Colorful Collage Neighborhood

Number of Class Sessions: 5

Visual Arts Teacher Name: Ms. Schimmerling

Benchmark(s): Grade/Class: 2nd Grade

Unit Description 

Students will learn about the life of Jacob Lawrence by reading the book, “Jake Makes a World” by Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts. Students will produce art by creating a collage of their neighborhood by cutting and/or tearing multiple colors of construction paper into geometric and organic shapes to represent the different parts of their neighborhood. Students will practice self and peer assessment.

Big Ideas of This Unit: Students will understand that:

1. Collage is a way to make art by cutting and pasting paper

2. We can observe the world around us to inspire works of art

3. Buildings come in many shapes and sizes

Essential Questions of This Unit: Students will answer:

1. What makes your neighborhood special?

2. Why did they choose the shapes that they did?

3. What does their collage represent?

Indicators of Student Learning

CONTENT—Students will know:

How to identify parts of their neighborhood and represent them in their collage using a variety of shapes.

Who is Jacob Lawrence and why is he important

What are geometric and organic shapes

SKILLS—Students will be able to:

Students will collage a variety of subjects they have noticed in their neighborhood by differentiating in shape, size, and color of construction paper

Spread glue evenly on their paper

Layer shape to represent real subjects in their neighborhood

Common Core Learning Standards Addressed

VA:Cr1.2.1

Use observation and investigation in preparation for making a work of art.

VA:Re7.1.2

Perceive and describe aesthetic characteristics of one’s natural world and constructed environments.

VA:Cn11.1.K

Identify a purpose of an artwork.

Learning Experiences

I spy - Students play I spy to practice identifying the subjects around them, students will identify the shape of the subjects 

Think/turn/talk - Students will talk about their neighborhoods in pairs or small groups

Paper selection - Students will select three colors of paper each class to create a cityscape collage

Cutting activity - Students will engage in a competition to see who can cut the most round circle to practice cutting paper with scissors

Peer assessment - Students will offer and incorporate feedback to their peers by writing and reading their ideas on a sticky note

Pre-Assessment

-Students know that there are shapes all around them and can identify a variety of shapes

-Students know that scissors cut paper and glue can be used to attach paper together

-Students have used scissors to cut paper

-Students have used glue to attach paper together

-Students have noticed subjects in their environment

Unit Assessments

Students will use a performance checklist that is displayed on the board

1. I cut shapes out of construction paper 

2. I evenly spread glue to attach construction paper

3. I created at least three buildings in my collage

Observation checklist

1. Did student cut a variety of shapes?

2. Did student securely glue their shapes by evenly distributing glue?

3. Did student write feedback to three of their peers?

4. Did student incorporate feedback into their collage?

Resources

“Jake Makes a World: Jacob Lawrence, A Young Artist in Harlem” by Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts