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Some Primary Two students at Canossa Convent Primary recently discovered that cartoons mean more than passively sitting in front of the TV.
The Primary Two pupils of Canossa Convent Primary School were buzzing with excitement and anticipation at the sight of an unfamiliar face in the AV Theatrette. They knew that they were in for a session on cartooning but who was that man standing in front of them? “Is he the cartoonist who is going to teach us today?” asked one of the pupils with her eyes fixed on the stranger, while the others curiously stared at the hand-drawn cartoon characters on the whiteboard.
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Mr Ken Mizusawa demonstrates the art of drawing cartoons using simple lines and shapes.
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| An animated Mr Mizusawa shows the pupils how a few quick strokes of the marker was all it took to draw a cartoon mouse. |
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First Impressions
Mr Ken Mizusawa from Dunman High School was the stranger in their class that day. He teaches English Language and Literature and also conducts workshops for teachers in Teachers Network. Mr Mizusawa also shares his passion for the subjects he teaches, as well as how to master the art of cartooning through a series of easy-to-follow lessons on his online portal http://e-walrus.net
Ken’s animated instructions during the cartoon drawing session really appealed to the pupils; they hung on to his every word as he explained the steps in drawing cartoon characters. They were amazed and thrilled as they saw for themselves how their drawings came alive with details such as two curves near the hands to signify movement.
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| A pupil tries her hand at creating a cartoon character. |
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Wanting More!
Many pupils came away from the session wanting more of such lessons. Some of them even requested for their recess time to be pushed back in order to learn how to draw some more cartoon characters. Looks like the hunger to learn is well and alive!
Techniques & Procedural Texts
This session of cartoon drawing was planned as part of the SEED curriculum for the P2 pupils. The theme of ‘Hobbies’ spanned over Term 3 and the teachers decided to extend pupils’ learning by providing them with a hands-on experience of being a cartoonist.
The one-hour stint of being a cartoonist was more than just learning the techniques of cartoon drawing. The pupils were exposed to procedural text and imperatives being used in an authentic situation as Mr Ken Mizusawa gave direct instructions and showed the girls how easy cartoon drawing could be. The girls paid careful attention to his instructions ie: imperatives, as he said, “Now you draw an oval over here” and “Draw two triangles for the ears”.
Introduction to Geometry
Besides learning about this particular text type and use of verbs, the girls were also given a Maths lesson of sorts. They were introduced to various geometrical shapes that would be taught in subsequent lessons on Geometry and Shapes & Patterns where they had to learn to identify curves and straight lines from given figures as well as form 2-D figures with specified shapes.
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| Two budding cartoon artists show off their drawings. |
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This session provides teachers and pupils with a common experience to relate to when the particular topics were covered in greater detail later in Term 4. Fond memories of fun experiences can be useful tools in motivating pupils in their learning and aid the recall process.
At the end of the session, as reluctant as the young cartoonists were in leaving the AV Theatrette, they nonetheless showed off their drawings while beaming with pride. Needless to say, their teachers shared their sentiments!
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