Direct Lesson: Minion College Portraits

Topic: Exploring career and college options with MINIONS!

Grade Level: 4th
Duration: 2 days
Materials:
black fine-point markers
tempera paints
pencil
scissors
Who Do I Want to Be? worksheet
Standards/benchmarks:
PERFORM
ART.VA.I.4.4 Prepare, present, and collaboratively evaluate personal artwork.
CREATE
ART.VA.II.4.3 Analyze and collaborate how artists express ideas through the use of visual
culture, global perspective, and symbols in works of art.
ART.VA.II.4.4 Analyze and reflect on the uses of subject matter, symbols, and ideas to express
and communicate meaning in artwork.
ANALYZE
ART.VA.III.4.5 Analyze how art can be a reflection of society and a response to real world
experiences.
ANALYZE IN CONTEXT
ART.VA.IV.4.1 Describe how artwork communicates facts and/or experiences of various
cultures.
Objectives:
1. SWBAT recall different things that different careers involve (clothing, responsibilities, tools,
etc.)
2. SWBAT discuss their drawing by what career it involves and why they want to have that career
to their classmates.
3. SWBAT incorporate different aspects of their career choice into their drawing.
Purpose: The purpose of this lesson is for students to get a jump start idea of where they are going in
terms of college and careers. The lesson will encompass the workforce and college culture, which is a
major focus in the K-12 curriculum. This will help with scaffolding, by gaining some prior knowledge
before junior high and high school, where college culture is focused on even further.
Anticipatory Set: Students will meet up at the whiteboard for a brainstorming session about different
careers. They will have a table drawn with two columns with different careers in one and in the other,
they will talk about the garb of that career as well as the tools, and logistical necessities used by that
career.
Input:
Day 1-

First, students come in and sit in front of the whiteboard, they then read the goals for the day. The goals
are1. I will learn about different careers and particulars about them.
2. I will start a writing activity about who I might want to be.
3. I will create an artwork using mixed-media. ( 2 or more at supplies)
Afterward, students will do the anticipatory set, which involved dissecting a few careers. There will be
some already listed on the board, but students will have the ability to think of more and they will be
added to the list. After, we will use another column on the board to write about that career. (What do
they wear? What kind of tools or objects relate to them? Etc.)
Heading back to their tables, they will see a worksheet on it. They write their name and two careers
they may want to explore in the future. They then choose one and circle it on their paper, this one will
be the focus for their drawing.
Once they complete the first part of their writing activity, they will get their paper for their drawing and
put their name on the back side of it. They will turn around in their chairs this time as they are given
choices of which minion shape they would like to draw (tall and skinny or short and round).
After drawing the minion shape, they have to choose eyes, goggles, and mouths. Some sample ideas
will be drawn on the whiteboard for students to choose from.
Then, returning to their writing worksheet, they will flip it over, and on the back side, they will write
down the breakdown of their career in terms of shirt, hat or hair, and at least one tool that career uses.
(ex: for an artist- a beret, apron/smock, and a paint palette). Students will not be able to use my
example, they must come up with their own.
After adding final details, the students begin using marker and colored pencil, when it is time clean up
for the day, minion drawings are placed in their table team folders.
Day 2Students meet up at the front board, and go over today's goals.
Today's Goals1. I will complete my line drawing today (if unfinished)
2. I will mix two primary colors to make a secondary color (choice)
3. I will complete and mount my drawing today.
After going over the goals, we will go back to our tables to color in our minions using markers and
colored pencils for the details.
For the next step, we talk about what primary colors make what secondary colors. (Yellow + Blue=
Green, Blue + Red= Purple, and Yellow + Red= Orange) Students will then choose what colors they
want to use for their background of their minion drawing. If they want to make a certain color, they
have to go to a certain table to use that color.
After their minions are painted, we will complete the writing activity, which brainstorms how they will
achieve the goal of the career they want to be at the Jr. High, High School, and College levels. We will
then wrap up for the day with some students sharing their goals.

Modeling: The students will be given a demonstration on color mixing and how to double load a brush
to mix colors.
Checking for understanding: Teacher will check students double loading and if they made their
colors correctly on the background.
Guided practice: Teacher will show students how to mix the colors first and then students will get
scrap paper to practice making a few different types of that color by mixing more of one primary and
less of another each time.
Closure: At the close of the first day, students place their work (artwork and writing) in their table
folders and clean up markers, colored pencils, pencils, and erasers and push in their stools to line up at
the door.
Independent practice/Assessment: The teacher will have students complete the writing activity on
their own and the marker coloring. Students should know what color minions bodies are. Teacher will
collect artwork that follows the goals and directions, along with their writing, to be put on display on
the college bulletin board.
Adaptations/differentiation: For the students that have disabilities, I will help them by repeating the
color mixing demo as well as with giving extra time at home, if needed.