Submitted by: Jeryl Hollingsworth, La France Elementary, La France, SC
UNIT: Drawing - Literature - Illustration
Lesson: Wild Things - texture and pattern
Grade Level: Kindergarten
Time: 2 class periods

Lesson Summary:

Students implement textures and patterns in creating an imaginary "Wild Thing". the book and illustrations in Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak serve as Inspiration. Pervious lesson, students created imaginary animals from scrap/found objects (recycled art).

Essential Understanding:

Artists work from their imagination in creating art. Art can be used as illustration to tell a story. Illustrators use a variety of materials to create their illustrations.

Objectives: Student will

• Identify visual images, themes, and ideas for illustration in Where the Wild things Art - identifying elements of art and principles of design in illustrations
• Applying elements of art and principles of design to create their own Wild Thing - Use a variety of drawing materials - Use imagination
• Evaluate their own art and provide meaning

Materials:

Drawing Paper (colored Construction Paper might be nice)
Assorted Markers
Oil Pastels
Texture panels (optional)
Watercolor Sets (optional)
Wiggly Eyes, Glue

Vocabulary:

Texture, pattern, imagination, environment

Resources:

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Preparation:

Teacher glue two wiggly eyes on paper for child to begin designing wild things. Make a couple extras just in case...

DAY 1: 

Read Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak (this could be done by kindergarten teacher before class). Look at illustrations and speculate how they were made. What kind of materials? What kind or textures do you see? What makes the creatures look "wild". Brainstorm... If you were to make a wild thing what would it look like?  Talk about claws, feathers, scales, horns - etc.

Students begin their own Wild thing drawing with colored markers (or fine point black marker). Draw in patterns and textures

Use texture panels to get a variety of textures  (optional). Color with oil pastels (or choice of drawing materials).

Give some kind of surroundings - environment- for the wild thing - Where does he live?

DAY 2.:

Finish drawings. Watercolor over areas and watercolor negative space.

Present wild things to the class. Talk about each one. What kind of sounds would he make? How would he walk? Act out the wild things.

Note: If art teacher reads the story - this may take three class periods.

Extensions and Technology:

Tape record each child telling a story about their wild thing. Write the stories into a class book - use big fonts - and children's own language.

Make paper plate and construction paper masks. Make paper bag costumes. Take parts of each student's story and put them all together into one class play. Video tape performance for parents.

Teacher ideas from this lesson:

Pam Carr, teacher at Golden Ears Elementary in Canada, used this lesson after making a few changes with her students. She had great results. Says Pam: "I modeled drawing a wild thing on the board, and we discussed the features, and how to create texture etc. Then they used crayon as suggested and did a paint wash over the wild thing. I added black outlines with a felt and then they cut out their wild thing. The next step was to create the background and they used pastels and paint for this. Then we stuck the wild thing onto the background and displayed them."

See Pam's Creative Classroom blog with images from the lesson.

Assessment:

Teacher observation - verbal questioning

Did students use imagination to create their own wild thing? Did student give the wild thing some surroundings (environment)? Did student use patterns and textures.

Note: This could be a follow-up lesson to using texture samples/texture rubbings made earlier. Cutting an pasting the texture samples to make a wild thing.

National Standards covered by this unit:

I. Understanding and applying Media, Techniques, and Processes	II. Using knowledge of Structures and Functions	III. Choosing and Evaluating a Range of Subject Matter, Symbols, and Ideas	V. Reflecting upon and Assessing the Merits of their Work and the work of Others	VI. Making Connections between Visual Arts And Other Disciplines
A.  Identify differences among media, techniques and processes used in the visual arts		A. Create artworks that express their personal experiences	A. Identify various purposes for creating artworks
B. Use a variety of media, techniques and processes to communicate ideas, experiences and stories through their artworks	B. Use various elements and principles of design to communicate ideas through their artworks	B. Describe their personal responses to various subjects, symbols, and ideas in artworks	B. Compare and contrast the expressive qualities in nature with those found in artworks	B. Identify connections between the visual arts and content areas across the curriculum
C. Use art materials and tools in a safe and responsible manner