title: African Savannah Landscape
Unit: Africa Art
Grade Levels suggested: 3rd
Medium: Watercolor resist
Suggested Time: 1 hour
Instructional Objectives:
1.Students will apply paint in even strokes to create a water color/thinned tempera wash.
2.students will create an original landscape using background, foreground, and middleground
Elements of Art: Color, Space
Principles of Design: Balance, Unity
Materials and Equipment: Water Color paint in various colors, Paint Brush,Crayons,Pencil, 12"x18" white paper, Paper towel, Styrofoam cup with water
Vocabulary: Landscape, Watercolor, African Savannah, Foreground, Middle ground, background
Art Production:
1. Introduce lesson with examples and a definition of a landscape.
2. Show examples of the assignment to the class.
3. Explain the definitions and positioning of foreground, middle ground, and background to the class.
4. Tell the class to choose 3 animals, one for each foreground, middle ground, and background, and have them begin drawing those animals of choice.
5. When students are finishing their animals, tell them to add trees, grass, a horizon, and other natural objects to their picture. Show them examples of the kinds of trees found in the Savannah, and let them draw the rest of their pictures in pencil.
6. When most students are coming to a finishing point, explain to them how to outline their pictures in crayon. Explain how to use more prominent crayon coloring in the foreground and to diminish it as they go farther into the picture, and then let students begin working on their crayon outline as they get to it.
7. When students are starting to finish up their crayon outline, stop them for a moment and explain the watercolor process of the assignment. Tell them how to gather their painting supplies, and explain how watercolor resists work when the crayon and the paint mixes together. Then let your students start this process as they are able.
8. Help students with the painting process as students complete the assignment. Observe and help students as they finish up.
For this lesson we are teaching the students how to construct, draw and paint a Savannah Landscape. First we have the kids choose 2-3 animals they would like to draw. In class we used a coloring book from (http://www.shirleys-preschool-activities.com) Then we had them first draw an animal of choice in the foreground and then an animal in the background and if they want another animal in the middle ground. Also they would add in water sun and clouds and with a crayon the students would outline there drawing and then paint over them using water color resist technique.
Here are some resources for similar lesson plans...
http://www.crayola.com/lesson-plans/king-of-beasts-lesson-plan/
http://pbskids.org/wildkratts/habitats/african-savannah/
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/africa/explore/savanna/savanna_overview_lo.html
Rubric
Context- include 3 animals (foreground, middle ground, and background) and work on mixing Watercolors while painting.
Creativity
Did the students mix the Watercolors properly and did they try to go above and beyond with this project?
Craftsmanship
Did the students apply the paint neatly and can you tell which animals rhey are trying to portray? Did they use the entire sheet of paper?
Completion
Did the students finish painting in the required time while following all of the appropriate guidelines given to them?