I was first introduced to this winner of a lesson by Claire Kirk who was my teaching partner from 2017 -2018 school year. I have facilitated this lesson in my Kindergarten classes ever since. Not only introducing the Elements of Art LINE, SHAPE & COLOR to our youngest artists but it also is obtainable to any ability level and serves as a helpful diagnosis tool to understand students spacial awareness, fine motor control and experience with different art tools. Not to mention they look fabulous once complete and even better as a whole group display.
I begin this lesson by gauging an understanding of students knowledge base of LINE by listing the different LINES they know together. Students are then introduced to Larry the Line (idea curtesy of Cassie Stephens) who shows us how to use our body to create LINE.
We then transition to the tables where students draw different kinds of LINES across their paper using a black marker. This is guided as to help students create enough LINES, have a variety of different ones and to make it all the way to the edge of the paper.
For the lesson lesson, I introduce SHAPE. Students begin to understand that a SHAPE in a line that connects at the ends. After practicing finding shapes within our LINE drawings, students use yellow liquid watercolor to paint 6 shapes that they find yellow. Once they have completed the 6 shapes, I provide them with blue liquid water color for them to make their own green. Students then paint 5 shapes green. I remind students to have yellow and the green shapes live far away from one another and for them not to touch.
I repeat the same instruction above and focus more on discussing COLOR and mixing our own using blue and magenta to make violet and yellow and magenta to make orange. Regardless of the carefulness of the color mixing, painting of the shapes, spreading out the color or painting ability, every students artwork turns out colorful, dynamic, and cheerful. SUCH A WINNER!
