OVERVIEW
Students learn how the concept of harmony applies to visual art just like music. A flower is drawn from reference and painted as a spectrum in watercolor for color-wheel flowers. The arrangement of the colors is used to show harmony, along with some games of harmony color designs.– – –
Grades K – 2
Week of Jan 29 – Feb 2
1 Hour & 30 Minutes, or two 45-minute sessions
STANDARDS For This Lesson
SUBMIT YOUR SUMMARY
Copy and paste the text below to send your abbreviated lesson plan with national standards and learning targets to your supervisors and colleagues.
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Week of Jan 29 – Feb 2
OVERVIEW:
Students learn how the concept of harmony applies to visual art just like music. A flower is drawn from reference and painted as a spectrum in watercolor for color-wheel flowers. The arrangement of the colors is used to show harmony, along with some games of harmony color designs.
NATIONAL STANDARDS:
Grade K
VA:Cr1.1.K – Engage in exploration and imaginative play with materials.
Grade 1
VA:Cr1.1.1 –Engage collaboratively in exploration and imaginative play with materials.
VA:Cr1.2.2 –Make art or design with various materials and tools to explore personal interests, questions, and curiosity.
LEARNING TARGETS:
Students know how to gain confidence in fixing artwork they are unhappy with.
Students know how to draw flowers from reference
LESSON PLAN:
1. Warmup (10 minutes)- Artists’ Choice with rainbow colors
2. Draw Flowers (10 min) – Draw flowers using reference
3. Set up (5) – Set up watercolors
4. Paint Flowers (15) – Paint flower as rainbow
5. Harmony (10) – Talk about harmony
6. Harmony Game (10) – Use slide show
7. Backward Practice (20) – Draw picture, mess up, and fix
8. Clean Up (5) – Everyone helps
Tap the Plus Icon (above right) to open STANDARDS information, including an Overview, LearningTargets and a Syllabus. Copy and paste to send to your Administrators or use the button below to download a Word document with the same information that you can add your info to and email to them as an attachment.
Student Work
SCROLL & TEACH LESSON PLAN
Don’t worry about rewriting anything. Just spend a few minutes reading the lesson plan and printing out your PDFs. Then check out the READY, SET, GO! section and print your prep-page, which includes checklists and an “at a glance” outline of the lesson so you can stay on track when you’re teaching. Set out the materials from the list on your prep page and you’re ready.
That’s all you need to know. Use your smartphone to Scroll & Teach!
Lesson At A Glance
A brief overview of each step. Buttons jump to each section for detailed information.
10 Minutes – Artists’ Choice with rainbow colors
15 Min – Draw flowers using reference
5 Min – Set Up Watercolors
15 Min – Paint flower as rainbow
B R E A K
10 Min – Talk about harmony
10 Min – Use slide show
20 Min – Draw picture, mess up, and fix
5 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.
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.
1.2 create
Encourage students to use rainbow colors while they draw.
Ask them 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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LEARNING TARGETS
Students know how to draw flowers from reference
M A T E R I A L S
- 2B Pencil
- White Eraser
- Half sheet of watercolor paper (5.5″ x 7.5″)
- 11″ x 17″ Copy Paper
2.1 Prints
Reference
Flower Reference
Cut images apart and print enough for each student to choose from several.
Hand out reference prints. Set all of the images out on a table or counter, and let groups of students come choose what they want..
1 Page – Opens in new window
2.2 practice
Assist students with drawing flowers from a reference.
After your group gets into drawing, you can “wake” your watercolor cakes by adding a few drops of water on each one and letting it soak in at the end of this step.
Have your kids divide the copy paper in four sections like window panes: draw a line down the middle from top to bottom, and another one across the middle from left to right. Artists should draw a flower in each section, by looking at the photos, but it’s ok if they don’t fill each spot. Try to design at least 2 or 3 DIFFERENT kinds of flowers. Some might have pointy petals, and some might have round ones. Some may have many petals and some may have few. Large and small centers, etc. Encourage them to think about making them different and fun.
2.3 Draw
After they choose their favorite one, have students draw it again on the watercolor paper with no shading or coloring at all; just draw guide-lines.
