drawing on their iPads.”

According to Mr. Brooks, who has been doing this activity for 25 years, thinking about an experience and drawing it can bring back the memory, and asking students to draw a view from a window can conjure up all kinds of memories for them.

Everett chose to draw the view from his cabin when his family went skiing in Vermont several years ago, while Aria drew the view from an airplane.

“We went to England this summer, so I am drawing the view as we landed at Heathrow Airport,” she said. “I saw clouds and trees and grass.”

Remi went snorkeling in St. Martin this summer and drew the view from his goggles.

“I saw lots of fish and even a sea urchin. I touched it – it was prickly. It kind of glued itself to my hand,” he said.

New student Zane drew the view from his old apartment in New York.

“I lived there for 10 years – this was the view I saw every day,” he said of his drawing of tall buildings. “I like it here better, though. We have a bigger house.”

This press release was produced by the Briarcliff Manor Union Free School District. The views expressed here are the author’s own.