Unit Overview
This unit of study was designed to create a baseline art experience for kindergarten students. The lessons considered that, for some students, this may be the first time that they used specific art materials.
The students explored techniques and characteristics of various media.
The student artists received demonstration and explanations related to this work, but were also given opportunity to explore and to make and share discoveries of their own. Though the students produced many finished art projects, the emphasis of the lessons were on the process of making art and the decision and problem-solving skills that make art learning applicable to other academic subjects and personal pursuits.
Lessons 1-2
“Paint Exploration”
In our first lessons students dove right in working with acrylic paint. They explored color mixing, mark making using a variety of tools, proper painting techniques and application. The student artists' learned about art as a way to communicate ideas, feelings, and emotions through their artwork. The first lesson was key to gauging the students abilities and how to direct future lessons.
“Paint Exploration”
In our first lessons students dove right in working with acrylic paint. They explored color mixing, mark making using a variety of tools, proper painting techniques and application. The student artists' learned about art as a way to communicate ideas, feelings, and emotions through their artwork. The first lesson was key to gauging the students abilities and how to direct future lessons.
Lessons 3-6
“Using shapes to create art”
In our next few lessons students, were introduced to using basic geometric shapes as a tool to help them draw complex forms such as animals, people, and objects. Students told stories through their art using shapes to depict themselves, their environment, a self-portrait, and an imaginative mask. In these lessons, students were introduced to oil pastels and watercolor, and began their discovery into more three-dimensional objects using collage/assemblage items.
Lessons 7-8
“Making art in 3D
In our last lessons, students were able to explore with ceramic clay to create 3 dimensional artwork. They used different tools and techniques in order to manipulate the clay slabs and depict a real or imaginative animal and habitat. The students then utilized their prior painting knowledge of color mixing and painting technique to add color to their creatures/habitats and learn to paint on a 3 dimensional surface.
Key concepts
Throughout our lessons our main focus was exploring new materials and processes through art to give the kindergartners a wide variety of art making possibilities and mediums. We have focused on several key concepts and enduring understandings including storytelling through art, observation, exploration, creating, communication, shapes.
Materials processes explored
Markers, Crayons, Colored Pencils, Acrylic Paint, Oil Pastels, Watercolors, Found Objects, Clay
Markers, Crayons, Colored Pencils, Acrylic Paint, Oil Pastels, Watercolors, Found Objects, Clay