In this activity, we will explore the way the body looks, its structure and its proportions.

Work in pairs, each pair with a ruler or measuring tape between you. Now you will discover the general proportions of the human form.

Measure each other in turn. There are, of course, major differences between different human beings!

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Find out

• Which is longer: the length of your head from top to chin, or the length of your foot?
• How many head-lengths fit into the length of an entire body?
• How many head-lengths fit into the distance between left shoulder and right shoulder?
• Are there any other size correlations between different body parts? For example, compare the measurement from fingertip to fingertip when someone stands with their arms outstretched, to their height measurement.
• Is your nose tip exactly halfway between the top of your head and the bottom of your chin?
• Which part of your face is on the same level as the upper edge of your ear?
• Which part of your face is in line with the bottom edge of your ear?
• Is the waist the exact midpoint of the body, measured from top to toe?

Make notes and small sketches to illustrate your discoveries. Take turns being the artist and being the model; in other words, one person draws while the other poses. 

If you have time, each group can report their findings back to the class.