Overview and Outcomes:

This is a two-week Writing Root for The First Drawing by Mordicai Gerstein in which children explore the text, including exploration of the Stone Age and cave paintings. They write diary entries, explore the conventions of speech, create character descriptions and finish by writing their own historical narratives.

Synopsis of Text:

In 1994, the Cave of Chauvet-Pont-d'Arc was discovered, filled with the oldest known drawings in existence at that time, made 30,000 years ago. In that same cave, prehistoric footprints were discovered: those of an 8-year-old child and a wolf. From these astonishing facts, THE FIRST DRAWING was born.

In this beautiful picture book, Caldecott Medal-winning author/illustrator Mordicai Gerstein imagines one possible way drawing was invented. The young boy that stars in this story has such a vivid imagination that he sees images everywhere - clouds, stones and smoke look like animals to him. His parents, however, don't share his enthusiasm and wish he would be more down to earth. However the boy cannot contain his enthusiasm and one night grabs a smoky stick and "traces" the image he sees on a cave wall. Lo and behold: the world's first drawing.

Text Rationale:

This book is set in the Stone Age with a narrative which expresses the power of art through focussing on cave paintings. The story makes strong historical links, as well as exploring the awe and wonder – and sometimes fear and apprehension – around first-time discoveries. The First Drawing will inspire children to become artists themselves and provides a wonderful context for discussing dreams and desires to do something new and different.

Links and themes:

Cave paintings, cave man, cave people, stone-age, prehistory, prehistoric, creativity, discovery

Date written: August 2017