Art + empathy meets invention and storytelling.
Concept:
Invent a small “machine” that expresses a feeling or mood without using words.
Time: 10 – 12 minutes
Materials (per student)
- 2-3 craft sticks
- 1 piece of string or yarn
- 2 pipe cleaners
- Scrap cardboard or index card base
- Tape or glue stick
Instructions
- The Challenge: Make a mini sculpture that shows a feeling like joy, frustration, excitement, or calm. You can’t use symbols (like emojis) or words—just movement, color, and shape.
- Design & Build (8 minutes): Think about how to show energy, motion, or stillness. Use lines, angles, or curves to express mood.
- Share (2 minutes): Show your machine to a partner or group—can they guess the feeling?
- Reflect (1 minute): What choices helped you express the feeling? What might you change to make it clearer?