Lesson 1 Transforming

Transforming Fairy Tales
Lesson 1: Transforming
Learning to use painting tools to change a drawing

INTRODUCTION: For the first time, I began the school year working with the students in my computer room using a painting document instead of a writing program. I thought that this would make it easier for them to understand editing concepts such as, cutting, pasting and copying. It was also a great motivator and eliminated many of the frustrations that some children experience when they begin working on computers for the first time. After experimenting with the various painting tools in Appleworks painting, I introduced the concept of transformation..
What is transformation? The dictionary defines it as "the change in composition or structure or a change in an outward form or appearance". Fairy tales, often seem to have been transformed from one culture to another. We find stories retold and slightly altered. (For a comprehensive study of fairy tales visit: http://surlalunefairytales.com/introduction/ftdefinition.html )
Ultimately, we would transform not only pictures, but words and tales. We would use not only painting documents, but word processing and drawing documents and the internet as well. The students would also learn how to move from one document to another. This unit provided the students with technology skills that they continue to use.

Lesson 5. Creating a character template

Lesson 2. What is a fairy tale?
What are the characteristics?

PROCEDURE: The scribble: I asked the students to open a painting document in AppleWorks. By double-clicking on the paintbrush, they are offered a wide array of brushes. The instructions were to use as many brushes and colors to create an "abstract" work.

For many students, this proved more difficult than I anticipated. Many yearned to paint familiar objects; houses, people, the sun, trees and flowers. At one point, I showed the students some examples of Jackson Pollack's painting. It was not my intention to teach Art, but rather to provide some validity for our "scribble". The students loved this work and some how, this allowed them to create their own work in a less representational form.

Lesson 6. Transforming characters