They should use a pencil and fill the larger space nicely with their guide-line drawing of the flower. Write names on a bottom corner and set aside for painting in watercolors.
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LEARNING TARGETS
Students know how to begin setting up and working with watercolors
M A T E R I A L S
- Watercolors
- Brushes
- Mixing trays
- Water containers
- Paper towels
- Smocks
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
3.1 setup
Set out watercolor trays for students, have them get ready to paint by putting on smocks. Reward well-behaved students by letting them hand out brushes or even water tubs.
“Before we begin painting, it’s important to set up in a way that helps us paint easier. If you are right handed, place your water container and paints to the right of your watercolor paper. This way you aren’t reaching across your paper to wash your brush or get new paints. Do the same thing if you are left handed (paints on left side). Watercolor paints need to be ‘waked up’ because they become dry when you don’t use them for a while. Dip your brush in the water and then swish your brush around on each color in your watercolor pan when you need some. Clean your brush out every time you get a new color.”
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LEARNING TARGETS
Students know how to watercolor flowers with a rainbow pattern
M A T E R I A L S
- Watercolors
- Brushes
- Mixing trays
- Water containers
- Paper towels
- Smocks
4.1 REVIEW
Teacher: Review how to teach watercolor in KidsART.
Tap the 4 arrows icon to enlarge the video to full screen.
4.2 paint
Help students use watercolors to paint a rainbow or color-wheel effect on their guide-line flowers from Step 2.
There is a color wheel on the Flower printout page from Step 2 to use as color reference.
Encourage students and make the rounds, helping individuals as needed by asking questions and giving your honest responses.
Paint the colors in order, beginning with Red at the top, making each petal the next color in the color wheel. Leave the background white so the colors stand out. Set aside to dry when you are done, being careful not to tip the paper so colors don’t run.
BREAK
This is the end of part one if you are dividing into two, 52-minute sessions.
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LEARNING TARGETS
Students know how to identify harmony in artwork
M A T E R I A L S
- keyboard app on phone or tablet OR
- borrow an instrument you can play a chord on
5.1 play
Show a keyboard on your phone and use bad chords or too many notes, for dissonance sounds. Then play a nice chord or two and talk about harmony.
“Notes that go well together sound nicely, and notes that do not go well together sound bad. Why is that? Well, I don’t know, but it just is. sometimes it’s because there are too many notes. We can tell when we hear it, and we know we don’t like it.
Art can be similar. When we see things that look good together, we know it. People like it more when things look nice together. Having too many colors can look bad, but taking one or two away can make it look great. We call that harmony in artwork, just like in music.”
TIP
Download a free piano app on your phone. Make sure it has the capability to make chords from multiple keys.
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LEARNING TARGETS
Students know how to identify harmony in artwork
M A T E R I A L S
- iPad or Tablet or display slideshow
6.1 Intro
Read the talk below for an intro.
“Now we’re going to play a little guessing game. It’s fun, and you might find that there is more than one right answer to some of the questions.”
6.2 Display
Use your display, read the captions and play the game.
Students can join in and answer which design in each picture they think has more harmony. Ask them why they think so. Some of the designs are obvious to you, the teacher, but not so much to 1st and 2nd graders.
The goal is to have fun, and get them thinking about creating harmony or even just knowing what it is.
Harmony Game (tap any image to open viewer)
Colorwheel
This color wheel shows how each color has a very similar color next to it on either side.
Rainbow1
The rainbow also places each color in order so that colors are next to similar colors. It has harmony this way.
Rainbow2
This rainbow is really different, and some people may like it and some not, but it doesn’t have as much harmony because the colors are not in their natural order.
ColorHarmony1
Both of these designs are jumbled and busy, but which one is just a little bit calmer? The one with fewer colors?
ColorHarmony2
Both of these have the same colors, but which one has more harmony? Why?
ColorHarmony3
Arranging colors can make harmony.
ColorHarmony4
Both of these have great harmony but which one has the most? Which one is more interesting to you?
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LEARNING TARGETS
Students know how to gain confidence in fixing artwork they are unhappy with.
