Kelly Narowitz art educator/artist
Elementary School
Fall Leaf Project:
Texture, Color & Shape
An important skill to master as an artist is that of the eye. Artists need to develop the ability to observe their environment and examine what they see. As artists we are always looking for the Elements and Principles of Design in the world around us. This lesson was developed to begin the process of building the skill of observation. Students begin to look at their environment at home, school and in their city, to see what colors and shapes they see in the trees as fall begins to affect the natural world.
Teaching Intern: Kelly Narowitz & Holly Morton
School: Mark Murray Elementary School
Grade Level: 1st - 3rd
Content Area: Observation & Texture, Shape, Color
Title: Leaf Lesson
Time Needed: 4 Days/periods
1. Learners & Learning Environment:
a. Engaging Diverse Learners: The classes at Mark Murray are filled with students from an urban environment, who have large family structures and community of support. The majority of students are African American and the class is split pretty evenly between male and female students. There are no special needs students or students with special linguistic needs in these classes.
i. This lesson will connect with students by giving them an opportunity to examine the natural world around them more closely. These students live in a predominately urban environment, but nature is still there all around them. This lesson gives them an opportunity to connect with the nature right outside their window.
b. Materials Needed:
i. Teacher Materials: Leaf lesson powerpoint, example of project, leaf outline worksheets, leaf shapes for coloring, gathered leaves from around the community.
ii. Student Materials: A selection of fall colored crayons, leaf shapes for coloring, leaf outline worksheets, real leaves.
2. Outcomes & Assessment:
a. Standards:
Standard 2: Apply skills and knowledge to create in the arts. ART.VA.II.3.2 Create a composition using the elements of art and principles of design to communicate ideas.
Standard 1: Apply skills and knowledge to perform in the arts. ART.VA.II.3.2 Create a composition using the elements of art and principles of design to communicate ideas.
Standard 3: Analyze, describe, and evaluate works of art. ART.VA.III.3.1 Compare the elements of art used in personal artwork.
b. Student Outcomes:
The student will gain an understanding of texture by doing rubbings of leaves with crayons.
The student will demonstrate a knowledge of color by choosing appropriate fall colors for their picture.
The student will be able to identify four trees by the shapes of their leaves.
c. Assessment: Students will turn in their leaf outline worksheet with their final leaf rubbings. Students will fill out a self-assessment rubric/worksheet once their project is completed. They will turn it in with their work. I will assess the students use of materials and understanding of techniques as we work through the project, stopping and reiterating anything that has been misunderstood.
d. Evaluation: I will fill out a rubric to evaluate the student’s use of materials and fulfillment of project requirements. We will also do an exit discussion debriefing students about what they have learned.
3. Instructional Practices:
a. Introduction:
i. Teaser/Hook: For our next project we will be taking a look around us at the leaves of fall!
ii. Stated Objective: Today we are going to learn about texture, shape and the colors of fall. Does anyone know what texture is?
iii. Introduction: What changes do we see in the world around us when fall comes around? What colors do we see on the leaves in the fall? I will lead a powerpoint discussion about leaf shapes and what trees they belong to, about the colors the leaves turn in the fall and the difference between real texture and implied texture. After the powerpoint students will be dismissed to their tables to do a worksheet identifying leaves and their trees.
iv. Motivation: You guys will be using real leaves to create rubbings with crayons. When you are finished with your rubbing you will cut out the leaf shape. Once you finish one type of each leaf we are going to organize them all by tree and then hang them from our ceiling. Then we will have our own fall forest! In your bins you will have a container of crayons with lots of fall colors in them. What colors are fall colors? Great, we are almost ready to start.
v. Modeling: There are two different kinds of texture in art, real texture and implied texture. I will pass around examples of each type of texture for students to feel and we will discuss the differences. Now I am going to show you the best way to do a texture rubbing. First you guys are going to select a real leaf, remember be gentle with them. Then you place that leaf underneath your paper with the leaf outline. Make sure you hold both the paper and the leaf down firmly. Then hold your crayon the long way, like a hotdog, and rub it across the area of the paper where your real leaf is underneath.
b. Instructional Procedures:
i. Student Work Period: Students will begin working on their texture rubbings. I will walk around the room and support when needed and make announcements on proper practices and use of tools when I see fit.
ii. Stated Objective: When students have finished doing their four texture rubbings I will demonstrate how to cut out their leaves. Many of you have finished your four leaf texture rubbings. Today we are going to work on cutting out our leaves so we can hang them from the ceiling. Those of you who are not done yet will continue working on your rubbings after this demonstration.
iii. Modeling: These leaves are all different shapes, right? Which leaf shape belongs to which tree (review)? Now that you are done creating texture you are going to cut out your leaves and put them into 4 piles. One for each tree. Make sure your name is on the back of your leaf after you cut it out. Here are the scissors you are going to use. It is important to cut along the big black line so that you have a nice, neat leaf when you are done. Take your time and go slow. We want our leaves to look spectacular on our ceiling.
iv. Student Work Period: Students will work on either finishing up their texture rubbings or cutting out their leaves. I will walk around the room and support when needed and make announcements on proper practices and use of tools when I see fit.
v. Student Work Period: This will be the final day of work on this project. Students will work on either finishing up their texture rubbings or cutting out their leaves. I will walk around the room and support when needed and make announcements on proper practices and use of tools when I see fit.
c. Technology: This lesson is a deliberate step away from technology and a chance for students to connect to their environment.
4. Closure:
a. Clean-Up Procedure: Five minutes before having to debrief, I will state the objective- “Boys and girls, it is the end of the hour. All of the materials need to be organized and tables need to be completely cleaned.” Students will put the materials used that day back into their bins and the student who gathered their bin will put it back.
b. Debrief: What did we learn today? What kind of leaf did you color? How many leaf shapes do you think there are in the world? Are these shapes geometric? How did we create texture? Do all leaves have the same texture? What colors do we see on the leaves around here? Do those colors change? Look at all we learned today!
c. Dismissal: It’s the end of our class now. I need you to line up by the door and show me that you are ready to go back to your classroom. I will wait until the students are lined up, facing forward and quiet before leading them back to their class.
5. Professional Responsibility:
Teacher Reflection can be found here:
This is the handout students will work on. They ID the leaves they will use plus many more.
