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LESSON PLAN
WHAT A CHARACTER!
OVERVIEW
Students will create an original portrait of a literary character of their choice, using
only the written description of their fictional character found in a book read in
school or during their leisure time. The students will create their original portraits
by using their imagination to interpret the descriptions that an author has written
and create a portrait if what they envision that character looking like. Using pencils,
the students will draw their portraits on 14x14 watercolor paper and will paint the
surface using watercolor paints.
LESSON RATIONALE
Students will develop drawing skills by rendering a portrait of a human. They will
learn the proportions of the face which will allow the students to render more
naturalistic portraiture in alignment with their developmental stage and/or ability.
They will also be introduced to watercolor as a medium that will be used to add
color to their portrait. Students will exercise their capacity for creative thinking by
creating an original portrait inspired by their imagination. Students will connect the
roles of writers, artists, directors and actors play in bringing a literary character to
life for their audiences.
ARTWORKS, ARTISTS AND/OR ARTIFACTS
Composite sketches of Literary characters, http://thecomposites.tumblr.com/
Katniss from the Hunger Games by Flowinowa, http://flominowa.deviantart.com/
KEY CONCEPTS
Humans describe others by identifying the unique facial features of every person
they see.
Authors paint a mental image of a character in a literary work of art by using
illustrative text, while artists use a visual medium.
Visual artists rely on the text of authors to bring characters to life in drawings,
paintings, theater, movies and television.
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
What ways can artists interpret the literary descriptions of writers to bring a
character to life visually?
How does the use of color express the personality of a character?
How does the movie or television portrayal of a character affect your vision of what
a character may look like?
How do cultural influences affect an artists interpretation of a character
description?
INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURES
DAY 1
Hook:
Students will be seated and be each given a sheet of 5x7 white paper. The students
will be asked to draw a human eye with a pencil to the best of their ability.(3-5
minutes) Once the students have completed their drawings, they will be asked to
gather at a central table with their drawings. The students will be asked to group
the drawings according to their similarities. The students will then engage in a
group discussion about what they see about the groups drawings.(3minutes) The
teacher will then give a demonstration of how to draw the human eye with a pencil.
(3 minutes) The students will return to their seats with their drawings.
Development:
The students will then play a short game Guess the Celebrity Eyes. The class will
be split into two teams. The teacher will hold up the images and the team that
guesses the celebrity correctly, earns a point. The team that scores the most
points wins. (15minutes) The teacher will then lead a discussion about how humans
rely on eyes for identification and communication and how artists illustrate human
eyes. (5 minutes)
Close:
Students will be given another 5x7 sheet of white paper and will be asked to
complete one more drawing of a human eye using a pencil. (5 minutes) After they
have finished drawing their eyes, they will again be asked to gather at a central
table, this time with both of their drawings. The will be asked to display both their
before and after drawings side by side on the table. The students will then share
what they see in terms of their improvement. (10 minutes) The students will then
place their drawings in their folders. Students will be told that the next class they
will be working on drawing the human face.
Drawing completed by 13 year old student before instruction and after.
DAY 2
Hook:
The students will be prompted to draw a human face on a 4x6 sheet of white paper.
This will be the pre assessment for the students skill level at drawing the human
face. (3-5 minutes) Once the students have finished their drawings, the students
will gather with the teacher at a central table to share and discuss the drawings
strengths and areas in need of improvement. (5 minutes)
Development:
The teacher will give the students a demonstration about how to draw the human
face using proper proportions. (3 minutes) The students will be handed a 9x12
worksheet with a blank human face consisting of plotting lines. The students will be
prompted to draw a face on the template to practice drawing the proportions, then
to draw one of their own on the opposite side of the page in the space provided. (20
minutes)
Close:
The students will be asked to gather back at the central table to compare their first
drawings with their last and engage in a group discussion regarding the results. (5
minutes) The teacher will introduce the final work of art for the lesson which is a
watercolor portrait of a literary character that the students have read about in
school or during their leisure time. They will be assigned their homework for next
class which is to choose a character from a book that they have read and find the
quote or description of that character. The students will copy the text by hand or
they can print it out if they have access to a printer. They will need to bring it to the
next class to continue onto making the final artwork.
