ARTSEDGE: Movement Maps

This Lesson at a Glance:

Grade Band:

Integrated Subjects:
(click to view more lessons in these areas)

Materials:

For the teacher:

Assessment Rubric

For the student:

The Artist's Toolkit

Related WebLinks:

The Artist's Toolkit

Targeted Standards:

The National Standards For Arts Education:

Dance (5-8)
Standard 1: Identifying and demonstrating movement elements and skills in performing dance

Dance (5-8)
Standard 3: Understanding dance as a way to create and communicate meaning

Dance (5-8)
Standard 7: Making connections between dance and other disciplines

Visual Arts (5-8)
Standard 1: Understanding and applying media, techniques, and processes

Visual Arts (5-8)
Standard 6: Making connections between visual arts and other disciplines

Other National Standards:

Language Arts II (3-5) Standard 8: Uses listening and speaking strategies for different purposes

Language Arts II (3-5) Standard 9: Uses viewing skills and strategies to understand and interpret visual media

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Movement Maps

Lesson Overview:

Students learn to make connections between visual art and movement. They will learn about basic art distinctions of line, create guided movement that simulates different types of lines, create gesture drawings, and make movement maps based on their gesture drawings.

Length of Lesson:

Three 45-minute class periods

Notes:

This lesson is particularly suitable for Grade 5, but can be used with some adaptation for Grades 3-4.

Instructional Objectives:

Students will:

learn about line as an element of art.
learn about line as an element of form and movement.
create gesture drawings using different types of lines.
create movement maps, based upon their gesture drawings, that use a combination of lines and different levels.
perform their movement maps in small groups.

Supplies:

Pencils
18" x 12" newsprint paper
Chalk board and chalk
Paper

Instructional Plan:

Warm Up

Draw a straight line on the board. Ask for examples of things that move in a straight line (sidewalks, streets, skateboards, cars, bicycles, etc.). Draw a curvy line and ask students for examples of things that move in a curving manner (snakes, jet skis, waves, trick planes, roller coasters, etc.) Engage students in discussion about different types of lines - straight, curved, angular, etc. For a fun activity, have students explore the The Artist's Toolkit, which contains a graphic, interactive explanation of the art element, line.

Guided Activity:

Have students stand and move in straight, curved, and angular pathways as you call out, using music (5 minutes). Add changing directions (forward, sideways, backwards). Tell students that there should be clear contrasts between straight, curved, and angular pathways. Students should be aware of how much space they are using. Engage students in brief discussion about their movement pathways.

Explain the meaning of "gesture drawing" to students. Drawing Styles has a good explanation, examples, and an outline of the process, in steps. Basically, gesture drawing is a method of training the hand to capture overall form, not the details; a quick (only 15-30 seconds), focused approach is best. Explain to students that erasing is not allowed; it breaks focus and is a waste of time. Distribute 3-4 sheets of 18" X 12" newsprint paper and pencils to each student. Explain to students that they will do several brief exercises about gesture drawing.

Exercise #1: Straight Lines

Have students fill one 18" x 12" paper with straight lines only. The lines can be horizontal, vertical, or diagonal. Encourage students to fill the entire piece of paper.

Exercise #2: Curved Lines

Have students fill one paper with curved lines only. The lines can be positioned vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. Encourage students to fill the entire sheet of paper.

Independent Activity

Have students display their drawings in front of them. Ask students what types of lines they see in their drawings - broken or intermittent, zig-zag, spiral, etc.? Are some lines thick, while others are thin? If needed, review the information from The Artist's Toolkit. Explain to students that they will now create a drawing, using straight and curved lines, that will be a design for their next activity, a "movement map". As students work, walk around the room offering feedback and suggestions. Encourage students to incorporate types of lines previously discussed in class.

Once students have completed their movement maps, put them in small groups of 4-6 students each. Students in each group should share their maps with each other. Ask each group to use their maps to move through the space of the room. Give each group about 5 minutes to try their maps.

Explain to students that they will now add levels - high, middle, and low - to their maps. Encourage them to discuss within their groups the logistics of performing their maps with levels. Allow students some time to decide on what level to use, and to discuss their maps with their group. Give each group about 5 minutes to try out their movement maps.

Closure:

Have each student label their map with their name, and collect the maps. Engage students in discussion about the connections between the element of line in art and the element of line in movement. Ask students about their movement maps - what levels were more difficult to travel through? Did the type of lines in a map affect the level of movement? Why or why not? Did they discover some ways to travel with their bodies that they had not discovered before

Assessment:

You may use the Assessment Rubric to evaluate student learning. Evaluation in movement curriculum is primarily based on participation. You may wish to evaluate students' attitude and participation as separate areas.

Authors:

Brian Ziegler, K-6 dance and drama educator
Lake Anne Elementary School
Reston, VA