August 17: Draw something small from nature, really big

Assigned Teachers: Arefa, Suren, Liteira

Intro

Shifting our focus to nature for the next few lessons: Students look closely at small details from nature, then work together to turn those details into one very large shared drawing. I hope it will look like a little eco system drawing!

The activity is simple, playful, and collaborative.

You will need:

  1. Pens and pencils

  2. sketch paper / rough paper / drawing books

  3. One very large sheet of paper or a3 sheets taped together

  4. Magnifying glasses - to share

Guide

Step 1: Close-Up Discovery (15-20 min)

Each student takes a magnifying glass and looks closely at one small natural object (leaf, flower, twig, stone, etc.).

  1. They make a quick mini sketch of what they see — just the lines, textures, and shapes.

  2. Encourage curiosity: “What do you see that you don’t usually notice?”

Step 2: The big drawing (45 mins)

Spread out the giant sheet of paper on the floor or wall.

  1. Students choose a detail from their mini sketch and draw it 10x big on the shared paper.

  2. As they draw, encourage them to let lines and textures meet, overlap, and connect with each other’s work.

  3. Prompts:

    • “What if your detail grows into someone else’s pattern?”

    • “Can we imagine this page as one living surface?”

    • “How big can you make this tiny thing?”

Step 3: Color and texture

If there’s time, use a thin paintbrush to add color, and even textures using sand. leaves etc.

Step 4: Reflection

Gather the group and ask:

  • “What did you notice when you looked closely?”

  • “What changed when we drew it together, really big?”

  • “Did our drawings start to feel like one world?”

Here’s some inspiration:

Observation, Visualization, Building CommunityRanitri Weerasuriyaaugust 2025, wetland, natureComment