Submitted by Teresa Holt
Twin Chimneys Elementary School
O'Fallon, Missouri
These lessons show how you can build character education
into all of your lessons. Select artists you admire and point out their
good qualities. Teresa uses a lot of children's literature with her
lessons. See Character
Counts for a list of recommended books teaching the six pillars of
character education.
What Color is Your Food?
Time: 1 Class Period
Grade Level: K
Materials/Resources:
The Land of Many Colors
by the Klamath County YMCA Family
Preschool Klamath Falls, Oregon, Styrofoam Trays
, Scissors, Glue Sticks
, gingerbread men cut from many colors of Construction Paper,
magazines.
Character Education
Emphasis: Peace and Respect
Character Education
Discussion:
Students will
listen to story and then discuss similarities and differences in people
around the world. Why were
the different color people fighting with each other? Were any of them
happy when they were fighting? Did they solve any of their problems by
fighting? Who was the peacemaker in the story? How did they solve their
problems by getting along? Have you ever not liked someone because they
were different?
Art Objective:
- Begin project by discussing
the word "collage" which means to
paste in French
- Students will create a
"self-portrait" collage by cutting out magazine pictures and gluing
them to their collage tray
Procedure:
- Students will choose a
gingerbread figure to represent themselves in their self-portrait collage
- Students will cut out
magazine pictures that represent their likes and dislikes
- All paper cut outs will be
arranged on the collage tray (covering the entire tray) and then glued down
- Students will share their
completed artwork with the class and projects will be displayed to share
with the entire student body.
Pablo
Picasso: Abstract Art with an Attitude
Character Education
Discussion:
Students will listen to story and then discuss Picasso's
childhood. How do you think
Pablo felt in kindergarten? How
did he feel when no one understood him? How would you feel? Do you think
it's good that he kept drawing and painting until someone did
understand? Do you think you need to "stick to" things until you get
good at them? What would you like to be good at?
Art Objective:
- Practice hand/eye
coordination while the student creates design with glue and sprinkles with
tempera mixture
- To understand texture,
students will distinguish between smooth powder paint texture and corn
meal texture
Procedure:
- Dip toothpick into container
and drip glue onto mat board, creating lines and shapes
- Use shakers to sprinkle on
tempera mixture (use all colors, one at a time)
- Sprinkle with Diamond Dust
for added texture and sparkle
- Discuss different textures
Three Dimensional Hands
Time: 1 or 2 Class Periods
Grade Level: 1st Grade
Character Education
Discussion:
Students will
listen to story and then discuss alternatives to hitting. How can we use our hands to play, learn or work together? How do you use your hands to be helpful at home and school? How can
you use your hands to show kindness and caring? Make sure each child gets
an opportunity to share their alternatives.
Art Objective:
- Students will trace and cut
out right and left forearms and hands
- Students will create original
artwork using hands doing some activity·helping, playing, working, being
kind·
Procedure:
- Working in pairs, trace
forearms and hands on multicultural construction paper
- Using scissors cut forearms
and hands from paper and set aside
- On white drawing paper draw,
color and cut out object/objects to place in your hands.
- Mount hands and
object/objects onto black construction paper gluing in a three dimensional
manner
The
Crayon Box that Talked
Time:
1 Class Period
Grade Level: 1st Grade
Materials/Resources:
The Crayon Box that Talked
by Shane DeRolf, Pencils,
White Drawing Paper, crayon template, Crayons
, Scissors and giant crayon box.
Character Education
Emphasis: Diversity and teamwork
Character Education
Discussion:
Students will
listen to story and then participate in a discussion. What was wrong with
the box of crayons? Have you ever been afraid of or not liked something
different? What happened when the crayons got to know each other better? Would the finished picture have been the same if they hadn't
worked as a team? They were each unique but together created something
wonderful.
Art Objectives:
- Each student will create an
individual work of art
- Students will work with a
variety of art tools and materials
- All student artwork will be
assembled into one group project
- Students will understand
respecting differences and teamwork
Procedures:
- Trace crayon template onto
white drawing paper using pencil
- Draw a self portrait onto the
crayon
- Use crayons to color portrait
- Try to make yours different
(unique) from everyone else's work
- Add your unique crayon to the
rest of your classmates to form a group project
- Display during February as a tribute to Dr. Martin
Luther King along with the text ofThe Crayon Box that Talked
Anansi
the Spider
A
tale from the Ashanti
Time: 3 Class Periods
Grade Level: 2nd Grade
Materials/Resources:
Anansi the Spider
by Gerald McDermott, balloons,
plaster gauze, water containers, water, black and white Tempera Paint and Brushes,
black pipe cleaners and Tape
Character Education
Emphasis: Co-operation
Character Education
Discussion:
Students will
listen to story and discuss how this story was about co-operation. How did
each of Anansi's sons help him when he was in trouble? Did this story explain why the moon is in the sky? How did it get
there? Can you think of ways
you could work with other people to solve problems?
