Animal Mosaic Lesson Plan
ARTE 329 grade 4
Unit theme: Classifying organisms (vertebrate and invertebrate species)
Lesson: Animal Mosaic
Integrated subject: Science
Level: 4
Projected Time: 30 minutes to draw create an animal mosaic image
Lesson Overview:
Students will create a mosaic image of an animal of their choice that correlates with their learning of vertebrate and invertebrate species. Students will be exposed to various artists and art work that depicts similar images of animals to expand their view of art and why it is created.
Unit theme: Classifying organisms (vertebrate and invertebrate species)
Lesson: Animal Mosaic
Integrated subject: Science
Level: 4
Projected Time: 30 minutes to draw create an animal mosaic image
Lesson Overview:
Students will create a mosaic image of an animal of their choice that correlates with their learning of vertebrate and invertebrate species. Students will be exposed to various artists and art work that depicts similar images of animals to expand their view of art and why it is created.
Standards Addressed
Grade 4 Science
Grade 4 Visual Arts
- Standard 4-2 The student will demonstrate an understanding of the characteristics and patterns of behavior that allow organisms to survive in their own distinct environments. (Life Science)
- Indicator 4-2.1 Classify organisms into major groups (including plants or animals, flowering or nonflowering plants, and vertebrates [fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals] or invertebrates) according to their physical characteristics.
Grade 4 Visual Arts
- Standard 1The student will demonstrate competence in the use of ideas, materials, techniques, and processes in the creation of works of visual art.
- Indicator VA4-1.1 Identify the materials, techniques, and processes used in a variety of artworks.
- Standard 2 The student will use composition and the elements and principles of design to communicate ideas.
- Indicator VA4-2.4 Describe the ways that his or her use of organizational principles and expressive features evoke the ideas he or she intended to convey in a work of visual art.
- Standard 6 The student will make connections between the visual arts and other arts disciplines, other content areas, and the world.
- Indicator V A4-6.1 Identify similarities and connections between the visual arts and other subjects in the school curriculum.
Materials Needed
- 8x8 black construction paper
- Neon construction paper in assorted colors
- Stick glue
- Googly eyes
- Black sharpie
Vocabulary
Vertebrate: having a backbone or spinal column
Invertebrate: lacking a backbone or spinal column
Mammal:Any warm-blooded vertebrate animals, including humans, characterized by a covering of hair on the skin and, in the female, milk-producing mammary glands for nourishing the young.
Reptile: A cold-blooded vertebrate animal of a class (Reptilia) that includes snakes, lizards, crocodiles, turtles, and tortoises.
Mosaic: A picture or pattern produced by arranging together small colored pieces of hard material, such as stone, tile, or glass.
Grout: A mortar or paste for filling crevices, esp. the gaps between wall or floor tiles.
Composition: The action of putting things together; formation or construction.
Invertebrate: lacking a backbone or spinal column
Mammal:Any warm-blooded vertebrate animals, including humans, characterized by a covering of hair on the skin and, in the female, milk-producing mammary glands for nourishing the young.
Reptile: A cold-blooded vertebrate animal of a class (Reptilia) that includes snakes, lizards, crocodiles, turtles, and tortoises.
Mosaic: A picture or pattern produced by arranging together small colored pieces of hard material, such as stone, tile, or glass.
Grout: A mortar or paste for filling crevices, esp. the gaps between wall or floor tiles.
Composition: The action of putting things together; formation or construction.
Objectives
Students will be able to:
- Manipulate paper using the tearing technique
- Arrange torn pieces of paper to create a mosaic image of an animal
- Identify mosaic works from professional and well-known artists
- Distinguish between vertebrate and invertebrate animals
Assessment
Students will be assessed on the completion of their mosaic animal image. Their work needs to follow the structure of a mosaic image, the pieces of paper used should be no larger than about 1" long and wide the the image needs to portray a picture of a vertebrate or invertebrate animal using the supplies and techniques provided.
Visual Culture Connection
Mosaic art can be defined as a picture or pattern produced by arranging together small colored pieces of materials, such as stone, tile, or glass or even paper. Mosaics can be found in various places in our community such as in churches as glass windows, sidewalks, in homes as kitchen designs or as a coaster on our tables. Mosaics are used as decorative designs that usually include much color and multiple pieces to create one big picture.
