SQUIRMY SLUMP MOLD SEA SLUGS!

Grade 4
LESSON ONE - Setting up the concept, motivation, and demonstration. Concept: Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. Squirmy things can be weird & beautiful.

National Content Standards: Content Standard 6: Making connections between visual arts and other disciplines. Students identify connections between the visual arts and scientific discoveries.

VA SOLS for Visual Arts: Visual Communication and Production 4.10 The student will describe and use hand-building techniques to make a ceramic work of art. 4.11 The student will use craft techniques in works of art. Art History and Cultural Context 4.15 The student will identify a variety of artists and art careers. Aesthetics 4.21 The student will formulate questions about aesthetic aspects of works of art. Cultural Reference: Powerpoint, images of nudibranch (sea slugs), Ernst Haeckle Defined Vocabulary: Nudibranch -Sea slug, Representational - following the form of (looking like), Aesthetic-Concerned with beauty, attractive. Bilateral Symmetry -Same on both sides. Affective Objective (Motivation): The student will investigate the marine scientific illustrations of Ernst Haeckle and compare and relate them to actual images of nudibranch (careers in art). Cognitive/Creative Objective: The student will describe what qualities of the images appeal to them and formulate a working definition for the word aesthetic. Artistic Objective: The student will create a textured slump mold nudibranch with at least 3 - 3D securely attached additions( coils,hair, buttons) that demonstrates unity in color selection and sculptural quality (form).

Instruction: (45 minutes total) Greet the students and introduce yourself. Tell them you are excited to be here as a student teacher and expect all the students to show what wonderful artists they are. Go over three class rules. Introduce art activity by showing the students prepared powerpoint (including images of nudibranch and illustrations by Ernst Haeckle), explain what a nudibranch is. EQ - What makes something beautiful? Interesting? (make a list). EQ - How are the illustrations by Haeckle different from the photographs of the nudibranch? EQ - How do you suppose you could use art to make one of these? (gather responses). Demonstration. If there is time, have students stuff panty hose socks with newspaper while going over some essential questions for closure. Demonstration: (10 minutes) Gather students around a table ensuring that everyone can see. Show students all the materials in front of you and briefly explain what they are. Demonstrate how to form the clay into an ugly lump (size of rolling stick /slump sock), how to work on the canvas mat, how to roll the slab (thickness, width, length), and what NOT to do (no smushing too thin, or uneven). Like a pie crust (help your family this Thanksgiving, now you know how to roll pie crusts!). Show students if something messes up its not a big deal and can be fixed. Put textures on the slab (use 2 -3), then mold around the slump sock( hugging the form). Cut off excess with a tool and ball up to use later. Poke several holes in the slab for pipe cleaners later (show), and IMPORTANT - POKE TWO HOLES ON THE SIDES for wire to be thread through. Refine the shape, show how the bottom can be rippled and shaped.. Again, show students if something messes up, it can be fixed. (Its just clay!) Next show students how to create coils, balls, tubes, cones, stampers, spikes (Have some 3 - 5 students volunteer to make a few with the extra clay. Use what the students produce on the slug. Show how to score and slip. Scratch, dunk, smush (dont use too much!) and stitch things on the slug. Show how things will just fall off if they get too mushy or tall. Talk about how each detail will be a specific color. Emphasize craftsmanship - Its not what you make, its how you make it. Show where you want the students to put the slugs (center tupperware with NAME TAG firmly stuck in it) when they are done.

Check for Understanding: How can you create textures? drawing, pressing, rolling How do I attach things? (scoring and slipping! - clay glue). What do I do if I mess up? (its okay, ask a friend for help and try fixing it!). Are the slugs are symmetrical? What kind of symmetry? Bilateral .Explain? Are they a sculpture? Yes! Artistic Activity (Time Frame): This activity will take 3 - 4 45 minute lessons. List of Materials: Clay, slip, texture makers, canvas mats, clay tools, powerpoint, pre-made slump mold slugs. Closure: What are we going to make in the next class? How? Can something wierd be beautiful? Does everyone have to agree on what is beautiful? why or why not? What makes something beautiful. How does nature inspire artists? Does it inspire you? Was Haeckle an artist or a scientist? What are some other careers in art? Backup Plan: Sketch the sea slugs, paint the pantyhose slumps, use plaster wrap, use tape, use tin foil, use paper mache, use wire. Roll up Newspaper into hot dog size form and secure with Masking tape and taper ends-to create

