OVERVIEW

Students will see how different kinds of lines create different looking caterpillars. Then they'll create 2 oil pastel and watercolor resist paintings: A butterfly using black pastel and a starry night sky with a white pastel.

Grades 1 – 2

Week of September 1 – 5

1 Hour & 30 Minutes

Lesson At A Glance

A brief overview of each step. Buttons jump to each section for detailed information.

5 Minutes – Artists’ Choice with markers

5 Min – Blending and mixing oil pastels

10 Min – Caterpillar drawings using lines

10 Min – Color and blend with oil pastels

15 Min – Draw butterfly step-by-step

10 Min – Make patterns on wings

15 Min – Paint butterflies with warm colors

8 Min – Use white pastels to make stars

10 Min – Mix cool colors & paint sky

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 best with your phone.

Student Work

STEP 1. Set Up

Students begin with Artists' Choice using markers and/or oil pastels.
5 Minutes

LEARNING TARGETS

Students learn to express themselves through creating from their imagination.

M A T E R I A L S

  • 11″ x 17″ Copy Paper
  • 4B pencil
  • Eraser
  • Markers and/or oil pastels
  • Blenders (stumps)
  • Paper Towels
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.

1.1 GREET

Greet students as they come in and help them choose a chair.

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.

1.2 CHOICE

Encourage students to work with one piece of paper for a while. If someone uses the phrase, “free draw”, explain that artists’ choice is something only artists can do, while free-draw is something anyone can do. You want to use the phrase to elevate the students’ expectations of their work.

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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STEP 2. Demo

Students will watch a demo on blending and mixing oil pastels.
5 Minutes

LEARNING TARGETS

Students know how to use and blend oil pastels.

M A T E R I A L S

  • Oil Pastels
  • Blender Sticks
  • Paper Towels

2.1 GATHER

Have students gather around as you demo blending with oil pastels or play the video.
“Oil Pastels look a lot like crayons but there are many differences. Crayons are waxed based, similar to candle. Oil Pastels are oil based, they feel smoother like butter. Oil Pastels can also do a really cool trick! If you blend and mix the colors, they can look like paint! You can use your finger, a blending stick, or a white oil pastel to blend the colors together”
Teacher Talk

Read verbatim or paraphrase

2.2 DEMO

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.

Points to make in DEMO:

  • Show layering colors and white to blend
  • Alike colors blend much better than opposites (Not in video!)
  • Show using stump stick (blending stick) to blend
  • Wipe dirty pastels with paper towel to clean
  • Rub blending stick on sandpaper board to clean
TIP
Use black as the very last color, or it can get into all the other colors as you work and make them icky.
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STEP 3. Draw

Students will draw a caterpillar using lines
10 Minutes

LEARNING TARGETS

Students know how different kinds of lines create different looks for objects.

M A T E R I A L S

  • 8.5 x 11″ cover stock
  • 2B Pencil
  • Erasers
  • Oil Pastels
  • Blender sticks
  • Paper towels

3.1 DRAW

Give each student a piece of 8.5 x 11 inch heavy weight copy paper and a pencil. Cover stock is also good, since it will hold up to a lot of work without scrunching up.

Have them draw a caterpillar in pencil. They can either use wiggly lines or they can make a bunch of circles in a line. If the circles are squished into each other it looks very caterpillar-like.

Other ideas are to use a squiggly line or zig-zag line. Each kind of line will make a different looking kind of caterpillar!

Display the picture below to get them started.

TIP
Anyone who finishes can move right into the next step with color using oil pastels.
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STEP 4. Colors

Students will use oil pastels to color their drawing.
10 Minutes

LEARNING TARGETS

Students know how to use and blend oil pastels.

M A T E R I A L S

  • Caterpillar drawing
  • 2B Pencil
  • Erasers
  • Oil Pastels
  • Blender sticks
  • Paper towels

4.1 BLEND

Students choose 5 or 6 oil pastels and white. Help them use the techniques discussed in the demo to color their caterpillar.

  • Layering colors and white to blend
  • Alike colors blend best
  • Use stump stick (blending stick)
  • Wipe dirty pastels with paper towel to clean
  • Rub blending stick on sandpaper board to clean
TIP
It is important to break up the activities of the class for young students. If they are sitting for a long time, they can lose their attention. Take a short break and do something more active such as standing and turning around a few times just to let out some energy and then refocus.

