Project Based Learning & Interdisciplinary Learning
The arts is a wonderful place for students to deepen their learning in various subject areas. In my own teaching practice, I collaborate with other teachers and co-design units that address learning objectives in the visual arts as well as other disciplines.
Demonstration videos are available for students so that they may master techniques at their own pace.
Unit Overview:
2nd grade artists will deepen their knowledge of birds by inventing or creating a species of bird through assemblage. Students will make connections to their Project Based Learning unit “The Wonder and Diversity of Bird” where students learn about different bird species, their habitats and characteristics. We began the unit by discussing all the things that we have learned about birds from discussions in class, fields trips, and books. Students learned how to plan and execute their birds through sketching and writing. In these sketches, students considered their bird’s characteristics and why those characteristic are important to that bird. For inspiration, we looked at the artists James Castle and James Audubon and discussed how the artists depicted the bird’s texture, body shape, beak, wings and feet. Like James Castle, students were challenged to use found materials such as cardboard, string, buttons, and collage paper. Students explored how they might manipulate the materials to execute their bird’s very special characteristics.
Learning Objectives:
Students will learn how to manipulate cardboard, paper, and string to create their own bird puppet.
Student will learn how artists use found materials to create assemblage pieces of artwork.
Students will make connections to knowledge learned in their “The Wonder and Diversity of Bird” unit to create a species of bird with specific characteristics that relate to the birds real or imagined habitat.
Students will analyze paintings, drawings, and sculptures of birds.
Vocabulary: Found materials, assemblage, texture and construction.
Essential Questions:
How might you use found materials to create a bird puppet?
What might be the habitat of your bird?
What characteristics of your bird help it survive?
How might you use paper to create texture?
Unit Overview
Section 1: How might you create or invent a species of bird?
Lesson 1: How might you create or invent your own species of bird?
Description: Artists will look at the work of James Audubon and discuss how the artist represented the bird’s characteristics and habitat.
Activity: Artists will use a planning guide to design their own species of birds. They will include at least one fun fact about their bird in their planning.
Lesson 2-3: What is assemblage?
Description: Artists will look at the work of James Castle and discuss how the artist used found materials to create the body of the bird. We will discuss the shapes he used and how the artist might have manipulated the cardboard.
Activity: Artists will explore how to change the cardboard to create the body of their puppet. I will demonstrate ways to cut and arrange the cardboard. Students will consider how their body might be shaped in relation to the bird’s habitat and characteristics. Artists will spend two class periods working on constructing the bird’s body out of cardboard.
Lesson 4: What textures might you add to your bird?
Description: Students will compare and contrast the work of James Castle with National Geographic photos of birds. We will discuss what textures our birds might have and how that might add to their species characteristics.
Activity: Artists will explore how to create textures by layering and adding paper to their bird puppets. I will demonstrated how to overlap paper to represent bird feathers.
Lesson 5: Reflection and Critique
Description: Artists will share with a partner one thing that they love about their bird and one thing that they want to add to their bird.
Activity: Students will finish adding any special details to their bird such as buttons or string. We will end the class by “bird watching” and then sharing all different bird species we saw in the art room.
Students learn brainstorming strategies to plan and execute their work. Above are examples of students sketches made prior to the making of their assemblage pieces.