MIDDLE SCHOOL

Ruthie.

Jane Montero

In sixth-grade social studies at my school, students study ancient civilizations, including ancient India. I used to teach this lesson as a watercolor project. I begin this mandala lesson with background information that includes the following:

• Mandalas date back to the Vedic period in ancient India, 1500 BCE to 500 BCE 
• The word mandala means “circle” in Sanskrit, the language of ancient India.  
• Mandalas usually have symbols that are repeated and often represent the universe.  
• Mandalas are an example of radial symmetry.
• The meaning of mandalas has evolved over time and depends on cultural beliefs. Mandalas have appeared throughout the art and architecture of various cultures around the world. 

Tessa.

Changing this hands-on project into a Google Drawings assignment provided an opportunity for students to learn new digital skills and practice symmetry by using the flip tool from the format options menu. This eliminated the frustration of using tracing paper to draw the design, transfer it, and redraw it in every other “pie” space. The completed projects varied in complexity. However, using Google Drawings allowed students to explore the use of the shape tool, curved line tool, and arrange option—moving shapes forward or back to create truly magnificent mandalas. Note: While we used Google Drawings for this assignment, there are plenty of digital drawing apps to explore. Find one that works for you!

Creating digital art is a necessary life skill that can help students learn to graphically communicate ideas in all subject areas.

As an opening activity for students, I introduced abstract color compositions based on artists Arthur Dove, Helen Frankenthaler, Sam Gilliam, and Alma Thomas. After discussing the color wheel, primary and secondary colors, and complementary colors, students used Google Drawings to create compositions based on warm and cool colors, complementary colors, primary colors, monochromatic color schemes, and all colors.   

Maria.

To begin, students opened Google Drive and selected “new” and then “drawing” from the list of options. Once in Google Drawings, students used the shape tools to create a variety of geometric and organic shapes—ovals, triangles, squares, rectangles, curved line shapes, etc. Students then used the paint bucket tool to change the colors and increase or decrease transparency. 

The use of the “arrange” tool allowed for some objects to be in front of or behind other shapes. Part of my instructions included leaving space around the shapes so the background would become part of the overall composition.  

Giving students the freedom to use Google Drawings for assignments has opened the door for so many more possibilities in art education. The use of traditional art supplies—clay, paper, fiber, paint—will always have a place within our art curriculum. However, creating digital art is a necessary life skill that can help students learn to graphically communicate ideas in all subject areas. It is my hope that by incorporating digital design lessons within my art curriculum, students can gain an appreciation of the various ways artists rely on technology to create meaningful art. 

Jane Montero is an art teacher at Creekside Intermediate School in Dexter, Michigan. monteroj@dexterschools.org
Digital Mandalas