Underwater Oceanscapes

Number of Class Sessions: 7

Visual Arts Teacher Name: Ms. Schimmerling

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

Unit Description 

The central focus for this unit is to explore color mixing with tempera paint using primary colors, white and black. Students will demonstrate an imaginative response to developing an underwater seascape by applying their color mixing findings using primary colors to create a range of secondary colors, tint and shade. Students will learn how to create a background and foreground. Students will learn about arrangement in composition. Students will learn how to describe the shapes and colors of sea creatures and plant life by looking at David Miller's vivid seascapes. Students will learn how to create contrast by painting different colors next to each other. Students will learn how to describe how they created a range of different colors using primary colors by recalling their material exploration. Students will be given opportunities for student choice by exploring the shapes and colors of different types of sea creatures in the sea and will be able to create their background and foreground using any colors, encouraging the use of contrast and multiple colors.

Big Ideas of This Unit: Students will understand that:

1. There are many varieties of fish in our oceans and they come in all shapes, sizes, and colors

2. We can create new colors by mixing colors

3. We can layer paint to add details to our paintings

Essential Questions of This Unit: Students will answer:

1. How do you describe shapes?

2. How do you create new colors?

3. How can you make different colors stand out?

Indicators of Student Learning

CONTENT—Students will know:

The ocean is colorful and inspiring for artwork

There is diversity in the ocean, just like on land

There are a variety of fish and they all look different yet they still interact with each other

SKILLS—Students will be able to:

How to incorporate a variety of shapes in our art to create an interesting painting

How to create new colors and put different colors next to each other to create new colors

Layer paint to rework paintings

Common Core Learning Standards Addressed

VA:Cr3.1.2a 

Discuss and reflect with peers about choices made in creating artwork.

VA:Re9.1.2a 

Use learned art vocabulary to express preferences about artwork. 

VA:Re.7.1.2a 

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

Learning Experiences

Body Movement - Students will make their bodies into the shapes of fish and interact with each other

Color mixing challenge - Students will engage in a material exploration lesson by completing a color mixing challenge to see who can create the most colors

Fish figurines - Students will look at fish figurines to identify and describe the unique characteristics of a variety of fish

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

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