DAY 3
Hook:
The students will enter the room and the teacher will have the exemplar of the final
art project displayed on a smart board if one is available. Students will be
prompted to get their homework out so that the teacher may check that it is
completed. (2 minutes) The teacher will then introduce the final artwork for the
lesson. (5 minutes)
Development:
The students will gather at a central table for the watercolor demonstration. (10
minutes) The students will be given a 14x14 sheet of watercolor paper, scrap
watercolor paper, watercolor pallet and a pencil if they do not have one. They will
be instructed to begin their portrait drawing based upon their chosen character and
proceed to paint their portrait using watercolor paint. (25 minutes)
Close:
Students will clean up their area and return watercolor pallets, brushes and water
cups to their designated places. Students will place their works in progress on the
drying rack. (3minutes) Students will have one more class to complete their work.
DAY 4
Hook:
The students will be prompted to retrieve their works in progress and watercolor
materials for the class period. Once the students are seated, the teacher will
engage students in a short discussion addressing the needs and concerns of the
students. (3 minutes)
Development:
Students will work towards completing their watercolor portraits. (40 minutes)
Close:
Students will tape the descriptions of their character to the back of their artwork.
Once they have removed the masking tape from the front of their artwork, they will
sign their name by the lower right corner under their artwork and write the name of
their character on the lower left corner, then place it on the drying rack. Once they
have cleaned up and are seated, the teacher will inform the students that there will
be a critique (sharing) next class. If their works are not finished at the end of the
class, they will be able to take their work home or attend class during a study hall
period.
DAY 5
Hook:
Students will enter the room and gather their finished works of art. They will be
seated in a circle and bring a pencil with them. The students will place their artwork
face down in front of them. The teacher will begin the critique and sharing of the
artworks by asking the students to complete a self-assessment handout. Once the
assessments are completed, the students will pass the assessments to the teacher.
(5 minutes)
Development:
The teacher will ask for a volunteer to begin the sharing of the artwork. Each
student will read the quote of the description of their characters. After they have
read their descriptions, they will then show their artwork to the class. After each
student has had their turn to show their work, the students will engage in group
discussion about the artworks. They will be encouraged to offer positive remarks
about their peers interpretations of their characters as well as the quality of work.
(40 minutes)
Close:
Teacher will ask the students to share their overall enjoyment of the lesson. Teacher
will collect the student work and will thank them for their participation in the lesson.
(5 minutes)
PREPARATION:
Teacher Research and preparation:
Teacher will prepare exemplar.
Teacher will prepare portrait practice worksheet.
Teacher will prepare Watercolor Worksheet.
Teacher will prepare character descriptions for students who do not complete their
homework.
Teacher will prepare Eye Spy game pieces.
STUDENT SUPPLIES:
5x7 white paper
14x14 Watercolor paper
Watercolor scrap paper
2B pencils
Eraser
Watercolor Pallets
Paint Brushes
Masking Tape
18 ruler
Portrait was
drawn with
proper
proportions.
Student
interpreted
a literary
description
of a
character.
Student
chooses
color to
illustrate a
trait or
mood
within the
artwork.
Student
develops
skills at
drawing
faces.
Student
participates
in class
exercises
and
critique.
Total:
Outstanding
5
Shows
superior
understandi
ng of Facial
Proportions
Good 4
Average 3
Fair 2
Shows solid
understandi
ng of facial
proportions.
Shows
adequate
understandi
ng of facial
proportions.
Shows
some
understandi
ng of facial
proportions.
Shows
superior
originality
and
superior
imaginative
interpretati
on.
Shows
superior
use of color
to illustrate
a trait or
mood.
Shows
excellent
originality
and
excellent
imaginative
interpretati
on.
Shows
excellent
use of color
to illustrate
a trait or
mood.
Shows good
originality
and good
imaginative
interpretati
on.
Shows
some
originality
and some
imaginative
interpretati
on.
Poor/Incomplet
e1
Shows little or
no
understanding
of facial
proportions.
Incomplete
work.
Shows little or
no originality
and no
imaginative
interpretation.
Incomplete
work.
Shows good
use of color
to illustrate
a trait or
mood
Shows
some use
of color to
illustrate a
trait or
mood.
Shows little or
no color to
illustrate a trait
or mood.
Incomplete
work.
Shows
superior
improveme
nt in skills.
Shows
excellent
improveme
nt in skills.
Shows good
improveme
nt in skills.
Shows
some
improveme
nt in skills.
Superior
participatio
n.
Excellent
participatio
n.
Adequate
participatio
n.
Some
participatio
n.
Shows little or
no
improvement in
skills.
Incomplete
work.
Little or no
participation.
Disrespectful to
peers and/or
teacher.
GRADE:
STUDENT WORK