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Title: Personality Mobiles

Curriculum Theme: Community

Lesson Plan Number: 9

Teaching Assistant: Kelly Enskat

Student Teachers: Meredith Pyle

Grade Level: 1st and 2

nd

Date Taught: November 7, 2009

Aim/Goal of the 5-wk Curriculum:

• Students will learn about and discuss the idea of a community and its connection

to art, the students’ daily lives, and their surroundings. They will examine the way

in which people, places, and things interact with one another in the community.

The students will experiment with a variety of media including both two-

dimensional and three-dimensional forms of art making. Students will be

introduced to new techniques and will continue to build upon already learned

skills. They will work together to problem solve and to share ideas while

learning/observing the ways in which the classroom itself works as a type of

community. They will explore their different environments whether natural or

man-made, the interactions between humans and environments, and lastly the

parts that make up their being and how they integrate within their community.

State Fine Art Goals met by the Lesson Objectives:

• 25.A.1d Identify the elements of line, shape, space, color, and texture; the

principles of repetition and pattern; and the expressive qualities of mood,

emotion, and pictorial representation.

• 26.A.1e Identify media and tools and how to use them in a safe and responsible

manner when painting, drawing, and constructing.

• 26.B.1d Demonstrate knowledge and skills to create visual works of art using

manipulation, eye-hand coordination, building, and imagination.

• 27.A.1b Identify how the arts contribute to communication, celebrations,

occupations, and recreations.

Objectives - Students will be able to:

• Continue their exploration of community by examining the ways in which their

personality traits, likes, dislikes, and so on contribute and belong to their

community.

• Construct a mobile out of wood, cotton covered wire, and their personality

sculptures in which were made during lesson #8.

• Interpret the symbols (sculptures) that combine to form a self-reflective/

expressive mobile.

• Practice craft skills by assembling their mobile.

• Explore the meaning of balance and its importance for a successful mobile.

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Vocabulary:

• Community: in biological terms refers to a group of interacting organisms sharing

an environment.

• Mixed media: a technique involving the use of two or more artistic media such as

drawing, pasting in paper or objects, painting, etc.

• Construct: to build or form by putting together parts.

• Mobile: a piece of sculpture having delicately balanced units constructed of rods

and sheets of metal or other material suspended in midair by wire or twine so that

the individual parts can move independently, as when stirred by a breeze.

• Sculpture: the art of making 2- or 3- dimensional representative or abstract forms;

carving, casting, building, constructing, etc.

• Culture: the quality in a person or society that arises from a concern for what is

regarded as excellent in arts, letters, manners, scholarly pursuits, etc.

• Self-expression: to show, manifest, or reveal one's own personality, feelings, or

ideas, as through speech or art.

• Reflection: a thought occurring in consideration or meditation.

• Symbol: a thing that represents or stands for something else.

• Unique: being the only one of its kind, unlike anything else.

• Beneficial: favorable, resulting in good.

Materials:

Teacher Materials:

• Laptop

• LCD Projector

• Extension Cord

• Digital Camera with charger

• Paper Towels

• First Aid Kit

• Ziploc Bags

• Garbage Bags

• Blank computer paper

• Drying Rack

• Sponges

• Poster of Rules/Expectations

• Front Door 1st/2

nd Poster

• 1/4” x 12” Dowel rods- cut in half = 6”

• 5 holes drilled in each 6” dowel rod- 1 in

center 2 on each end

• Various colors of cotton covered wire cut

into 8”, 6”, and 12” pieces

• Student projects from LP#5 (mural) and

#6/7 (character collage)

• A tray with various colors of Sculpey clay

• Tools- fork, toothpick, “ceramics” tools

• Teacher made exemplar

• Multicultural/Historical exemplars

Demo Materials:

• (2) 6” dowel rods (1/4” diameter) with small hole drilled in the center of each as

well as 2 on each end = 5 holes

• Cotton covered wire (dark blue): 4- 10” pieces, 1- 6” piece, and 1- 12” piece

• 4 personality sculptures

• 1 key ring (1/2” diameter)

• Teacher exemplar- finished personality mobile with sculptures

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Learner Materials (Number of Students: Session #1: 20, Session #2: 20)

• Sketchbooks . . . . .

