ARTS EDUCATION TEACHER HANDBOOK

ELEMENTARY LESSON PLANS

Submitted by Michele L. Nelson, Alamance - Burlington Schools

Lesson Title:
Aborigine Dot Turtles

Grade Level or Course:
1st grade

Time Allotment:
Two class sessions (30 minutes each)

Targeted Goals and Objectives from the 2000 North Carolina Arts Education Standard Course of Study and Grade Level Competencies, K-12:

1.04-Discuss and examine familiar objects and literature to inspire imagery
3.03-Recognizes that pattern is created by repetition and uses pattern in own artwork
4.01-Recognize that an artist's work has certain characteristics that distinguish it from that of others

Targeted Goals and Objectives from the North Carolina Standard Course of Study and Grade
Level Competencies, K-12 for other content areas.

English Language Arts: Demonstrate familiarity with variety of texts
English Language Arts: Discuss and explain response to how, why & what if questions in sharing narrative and expository texts
Guidance: Demonstrate pride in work and achievement
Guidance: Consider ethnic & cultural diversity
Mathematics: Copy, continue & record patterns with actions, words, objects; translate into other forms
Mathematics: Create and record patterns. Identify & name the pattern unit
Mathematics: Solve problems by identifying and correcting errors in repeating patterns

Lesson Objective(s):

The learner will:

• be introduced to Aboriginal Dot and X-Ray art, as well as Australian Dreamings storytelling

• create a work of art in the style of Aboriginal art

• use repetition and pattern in a work of art

Materials/Equipment Needed:

• 8x 10 inch brown or earth-toned paper (brown construction paper works great)

• Earth tone crayons or Craypas (colors such as white, black, brown, tan, ochre, orange, brick etc….)

Lesson Procedure:

• Students will have a traditional Aboriginal story read to them (I like to use Pheasant and the Kingfisher, by Catherine Berndt and Raymond Meeks). Students will discuss story with teacher regarding content (How Aborigine stories try to explain natural occurrences, some are creation stories, and others contain symbols that are universal to many folktales and myths around the world.) It is also a good idea to have a world map handy to point out where North Carolina is and where Australia is.

• Students will then discuss with the teacher the style of art used in the book. What types of colors are used (earth tones because paints were made and mixed with pigments from the ground), what sort of patterns (dots, zigzags, etc.)

• The teacher will then guide the students in drawing a basic turtle shape, filling the whole paper.

• The teacher will then discuss different kinds of line and pattern, such as the dotted line, zigzag lines, etc., having students draw them on the board.

• Students will then fill in their turtles with their own different patterns and colors to create unique Aborigine-style turtles

Assessment:

• Students will be assessed by the product they create, as well as, through informal discussions and oral questions posed to both class and individual (such as: How many different patterns have you used in your picture? Does your pattern repeat consistently? What is your pattern unit? It looks like you may have lost your pattern here- what do you need to add to fix the pattern? Why are we using earth tone colors? How are Aborigine stories like some of our own? How are they different? Etc.)

• Portfolios will also be kept on each student in order to monitor progress through out the year

Special Considerations:

• Students will want to color the whole turtle, rather than make patterns. It is best to have the children first concentrate on making dot patterns (dotted lines, dotted zigzags lines with patterned colors) and not let then color on the first day. On the second session, once the student has established good patterns throughout, the students may color areas to enhance the patterns. Make sure they don't color over the patterns they worked so hard to create! (And, yes, they WILL try to do that!)

• Another note: Prang pressed wax crayons work very well for this project- they are bright, not messy and have brilliant colors.

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