If they get too rowdy, use the secret weapon, “freeze!”

Then tell everyone to sit down in slow motion. Making obeying into a game is always helpful. Praising the ones who follow your directions is also much better than calling out the ones who do not.

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STEP 5. Butterfly

Students will draw a butterfly.
15 Minutes

LEARNING TARGETS

Students know how to follow step-by-step directions.

M A T E R I A L S

  • 11″ x 14″ or so Watercolor Paper
  • 2B Pencils
  • White Erasers
  • Black Oil Pastels

5.1 DEMO

Hold up a piece of paper and pencil. Show the class how to draw using a Tickle Technique (Drawing very lightly, so you just tickle the paper with the pencil, instead of press down). We will begin with several straight lines. Just do the best you can with them. Do this on screen or large board (marker board or large paper pad to show everyone and have them follow along). You can also pick up a black pastel and show how they will go over the lines when finished.

5.2 DRAW

Step-By-Step

1. Draw a big X that looks like a letter.

2. Then draw a horizontal line across the middle, intersecting the same point that the X intersects, to make a six pointed star. Mention how this is one kind of way that we can make straight line stars. We might need these later today!

3. Draw a shorter vertical line (up and down) in the middle for the body.

4. Now we can use some of our curved lines again to help us finish. show how to make 4 curved lines to connect the top and bottom of each wing to the center horizontal line.

5. Add the antenae going up off the top of the head to finish!

6. Redraw over the light lines with your black oil pastel to make a bold black line drawing. Use a regular technique instead of tickle technique.

NOTE: See how the wings attach to the body at one spot, just like your arms do.

How to draw a butterfly (tap any image to open viewer for all 6 images)
TIP
Use side-to-side and up-and-down instead of horizontal and vertical, to describe line direction. Or use both descriptions.
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STEP 6. Patterns

Students will make patterns on their butterfly wings.
10 Minutes

LEARNING TARGETS

Students know how to use pattern in their artwork.

M A T E R I A L S

  • Butterfly drawings on Watercolor Paper
  • 2B Pencils
  • Erasers
  • Black Oil Pastel

6.1 Prints

Reference

Pattern Ideas

Use these to help students make good patterns.

Hand out reference prints. Make sure everyone gets a print or for two students to see between them on a stand.

PRINT

1 Page – Opens in new window

6.2 PATTERN

Students make patterns on their butterfly wings. The pattern handout will help but it’s also ok to make up your own patterns. Let students go right to oil pastel without drawing guidelines in pencil first. Just have pencils ready in case someone wants one.

Pattern is made when the same kinds of shapes or lines are repeated several times close together.

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STEP 7. WATERCOLOR

Students will watercolor their butterflies
15 Minutes

LEARNING TARGETS

Students know how to use watercolor.

M A T E R I A L S

  • Watercolor Paper
  • 2B Pencils
  • Paint Brushes
  • Watercolors
  • Water Containers
  • Smocks

7.1 PAINT

Have painting supplies ready for each student. Review the getting tray and the mixing tray, and keeping your paints clean in the getting tray.

Tell your students to paint their butterflies only using WARM colors. (Red, yellow, orange, pink). If your students are worried that the paint will ruin the black pastel, explain to them that water doesn’t mix with oil and show them with a little example. You should tell them to be gentle with the brush, or it can smear the pastel. Even though the water will not be doing it, the brush might.

When finished, set aside to dry.

TIP
Always make sure there is plenty of watercolor so that the brush can always be full. This is essential for a good watercolor technique– remember to use tickle-brush technique with watercolors.
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STEP 8. White Pastels

Students will create stars on paper with a white oil pastel.
8 Minutes

LEARNING TARGETS

Students know how lines can represent stars.

M A T E R I A L S

  • Watercolor paper with drawing
  • Reference photo on stand
  • 2B Pencils
  • Kneaded Eraser

8.1 PASTEL

Get out a new sheet of watercolor paper for each student.

This time, students will use a white oil pastel on the paper. Draw several different kinds of stars for them: Use 3 or 4 straight lines, like we used for the butterfly; a zig-zaggy overlap method for 5-pointed star; a zig-zag starburst; or a curvy spiral. You get to choose which kinds of lines to make your stars with. Fill the sky with stars using a white pastel on the white paper. Press pretty hard and keep the stars fairly small. Remember how there are tiny stars in the sky at night.