• Nametags

• Pencil/Eraser ^ example of dowel rod ^

• Colored Pencils, Crayons, and Markers

• 6” dowel rods (1/4” diameter) with small hole drilled in the center of each as well

as 2 on each end = 5 holes, (2 rods per student)

• Cotton covered wire spools- various colors cut into 10”, 6”, and 12” pieces placed

in bags

• Each students’ 4 personality sculptures from lesson #8

• 1 key ring (1/2” diameter) per student

• Student projects from LP#5 (mural) and #6/7 (character collage)

• A tray with various colors of Sculpey clay

• Tools- fork, toothpick, “ceramics” tools

• Paper plates for sculptures

• Permanent marker to write name on plate

Motivation/Activities and Prompts:

• PowerPoint Presentation: review last week’s topics, reintroduce artists/inspiration

for students’ projects, and describe the rest of the project.

o You are an important factor in your community.

o What makes up YOU?

o Symbols

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o What are some of the symbols you used for your sculptures?

o Mobiles

! Alexander Calder

o Balance

o We are attaching our sculptures to wire and wooden rods to create our

mobile.

• Teacher made exemplar- personality mobile, character collage

• Historical/Multicultural exemplars

o Untitled (1944) and Boomerangs (1941), Alexander Calder: 20th century

sculptor

o Posters from the resource center- how to sculpt clay, different types of

sculptures

Classroom Layout/Physical Set-up:

• Wall Postings:

o 1st/2

nd Grade Entrance Door Poster

o Rules poster posted on chalk board in front of class

o Time schedule written on chalk board in front of class

o Majority of posters from resource center will be on back wall.

• Materials Distribution Area:

o Learner materials stated above

! Students’ sculptures will be at their seats as well as 2, 6” dowel

rods.

! 1 table at a time (the quietest will go 1st) will be able to come to the

materials table in center of room. Students will come to the

materials table 3 times- 1st to get 4 pieces of 10” wire, 2

nd to get 1

piece of 6” wire, and 3rd

to get 1 piece of 12” wire.

! After the mobiles are completed, teachers will pass out projects

from LP#5 and #6/7. 1 box of markers will be in center of room

and 1 more box will be placed at the front of the room.

• Demonstration Area:

o The students will gather around materials/demo table.

o Demo materials will be on the table.

o Exemplar will be hanging off an easel using a dowel rod next to the table.

• Clean-Up/Sink Area:

o Make sure garbage can is handy, several trashcans will be located around

the room.

o The sinks will be directly to your right as you walk in the door.

• Table Formation

o Tables will be grouped together around the room in a “U” shaped pattern. The

materials table is in the center of the “U”.

o A rug is placed at the front of the room where the students will sit during

sketchbook and discussion.

o A visual resource center/library will be at the front of the room in between the rug

and windows.

o The sketchbooks are on the benches by the sinks as your walk in.

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Chalkboard

Distribution Materials and

demo table

Projector

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Procedures:

• Sketchbook Time – 10 minutes

o Students should find their sketchbook and put on their nametags as they

walk in.

o Parents sign in on the sign-in sheet.

o Students will sit on the front rug and draw in their sketchbook with the

provided materials (crayons, markers, colored pencils).

! Prompt: Either free draw or draw your favorite experience that

you’ve had in Saturday School, Fall 2009.

• Discussion/Power Point – 10 minutes

o Power Point Presentation: review last week’s topics, reintroduce

artist/inspiration for students’ projects, and describe the rest of the project.

o The lesson from last week and the one today are all about you as

individuals. You are an important factor in your community. Everyone has

his or her own unique characteristics and strengths that can benefit others.

! What does unique mean? [nothing like anyone else, different]

o We are going to break down “community” into smaller units starting with

the individual. We as individuals have hobbies, goals, different cultural

backgrounds, likes, and dislikes. Then moving up, we each have families

that we belong to. Next, we have friends, teachers, pets, stores that we shop

at, playgrounds where we play, etc. Each person is linked in some way.

[Show different “connections pictures.”] The fact that everyone is unique

allows each community to have different beneficial [resulting in good]

qualities.

! How do you think you benefit your community or someone in your

community? For example, I think I benefit people in my

community by going to school to be a teacher. I teach all of you

each week; therefore, I impact your lives in some way. Another

would be if any of you take care of a pet, help around the house, or

recycle.

o What makes up YOU?

