Students observe activities in a defined location and create hand-drawn maps of the space.
Learning Goals
Students will understand the difference between observation and judgement, learn how people can see the same thing differently, and discover how close observation can lead to new ideas.
Materials
- Notebooks
- pens or pencils
TIME
60-75 minutes
Process
Ahead of Class
Step 1:
Select a location for this activity. It should be a public space that people use on a daily basis, such as a park, a cafeteria, or a student lounge.
Step 2:
Find an everyday object to bring in for the mindwarmer, such as a pine cone.
Mindwarmer
Step 3:
Present the pine cone (or other object) to the class. Tell students that they will take turns passing it around and making an observation aloud. They should look closely for ten seconds before stating their observation, and they can’t repeat what another student has already said.
Clarify that the observation must be a description, not a judgement. For example, “the pine cone is ugly,” is a judgement; “the pine cone has jagged edges on one side,” is a description.
Step 4:
Pass the object around. Make sure that everyone has a turn. After the first few comments, students may struggle to come up with new observations, but encourage them to dig deeper. They will likely find new things to see and say.
Step 5:
When everyone has observed the object, ask student volunteers to summarize the types of observations that the class made. (E.g., the class noticed a lot about the shape, size, color, texture, etc.)
Step 6:
Discuss and reflect: What did this activity show us? What does it tell us about observation? How can judgement affect the ways we observe?
Exercise
Step 7:
Explain the next challenge: the class will go somewhere to practice close observation. Students will watch, listen, take notes, and create a hand-drawn map of the location. The map can be as simple or as detailed as they would like.
Step 9:
Travel to the location. Give students ten minutes to walk around the space and become familiar with the environment.
Step 10:
Give the students 30 minutes to patiently observe the space. Encourage them to ask questions if they are curious about something they see, and remind them to try to observe without judgement.
Step 11:
Return to class. Have students share their maps. Note how the maps are all different—how people saw the same space differently.
Step 12:
Have students look for interesting story ideas in the maps they created. Ask student volunteers to share their story ideas.
Have questions? Feedback?
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