Scribble Elephants

Big thanks to Carla Sondheim and her wonderful "Silly Workshops" for inspiring this lesson.

I braced my students big time before beginning this lesson, and if you try it, I suggest doing the same. 
I told them they were going to "try to make a controlled scribble (oxymoron).  Now try to make a controlled scribble of an Elephant, without drawing an elephant".
Steps:
1.  We pondered that concept together for a moment, then set about just scribbling on scratch paper. 
2.  We scribbled an "elephant" on scratch paper, beginning with the eye, and not lifting up the pencil.  Kids had a hard time not "drawing" and elephant, and just scribbling and elephant..............so that's why step 3 is important.
3.  We scribbled more elephants on scratch paper, without looking at the paper.  (Yes, now the elephants were finally looking like scribbles and not drawings!)
4.  We switch to good paper and sharpies, and scribbled elephant last time.

5. Added an eye to the elephant, then more black to various lines to make them thicker and stand out.

6. Colored in the shapes with colored pencil and markers. (My examples above.)

Thank you Flamson 6th grade artists!