! Ask students about their hobbies, likes, dislikes, characteristics,

culture, beliefs, etc.

o Last week you created sculptures that represent you. We used symbols to do

so.

! What is a symbol? [A thing that represents or stands for something

else.]

! What are some of the symbols you used for your sculptures?

• One example I made was 3 figures holding a heart, which

represents my family.

o You are using the sculptures to make your very own personality mobile.

! Do you know what a mobile is? [ex. hanging in cribs for babies]

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• Mobiles are structures that are constructed in a certain way

in order to be able to move. Mobiles usually include

shapes, objects, or sculpture that are connected to wire.

! Alexander Calder is an artist that made many mobiles in the 20th

century/1900s. From a very young age he understood balance, a

very important factor in mobiles. He actually spent time working

as an engineer.

o Do you remember what balance is or why it is important in mobiles? [If

there are 3 heavy sculptures and 1 light one your mobile will hang to one

side and be off balance. Therefore, all sculptures needed to be the same

weight and general size. Or you could have 2 heavier sculptures and 2

lighter ones, to then hang on opposite sides.]

o We are attaching our sculptures to wire and wooden rods to create our

mobile. So now let me show you how to make your mobile.

• Demonstration – 10 minutes

o Students will gather around the demonstration table.

o Make sure all students can see.

o This lesson is the second part of a 2-day lesson. Therefore, the students have

already made their personality sculptures for their mobile.

o Our goal for today is to connect the 4 sculptures to the wire and dowel rods

in order to complete a successful mobile.

! You will be coming to the materials table by tables 3 different

times to get wire. The wire will be inside labeled bags: 4 pieces of

8” wire, 1 piece of 6” wire, and 1 piece of 12” wire, which is all

precut. The wire the students use can be all different colors or all

of the same color.

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o The first thing we will do is tie the cotton-covered wire onto our sculptures.

! Put the 10” wire through the hole of 1 of your sculpture. Loop and

twist around itself. [example using a twist tie on a bag of bread] Do

this with 2 more sculpture- ask students to explain steps for me.

• Make sure to twist the wire tight so the sculptures do not

fall off.

! Next take the other end of the wire that is connected to the

sculpture and tie to the dowel rod. There are 2 holes on each end of

the rod. Put the wire through 1 of the holes, loop, and twist tightly.

• Repeat with another sculptures.

o 2 sculptures + 2 pieces of wire connected to 1

dowel rod.

o 2 more sculptures + 2 other pieces of wire

connected to the 2nd

dowel rod.

! Take a 5th

piece of cotton-covered wire (6”) to connect both dowel

rods.

• Tie 1 end of the wire to 1 dowel rod by putting it through

the hole in the center of the rod, loop, then twist. Then tie

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the other end of wire to the 2nd

dowel rod though the center

hole, loop, then twist.

! Lastly, we need to take a 6th

piece of wire (12”) to hang our

mobiles.

• Take the key ring provided and put a piece of wire through

the center.

• Next tie 1 end to the top dowel rod, using the other hole on

the end. Then repeat with the other end of the wire, putting

it through the hole on the other end of the top dowel rod,

loop, then twist.

! Show teacher exemplar and how mobile works- weight, size,

balance, movement.

! For those of you who were missing last week, you will just be

making your 4 sculptures today.

• Work Session – 25 minutes

o Students will spend time constructing their personality mobiles.

o The students who missed last week will all sit at the same table or general

area. They will complete their 4 sculptures. Teacher will explain how to do

this during the work time. A tray of various colors of Sculpey clay will be in

the center of the table along with tools. The students will be called to the

materials table to get 4 pieces of 10” cotton-covered wire. The quietest table

will be called up first = 4 students at a time retrieving wire.

! The wire will be divided into separate sizes inside bags- 10”, 6”,

and 12”. The wire the students use can be all different colors or all

of the same color.

o Students will go back to their seats with the wire.

! The next step is connecting their sculptures to the wire.

! 4 pieces of wire connected to 4 separate sculptures.

! Once all of the sculptures are connected to the rods, it is now time

to connect the 2 rods.

• Use the other end of wire on 1 sculpture to put through 1

hole at the end of 1 rod, loop, then twist. Repeat with other

3 sculptures.

