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.

10 Minutes – Artists’ Choice

15 Min – Students draw 3 still life objects

10 min – Add color and pattern

10 min – Cut out each object

18 min – Music plays – slide each object, trace & glue

25 min – Draw objects as cartoons and color

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.

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.

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Choose a Tall Item

Objects can be toys, fruit, vessels, tools, flowers, etc. Have a variety. Make sure that there are some moderately tall objects, such as a vase, and some short wide ones too, like bowls of fruit.

Choose two shorter ones

Students find two more objects for their still life. Neither one should be tall like the first one, so that there is a good composition.

Choose Papers

Have a spread of several 8.5″ x 11″ colored papers for students to choose whatever they like. Each students should take 2 sheets.

Draw each object

Make sure kids know that they are doing each one separately. The objects can be sideways on the paper even, to make them use up the space. Encourage students to use the entire page and to make the objects big enough to cut out and move around.

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 Color!

Allow your artists to express themselves any way they like. Encourage them to add patterns or use a fun color scheme (warm ,cool, opposites). 

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Rough cut first

Show students how to make a rough cut to separate the objects. This is very important and makes cutting way easier!

Drawing with Scissors

Cutting seems so simple, but to make great looking shapes without frustration, use our method based on the “drawing with scissors” technique used by Henri Matisse. Teach young students how to manage their paper better, and control the scissors more easily.

Drawing with Scissors

Tap the 4 arrows icon to enlarge the video to full screen.

Review the demo video and demonstrate to your students, or you can simply display the video on a larger screen for them to watch.

Write Name on Back

As they finish cutting objects out, have everyone write their names on the backs of the paper. 

After, make two piles of paper and toss your trash.

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 Place your Frame

Everyone should choose a background color and set down at their work area. This is the artwork surface, like drawing paper or canvas. They should decide if they want it in shower or bathtub position.

Tape it down

You should be ready with short strips of tape for the corners. You don’t need much.

Tall Slide

Have your class place their tall object drawing cutouts on the background.

Second Slide

Choose the next object drawing and repeat the music and slide. Trace a line around this one too.

Encourage your students to choose by looking and thinking about it instead of playing and being silly. You can play at home. Art can be fun and even silly, but it’s good to make decisions like real artists do.

Third Slide

Slide and trace the last object.

Glue them Down

Glue the object that is behind the others first. Probably the tall one. Sign work when finished.

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Choose One Object

They can get a new object if they want. It doesn’t have to be one they already used.

Use Pencil for Cartoon

Draw the object as a silly fun cartoon! What kinds of characters can they make?

Color with markers and outline with a black marker or colored marker.

Sign work when finished.

Repeat!

Artists should do as many of these as time allows.

Here’s a fun alternative idea: encourage artists to pair up and trade their drawings back and forth to get a crazy creature cartoon.

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Students clean 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

Have a bunch of amazing supplies ready, and cut a few things apart before-hand in a way that make you look amazing.

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

Week #38: Group Project & Party

For our final lesson of Year A, we’ll be making and decorating a big box party bus! It’s great fun and a way to work together.