Unit Topic and

Rationale
Introduction

In creating this unit, we wanted our first-graders to make connections between

observation and creation, keeping central our focusing lense for the unit: design. We
wanted to strengthen students ability to see and look slowly and then enable
students to use this skill to inform their creative and imaginative processes. Students
would have the opportunity to work both two and three-dimensionally. Our lessons
referred to themes of nature, environment, insects, and animals. In their day-to-day
class, Denise frequently references insects in nature and the class has a pet snake.
Students had an inherent interest in some of these themes and we played off that with
our plans. We wanted to provide structure and motivation as well as opportunities for
students to diverge and have choice. All of our lessons present a variety of
differentiation. Lastly, we wanted to be sure to incorporate meaningful reflection of work
and synthesis of learning.

Lesson descriptions

Lesson 1

Preserving Nature : Stain Glass, and Impressions. Students will be looking at nature
and their surrounding environment and create a stain glass. Students will use sticky
clear paper, collection of found nature objects that students will collect. This sticky
paper will give the feel that they have created a composition that they can hold and see
through. Students were asked to turn and talk with a partner about the slide they had
made that day. After a period of time students were asked to share out on their
partners artwork. Then students will be exploring the idea of impressions. They will be
taking their found nature objects and will be creating different compositions of
impressions in clay. During our reflective activity students discussed with their table
about similarities and differences between their artworks and another student. Using
example contemporary artists Damien Hirst, Paul Stankard and Rachel Dein will be
introduced.

Lesson 2

Bugs in a Jar: Students will be looking a bugs up close and personal. Bugs on poster
and in formaldehyde, will give students a good idea of what bugs look like. Students will
be asked to look slowly and draw what they see. To make them change their idea what
of what they traditionally know we will have students draw on black paper with white
color pencils. Students will then introduced to a new material of metallic paints.
Students then didnt have to look at the bugs for the metallic color and they were able to
risk take with new colors. Students will able to make many different bugs. Out of those
bugs students will be asked to take one of their bugs and put it in a huge glass jar. Then
we will have a conversation on what community vs individual, and size. Students then
will be asked to place their other bugs in the sketchbook. Also contemporary artist
Matthew Bohan will be shown for an idea of how to draw bugs.

Lesson 3

Flight of Fancy: In this lesson students will create a new bird by mashing up a variety
of characteristics from different birds. Students will be asked to combine their
observational skills with imaginative processes. Students will make preliminary sketches
in their sketchbooks of thoughts and ideas on mixing and matching of characteristics.
They will give each other in-progress peer feedback. They will be given the opportunity
to make a couple renditions of their new bird before moving on to their final draft.
Students will be using watercolor and oil pastel on their final draft on watercolor paper.
Once finished, students will cut out their birds and sit in a circle on the rug and share out
some characteristics of their bird including but not limited to: the name of their bird, the
habitat they live in, the characteristics taken from original species, and/or what their bird
eats; making connections between design and function. Artist Enrique Gomez De
Molina will be us as our example artist for this.

Lesson 4

Creatures in Space: We will introduce this lesson with a RAFT: You are going to be
creating a museum diorama of a creature in space. To do this you will be creating a 3D
create and a 2D environment background. Consider the relationship between your
creature and its environment. After you create these, you will become the tour guide of
your museum diorama. You will walk your tour group (your peers) through your
diorama and guide them with a description of the creature in its environment on
display. This will be our biggest and final project spanning from brainstorming and
ideation to preliminary sketches to final products. Students will first create preliminary
sketches in their sketchbook for their 2D environments considering characteristics of the
environment that would be reflected in their creature (i.e. if you are creating an
underwater environment, what characteristics might your creature have? Fins?) After
getting peer feedback, students will move on to final draft of their environment, using
colored paper and acrylic paint. Students will then be given materials of: clay, feathers,
pipe cleaners, foam, recycled materials, metal, and beads. Students will then make
preliminary sketches of their creatures in their sketchbooks, considering their created
environments and materials, and then move on to their final rendition of their creature.
Artist example of space Makoto Azuma.
Prepared Graduate Competencies

Each PGC was touched on during each of the four lessons. They were aligned with
each of our objectives for the in the lesson. In each lesson the theme of surveyors
allowed students to explore the ideas of exploring nature and creating nature. With this
unit we hope that students leave with a better understanding of materials tools and
techniques, historical/multicultural content, expressive features and characteristics of
art, critical reflection, ideation and create.

PGCs

Observe and Learn to Comprehend

Recognize, articulate and debate that the visual arts are a means for expression
Envision and Critique to Reflect
Recognize, articulate, and implement critical thinking in the visual arts by
synthesizing, evaluating, and analyzing visual information
Invent and Discover to Create
Recognize, interpret, and validate that the creative process builds on the
development of ideas through process of inquiry, discovery and research
Develop and build appropriate mastery in art-making skills using traditional and
new technologies and an understanding of the characteristics and expressive
features at art and design
Relate and Connect to Transfer
Identify, compare, and interpret works of art derived from historical and cultural
settings, time periods, and cultural contexts