Elementary School Lesson Plan (Grade 1)

"The Yellow Boat" by Benjamin Saar

Standard: Students will explore opportunities and careers in the visual arts

Indicator of Achievement: Students will discover how the various roles of the visual arts are a part of daily life

Standard: Students will explore media and techniques to create works of art

Indicator of Achievement: Students will:

• use two-dimensional and three-dimensional media and techniques to communicate ideas, experiences, and stories in works of art
  
• use media and tools in a safe and responsible manner

Standard: Students will use the knowledge of elements and principles of design

Indicator of Achievement: Students will:

• recognize, name, and apply the elements of design
  
• select and use the elements and principles of design to communicate ideas

Materials:

• THE VERY BUSY SPIDER by Eric Carle, other illustrated books by Carle to be left in the classroom for students to see and read
  
• chalkboard "Elements of Art" chart with puzzle pieces, one for line, one for shape, etc., add color with this lesson
  
  • water color paint
    
  • tempura
    
  • crayons
    
  • sponge
    
  • paper
    
  • scissors
  • glue

Preparation: Read THE VERY BUSY SPIDER to the class. Ask the students: How did the illustrator decide to draw the pictures for the book? What were they? What technique did he use to make the pictures?

Add the color puzzle piece to the "Elements of Art" chart. Ask the students: What colors do you see in the illustrations. List the colors on the board. Then regroup by warm and cool colors. Discuss how colors make you feel.

Activity: Pretending to be Eric Carle, each student is to make a new spider illustration for the book. First the students use watercolor paint applied to a 12X18" inch sheet of paper, covering one half with warm colors, the other with cool colors. Materials are cleaned up for the day.

DAY TWO:

Preparation: Review color concepts and concepts about Eric Carle's layering technique. Demonstrate ways to layer paint.

Activity: Instruct the class to use sponge painting with tempera over the watercolor to achieve a layered effect. Review warm and cool colors. Have a table set up with warm colors, one with cool colors. Divide the class having them work first at one and then at the other table. Instruct them to sponge paint one half of their paper with cool, the other with warm colors.

When each student has completed their paper with layered colors, have them clean up and then on another sheet of white paper, using crayons, create a web upon which their spiders can sit.

DAY THREE:

Preparation: Pass out the student's papers with the layered painting. Have them cut them in half with one half cool, the other with warm colors. To be certain the students understand warm and cool colors, ask them questions such as: "Which colors are warm colors? Which paper contains red? etc." Have the children answer by holding up the appropriate paper. Continue until you are certain they understand warm and cool.

Next review the shapes that Carle used to create his spider. Have the students choose a shape for their spider's body, draw it on their warm colored paper and cut it out. Follow this by having them draw the spider's head on cool colored paper and cut it out. Next the children should glue the shapes onto the web they drew on the second day and finish their picture using crayons of their choice.

Assessment: Students identify warm and cool colors.

Adapted from a draft of Delaware's "Visual and Performing Arts Curriculum Framework"