ART Printmaking Book Collage Unit Plan

Jill MacEachen & Pam McCallum

ART Printmaking - Microteach Lesson (Grade 3 focus)
TRANSFER GOAL:
Understand the process of printmaking and some of the different techniques involved.
MEANING
Enduring Understandings: Essential Questions:
Students will understand Students will keep considering
U1 how to use everyday objects to create Q1 Where do you see prints in everyday life?
art/printmaking (possible answer - footprints)

U2 how to achieve different textures that Q2 How can textures be transferred to a

printmaking techniques make piece of paper?

U3 how to explore through experimenting Q3 What are some different ways images
with forms, shape, texture, patterns, and can be printed? (good post-lesson question)
space to achieve an overall composition.
ACQUISITION OF KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS
Students will know Students will be skilled at
- The difference between some types - Transferring textures to paper using
of printmaking [rubbings - found objects
organic/inorganic, stamping - - Creating patterns/textures/prints out of
potato/actual stamps, brush strokes, varying materials
patterns, cutting] - Joining together various elements to
- The process of creating a composition create an accordion book
- The process of constructing an accordion
book
STAGE 2 Evidence
Assessment Evidence
Students will need to show their learning by: Showcasing their printmaking story in a final critique
and explain the elements involved.

Transfer Task:
The students will show their learning by creating individual prints and creating a group accordion
composition using different printmaking techniques (jigsaw activity)
http://www.uleth.ca/sites/default/files/artandpicturebooks.pdf
Unit Summary and Rationale
This unit is designed for Grade 3 students. The purpose of this unit is for students to
explore different printmaking techniques and to create/tell a story with printmaking art that
they have created. Throughout the unit, students will use principles of printmaking to create
different stamps/stencils to create different compositions of patterns abstract, or realist. The
conceptual focus of these lessons will focus on understanding principles of form, space, and
process through exploration. The unit focuses on psychomotor process whereby students will
be experimenting and then creating stamps/stencils/patterns and overall printmaking by using
different materials. Demonstration and discussion will also be done throughout the unit to help
guide students and not to overwhelm them by content and principles. Lastly, through these
processes, students will gain confidence in expressing their ideas through art and will have the
opportunity to appreciate work of different artists (inside and outside the classroom), the
environment we live in, the properties that different materials have, and the trial and error
process of creating stamps/stencils. All of which incorporate the affective domain.
We have chosen to incorporate three different picture books into the lessons, each of
which are illustrated using different types of printing methods. These books show what
linoleum prints, wood prints, and relief prints may look like. Students will be able to see the
characteristics of each in the illustrations. For example, the wood prints in Marcia Browns
book Once A Mouse show the grain of the wood in the art.
Students will have the opportunity to participate in a studio activity in lessons three and
four. It is during these lessons that students will experiment with the principles of art, and
elements of design. In lesson three students will have the opportunity to play with line, shapes,
value, texture, repetition, contrast, and variation. During lesson four, when students are
collaboratively creating their accordion books, they will use balance, scale, emphasis,
movement, rhythm, harmony and contrast to create the visual language of their story. While
they do this they will consider how line, shape, colour, value, texture and space play play a role
in their compositions. Once students have completed their books there will be time for critical
reflection. During this time students will share their stories with their peers. Peers will analyze
the artwork and methods used, as well as discuss the process of creating the accordion books.

Rationale:
Because this is an elementary setting, analysis and critiques have to be broken down
into basic language for exploration, key questions have to be in the format so students in grade
3 understand. Furthermore, the reason we have 4 lessons instead of 3 for this unit is because
steps and activities need to be broken up in smaller pieces for elementary students. Students
may be overwhelmed by the material needing to be covered, so breaking the lessons and its
objectives into smaller pieces will help scaffold the overall unit. The use of picture books also
reiterate an elementary setting. And students will be taking a look at picture books in a slightly
different way than they are used to which uncovers the artistry involved in the creation of
illustrations used in picturebooks. This unit also integrates language arts curriculum with the
emphasis on storytelling and visual literacy with books.
The unknown plays an important role in motivating students, they usually see
everyday objects as they are and dont get the chance to test them by using them as stamps or
stencils. Exploration creates a lot of motivation for students as they get to experiment with
different objects to see how they look on paper. This unit also goes beyond drawing and
painting, which students are typically used to. Students will also be motivated in the latter part
of the unit, as their skills are needed for a group assignment. This means that they arent just
responsible for themselves, but they are responsible for the group's success as well. This unit
can be adapted for various skills and special needs. Texture plays an important role in the unit,
meeting needs of students who perhaps have low vision. Tiers of skill can also exist in this unit,
as the unit can work as an introduction for some students who are new to the process (with
incorporation of discussion of concepts and demonstration) as well as pushing students who
are already familiar with these techniques through areas of critiques and overall process.

