Art Lesson Plan

Title: African Savanna Water Resist Unit: African Art

Grade level (s): K-2 Medium: Watercolor Resist
Suggested Time: 2 Class Periods

Instructional Objectives (2-3):
1) Student will identify and use foreground, middleground, background to create
illustration and space. (MO)
2) Student will apply watercolor paint to wet areas to blend color (wet on wet technique).
(MO)

Elements of Art (1-3) line, color, shape, form, space, texture, value


Principles of Design (1-3) repetition, pattern, movement, balance, emphasis, contrast, unity


Materials and Equipment:
(1) #2 pencil, (1) 12 x 18 watercolor paper, (1) set of prang water colors, (1) watercolor
round tip brush, Crayola crayons, water cup, towels, (1) black sharpie- on request



Vocabulary (4-5):
Background, middleground, foreground, horizon line, landscape, Savanna, resist


Art Production (based on Madeline Hunter model)
1.anticipatory set 2. state objectives 3. Input: art history, instructions 4.demonstration, modeling
5. check for understanding 6. guided practice 7. independent practice 8. closure
1. Begin the class by showing students the PowerPoint presentation. Walk students
through the parts of a landscape and a horizon line. Explain that Van Gogh and
Monet were famous painters who painted landscapes of the places where they
lived.
2. Next discuss watercolors for a few minutes. Do a short demonstration on how do
a wash of watercolor.
3. Have students write their names on a piece of scrap paper. They will practice
doing washes of watercolor on the paper for a for a few minutes.
4. Now have them set these pieces aside and hand out pencils and watercolor
paper to each student. Show students your African Savanna example.
5. Demonstrate, on the white board, how to draw your Foreground, middleground,
and background lines.
6. Students will draw their three lines.
7. Next, remind them that things in the foreground are way up close and draw your
animal. That things in the middleground are just a bit farther away (draw your
middle animal), and things in the background are tiny (draw your third animal).
Hand out a small printed coloring book to each student that has clipart of African
animals on it. They can use this as a reference when they go to draw their
animals.
8. Students will draw their animals. (15minutes)
9. Next Show students your example and how you went over ALL the pencil line
with crayon. Remind them to press hard.
10. Students outline their lines in crayons
11. Now spend a short time talking about resist. Take a scrap piece of paper and
demonstrate how the crayon wax resists the water. Remind students to use their
new watercolor wash skills as they paint. Washing paint over the entire surface,
not just coloring in with the paint.
12. Students paint (15minutes) Students who are finished can begin cleaning up their
area and placing their pieces on drying racks. If they have free time they can
color their new coloring book. (They need to leave the book with their name on it.
This can be used as a free time activity in later class periods. It should go home
at the end of the unit on African Art.
13. Have the rest of the students finish cleaning up their areas.
14. Finally have everyone line up quietly and dismiss them when their teacher
arrives.

Art History / Resources (2-4):
http://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/en
http://www.marmottan.fr/uk/

Aesthetic Questions (1-2):
Does a landscape always have to show the sun in the background?
What other things can you place in the background besides the sun?

Art Criticism / Analysis Questions (3-5):
Can you tell that there are three animals of three different sizes in the picture?
How well did you show that items are far or near?
Which animal is your favorite?
Which animal do you need to do more work on?


Evaluation Criteria (should relate to objectives):

Use the early practice wash samples to asses if students understand the watercolor
wash process. Place these in their portfolios upon grading.

Begin the following class with the African Savanna photo pulled up on the smart board.
Pick students at random to come and drag the various sized African animal clipart into
the best location (foreground, background, middle-ground) in the photo.



Modifications / Special Notes / Drawing