Art Objectives:
Create and paint an Anansi
sculpture based on the description given in the book
Procedure:
- Have each student inflate a
balloon
- Layer with one coating of
dampened plaster gauze
- When dry, tape on pipe
cleaners and bend so they look like legs
- Then wrap with another layer
of dampened plaster gauze and allow to dry overnight
- Pop and remove balloon
- Paint body black
- Paint eyes white
- Display by hanging from
ceiling in classroom
Abstract
Watercolor Weavings
Character Education
Discussion:
Students will
listen to story and then participate in a discussion. What do you think a memory is? How did Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge show he was a kind and
caring child? What could you
give, of your own, that would make someone feel warm, remember long ago,
make them laugh or cry and something precious as gold? Do you think what Wilfrid did was special? How could you do something to be kind to someone?
Art Objectives:
- Use watercolors to experiment
with different watercolor techniques.
- Use watercolor strips to
design an original weaving
Procedure:
- Demonstrate the following
watercolor techniques: wet on wet, crayon resist, splatter, scratch
resist, wet on wet with salt, dry brush
- Have each student fold paper
into four strips (3"x12" or 7.6 x 30.5 cm)
- Fill each section with a
different watercolor technique ( in remaining spots repeat or redo two
techniques)
- When dry cut strips into 1"
(2.5 cm) sections
- Choose a total of ten strips,
at least one from each technique
- Weave alternating with black
paper strips
- Mount on mat board
Renoir and Impressionism
Time: 1 Class Period
Grade Level: 3rd Grade
Materials/Resources:
The Girl With a Watering Can
by Ewa Zadrzynska, 12"x18" (30.5 x 46 cm) White Drawing Paper, Oil Pastels, various Impressionism art prints
Impressionist Prints
Cards: You can find many Impressionist paintings on the backs of the playing cards of the The Impressionist Art Game
Character Education
Emphasis: Honesty and kindness
Character Education
Discussion:
Students will
listen to story and discuss the girl's behavior. Where did her problems begin? Did everything get worse when she wasn't kind? Was there a
turning point when she finally was honest? Have you ever gotten yourself
in trouble by not telling the truth?
Art Objectives:
- By viewing various prints
compare and contrast different techniques of applying color
- Students will create an
original artwork using the Impressionist style of painting
Procedure:
- Using oil pastels the
students will create a garden scene in an Impressionism style
- Students will critique each
others work upon completion. Both areas of praise and improvement should
be included.
Giraffes
Can't Dance·Can You?
Character Education
Discussion:
Students will listen to story and then discuss how the jungle
animals treated Gerald. Were
the other animals kind to Gerald? Who was the first to be kind and caring? When the music was right could Gerald dance? How did the other animals react? Can you do something different than anyone else?
Art Objective:
- Use paint to create a
watercolor wash and finish with a wet-on-wet technique
- Represent an imaginative
dancing giraffe in a jungle setting
Procedure:
- On 12"x18" (30.5 x 46 cm) paper paint a
bright yellow wash
- While still damp drop blobs
of brown paint on wash creating random spotted pattern
- While papers are drying,
practice dancing like a giraffe paying attention to dance poses
- When papers dry draw giraffe
onto yellow spotted paper, outline with black marker and cut out on black
line.
- Create jungle scene
background on dark construction paper using crayons
- Glue cut out giraffe to
background
- Add movement lines to make
the giraffes' dance have more rhythm
Flowers of Happiness
Time: 2 Class Periods
Grade Level: 4th Grade
Materials/Resources:
The Garden of Happiness
by Erika Tamar, vases with
sunflowers, Tempera Paint, flour, Popsicle sticks
, Pencils, water container,
containers for mixing tempera and flour, and heavy weight whiteDrawing Paper, Fixative, Vincent Van Gogh's Sunflowers
art print
Character Education
Emphasis: Co-operation
Character Education
Discussion:
Students will listen to story and then discuss the use of
co-operation in the story. How
did the different groups co-operate? What were the results of their co-operation? How can you become more involved in community work?
