Babushka Drawings

 

Before winter break the art club students and I learned the traditional Russian word for Grandmother; Babushka. We had a great discussion about what our Grandmothers mean to us and how they fit into our families. I read to the students about how Russian Grandmothers rule the household more than the male family figures. Some of the kids laughed at that while others said "That's how it is in my family!"

Next, I showed the students images of Russian nesting dolls, or Matryoshka Dolls, which are wooden painted dolls that fit one inside the other. They are also known as Babushka dolls. The students using the patterns from real Russian dolls were inspired to draw their own. When the doll was complete, the students wrote a short passage celebrating something about their Grandmothers. The results were colorful and insightful to my students' families.

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