Artist Connection
Emma Biggs: A professional mosaic artist from the UK. She creates art for the public, the home, businesses, and communities. Her work for the community (an example below) is created with the local community or school children. Much of her work is now held in public galleries, museums and private collections. This artist is still living and just put out a new show of work in October 2010.
Dyanne Williams: A professional mosaic artist who's work displays much of nature. Some of her mosaic work is made from glass, pebbles, gems, porcelain, and river rock, all elements that come from nature. This artist began to establish her work in 2001, she is still living and producing mosaics today, and has some of her work in a gallery in Beverly Hills CA.
Resources
Procedures
Part 1: Explanation (10 minutes)
- Review the definitions of vertebrate and invertebrate animals and how they differ from each other.
- Show a Powerpoint with pictures from each category: vertebrate and invertebrate.
- Explain mosaic art. Has anyone ever heard of a mosaic? Has anyone ever seen a mosaic before? Where? Has anyone ever tried to make their own?
- Show the mosaic work from professional artists: Emma Biggs and Dyanne Williams.
- Explain the objective: Students will be creating their own mosaic art by tearing small pieces of paper from neon construction paper. They will arrange the pieces of paper onto a black background where they will create the image of a vertebrate or invertebrate animal of their choice. Show teacher example.
- Each student will be given one 9x9 piece of black construction paper as their background. Students will be instructed to lightly, with pencil, sketch a drawing or shape of the animal that they are choosing to create. (3-5 min)
- Students will be given smaller (4x6) pieces of neon construction paper in assorted colors. With this paper, once they have a sketch of the animal they would like to create, they will be instructed to begin tearing small pieces of neon paper to help them portray their sketch like a mosaic. The torn pieces of paper should be small in size, no larger than an inch long or wide. (10 min)
- Students will use stick glue when they are ready to attach the pieces of torn paper to the black background. Suggest that each piece of paper work together like a puzzle piece. (3-5 min)
- Students will be assessed based on their use of the tearing technique to create a neon paper mosaic image of either a vertebrate or invertebrate animal.
- When students have completed their mosaic, have them sign their name in a white colored pencil on the back of their work.
- Photograph student work, grade, hang around the room, and/or send home with the students to enjoy!
Lesson Reflection
In this lesson, three things that went well were one, that the students understood the instructions that were given to them. The instructions were very simple and easy to follow and they were delivered in a step by step process. The students also were able to use the tearing technique successfully to create their mosaic. We have used the tearing technique in class before so they had a little bit of experience with how to tear the paper, but they were able to use the torn pieces to create an image. Lastly, what went well was the presentation of vertebrate and invertebrate animals. The students understood what each category entailed and were able to choose an animal from one of the categories to use in their mosaic. It helped that I gave examples of the animals in the power point slide.
Three things that could have been different if I were to teach this lesson again would be to allow students the option to tear and use bigger pieces of paper (my original directions said no bigger than an inch), I realized how the use of large and small pieces of paper creates great variation and is more realistic to professional mosaic pieces. I would also decide to play music while students are working, the silence made the working environment too intense for what the project is intended for. By playing music, students would have felt more comfortable and would have maybe put more effort and time into their mosaics. Lastly, I would give the students the option to use googly eyes on their finished project, it would add to their creation, bring it to life, and would be fun for the students to display or show off.
In this lesson I could have given the students different materials such as those found in nature (leaves, grass, pebbles) to see what they could create a mosaic from it. The artists we looked at used such things so it would be a great connection to maybe use in the future.
Three things that could have been different if I were to teach this lesson again would be to allow students the option to tear and use bigger pieces of paper (my original directions said no bigger than an inch), I realized how the use of large and small pieces of paper creates great variation and is more realistic to professional mosaic pieces. I would also decide to play music while students are working, the silence made the working environment too intense for what the project is intended for. By playing music, students would have felt more comfortable and would have maybe put more effort and time into their mosaics. Lastly, I would give the students the option to use googly eyes on their finished project, it would add to their creation, bring it to life, and would be fun for the students to display or show off.
In this lesson I could have given the students different materials such as those found in nature (leaves, grass, pebbles) to see what they could create a mosaic from it. The artists we looked at used such things so it would be a great connection to maybe use in the future.