Summary of Lessons
Lesson 1
Students will be introduced to the unit and art practice of printmaking by exploration
through picturebooks which employ printmaking techniques. The teacher will be reading the
book (or multiple books) in 3 different readings. The first reading is a picture walkthrough
where students look at the pictures to inquire what the story is about. The second reading is
reading the book in its entirety, and the third reading focuses on the inquiry into the pictures
once more. The goal is to get students to think about the importance that illustrations have to
telling a story and also to understand that printmaking techniques were used to make the
illustrations. The art of storytelling will be a focus later in this unit. Principles of printmaking is
the first objective we hope students to understand and explore. Then students will put together
what they learned about printmaking to make and build a story with other students using their
designs created in the following lessons.

Lesson 2
This lesson focuses on the exploration of printmaking techniques (activity 1) and
creating tools for printmaking (activity 2). The two methods we will discuss in this unit is
stamping and stenciling. After seeing a demonstration of different stamping and stencils with
organic and inorganic materials with a discussion of how different objects have different
qualities and textures, students will go on a nature walk to collect natural objects to
stamp/explore techniques, these found natural objects will be used in conjunction with the
found objects that they brought from home. Discuss how qualities of objects found on the walk
might transfer to paper (inquiry). In the second activity, students will be taking what they
learned to create stamps from styrofoam or potatoes or stencils from thick paper. This activity
starts to build on their prior knowledge from the lessons/activities prior to see what they have
learned. Because this may be the first time students are creating stamps or stencils, it is still an
exploration process and trial and error may be present for students to succeed.

Lesson 3
This lesson focuses on the mark-making of the prints themselves. The teacher will
demonstrate the different types of printmaking and then students will get to experiment with
some of these techniques themselves. Students will be broken into five groups where each
group will focus on creating one of the following:
- Texture rubbings (inorganic/organic)
- Pattern prints
- Stamps (inorganic/organic)
- Stencil prints
- Paint strokes (paint splatters, wet brush, dry brush, wet paint, dry paint, quick strokes,
slow strokes, play with direction, thickness of line, line direction, etc.)
The purpose of this lesson is to allow students to experiment with materials to see how they
can create and represent the different textures/patterns/lines etc. that they see in their
everyday lives. They will then take the prints they made during this class to their new groups in
lesson four where the different elements will be brought together to create a story. Each
student bringing their own prints to the final collaborated piece provides them with a sense of
ownership in the work as a whole.

Lesson 4
Students will be split into groups of five made up of one student from each of the
previous centers in lesson three. Each student will bring either a texture rubbing, stencil,
stamp, pattern print, or brush stroke to the group so that the group as a whole has something
from each center. Together, groups will create an accordion book by cutting/pasting the prints
from their centers. They might want to cut shapes out of the texture rubbings, or paint strokes,
and/or they can represent the organic and inorganic features of their story through the prints.
As students are putting the images together they will be thinking of a story line. Each student
will come up with a sentence feeding off of their peers previous sentence, to create the story.

End of unit critique questions:

1. Formal description, using the language of art:
a. Describe what you see
b. What principles of art do you see in your peers illustrations?
 i. How have they balanced the art on the pages?
ii. Where do you see rhythm/patterns/repetition?
iii. What can you tell us about the harmony of the illustrations? How do
they help to tell us what the story is saying?
c. What elements of design do you see in your peers illustrations?
i. How have they used texture in their art? What do you think they used to
make that texture?
ii. What colours have they used? Can you see the different values of colour
in work?
iii. What shapes do you see in the artwork?
1. What do these shapes tell you?
iv. How have they used positive and negative space to create a balanced
illustration?
2. Metaphoric/interpretive meaning
d. What is the artist trying to tell us?
e. What does the artwork in this story remind you of?
f. How does it make you feel?
g. Do the illustrations match what you are hearing as the authors read you their
story?
3. What works well, what could be changed?
h. What parts of the art work well?
i. What could be changed?
Lesson 1: Introduction to prints/printmaking (1-2 classes)
Key question: What is printmaking?
Objectives: Students will
1. Respond to the picturebooks presented
2. Discuss the art techniques the picture book utilizes
3. Draw from their life experience to discuss where prints are seen