Explain that although you can’t see them very well right now, we will make the stars come out at night in a few minutes. It will be just like when the sun sets and the stars become visible!

Make a bunch of stars. This looks best with a lot of white used on the paper.

Show the image below from your device or on a larger display.

8.2 Stars

TIP
Tilt the paper to see where the white has been drawn if it seems to disappear.
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STEP 9. WATERCOLOR II

Students will mix paints and paint the sky.
10 Minutes

LEARNING TARGETS

Students know how oil pastels resist watercolor.

M A T E R I A L S

  • 14″ x 17″ Sketch Paper
  • Watercolor
  • Brushes
  • Water Container
  • Paper Towels
  • Smocks

9.1 PAINT

Once students finish drawing with the white oil pastel, let them use watercolors to paint the background.

Explain how the oil pastels will push the watercolor away, which is called a resist. The stars will stay white because of this really fun technique!

They will only be using COOL colors (blues and purples) for the night time sky. Make sure there is strong color and a lot of water too. Paint the sky with watery paint and watch the stars come out!

9.2 COLLECT

Collect artwork once students finish. Next week we will add some black hills with black construction paper and glue.

Check to make sure their names are on their artwork!

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STEP 10. Cleanup

Everyone Helps
2 Minutes

LEARNING TARGETS

Students know the importance of cleaning up.

M A T E R I A L S

  • Cleaning wipes
  • Sink
  • Waste baskets
  • Well-lit spot for photos
  • Camera or phone-camera

10.1 CLEAN

Students set up their work area.

  • Empty water containters
  • Super-wash brushes if used
  • Put art supplies away (sop up runny paint before disposing of palette paper)
  • Wipe tables & toss trash
  • Remove any smocks (last)
  • Check for items on floors and tables

10.2 PHOTO

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.

OBJECTIVES

  • Practice and improvement using line, pattern, & watercolor paints
  • Understanding how different materials like oil and water, can create fun techniques
  • Accomplishment in finishing 2 brightly colored paintings
  • Fulfillment in choosing line styles and creating patterns

TROUBLESPOTS

Ruining colors – Remind students (show new arrivals) to wash out brushes between getting colors to keep them clean. There is always a getting plate or tray, and a mixing plate or tray.

Muddy colors – Keep cool colors together, and warm colors, because mixing cool with warm will create muddy colors

Broken & stubby pastels – Young students may press so hard the pastel will break. When this happens, say, “that’s fine, now you have two pastels!” Also, when they wear down to where the paper is, many children will not know to ask for help. Make sure you look for this so you can tear some of the paper off to reveal more of the stick.

ART WORDS

Tickle Technique – Using a tool like a pencil or brush so light, it’s like tickling. Drawing a very light line as guidelines (to know where to paint) takes practice. The idea of just tickling the paper, is a good schema for young children to easily understand what the feel of drawing lightly is like. So we use a tickle technique with our pencil to create light lines.

Resist – This is an artist’s term that we use when two kinds of materials won’t mix. They resist each other, kind of like they don’t like to be in the same picture! But artists have learned to use this to make interesting things happen.

Pattern is made when the same kinds of shapes or lines are repeated several times close together.

CLASSROOM 
PREP

Make sure you have enough supplies for each student and have the blending demo ready to go.

Have some way to display the example pictures in several steps.

What your room needs

Here are your printable lists and room prep instructions.

PRINT

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CLASSROOM 
MATERIALS

  • 11″ x 17″ copy paper
  • 8.5 x 11″ cover stock
  • 4B Pencils
  • Erasers
  • Markers
  • Oil Pastels
  • Blender Sticks
  • Paper Towels
  • Smocks
  • Water Containers
  • Watercolors
  • Paint Brushes
  • 11″ x 14″ or so Watercolor Paper – 2 sheets per student. You can use smaller if you need to conserve.

PREVIEW

Week #4: Donut Holes

Students will learn about shapes that are made up of air, and are in-between other shapes, and how it helps to draw things if you look at these shapes in addition to solid shapes.

Week #5: Lines that Dance, Jump & Glide

Students will learn how different motions make different kinds of artwork. Today most of the work will be with line, and some with oil pastel, as we try color-dancing, and create black and white line paintings of frogs. There is also a quick review of air shapes.