! 2 sculptures will be attached to 1 dowel rod with 2 pieces of wire

and the other 2 sculptures will be attached to 2 more pieces of wire

that is connected to another dowel rod.

• 10 minutes left

o For a 2nd

time, 4 students will come back to the materials table at a time to

get 1 piece of 6” wire [or as they finish the previous step].

! These rods will be separated with wire; the top rod will be a little

less than 6” above the bottom rod. The students will do this by

putting 1 end of the wire through the hole already drilled in the

center of 1 rod, loop, and twist. Then repeat with the other rod.

• 5 minutes left

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o For the 3rd

time, 4 students will come back to the materials table at a time to

get 1 piece of 12” wire [or as they finish the previous step].

! Now that the rods are connected, the students will create a hanging

device out of more wire and a key ring for the mobiles.

• Students will use 1 piece of 12” wire to put through the key

ring. Tie each end of wire to each end of the top dowel rod,

loop then twist.

o Once students complete the above steps they will

have a finished personality mobile.

! Teacher will announce 15, 5, and 2 minutes left before cleanup

time.

• Clean-Up– 2 minutes

o Once students are finished with their mobile they will carefully walk them

to the back of the room to have a teacher attach to a device that will allow

the mobiles to hang using more wire.

o Students should clean around their tables if needed.

o After clean up, teachers will give students mural projects and/or character

collage projects to finish. [We are going to move some of the tables so you

can work on the murals on the ground. Markers will be provided for both

projects.]

• Work Session – 20 minutes [time is flexible, students must finish their

mobiles before finishing the other projects]

o Students will work on character collage from lesson #6/7. They will finish

coloring their backgrounds with markers.

! Once finished students should place projects on the benches in the

back of the room. Teachers will give students their murals.

o Students will work on their murals from lesson #5.

! Markers will be provided for them to color designs inside their

traced bodies.

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! Student can spread out on the floor throughout classroom to work

on murals.

• Clean Up – 3 minutes

o Students should put away all markers and place their murals on the benches

in the back of the room in a pile.

o Once finished cleaning, students may walk to the back of the room and sit

on the rug for a self-reflective critique with the mobiles.

• Student discussion/self-reflection of project – 5 minutes

o I will have 3-4 volunteers describe their project in front of class by pointing

to each sculpture on mobile and explain what is represents.

! What does each sculpture mean or stand for?

! How does your personality mobile describe you?

! How are these characteristics valuable to others in your

community? [family, friends, teachers, etc.?]

• Closure – 5 minutes

o Students will come to the font of the room and sit on the rug.

o Make students clip their nametags onto their sketchbooks.

o Today we completed our personality mobiles.

o We used the personality sculptures from last week to hang from wire and

dowel rods.

! Those sculptures describe each of you. In order to do this we

created symbols for our characteristics.

• What is a symbol? [a thing that stands for or represents

something else]

! There are many things that represent you- likes, dislikes, beliefs,

culture, and characteristics. We are all unique individuals that fit

into our communities in a certain way. You are an important to

your community.

• How come? How are you helpful in your community, to

your family, friends, etc.?

! Our theme throughout the 9 weeks at Saturday School was

community. We discussed and created projects around the ideas of

our ideal world or community, our favorite places in our

community, how we can keep our communities clean by recycling,

and lastly how you are important to your community.

! Can anyone share there favorite moment, lesson, or project from

Saturday Art School?

o I’m very proud of everyone. You all created wonderful artwork over the past

weeks. I hope all of you can take what you learned in Saturday art school

and apply it to your life. Maybe you can teach your friends and family a

thing or two.

o I’ll see you at the Saturday Art School exhibit on December 5, 10am-noon.

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Timetables:

Time allotted for lesson (90 minutes total):

Activity Minutes

Discussion 15 mins.

Demonstrations 10 mins.

Design/Work Session/Sketchbooks 55 mins.

Clean-up 5 mins.

Closure 5 mins.

TOTAL 90 mins.

Preparation Time:

Activity Time

Writing lesson 5 hours

Revising lesson 5 hours

Gathering materials/resources 3 hours

Set-up (before classes) 3 hours

Making an example/board 2 hour

TOTAL 18 hours