Lines & Patters Lesson Plan

Lesson: Line and Pattern
Level: Grades 5-6
Materials:
Chalkboard, chalk, drawing paper marked with 1" grid, pencils, ball point pens, erasers

Week one:
Discuss with the children all the types of lines they can think of. (wavy, zigzag, thick, thin, circular etc. etc.) Progress on to how lines can work together to form patterns. ( bricks, circles with dots in the middle, plaid, herringbone, varieties are obviously endless!)
Now, on the chalkboard, draw a large grid with enough squares for each child. Have them come up to the board and fill in a square with a line pattern of some kind. It can be as simple as diagonal lines or more complicated like wavy lines on the diagonal with periodic dots. Next, each child should have a piece of paper with a grid (1 x 1 inch squares) at their desk. (My kids made their own grids) Have them copy the patterns from the board onto their own grids and have them add some new patterns or variations of the ones on the board.

Week two:
Tell them that this week they are to draw a large simple object that has a multiple of sections. Tell them to think in terms of what they might see in a child's simple coloring book. Some examples my kids have done are: A large bear dressed in a shirt and shorts with a ball at its foot: A large butterfly with lots of large sections: (Bring in coloring books for ideas). They are to now draw this onto their paper VERY LIGHTLY!!!!..with pencil. I can't stress this enough!. They need to draw this outline LIGHTLY because the final step will be to erase the outline next week.
So, they draw this picture, LIGHTLY. Now, using a black ball-point pen (your basic BIC is fine!) start filling in each section of their picture with one of the patterns from their own personal grids. Be sure fill in the pattern all the way to the edge. Patterns can be repeated for effect. They will not be able to finish this part in week two.

Week three:
This last class is devoted to finishing filling in their patterns in the sections of their pictures. When finished, use a GOOD eraser, and now erase the original pencil drawing so that all that remains is a paper filled with patterns in the shape of their original drawing. It is a very impressive project when finished yet very simple to do.

Lesson: Watercolor Leaves
Grade Level: K - 1
Objectives and Concepts:
Students will learn about fall and why leaves change colors, about crayon resist technique, and discuss fall and other events of the season.
Materials:

Book on Fall or story to read to students Crayons-- fall colors-- not green Fall leaves with lots of color for visual 9x12 white paper Leaf pattern almost as big as 9x12 paper pencils, scissors
paint brush watered down green tempera paint or water colors
Vocabulary: fall, crayon, resist, technique

Procedures:
1. Read story and discuss fall and why leaves change colors. This is a good science connection. Show students real leaves with lots of fall
colors.
2. Tell students they will create a leaf with lots of fall colors!! Demonstrate how to trace leaf onto 9x12 paper and then cut out.
(pre-cut if have short time)
3. Students will name fall colors and use those colors on their leaf. (Do not use green crayon) Instruct students to press hard with crayons and leave some white spaces. I also have students draw the veins of the leaf and explain to them that the veins form a small tree shape. (they think that is cool)
4. When about 75% of the leaf is colored heavily then they can paint over the leaf with green watercolor. This is the crayon resist.
All the white spaces will soak up the green watercolor!! ***I usually demonstrate this technique in the beginning to show them how important
it is to press hard. Also I show them what happens if you don't press hard--the colors don't show through!!!
5. When the leaves are dry I hang them together on a huge painted tree. The tree looks great and kids love to see all their leaves form one
tree.

Evaluation: I ask the students about the seasons periodically throughout the year. Also I ask them about the resist technique and they always remember this project.

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