Lesson Overview:

After discussing feet as the first means of transportation, students will create images of their shoes through observation-drawing. Students will focus on the elements of line, tone, shape, texture, and color as well as on the principles of repetition, movement, and balance.

Length of Lesson:

Two 45-minute periods

Notes:

This lesson is particularly suitable for grades 3-4.

Instructional Objectives:

Students will:

• discuss the beginning mode of transportation.
• create meaningful images with a variety of media, using personal experience as a context.
• employ the principles of repetition, movement, and balance in a collage.
• utilize the elements of line and tone in drawing.
• utilize the elements of texture, shape, and color in torn-paper work.

Supplies:

• Pencils
• White drawing paper
• Large gray construction paper
• Black strips of construction paper
• Variety of colors of construction paper
• Tissue paper
• Glue
• Markers
• Pastels
• Ribbon
• Light fabric

Instructional Plan:

Image Development

Have students gather in a circle and take off one shoe. Facilitate a short discussion about what students believe was man's first means of transportation. Talk about the cavemen and the fact that they probably began by using their feet to get around. Riding animals came next, followed by the discovery of the wheel. Focus on what they wore on their feet. Discuss the fact that foot apparrel changed depending on the climate and the terrain. Have students brainstorm ideas and list them on the board or chart paper. Save this for next lesson. Have students compare and contrast the visual characteristics of shoes. Instruct them to develop a set of criteria by which to group shoes, e.g. color, laces, soles, designs, function, dirt, etc. The purpose of this activity is to have students carefully observe a familiar object. Show examples of student work from previous years, personal work or master drawings of a shoe, noting details like stitching, style vs. function, type of fastening (lacing, Velcro), etc. Ask them to look particularly for a variety of kinds of line and tone in their observations.

Development

Have the students return to their desks and place a running shoe in front of them. Have them carefully draw exactly what they see. Have them draw a 3/4 view of the shoe, because it gives them the opportunity to see a side view, while still including a view of the laces or fastening. The 3/4 view also reduces the foreshortening difficulties of the frontal view. Encourage the students to make their drawings life-sized and detailed. Ask the students what details they see in the sample Internet drawing (laces, lace-holes, labels, fringe, etc.). Have them begin their drawings using their pencils lightly, to avoid problems with erasing. Observe and discuss the kinds of lines used—describe them—thin, curvy, broken, zigzag, etc. What types of lines did the artists use in the samples? When this line drawing is complete, have students begin to work with tone. Introduce them to 3 tones, using a regular HB pencil, employing light pencil shading, medium pencil shading, and dark pencil shading. Ask for suggestions as to where it would be most appropriate to use the darkest tone, e.g., lace holes, any embossed designs, the logo. Have students add the darkest tones to their drawings, using their pencil on its side where appropriate. Again, show the students the sample shoe and point out the darker tones (inside the shoe, the shadow underneath the shoe). Next, have students apply the lightest tones, using the same strategy, suggesting that the parts of the shoe closest to the artist would be lighter. Ask the students if there is any place where the artist did not use lines to show lightness (e.g., on the laces and toes). Finally, have the students shade in the rest of the shoe in the middle tones. Once the drawings are complete, have students cut them out and save them for a final collage.

Evaluation Activity

Have students conduct self-evaluation and peer evaluation. They should identify which drawings belong to which students, or match the shoes with the drawings. Have them explain how and why they made the match. Students should also discuss what was difficult or easy about the shading, and when it is best to use a particular shading technique. They should be able to describe the different types of lines used in their drawings.

Assessment:

The finished collage may be displayed or entered into each student's portfolio. Note the extent to which the student is able to:

• examine and evaluate his/her artwork.
• identify and describe the effectiveness of the lines.
• discuss the use of tone in the shading of the shoe drawing.

Extensions:

You may wish to refer to the next lesson within this unit, Traveling Collage, or the previous lesson, Footprint Collage.

Authors:

• Helen Robertson
  Hawthorne Elementary School, University of British Columbia
  , British Columbia Canada