Art Objective:
- Study and discuss Van
Gogh's Sunflowers painting
- Students will draw a still
drawing
- Student will us impasto technique to paint sunflowers
Procedure:
- Students will observe
sunflowers in vase and draw, carefully capturing all the details of the
sunflower still life
- Students will mix tempera
paint and flour in containers to create thick-textured paint
- Paint
will be layered on still life with craft sticks, will create texture as
they paint·impasto technique
- Allow painting to dry
thoroughly
- Spray with fixative
- Apply brown tempera and wipe
off for antique effect.
My
Many Colored Portrait
Time: 2 Class Periods
Grade Level: 4th Grade
Materials/Resources:
My Many Colored Days
by Dr. Seuss, 12"x18" (30.5 x 46 cm) white Drawing Paper, Pencils, Mirrors
, Erasers
and Oil Pastels
Character Education
Emphasis: Self-Esteem
Character Education
Discussion:
Students will listen to story. Involve students in a discussion of the colors and emotions in the
story. How do different colors make you feel? Are some colors sad and
others happy? Do you feel
better if you wear certain colors or are surrounded by them? Have you ever
had a "pink" day? What were you doing? Have you heard the expression· "I'm feeling blue?" What
color are you today?
Art Objective:
- Create a self portrait
- Work with value when painting
your portrait
Procedure:
- Using a mirror, draw with
pencil a self portrait
- Observe carefully while
drawing, don't just draw and make things up
- Choose one color that
represents how you feel
- Color your portrait with oil
pastels creating different values of your color by adding white (tinting)
or black (shading) to your original color.
- Blend your colors to create
new values
- Outline with thick black
lines for emphasis to finish portrait
- These will not be a realistic
rendering but will convey a sense of emotion giving feeling to your
portrait.
We're
Waving Our Flags
Time: 2 Class Periods
Grade Level: 5th Grade
Materials/
Resources:
Selections from Fireworks, Picnics, and Flags: The Story of the Fourth of July Symbols
by
James Cross Giblin, Mat Board, Jasper Johns' Three Flags
, cardboard, plaster gauze, Glue, Tempera Paint, Brushes, and water containers, and flag designs
Character Education
Emphasis: Patriotism
Character Education
Discussion:
Students will
read assigned selections from book. Students will research and study the
history of the American flag. A student-led discussion will provide all
students with background knowledge for this project. What did the flag
mean during the Revolutionary War to those fighting? What does our flag mean to you? Did the tragedy of "9-11" make the flag more important to you?
Art Objective:
- Study the artwork of Jasper
Johns, contemporary artist.
- Design flag to use in a
relief sculpture based on one of the many American flag designs
- Create relief sculpture with
multi-layers
- Use a color scheme to paint
that reflects the American flag
Procedure:
- Examine Jasper Johns' Three Flags
- Design flag based on American
flag design
- Start with mat board as base,
build up multiple layers with cardboard
- Cover sculpture with plaster
gauze, let dry
- Paint sculpture in colors
representing America
- Note: Veterans Day
would be a great time to display these along with written descriptions of
their views of patriotism.
Faith Ringgold Meets Amazing Grace
Time: 3 Class Periods
Grade Level: 5th Grade
Materials/Resources:
Amazing Grace
by Mary Hoffman, pictures of Faith Ringgold story quilts
, Muslin Fabric
, Pencils, black Fine Point Markers, paint
, Tar Beach II
by Faith Ringgold, needle with thread and Rulers
Character Education
Emphasis: Self-esteem and diversity
Character Education
Discussion:
Students will listen to story and discuss Grace's faith in
herself. Have you ever wanted to do something and talked yourself out of
it? Do things always have to be done the same way? Can change be good? Do you always get what you want when you
believe in yourself? How did
Grace achieve her dream of playing Peter
Pan?
Did it make a
difference that she was a girl and black? Is there something special that
you would like to do?
Art Objective:
- Study and discuss Faith
Ringgold's paintings on fabric
- Choose idea for the center of
you quilt and draw it on quilt
- Design a combination of
squares to surround your central design
- Paint quilt
Procedure:
- Design a picture for the
middle of your quilt that shows your family doing something special
together
- Design squares surrounding
central picture to show what is special about you·i.e. favorite food,
clothes, color, sports, friends and whatever else you can think of that
makes you special
- Draw all designs in pencil on
quilt, outline with black fine tip marker
- Paint designs being careful
to retain detail
- Stitch edges to keep from
fraying
by Paolo Cardoni, 
plastic cups, 
and 
by Martene Agassi, 
by Mem Fox,
Heavyweight White 
by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker
Rees, 
