National Scribble Day was on Monday, March 27, 2023. Ashley Shell, guidance counselor at Jane Ball Elementary, and Ashley Lakomek, art teacher at Jane Ball Elementary, teamed up to create a fun, creative, and educational activity for their students. National Scribble Day is based on the book I’m Not Just a Scribble by Diane Alber. The book has a moral about kindness and acceptance of others, while promoting creativity regardless of art skills. “Great art starts with a scribble!”
To begin the activity, Mrs. Shell did a reading of the books I’m Not Just a Scribble. From the author’s website, “Scribble, the book's main character, never thought he was different until he met his first drawing. Then, After being left out because he didn't look like everyone else. Scribble teaches the drawings how to accept each other for who they are. Which enables them to create amazing art.” Throughout the story, we paused and reflected on how the main character, Scribble, was feeling. Each color that Scribble turns represents an emotion that he is feeling.
Once the story time was over, it was time for our students to get creative! It began by giving each student a page that said “I’m NOT Just a Scribble. I’m blank.” Students then filled in the blank with something good that they thought about themself. The next step was to take a piece of cardstock paper, draw a shape, and cut it out. Some students created a heart, a circle, a diamond, a hand, and other various shapes. This shape is the canvas of their “scribble.” Next, the shape is taped down in a pan with two marbles.
Teachers asked students to choose from red, blue, yellow, and green paint. Each color represents an emotion. Some students chose two, three, and even all four colors. Once the paint was added to the pan, students rocked the pan back and forth, side to side, to have the marbles roll the paint around on their cardstock shape, creating marble art. The marble colored shape is then removed from the pan and put in the empty space of the “I’m Not Just a Scribble” sheet. Students then cut out eyes and a mouth to add to their artwork so they can really connect with the story. While the paint is still wet, they place their eyes and mouths on their “scribble.” With a crayon or marker, students then draw arms and legs to their character to really bring it to life.
Every scribble turned out different and unique, just like our students! This lesson was able to teach our kids that no matter what you look like, you are unique and special in every way. No two people are exactly the same. Students saw how Scribble felt when he was made fun of for being different and knew right then that this was wrong. Everyone is different and deserves to be celebrated for their uniqueness.
