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Reflection #8 - Is This Lesson Plan Age Appropriate?

I feel that this lesson plan is age appropriate for the given grade level. I chose a 4th grade lesson plan. The lesson focuses on ocean plant and animal life and the different levels of the ocean floor. The students are creating chalk drawings of the ocean floor using texture and value. The students are learning about "Implied texture" which is one of their requirements in 4th grade. The students are also learning about creating depth by using "value" and a variety of visual textures that diminish in the background to show the illusion of depth, which is also a requirement in 4th grade. In chapter 17 of our text it talks about the curriculum for 3rd and 4th grade. One thing it talks about is how 3rd and 4th grade children "are interested in the life processes of plants and animals. It suggests having students draw from life. The text also talks about suggesting new directions in design such as: "achieving distance through diminishing sizes and placement of objects higher on the page and "creating pattern and tectural effects contrasted with quiet or plain areas." The information in the text also makes me feel that the lesson plan is age appropriate for the 4th grade.

Ocean Scenes & Coral Reefs
Grade: 4th
Making ocean scenes using colored chalk and textured items
(Science, Math or Art)

Materials needed:
(1) piece of construction paper per student.
Colored Art Chalk
Glue
Textured items
Seashells (optional)

Teacher Resources:
(30) pieces of construction paper
Colored art chalk
Glue
Textured items
Seashells
Ocean Photographs

Objectives
• Students will learn about life at various levels of the ocean, from beach to deep sea (including beaches and coral reefs)
• Students will learn to identify variations in plant and animal life.
• Students will learn about the different contrasts, colors and textures at various levels of the ocean by examining photographs.
• Students will compare fresh-water and salt-water habitats.
• Students will learn what different types of life are found in each habitat and how the water quality differs.
• Students will learn where these bodies of water are found on earth.
• Students will demonstrate their understanding of ocean layers and life with chalk drawings.
Standards Addressed
• “Implied texture: visual texture (not touchable or real) made with lines, dots, value and shapes.”
• Students will create an underwater scene using chalk and produce a variety of visual textures that diminish in the background to show the illusion of depth.
• Students will be able to create “Implied texture” on their underwater chalk drawings.
• Students will be able to make shadows and use misty, blended layers, to create a sense of depth.
• Students will demonstrate their understanding of ocean layers and life with chalk drawings.
Vocabulary
 Coral Reef - A reef in relatively shallow, tropical seas composed chiefly of the skeletons of coral.
 Contrast – The effect of a striking difference, as in color or tone, of adjacent parts of a painting, photograph, video-screen image, etc.
 Texture – The tactile surface quality of a work or art, resulting from the artist’s technique.
 Habitat – The region where a plant or animal naturally grows or lives; native environment.
 Value – Art (a) relative lightness or darkness of a color b) proportioned effect, as of light and shade in an artistic work.
Pedagogy
1. Explain to the students that there are different levels of the ocean, from beach to deep sea.
2. Explain to the students that there are different plants and animal life at each level.
3. Show the students photographs of life at various levels of the ocean and have them pay close attention to the contrasts in colors and textures.
4. Pass out construction paper and colored chalk to students and let them begin their drawings. Encourage students to use value and texture to create a sense of depth.
5. Explain to the students that they can use items to create texture as well as lines. For example: coral reefs can be created by rubbing the chalk over a textured background such as the sidewalk.
6. Explain to the students that there are fresh-water habitats and salt-water habitats. Explain the different types of life found in each. Explain the difference in water quality. Explain where these bodies of water are found on earth.
7. Clean up our mess.
Assessment
 Walk around as students are creating their drawings and comment on how creative their designs are and encourage them to create textures and sense of depth with different values.
 Pick an example and have the students comment on what they like about the drawing and what textures and values they can recognize.
 After the project is complete ask the students “what they liked about this project” and “what new words they learned.”
Adaptations/Integrations/Accomodations
I could integrate this lesson into a science lesson or a math lesson. I could use the different levels and have the students compute just how far below sea level each level actually is. Focusing on measurements in feet and could actually get into a little of geometry if wanted.
Teacher Resources
Clements, Robert D. “Emphasis Art” 2010. Ninth edition.
http://www.crayola.com/educators/lesson_plans/printer.cfm?id=43
http://www.uen.org/core/

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What Makes A Quality Art Lesson Plan?

Reflection:  What Makes A Quality Art Lesson Plan?

There are really so many aspects that make a quality visual arts lesson plan.  If I have to just name 3 or 4 of them I will pick the aspects that are most important in my mind. 

Hands-on-learning is something that I find to be extremely important.  Making sure the students are constantly involved in the whole lesson is a must.  If we involve the students right from the get go they will have a much harder time losing interest.  If the students feel involved they will participate more and have a more memorable experience. 

Fun & exciting lessons are also a must.  If we, as teachers, are not finding new and exciting ways to teach our lessons, then we will get bored and lose our enthusiasm.  If we are not excited about what we are teaching then our students will not be excited to learn what we are teaching.  We need to challenge ourselves to find new ideas not just for our students but for ourselves.  We need to be life- long learners always searching for new ideas and never losing our passion.

Mind, heart and body need to be stimulated.  We have learned before about the cognitive, affective and psychomotor being included in a good lesson plan and I totally agree.  In order to have a good effective lesson we need to make sure that we are teaching the required material.  We need to make sure that we are letting the students discuss their feelings towards art and not be afraid to say what they were trying to express with their art piece.  We need to find a way to integrate the art into a psychomotor experience that will get the students moving but also allow them to act out their feelings in movement and expression.

Acknowledgement is such a wonderful thing.  I think that one of the most important aspects to a quality visual arts lesson plan is in the way we assess the students and their work.  I look at it like acknowledgement because we are assessing but most of all we are acknowledging the students individually and letting them know what we like about their work or the process of their work.  Who does not like to be acknowledged?  Students will feel a sense of pride if their teacher points out certain things that are good.  Teachers can use this as a way to give helpful hints in a tactful way so that they do not discourage the student’s creativity.

I have found some interesting websites regarding quality visual arts lessons and I feel that most of them have good ideas.  Everyone is going to have a different opinion on what they consider to be the most important aspect but that does not make them right or wrong.  The text had some good points but I really liked the dinosaur lesson plan example on pg. 77 because it includes all the important aspects in a good lesson plan.

http://lagringachilena.blogspot.com/2010/01/week-2-what-makes-quality-art.html

http://www.goshen.edu/art/ed/Compose.htm

[1] Clements, Robert D. “Emphasis Art” 2010. Ninth edition