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Week 6
November 20, 2014
Field Notes:
On our last visit to the Boys and Girls Club, we chose to have the children draw cornucopias in the spirit of Thanksgiving. We provided large white paper and told them to draw a cornucopia and draw or write down the things they are thankful for. We had a picture of a cornucopia to show them what it looked like and most of them just copied from our example. About half of the group actually did what we asked them to do and the other half just drew on the paper or used the sheets to make various things.
The ones who actually did the activity drew their cornucopias with all different colored lines and wrote down lists of things they are thankful for inside. They were very concerned with the colors they were using and the placement of the colors. They all talked about what they are thankful for, for about two minutes, then started talking about just about anything else.
One girl, Taylor, just drew a big heart on her page and decorated it with different lines and patterns in one color. She drew a mouth with fangs in the middle and titled it “Black Widow” because the design around the heart looked like a spider web.
Taylor: “My art looks GOOD!”
Me: “Yes, it does!”
Taylor: “How much could I get for this?”
Me: “You want to sell it?”
Taylor: “Duh, I want to be a doctor, so I need money for college!”
After this conversation, they all started talking about what they want to do when they grow up. A few of the girls said they want to be veterinarians. They started drawing animals on their paper after this. One boy said he wanted to go to college and play football in the NFL. He proceeded to draw footballs and helmets in his sketchbook. Then they all started joking around telling each other they were going to “live under a bridge” and they all started joking and asking us for money as if they were actually living under a bridge.
I talked to one girl and asked what she was thankful for and her response was, “I am thankful for me, myself, and I. And my family too, I guess.”
A few of them took this idea and started making cards for their parents telling them what they are thankful for.
The ones who did not do the activity were making fortunetellers and paper airplanes. I kind of expected the paper airplanes, but not the fortunetellers. Once one girl made a fortuneteller, the rest wanted to make one too, and the same with the boys and the paper airplanes. The boys with the paper airplanes ended up fighting over them and getting yelled at, so that ended pretty quickly.
Reflections:
Gender Stereotypes:
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Girls made their cornucopias with all different colors
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Girls made their cornucopias all about themselves
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Boys made cards for their mothers
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Girl drew herself as a very elaborate princess with wings
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Girls drew butterflies
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Boys made paper airplanes
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Girls were socializing the whole time, but got done with what they were working on
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Boys got distracted with the planes and ran to the gym
Peer Influence:
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All the girls made fortunetellers once one did
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All the boys made paper airplanes once one did
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After Taylor said she wanted to be a doctor, they all said what they wanted to be
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The girls used the same color patterns on their cornucopias
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One girl wrote “money” in her list of things she’s thankful for and the rest copied her
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One girl tried to spell Kentucky, then they all started trying to spell state names
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One asked for money, then they all did
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One girl played Thumb War with Tre, so the rest wanted to as well
Pop Culture:
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Taylor’s “Black Widow” is the name of a popular song that came out recently
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Different kinds of paper airplanes they’ve seen other people make
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The girls’ fortunetellers are a popular thing for that age group
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They were all talking about different names of states
Inventive Characteristics:
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They made cards saying what they’re thankful for instead of on the cornucopia
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Girls made fortunetellers
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Boys made elaborate paper airplanes
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Girls wanted to know about how to make a profit from their artworks
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One girl made this beautiful drawing of herself and her entire family with little pictures of the food she will eat on Thanksgiving and everything she is thankful for