Name Drawings on a Grid
Lesson Plan Submitted by: D. Sterner
Special Ed Art K-12
Buffalo, NY

Grade Level: 5th -6th Grade
 

Materials:
 

large white paper

rulers

pencils

paint

colored markers

Sharpie markers (black)

Vocabulary:
 

Pattern

Design

Positive Space

Negative Space

Arrangement

Procedures:

1.  Create a grid using pencils and rulers on any sheet of paper that will fit the name - for 1st time use large grids.
2.  Bubble letter the name on the grid - lightly in pencil - no overlapping of letters.
3.  Then in sequence format...color the grids as the plan outlines...+ - space in that part of the letter appears within the grid and part appears outside the grid, inside outside the line - to reveal an optical illusion of the name from the grid format.
4.  Consider: within each square a space needs to be considered inside or outside the letter of the space within the grid.  Using a selected color scheme - color inside spaces 1 color and outside spaces another color...then the name can be seen as the color selection reveals it!
**I use it all the time with behavioral and learning disorder kids.  Of course I see more WuTang Clan and West Side Pride....2Pac and ...the list goes on....but
it works!
 

Extensions:

Can be used to reinforce color concepts, such as analogous colors, complimentary colors, etc.  Also is a natural extension of math concept of measurement and using a ruler.

Grid Name Design on Computer

Jan Hillmer has students do Grid Name Design as an introduction to computer graphics/drawing software.

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