Lesson Overview
In this lesson, upper elementary students will create their own non-objective painting. To start, students will learn about the artist Frank Stella and view his own non-objective paintings. Using his work as inspiration, students will begin their own paintings by creating thumbnail sketches of ideas for their paintings using both geometric and organic shapes. Then they will color in those thumbnail sketches to help plan for their final piece. Once a final design is chosen, students will then transfer that design onto a square canvas using a pencil. Any straight lines should be masked off using blue painter's tape. Students will paint their final design with one or two layers of acrylic paint using colors of their choice, then outline their design using a black paint marker. After the piece is completed, students will choose an adjective they feel best describes their piece and name it after that adjective.
Learning Objectives
Responding to Art
Students will discuss works from Frank Stella and speculate about the processes he used to create his non-objective paintings.
Developing Works of Art/Design
Students will explore and develop new art making techniques using acrylic paint and effectively create a non-objective painting.
Relating Art to Context
Students will be able to relate their art to an adjective based on the design they created and demonstrate how to implement meaning into their art.
Here's an example of Frank Stella's work!
Learning Supports
I created an art themed madlibs for students to fill out before starting their piece. This will help them practice using adjectives to describe before applying that to their own piece.
I created an anchor chart so that students have something to refer back to while in the art making process. It contains helpful tips and reminders about different shapes and composition. It would be displayed in a poster format in the classroom.
I created an artist statement worksheet for students to fill out after they have finished their piece. This will help students understand and develop ideas about the meaning behind their piece.
I created this demo video to show students the basics of acrylic paint, how to use it, and how to tape off sections of your canvas.
Adaptations & Modifications
There are some adaptations and modifications students may need when encountering this lesson. Students with physical limitations, specifically fine motor limitations, may have trouble sketching or painting their design. Large-handled or softer paintbrushes and drawing utensils will be supplied in case of this. There are countless examples of what these handles could look like or be made out of, including PVC pipe, velcro straps, etc., but of course this would all depend on the individual student. Slant boards are another adaptation that may be helpful in this particular lesson. Since there is a lot of work on paper and canvas, allowing students with limited mobility to use a slant board to prop up their drawing and painting surface could help their motor functions.
Students with communication limitations may have trouble communicating or participating with this lesson. In this case, communication boards will be used to help understand what that student needs or wants to say. Simple phrases and materials would be written on this board, along with accompanying pictures. For visually impaired students, I would suggest using oil pastels rather than paint since it's harder to feel where you are placing the paint. For borders of the piece, placing glue or a similar material down on the edges will help students get a better feel for where the edges are and be able to place down colors more accurately. While all of these adaptations may be successful for some, other students may still need one-on-one assistance.
Rationale & Learning Theories
This lesson has different connections to many different learning theories, but one in particular that I kept in mind when developing this lesson was the Theory of Multiple Intelligences. In this theory Howard Gardner explains that their are eight areas of intelligence to prove that intelligence is not singular. Students may excel in one area of intelligence, while perform less proficient in others. Because of this, it is important to include aspects from different intelligences into lesson plans to give students a chance to excel in different ways other than visual/spatial. Keeping this in mind, I made sure to include different areas of intelligence other than visual/spatial in order to ensure that they have different options to excel in that work best for them. Some examples include the artist statement I provided, which gives students a chance to work on the verbal/linguistic area. Students that excel in logical/mathematical areas may take that into consideration when planning their initial design for the piece, since a lot of it has to do with shapes.
Scaffolding is a Brain-Based theory in which teachers provide support for students when a new topic is being introduced. The goal of this tool is to help learners build their confidence and independence when moving forward with a new topic, therefore allowing them to complete more difficult tasks. The learning supports I have provided demonstrate scaffolding. The video demonstration models specific steps and problem solving that come with this lesson, while the other learning supports helps to activate prior knowledge about how to use adjectives and how to talk about art. The anchor chart works almost like a graphic organizer to help students understand and organize the different concepts and terms associated with this lesson. With these learning supports, students will be better prepared for the art lesson and have more confidence while completing it.
Lesson is from May 2020 issue of School Arts Magazine
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