Drawing With Mr. J
Drawing with Mr. J is a featured video series from WOSU Classroom that helps kids in grades K–5 learn social and emotional skills through brief and engaging drawing challenges. All you need is something to draw with and something to draw on!
Every video comes complete with a standards-aligned companion guide containing activities and resources for educators and parents. The videos can be worked into a variety of lesson plans, be used as a morning warm-up or a way to check-in with students after lunch or other transition times.
These activities align with Strategy number 7 of Ohio’s Strategic Plan for Education, Each Child, Our Future, which focuses on working to help schools meet the needs of the whole child.
Drawing with Mr. J is funded by the Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Broadcast Educational Media Commission.
Season 5
-
Draw along with Mr. J as he identifies how basic emotions, like fear, are expressed on our faces and by our bodies when we are scared of something. He discusses how sharing all of our emotions, including fear, is important. -
Today’s challenge is “a sleeping bear.” Mr. J invites students to draw along as they discuss safe spaces in their lives. He discusses how everyone has different needs and different spaces that make them feel safe. -
Today’s challenge is “a super snail.” Mr. J invites students to draw along as they identify the importance of trusted adults in their lives and consider who are these super individuals that can offer support, encouragement, and safety. -
Today’s challenge is “a school of silly fish.” Mr. J invites students to draw along as they identify how they can help make their community a better place. -
What's so important about setting goals? Mr. J and a crafty skunk invite students to draw along as they explore the importance of identifying small goals, setting dead-lines, and seeking support to reach an end goal. -
Today’s challenge is “a cat family.” Mr. J invites students to draw along as they identify how families can be alike and different. He discusses how we can recognize that different families have different ways of doing things. -
Grab something to draw on, and something to draw with for today’s challenge! Join Mr. J and his plant pals as they explore how people can be the same or different. He discusses the importance of recognizing and celebrating our friends’ similarities and differences. -
Join Mr. J and some sporty penguins as they identify personal strengths and interests as well as activities in which they enjoy participating.
Season 4
Season 4
-
Draw along with Mr. J as he draws some wild new plants, and discusses having hope and why it’s important to share our emotions. -
Today’s challenge is “silly food!” Mr. J invites students to draw along as they discuss how to determine when it is time to be silly and when to focus and listen. -
Join Mr. J as he invites students to draw along and discuss how we respond to new experiences, including feeling nervous. He discusses how sharing our emotions and experiences is important. -
Mr. J invites students to draw along as they explore the importance of including others. He discusses how sharing our emotions and experiences is important. -
Draw along with Mr. J as he discusses rules and expectations and why we have rules in the first place. He discusses how sharing our emotions and experiences is important. -
In this challenge is, Mr. J invites students to draw along as he identifies how we may get annoyed and strategies for processing this complicated feeling. He discusses how sharing our emotions and experiences is important. -
Mr. J invites students to draw along as they identify friendships sometimes involve disagreements and how to work through these times together. He discusses how sharing our emotions and experiences is important. -
Mr. J invites students to draw along as they identify how we experience empathy. He discusses how sharing our emotions and experiences is important and a first step in honoring someone else’s perspective.
Season 3
Season 3
-
For the season 3 finale, Mr. J invites students to draw along as they identify how problems impact our emotions and the need to consider new solutions to meet our goals. He discusses how sharing our emotions is important and helpful. -
Join Mr. J as he draws the cutest dog ever!! Mr. J invites students to draw along as they discuss how everyone can get distracted sometimes and explores strategies for staying on task. He discusses how sharing our emotions and experiences is important. -
Today’s challenge is “a lovable monster.” Mr. J invites students to draw along as they identify how basic emotions, like feeling overwhelmed, show on our faces and prompt us to need some quiet time. He discusses how sharing our emotions is important. -
Practice makes progress! In this month’s drawing challenge, Mr. J draws an amazing flying horse while discussing the importance of grit and perseverance. -
Join Mr. J as he creates rabbits with some super cool HARE-dos! While he draws, Mr. J talks about how we can give our feedback with our words – and our faces. Giving and receiving feedback can be scary, exciting, and important. -
In this drawing challenge, Mr. J draws a cloud raining pizza! While drawing, we’ll explore what it’s like to feel overwhelmed with feelings, be they positive or negative, and ways we can cope and carry on. -
Mr. J invites students to draw along as they explore the emotions associated with being a good communicator and listener. He discusses how sharing our emotions and experiences is important. -
In the season 3 premiere, Mr. J invites students to draw along as they identify how they experience basic emotions, like pride and recognizing the need to apologize. He discusses how sharing our emotions is important.
Season 2
Season 2
-
Today’s drawing challenge involves combining two animals to make a completely new animal! Mr. J discusses how sometimes, we can feel 2 different emotions at the same time and how that might look on our faces or make us feel inside. -
Explore how the expressions on our faces can show how we’re feeling, and how we can identify the feelings of those around us by studying their facial expressions. Mr. J talks about how to be a good friend by asking others how they’re feeling and listening to their feelings. -
Mr. J invites students to draw their own mountain friends, while he explores what it means to look happy and friendly with our facial expressions. He also discusses how sometimes the way we look on the outside doesn’t match how we feel on the inside, such as when we’re masking our grief. -
Who doesn’t love a good parade! Join Mr. J to imagine a special food parade, while we discuss the types of foods we like to eat and exciting feelings like joy and happiness.
Season 1
Season 1
-
The drawing challenge in episode six is “a dragon breathing something other than fire.” Mr. J briefly explores first impressions and the importance of getting to know someone for yourself. Recognizing that we are all unique can be the spark to start new friendships and lead to understanding. -
Today’s challenge is “a unicorn with personality.” Though unicorns can have so many different personalities, Mr. J explores what stress may look or feel like. He shares personal strategies for handling stress and the importance of talking about emotions with a trusted adult. -
The drawing challenge in episode four is “a cat attacking a city.” Mr. J invites students to consider why a giant cat would attack a city, as he explores what it means to feel angry. He shares personal safe strategies for recognizing and processing anger. -
Mr. J invites students to draw A Donut Playing Sports as they explore the feelings associated with disappointment. He shares personal strategies for processing these emotions as well as the importance of sharing our experiences with others. -
Mr. J invites students to draw their own plant with a face, while he explores what it means to feel grumpy and prickly like a cactus. He shares personal strategies for processing this feeling as well as the importance of sharing our emotions with others. -
Fruit Dance PartyMr. J invites students to draw Fruit Dance Party as they identify how basic emotions, like happiness, show on our faces when we are having fun or trying something new. He discusses how sharing our emotions is important.
