Explore the difference between a bird’s eye view and a ground view in your classroom.
Children look at objects from the perspective of an owl and a raccoon.
Materials
- Lucy in the City by Julie Dillemuth
- Objects from the classroom that look different when viewed from directly above (e.g., a mug, juice box, pan, blocks, or a book standing upright)
- Paper and marker (for your use)
Preparation
- Do the Lucy in the City Read Aloud and the Bird’s Eye View of Lucy in the City activities before doing this one.
- Look around your classroom for good examples of items that look noticeably different when viewed directly from above compared to when viewed directly from the side.
- You will be drawing the shapes of these items on your paper and showing them to children to give a clearer sense of how the point of view affects how something looks. For example, your book table from above (bird’s eye view) will be a circle, but from the side (ground view), it will look like a narrow oval sliver with legs.
Directions
- Remind children of the difference between a bird’s eye view and a ground view by showing them examples of both from Lucy in the City. Ask them to describe how different the city looks depending on whether you have a bird’s eye or a ground view.
- Invite children to pretend they are owls looking down on the classroom from above. What shape does the book table look like to the owl? Then have them pretend to be raccoons like Lucy. What shape does the book table look like to Lucy?
- Show children the objects you collected ahead of time. Put one object on the floor and have children stand directly over it. Ask them to describe what it looks like. On your paper, draw the shape. Ask them if your drawing matches what they see.
- Then place the object on a table so children can crouch down and view it from the side. Ask them to describe it. On your paper, draw the shape and ask them if your drawing captures what they see.
- Have them compare both drawings and identify which one is the bird’s eye view and which one is the ground view.
- Then do the same with the other objects: children view the objects from two perspectives as you make drawings of them. Children then identify which drawing is the ground view and which is the bird’s eye view.
- Finish by having children look around the classroom and identify objects they see at a ground level or bird’s eye view. If children need help getting started, you might ask: What view is this?
- Look down at your shoes.
- Look out the windows.
- Look at the rug.
- Look at the bulletin board.