Materials:
Once a Mouse by Marcia Brown
Polar Bear Night by Lauren Thompson - Pictures by Stephen Savage
My Friend Rabbit by Eric Rohmann
Examples of lino cut stamps
Examples of wood cuts stamps

Introduction with a picturebooks discussion: Hold up a picture book and ask how the students
think they have created the illustrations (different cut techniques, woodcuts; (Once A Mouse),
linoleum cuts (Polar Bear Night); relief, My Friend Rabbit)

Body: Activity 1: reading 1 or all of the books with the examples

- 1. Illustration walkthrough****
- 2. Read through once
- 3. Read through second time with analysis of images

Conclusion: Analysis questions

1. What pictures do you see in the book?
2. What kinds of pictures do you see?
3. What texture do these images have?
a. What do you think made that texture?
4. How do you think the illustrator created the pictures in the book?
5. How might you create these images yourself?
6. *Discuss printmaking techniques* woodcuts/lino cuts/ relief
7. What other prints do you see in everyday life?
a. Example if no one answers: animals prints/ footprints
i. What are these prints made by?
ii. How do you think they are made?
1. *discuss pressure and transfer*
Post Assignment/ Pre-Lesson 2: Have students bring found objects from home that they can
use to stamp in class. Discuss qualities of materials (have to fit on a piece of paper, etc)
Lesson 2: Collecting materials/ Creating stamps (2-3 classes)
Materials:
- Thick Paper (stencils)
- Ink
- Paint
- Scissors
- Potatoes (stamps)
- Styrofoam (stamps)
- Found objects from home
Objectives: Students will...
1. Have the choice to create either their own stamps or their own stencils.
2. Spend the period drawing, carving, cutting, and testing their stamps/stencils.

Introduction: Recall the picturebooks from the previous lesson. What techniques were used in
creating those designs?

Demonstration (with art language): Show students how they will be creating their own
stamp/stencil
- Demonstrate how to carve away at styrofoam to create a stamp
- Discussion about inorganic vs organic
- What makes a good stamp/stencil?

Activity 1: Take students on a nature walk. They will begin collecting objects they can use to
transfer textures onto paper. Demonstration of found materials for example (bubblewrap,
toast, etc).
On nature walk, prompt students with finding objects (that are loose) and find objects that
have various textures as you run your fingers across the surface.
Asking the students the following questions as they look for materials
- How does this feel on your hands?
- How do you think it would show up on paper?
- Show examples of objects with texture: shells, fossils, pinecones, sandpaper, bricks,
bubble wrap, toast etc.

Activity 2: Creating their stamp/stencil using principles of printmaking already discussed

Analysis: If time permits: have students test their stamp or stencil - ask student to think about
how they are going to transfer their stamp/stencil image onto a piece of paper - are they going
to use paint? pencil? Ink?
Critique: Walk around the class to view all the different stencils/stamps created
- What are some common characteristics between the stamps or the stencils
- How do you think some of the stamps will transfer onto paper?
- Will some stamps/stencils be more successful than others? Why?
- Be sure to discuss that it is OKAY if some are more successful than others,
if it doesnt work out, you can have the opportunity to try again
Lesson 3: Creating prints
Objectives: Students will
1. Examine how different markings/textures/patterns can create different prints
a. Play with line, shape, form, colour, value, texture, variety, rhythm and contrast
2. Have the opportunity to experiment creating prints out of texture rubbings, paint/ink,
stamps, stencils, or patterns

Materials:
- Paints & brushes
- Ink
- Charcoal
- Coloured chalk pastel
- Different artifacts for the rubbings (have students bring some in as well)
- Stamps made in lesson two
- Stencils made in lesson two

Introduction:
- Have a discussion on the different types of textures, patterns, lines, and colours we
encounter in our lives
- What did they see on their nature walk in lesson two?
- Organic vs. inorganic
- Where do we see these?
- How can we create some textures/patterns/lines etc.
- Ask if anyone has ever done a rubbing before?
- What did you notice about doing a rubbing? (images shows through, you
can feel a texture sometimes
Demonstration:
*Throughout demonstrations reference different elements of design and principles of art.
- Demonstrate how to do a texture rubbing
- Talk about what happens when different amounts of pressure are applied
- Dont want to press too hard or holes will be punctured in the paper
- Demonstrate how to make different markings with the paint/ink
- Dry brush vs. wet brush
- Paint splatters
- Mixing different colours
- Use of line-thickness, direction
- Quick stokes vs. slow strokes
- Demonstrate stamping
 - Demonstrate patterning techniques
- What is a pattern?
- Where do we see these?
- Can use stencils/stamps/paint/textures to create patterns
Body:
- Split the class into the five groups and allow them to start experimenting with the
materials
- Tell them to try different techniques
- Walk around the class during this time to provide tips and ideas
- Point out specifics how students are/can use different principles and elements of
art and design in their individual work
Conclusion:
- Have students share the prints they have made
- What techniques did they use?
- Why did they choose these techniques?
- What markings are organic vs. inorganic?
- What was their inspiration for the marks they made
- Do they see any representations of nature or architecture in their markings?
Lesson 4: Accordion Book with centres
Objectives: Students will
1. Work collaboratively to create accordion books
a. They will collage their different prints to create story illustrations
b. Consider balance, scale, variation, movement, pattern, harmony and contrast in
their illustrations
2. Use their prints as prompts to write a story

