E L E M E N TA RY A RT L E S S O N
EATING THE ALPHABET
B y l o i s Ehlert
Lindsay Abramo - Master of Arts in Teaching - School of the Art Institute of Chicago
R A L P EXEM C is for CORN
lphabet Eating the a
This lesson is based on Lois Ehlert’s children's book that illustrates FRUITS and VEGETABLES from A to Z
O is for ORANGE
Th e st ude nt s wi l l wor k wi th a pa r t ner to c rea te a f r ui t o r vege table f rom th e ir as s ig ned let ter o f th e alp h abet
E L E M E N TA RY A RT L E S S O N
1st Grade
rk o W t n Stude L is for LEEK and LEMON
Cr ea t in g F RU I T a n d V E G E TAB LE S CU L PTU R E S w it h n e w sp a p e r, m a sk in g t a p e , a n d tem p er a pa i nt
P is for PLUM and PUMPKIN
Ruiz Elementary - 2410 S Leavitt St,. Chicago, IL 60608
Lindsay Abramo Lesson Plan TITLE: Eating the Alphabet: Using literacy and art to create fruit and vegetable sculptures GRADE LEVEL: Early Elementary (1st Grade) TIMELINE: Three weeks (Three 45 minute class periods) DESCRIPTION: For this lesson students will use newspaper, masking tape, and tempera paint to create fruit and vegetable sculptures. They will draw inspiration from Lois Ehlert’s children’s book that illustrates fruits and vegetables from A to Z. The students will work with a partner to create a fruit or vegetable from their assigned letter of the alphabet. The students will be given the opportunity to learn about the alphabet, sculptures, and different fruits and vegetables. Essential Questions: • How can constructing fruit and vegetables teach students about the alphabet as well as sculptures? • How can the students work together to create realistic fruit and vegetable sculptures? • How can students create sculptures by using materials in a responsible manner? OBJECTIVES: • Students will use their knowledge of shapes to construct sculptures that look like their assigned fruit or vegetable • Students will create sculptures by using materials in a responsible manner • Student will create fruit and vegetable sculpture that will help them learn more about the community garden that will be installed at their school STATE GOALS: STATE GOAL 25: Know the language of the arts. A. Understand the sensory elements, organizational principles and expressive qualities of the arts. 25.A.1d Visual Arts: Identify the elements of line, shape, space, color and texture; the principles of repetition and pattern; and the expressive qualities of mood, emotion and pictorial representation. (EARLY ELEMENTARY) STATE GOAL 26: Through creating and performing, understand how works of art are produced. A. Understand processes, traditional tools and modern technologies used in the arts. 26.A.1e Visual Arts: Identify media and tools and how to use them in a safe and responsible manner when painting, drawing and constructing. (EARLY ELEMENTARY) STATE GOAL 27: Understand the role of the arts in civilizations, past and present. Lindsay Abramo - Elementary School Art Integration Lesson Plan - Eating the Alphabet
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A. Analyze how the arts function in history, society and everyday life. 27.A.1b Identify how the arts contribute to communication, celebrations, occupations and recreation. (EARLY ELEMENTARY) MOTIVATION / ACTIVITIES: • Day 1: • Discussion • Talk about the community garden that is being installed at their school • Assess prior knowledge about gardening and fruits and vegetables • Introduce Eating the Alphabet by Lois Ehlert • Show the students a few pages and discuss the fruits and vegetables in relation to the alphabet Introduce the project • • Talk about sculptures and show exemplar for the project • Demo how to make fruit and vegetable sculptures from newspaper and masking tape • Assign groups and give each group the letter they will be working with • The students will choose their fruits and vegetables from their assigned letter of the alphabet • The students will start constructing their sculptures with their partner • The students write their names on the sculptures and label what fruit or vegetable they chose • Day 2: • Recap what we did last class • Ask students what they remember from last week • Demo how to make fruit and vegetable sculptures from newspaper and masking tape • Pass out fruit and vegetable sculptures • The students will continue constructing their sculptures with their partner • Day 3: • Recap what we did last class • Ask students what they remember from last week • Demo how to paint fruit and vegetable sculptures with tempera paint • Pass out fruit and vegetable sculptures • The students that have not finished their sculptures will finish them before painting • When the sculptures are constructed they will look at the picture of their assigned fruit or vegetable and paint their sculptures CLOSURE: • Students will share their completed fruit and vegetable sculptures with the class • Sculptures will be grouped together according to the letters of the alphabet and hung up in the hallway ADAPTATIONS FOR EXCEPTIONAL STUDENTS:
Lindsay Abramo - Elementary School Art Integration Lesson Plan - Eating the Alphabet
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• If the students have difficulty constructing fruit or vegetable sculptures, they will have the ability to use pre-made shapes that they can decorate and make their own. This will allow students to play an active role in the project. MATERIALS: • Newspaper • Masking tape • Tempera paint • Paint brushes SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS: Eating the Alphabet by Lois Ehlert, visual step by step, and exemplars CHILDREN’S BOOK:
VISUAL STEP BY STEP:
Eating the Alphabet by Lois Ehlert EXEMPLAR:
Lindsay Abramo - Elementary School Art Integration Lesson Plan - Eating the Alphabet
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HOW TO MAKE FRUIT and VEGETABLE SCULPTURES Eating the Alphabet STEP-BY-STEP
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LOOK at your FRUIT or VEGETABLE
CRUMPLE up NEWSPAPER into the SHAPE of your fruit or vegetable
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3
TAPE the NEWSPAPER to create the SHAPE
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SMOOTH down TAPE and NEWSPAPER
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PAINT fruit or vegetable until all of the words are COVERED
ADD finishing touches to your sculpture
Lindsay Abramo - Master of Arts in Teaching School of the Art Institute of Chicago