#2501. Exploring Lines in the Environment

Art, level: Elementary
Posted Sat Mar 2 04:02:18 PST 2002 by Lauren (lkchapple@globalserve.net).
Lord Durham, Ajax, ON, Canada
Materials Required: paper, crayons, art book
Activity Time: an entire Friday afternoon
Concepts Taught: Lines are everywhere, self-assessment, creating a design, primary colours, exploring 5 types of line

I am really excited about an art lesson that I did. If you have any questions please email me or call the school.

Title of Lesson: "Line Hunt"

Objective:
To be able to describe different kinds of lines.
To produce a 2 dimensional work of art.
To identify strengths in their own art work.

Grade 1 (but could be used at other grades)

Time frame (a Friday Afternoon)

Thoughts of lesson: Students loved it!

Materials: paper, pencils, crayons (black, primary colours)

Pre-work: Have kids understand primary colours.

Lesson:
1. Have each child create a little legend on a piece of paper. Explain to them they are going on a "line hunt" to discover that there are lines everywhere. Explain that they need a legend on their page which reminds them of different types of lines they see in the environment.
In a box they draw a wavy, jagged, straight, curved and diagnol line.

2. Begin your journey around the school looking in different classrooms and the principals office. Each child will carry a paper and pencil. Before moving into each room say this little rhyme.

Tune: Going on a lion hunt (have them repeat after you)

Going on a line hunt.
Going to find lots of lines
I am smart.
I am clever.
I am a great investigator.
Pencil ready.
Paper ready.
Goggles on. (these are our investigator goggles)
Zip the lip.
Here we go.(you whisper this one and suddenly they are quiet)

Walk around each room and look for different lines, leave room and have them draw in the hallway all the lines they saw. They are not to draw the objects rather, draw the lines they see.
Continue for about 20 minutes.

Go back to room and discuss their findings, what was the most type of line etc.

3. Pull out a type of art book with Picasso type of paintings. Have them look at the type of art work and describe the types of lines they see. They are really intrigued by this part.

4. Art lesson. Show what they are going to make. Using a black crayon have them draw different types of lines on paper to make a design. Demonstrate. Tell them a line goes from one part of the page to the next.

5. Fill in the sections with the primary colours.

6. Explain to them that they need to evaluate their own work based on a rubric. I create 4 different line designs based on the marking criteria and then I post them next to the letter grades A B C D. I hold up one sample of art work and they tell me why it is a D.

Criteria for marking:

D: Only used 2 types of lines (diagnol and wavy)
Didn't use primary colours
scribbled

C: Only used 3 types of lines
messy
only used 2 of the 3 primary colours

B: Only used 4 types of lines
only used 2 of the 3 primary colours
didn't colour all of it
needed assistance to explain what was so good about art work

A; Used 5 types of lines
Used 3 primary colours
neat, did very best work
Able to tell you what they did well

When everyone was finished we had a quick interview and they told me what they deserved (mark) I put their paper next to the sample A, B,C,D and this helped them decide.

Overall this lesson seems very lengthy. But it was really fun, easy to do and creative. I am planning on taking some photos of this art work and posting them at this site. Please check back to see what we did.

Have fun!

Lauren Meichenbaum
lkchapple@globalserve.net

PS I have lots of art, music, dance and drama ideas, let me know what you are looking for.