art lesson plan reflection #8

Kurt Morrison

Art 3700

Lesson Plan Reflection #8

Shakespear

Monochromatic Painting

Grade Level(s): 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Subject(s):

• Arts/Visual Arts
• Arts/Process Skills

Overview: This activity is very simple to prepare and only requires that the students have access to a sink.

Purpose and integration: This activity is designed to create a connection between art and language, and to generate critical discussion.

Standards Assessed:

Making, perceiving, expressing, contextualizing.

Objectives:

1. Students will experiment with monochromatic painting.

2. Students will create an original monochromatic painting.

3. Students will learn and understand the definitions of monochromatic, tint, and shade.

4. Students will analyze their paintings objectively.

5. Students will determine the connection between color and emotion.

Vocabulary:

 1. tint - adding white to a color to create different hues

2. shading - adding black to a color to create different hues

3. monochromatic - artwork created using one color

4. palette - a flat piece of wood or plastic on which an artist mixes colors for painting

Materials:

1. white art paper (either 9 x 12 or 12 x 18)

2. undiluted tempra paint, multiple colors

3. paint brushes, multiple brush sizes

4. paint palettes (can use plastic plates)

5. containers of water (to rinse brushes)

6. rulers, compasses, protractors, pencils

Activities and Procedures:

Have students close their eyes and imagine that they are either flying or sailing through the Bermuda Triangle. It is a beautiful day without a cloud in the sky. Decide what color would best describe how you feel right now.

As you continue to travel through the Bermuda Triangle, you begin to feel uncomfortable, a little apprehensive. Something is not quite right. What color is this feeling?

Suddenly you see it. It is the scariest thing you've ever seen. What color is this emotion?

Explain to the students that they will be making a monochromatic painting today using one of the colors that described their feeling as they journeyed through the Bermuda Triangle. Demonstrate how different hues are made from color by adding different quantities of white (tinting) or black (shading). Place a small amount of a color of paint on your palette. Mix in a small amount of white paint. Move over on the palette and do the same thing only adding more white (tint) to your color. Make several hues with your color and black (shade).

Give each student a piece of paper, his/her choice of one color of paint, white and black paint, a palette, and a brush. Have the students create large overlapping geometric shapes and fill them in with their new hues using different brushes. Have the students cover the paper completely with the new hues.

Assessment Activities

Have students discuss:

1. how they created certain hues.

2. their impressions of monochromatic painting.

3. how color can be used to portray emotion.

4. what they might do differently next time.

I really feel this lesson plan, which is located at www.eduref.org and authored by Marcella Embry, is appropriate for these particular grade levels.  The text, Art Emphasis, states the following about students entering the fifth grade, “Children’s criteria of what is good in art outrace their abilities.  They come to feel that their drawings are not good enough and they decide they are no good at art.”  This type of lesson plan could offer this age group a whole new approach to art.  Instead of more simplistic drawings, they can use art as a way of exploring and expressing their current emotions, which I’m sure are ever changing at this age. 

Another aspect of this lesson plan which is appropriate are the assessment activities, which allows the students to thoughtfully consider how colors can portray emotions as well as analyze what they would do differently given the opportunity.  Referring back to the text, we learn, “Fifth and sixth grade students typically are becoming more self-critical and reasonable.”  They also are, “interested in doing and making things “right””.    From this information we can assume that these students appreciate the opportunity to stretch themselves and want the chance to succeed.  This is the type of art project where all students should be able to benefit.