Elementary School Lesson Plan (Grade 2)

Content Standard: Students will understand and apply the visual arts elements and the design principle of symmetry

Content Standard: Students will understand and apply media, techniques, and processes

Achievement Standard: Students will describe how different materials, techniques, and processes cause different responses

Materials:

• Pennsylvania barn signs. They are symmetrical in design and painted in a wide array of colors and patterns. (Look for examples at http://www.hexsigns.com Click on Online Catalogue, then on Hex Signs.)
  
• crayons and watercolor resist materials

Preparation: Share examples of the Hex signs with the students, sharing the history and current uses of the signs.

Activity: Have the students identify the repeated use of lines, colors and shapes found within the circular designs. You might ask: How many ways can you divide up a circle? How many different kinds of lines and shapes do you see? What are the shapes like? Are they straight (geometric) or rounded (curvilinear/natural)?

Review ways to divide a circle into symmetrical designs. Have the students develop their own examples of symmetrical barn signs, using crayons and watercolor resists to add color to the different areas radiating from the center of the design.

Upon completion, have the students tape their results to the chalkboard. Generate a vocabulary list pertaining to symmetrical design and Pennsylvania barn signs. Discuss the student art using the new vocabulary words. Questions you might ask: Where is the dividing line to show symmetry? What lines/shapes/colors are repeated on each side of the division? In what ways are our designs similar to the examples of the Pennsylvania barn signs?

Assessment: Create a rubric with the students to judge each sign. Student and teacher can use it to assess the individual student's work. Discussion can be assessed using a rubric noting amount and accuracy of contributions.

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