Lesson At A Glance

Here’s a brief overview of the complete lesson. It’s also on your prep page in the Ready, Set, Go! section (below the lesson).

Colored buttons jump to each section in the full lesson plan below.

15 Minutes – Artists’ Choice and/or Color Journals

10 Min –Change focus to party

7 min – Show and explain project

10 min – Draw designs – pencil on paper

10 min – Cut tops, caps & set up paints

 30 min – Work and fun!

10 min – Connect with tape

 10 min – Other ideas with plastic leftovers

2 Min – Everyone helps

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SCROLL & TEACH

LESSONPLAN

Each section is a different color. Read over once and then you can SCROLL & TEACH using any device you like. It’s designed to work well with your phone.

All materials are suggestions and may be modified as you see fit. We have tried many items, and these seem to allow the most versatility for the cost.

Brushes should be nylon for springiness and durability. Round brushes are the most versatile.

Paint pigment list:

• Napthol or Pyrrol Red
• Hansa or Light Yellow
• Pthalo Green (blue shade)
• Cyan or Cerulean Blue
• Ultramarine Blue
• Dioxazine Purple
• Magenta
• Burnt Umber
• Raw Sienna
• Titanium White (professional grade only)

Find out what each student wants to do.

Begin with artists choice in pencil, charcoal, or oil pastels. Pull out any unfinished color journals so you can get those students to finish.

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Change the focus to the party.

Let the kids get into the party food early, so they don’t ruin their next meal. (If you have an early afternoon class you might wait until later.) Don’t let the snack time mingle into the painting time. Wash hands before and after eating!

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 Show examples.

Show the gallery (above the Lesson at a Glance), and a pre-made ornament. If at all possible, it is very good to make one of your own to show and also to know the process.

Make 3 important points about this project.

1. OPAQUE – White in every color makes it opaque, which looks like blown glass. Without white, the colors are translucent (see-through), and it will look like plastic. Real glasswork can be colored and translucent, but plastic just doesn’t look like glass this way.
2. BACKWARDS – You have to paint what’s on top FIRST! The paint has to be layered in the opposite order you would normally paint. For instance, snow must be painted first, instead of last, or it will be on the inside of the sky color and not visible at all. Walk them through this.
3. SMALL – Use a small brush, and KEEP IT SUPER SIMPLE! This is a very tiny piece of art.

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Have students begin to draw and give idea suggestions.

Have students draw ornament shapes and make design ideas on them. At least 2 ideas should be drawn. It can be a simple picture or pattern, but a pattern is easiest and the best option for young students in grades 3 – 5.

Suggest Stripes, Dots, Stars, Snowflakes, Candy stripes, Simple colors: top one color/bottom another, etc.

Help students individually with their ideas.

These Ideas may not actually be used, but thinking before-hand makes a huge difference.

Decide what color is first – which is on top of the design.

It can be hard to remember that the colors are painted in the opposite way as usual. Explain it like this.

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Demo the project

As students get ready, show a quick demo of how to cut a bottle:

1. Remove cap and save it (not removing makes it hard to puncture the side)
2. Cut across the label and pull it off. It’s ok if some sticks.
3. Find your cut line: above where the label was, and around the first or second ridge
4. Pinch the bottle and snip into it to create the beginning of the horizontal cut
5. Cut the bottle all the way around.
6. Place the two tops together and trim excess if needed.

Help young students. Each student gets two bottle tops. Save the bottoms for extra projects later!

Set up acrylic paints

Create a neat work area with all the supplies, water, and smock – before beginning.

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Everyone enjoys the creative process and paints.

Remind your students:

• Do NOT paint on the outside of the bottles
• Paint layers backwards
• Mix your colors instead of using raw pigments
• Use white in every color

Hold the two tops together to see how your design is coming.

Teacher prepares the caps using box cutter.

While students work, go around and prepare their caps and make the hangers. Make sure they are gentle with the hangers or they’ll come loose:

1. Use a box cutter to cut a small X in the middle of the cap
2. Use cutter or scissors to snip the plastic safety ring off
3. Bend the ring and insert the two ends into the X-hole
4. Twist the ends so they’re secure under the cap and you have a loop above.

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Cut strips of packing tape for students to use.

Use packing tape (not wrapping paper tape). Cut into narrow strips about 3” long and 3/8″ wide. Place two of these at each student’s work area by attaching one end to the edge of the table. Place them far enough apart so they don’t catch on each other and stick together.

Students connect their bottle tops.

Move around the room, helping and encouraging your students. Point out the things you like about each ornament!

Add hot glue (teacher only) to the underside of the cap to secure the hanging loop if you want.

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Give students ideas for other projects.

Students can enjoy the party, make another ornament, and also make other things out of the bottle leftovers for themselves and/or for gifts.

The plastic doesn’t cut fingers any easier than paper does, but snip corners off so there aren’t sharp pokey spots.

I D E A S :

• Wrist bands: cut a 1/2” to 3” wide circle and wear it as a bracelet or wrist band. Paint the inside just like the ornaments for all kinds of designs.
• It’s hard to reach the bottom of a bottle, but if you make the bottom all one color you can paint an entire bottom piece. Do this if you want to make a pencil cup. Put rice in the bottom for weight when you get home.
• The bottoms can be cut into flower petals, bent flat, and painted on the back side.

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Students set up their work area.

• Wash hands
• Super-wash brushes if used
• Put art supplies away
• Wipe tables & toss trash
• Remove any smocks (last)
• Check for items on floors and tables

Try to get photos of your student’s artwork. Find a good spot for quick lighting without highlights or shadows from your hands and device. Ideally in-between two strong lights on each side.

Print all of your PDFs from the lesson plan and cut any references apart as needed.

STUDENT’S

MATERIALS

• 14” x 17” Sketch Pad
• 2B Pencil
• Eraser
• Scissors
• Acrylic paints
• Palette pad
• Small brush

Week 20: Balancing Act

Students will learn about design, illustration and lettering in a light-hearted magazine project. Older students use watercolors, and will not finish this week, but will continue with final line art outlines next week after the color has dried.

Week 21: The Secret Plate

Students will learn how to draw one of the most fundamental forms, a cylinder, much more accurately, by learning how to think about it differently. There is a fun way to teach and remember this important concept. Then they’ll apply the information to a still life; creating a line-drawing of bottles and striped fabric.