M A T E R I A L S
- 11″ x 17″ Sketch Paper
- Oil Pastels
- 2B Pencil
- White eraser
7.1 draw
Have everyone make a drawing of anything they like, but that will be ok if we mess it up.
It’s just a quick drawing in pencil and color pastels. Remember to say several times, that the purpose of this is to start with something nice, then mess it up, and then fix it again and make something new. So the first picture will not be something they get to keep. (You can take photos of them with your phone if you like.)
“Lets make artwork and then mess it up. Artists do this all the time, so it’s fun and helpful to practice trying to fix it.
Let’s ruin the harmony! Take one very small area, and make something you don’t like that does not have harmony with the rest of the picture. Mess up the picture! It’s ok. We’ll fix it and make a new cool work in a minute.
So… how can this be fixed?“
7.2 fix
Take suggestions for each work and discuss, and then let them choose the best ideas.
- Make other parts similar to the new part.
- Paste a new piece of paper on it with harmonious work.
- Cut the work to crop the offending part out.
- You can even cut out several parts and make all new work.
Let each student then try to fix their own work to help it achieve harmony again.
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LEARNING TARGETS
Students know the importance of cleaning up.
M A T E R I A L S
- Paper Towels
- Cleaning wipes
- Sink
- Waste baskets
- Well-lit spot for photos
- Camera or phone-camera
8.1 clean
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
8.2 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.
8.3 connect
Make sure you see the kids connect with parents and tell them about the class if you can!
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Insights
This lesson provides understanding
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Technique
This lesson shows application and movement
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Self Expression
This lesson allows personal freedom
OBJECTIVES
- Practice and improvement using watercolors
- Understanding how visual harmony is important
- Accomplishment by fixing some messed up artwork
- Fulfillment by finishing 2 original works of art
TROUBLESPOTS
Be on the lookout for
Art anxiety – Today we make some artwork and then mess it up. Artists do this all the time, so it’s fun to practice trying to fix it. However, there may be a student or two who balk at the idea of ruining something. Here are some strategies:
- Emphasize before they make the original, that this blank paper’s purpose is to change 3 times:
- from blank to good artwork
- from good artwork to messed up artwork
- from messed up back to good artwork again.
- Say, “I’ll show you how to fix it and make it good again. Do you trust me?”
- If all else fails, let them keep their work, and draw a quick picture for them. Ask for their help. You need help to mess your work up!Keeping spectrum in order – The color wheel flower has harmony when the colors are in order. Help students look carefully to get them as close as possible.
Hard concepts – The game where the kids choose which design has more harmony, is not as evident or easy for them, even like it would be for a 10 year old. Be patient, and help them understand which one has more “togetherness”. Try not to let one person feel like an outsider.
ART WORDS
Harmony – When there are things that look good together, and seem comfortable in artwork.
Color Wheel (rainbow flower) – A donut shaped chart that arranges the colors in a spectrum around the circle. Colors are next to colors that are the most similar, and farthest away (on the opposite side of the circle) from colors that are the most different.
CLASSROOM
PREP
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.
What your room needs
Here are your printable lists and room prep instructions.
Opens in new window
CLASSROOM
MATERIALS
-
11×17” Copy Paper
CLASSROOM
MATERIALS
- 11 x 17 Copy Paper
- Half sheet of watercolor paper
- 4B Pencils
- Erasers
- Markers
- Oil Pastels
- Blender Sticks
- Clipboards
- Paper towels
- Watercolors
- Brushes
- Mixing trays
- Water container
PREVIEW
Week 24: Elephant Day
Feb 5 – 9
Everyone loves elephants! Artists learn how to draw a cartoon version, which also helps them learn how to simplify. Then they will have a chance to draw and paint more realistically, and in the process learn how to mix blacks and grays
Week 25: Printmaking
Feb 12 – 16
Everyone loves printmaking! Your students will move from station to station, drawing, making printing plates with a pen and styrofoam, inking, and finally making prints.
Use this button to view our parent’s blog. Share the link: http://parentart.org, with your student’s parents so your they can read about the lesson each week.