LESSON TWO - Making slugs

Instruction: Review all steps and information from previous week. Have students explain each step with emphasis on scoring and slipping. Have steps listed on the expo board and refer to printed out instructions on the tables. Have students set up own work area with cloth,name tag, and rolling pin. Pass out clay (Have wedged clay prepared in baseball to softball sized lumps in advance). Check for Understanding: Monitor individual progress as they work. Give time checks and expected results by that point ex. We have 10 min. to work on textures. You have 5 minutes left to secure all additions and add any garlic press extruded hair. Have students return all materials, place slugs in the bins, and wash hands and tables. List of Materials: Clothes, hump molds, prepared slip, name tags, markers, 9 in long 13 diam. dowel/rolling pin, wooden stylus for cutting clay, variety of textural objects( rubber matts,buttons,shells, keys, screws, straws, beads, texture rollers, legos) garlic presses/extruders for hair. Closure/Essential Questions: What was the most difficult part? If you had 10 more minutes what would add/change? Have students visualize a color scheme for their creature and be ready to paint next week.

LESSON THREE: Painting the slugs.

Concept: Color can be used to add attention to details and to unify a piece of work. VA SOLS for Visual Arts: 4.1 The student will use steps of the art-making process, including brainstorming, preliminary sketching, planning, and reflecting, to generate ideas for and create works of art. 4.2 The student will demonstrate craftsmanship in personal works of art. 4.3 The student will use imaginative and expressive imagery to create works of art. Defined Vocabulary/Concepts: Emphasis - How something stands out and attracts notice

Color Scheme - A pre-planned idea for using color in a design or artwork. Unity - occurs when all of the elements of a piece combine to make a balanced, harmonious, complete whole Instruction/Demonstration: Review the building process from the previous week. Have students explain how and why their clay has changed. Discuss its fragile state and the need to be careful and gentle while painting. Look at real sea slugs and discuss their colors and patterns. Ask students how would they recreate it? What would you paint first? Last? Have them visualize their slug. Imagine the 1st main color they will use. What will the next color be (color scheme)? How can you make your 3d parts stand out (emphasis)? How can you make sure they still look like part of your creature (unity)? what can you do to the textural marks? Demonstrate: - How to hold and paint the slug at various angles to make sure all parts are covered. - How to drip watery paint on to delicate areas, - Show how to push the paint into cracks and to just brush on top areas. Check for Understanding: Have you painted the entire slug? Do you understand how the clay is different from last week? Do you know why it is better to paint the base coat a lighter color first? List of Materials: Neon watercolor paints, medium/small brushes, water, fired clay slugs, images of sea slugs, scrap white paper to practice on. Closure: Ask students how they created unity? Variety? Emphasis? What do you need to add next week? Backup Plan: Have extra fired sea slugs ready from demos in case any students slugs blew up in the kiln. For brand new students, have a sea slug color scheme template for them to paint 3 different color schemes on. Alternative materials to use include: glaze, acrylic or tempera washes, standard watercolors.

LESSON FOUR: Finishing 3D touches on the slugs.

Concept: Craftsmanship is important at each step of the artistic process. Too many additions can ruin a piece. Sometimes less is more! VA SOLS for Visual Arts: Art History and Cultural Context 4.15 The student will identify a variety of artists and art careers.

Aesthetics 4.21 Student will formulate questions about aesthetic aspects of works of art. Cultural Reference: Fashion Designers, Interior Designers, Landscape Architects (screen links for image appropriateness). Defined Vocabulary: Restraint - Resisting temptation to do more Mixed Media - Combining different art materials Instruction/Demonstration: Review craftsmanship and the need to paint every part. Ask for a definition of UNITY- have students explain using a piece of their work. Ask students to define EMPHASIS- how is is it used in this piece? How could we add more emphasis to this area? Pick out several slugs and gather responses. Demonstration: Demo how to use tiny amounts of the tempera paint to add interest/details. Discuss the need for restraint. Ask what does that mean? Why is that important? Have students examine their work before adding more paint and do a formative assessment. Where does it need more work? Does it have UNITY? If not how can they create it ? Emphasis? Let them work. With 10 min left have students give their piece a clear coat, then they may have 2 chenille stems to cut/glue/bend as an addition to their piece- keep emphasis and unity in mind. Check for Understanding: (see formative assessment) List of Materials: neon watercolors, brushes, water, basic colors (white and black) and fluorescent tempera on small palettes, Q- tips, bumpy chenille stems, scissors, glue, Mod podge, platinum and/or glitter glaze-watered down, fat fluffy brushes for top coat. Closure: I can think like an artist- self reflection/verbally share answers. Assessment: RUBRIC