Materials:
- Pre-cut accordion books
- Prints from lesson 3
- Glue
- Scissors
- Writing materials-pencils, erasers, markers, crayons, etc.
Introduction:
- Reference back to the images we saw in the picture books in previous lessons, how do
we see prints influencing the characters, environment, and background of the pages?
- How do organic and inorganic markings play a role in the composition?
- Show how principles and elements of art play a role in composition-balance, space,
movement, harmony etc. (use print books from the lessons as reference)
- Demonstrate how you can cut an animal out of a texture rubbing so that the animal has
interesting details on it
- Discuss how the storybook could be created
- Story could be created as students create the artwork
- Story could be written after the artwork has been created, so that it is entirely
inspired from the illustrations
- Story could be written first, and the illustrations could come together
afterwards, inspired from the writing.
- Positive and Negative Space
- Negative space is the area that makes up the background
- Positive space is the area that makes up a shape
- Split students into groups of five, ensuring each group has one student from the
different print stations in lesson three.
Body:
- Students will work in their groups to create their accordion book
- Teacher will walk around the classroom during this time to check in on students and see
how their process is coming along
Conclusion:
- Have students share their story with the class
- They will have a discussion on the process of how they created their book
- Did they write the story as they created the artwork? Before? After?
- Talk about the different prints, and how they made the artwork for the story out
of them
End of unit critique questions:
1. Formal description, using the language of art:
a. Describe what you see
b. What principles of art do you see in your peers illustrations?
i. How have they balanced the art on the pages?
ii. Where do you see rhythm/patterns/repetition?
iii. What can you tell us about the harmony of the illustrations? How do
they help to tell us what the story is saying?
c. What elements of design do you see in your peers illustrations?
i. How have they used texture in their art? What do you think they used to
make that texture?
ii. What colours have they used? Can you see the different values of colour
in work?
iii. What shapes do you see in the artwork?
1. What do these shapes tell you?
iv. How have they used positive and negative space to create a balanced
illustration?
2. Metaphoric/interpretive meaning What is the artist trying to tell us?
a. What does the artwork in this story remind you of?
b. How does it make you feel?
c. Do the illustrations match what you are hearing as the authors read you their
story?
3. What works well, what could be changed?
a. What parts of the art work well?
b. What could be changed?

- Place Stories on a shelf in the classroom library, or hang in the hall for other students to
read.
Micro-Teach (Tuesday, January 24, 2017)

Outline of materials:
At each table have
- Paper for rubbing/stamping/stenciling
- Stencils/stamps/ different textures
- The accordion pieces
- Paint/ink/assorted paint brushes/sponges
- Pencil/pencil crayons
- Charcoal/chalk pastel
- Glue sticks
- Scissors
Introduction
Show students the books we have chosen to use in our lessons
Pass books around to students and ask them to look at how the illustrations were done
What characteristics and details do you see within the illustrations?
Introduce what we will be doing today
Objectives: Students will understand...
U1 how to use everyday objects to create art/printmaking
U2 how to achieve different textures that printmaking techniques make
U3 how to explore through experimenting with forms, shape, texture,
patterns, and space to achieve an overall composition.
Skill objective:
Creating a printmaking accordion book/story
Lesson breakdown:
5 minutes - Introduction/ explanation
10 minutes - Exploring materials and creating prints
15 minutes - Collage prints and create a story
- Story could be created as students create the artwork
- Story could be written after the artwork has been created, so that it is entirely inspired
from the illustrations
- Story could be written first, and the illustrations could come together afterwards,
inspired from the writing.
Last 2-3 minutes - wrap-up - how this would be adapted to elementary/what would actually
be done
- This unit could be added into a book-binding unit as well
- Walk through of other art