This week in 6th Grade Humanities, our students took a creative journey back in time to explore the lives of Early Humans. To better understand how people once expressed themselves and communicated ideas, students scavenged for natural “materials” just as early humans would have done. With those materials, they experimented to extract colors (special thanks to Ms. Ponden for leading that process!) and used them to create their own cave-style paintings.

Each group was given a unique theme to portray through their artwork. The results were incredible—students quickly realized how challenging (and rewarding) it was to share ideas using only images and colors, without the use of words.

Once the paintings were complete, our classroom transformed into an art exhibit. Students walked through the gallery, carefully observing one another’s work. But the activity didn’t stop there—they then stepped into the shoes of archaeologists and anthropologists. Using the 5 Ws (Who, What, When, Where, Why), each group worked to decipher the meaning behind the art pieces they encountered.