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.

5 min – Choose an animal reference

10 min – Students learn about priming

15 min – Students prime animals

3 min – Teachers clean brushes

15 min – Use paint to make monoprints

2 min – Everyone helps.

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.

Kneel down so that you are on their level. Bending over emphasizes the differences in your height, while kneeling makes them feel more important. Have tape and marker ready so you can stick some tape on the table by each student and write their name on it as they sit down.

Everyone should take their time with the work and make a finished piece of art. Limiting the paper can also help kids focus on the work. If someone finishes in super-fast time, ask them what more they can do to the existing paper. Ask again several times – unless they appear overly frustrated; then you can allow them to move on to a new work.

Show the photos of other student’s work, and help create excitement about this fun project! Points to talk about:

• Realistic or fun expressive color
• Animal patterns
• Cardboard tubes for legs and necks
• Sideways heads vs. front facing heads
• Tails and other details may use paper, pipe cleaners, yarn, etc.

Each student gets a box and a flat piece of cardboard for the head. If they brought their own box, make sure they get the one they brought if you can.

Have everyone look at their box and think about how their animal will look. IMAGINE the head. Think about the size you need to make it.

NOTE: kids usually make their faces/heads too small. Be ready to help them make it big enough to work. Keep the photos from slideshow on display for helping them understand.

There are 2 ways to make a head. Make sure each student chooses one or the other and understands the difference. They both work fine, so it’s all about what each artist wants.

1. Face front – this is cut out and secured to a neck. The neck needs to be angled at the body or the head.
2. Profile (from the side) – This can be placed in a slot on the box front, or on a slot at the end of a neck.

Students use pencil to draw the head on their flat cardboard piece.

Teacher and helper will cut heads out with scissors and/or box cutter. Take away from student work areas to make cuts or use hot glue. Hands can dart in trying to help right when you’re about to do something.

Use tape and hot glue to build an animal by adding legs, neck, and head. Use lots of glue and tape so it’s secure! Painter’s tape is not as sticky as old-fashioned masking tape. Wide tape such as 2″ or so will hold much better. Wrinkles are ok because it looks like animal skin!

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)

• Primer is NOT PAINT – it’s more like erasing the brown cardboard surface and replacing it with a nice white paintable surface.
• It must be spread thin (not with water!)
• It should look streaky
• Brushes should only be dipped at the tip:

Move, Spread, Feather.

1. Move PRIMER to the surface
2. Spread it out into a rectangle shape until it is no longer globby
3. Feather touch – finish it lightly in one direction

Kids prime their animals. Keep lots of paper towels on hand. Try to limit the amount of primer. Replenish several times instead of giving a lot all at once.

Artists will need supervision, especially with spreading the primer thin and getting a good coverage. Use a paper towel to spread and thin out really heavy painted areas.

Repeat, “Dip the Tip!” often.

• Wash hands
• Super-wash brushes if used
• Put art supplies away
• Wipe tables & toss trash
• Keep smocks on, and get ready for using real paint!

Everyone should choose to either use natural realistic colors, or their own fun and expressive colors.

Everyone should have the palette paper or foil to paint on so the paint doesn’t soak in and/or dry too quickly. Students should have a lot of fun and make the pattern in any way they like.

Use plenty of paint, but don’t make huge blobs or they’ll spread out too much.

Set the brush down or in water tub. Wipe off hands using a paper towel.

Before printing, make sure the paint is still pretty wet. Spray with water if needed.

Lay the blank white card stock paper on the print carefully. Do not let it slide around. Gently press all over the paper.

Carefully peel off the print. Let the students enjoy the print for a moment. Explain that a print has accidents in it, so it’s not supposed to be “fixed” by using the brush.

Sign and place aside to dry.

• 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

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

Week 34: Box Animal Safari

Students paint their box animals for an awesome project towards the end of the school year.

Week 35: Artists’ Choice

Students get a fun day of making their own things. Several stations are set up to facilitate lots of creativity!