Emily Vineyard

Grade level: 5th

Lesson Title: States and Capitals Art through observation
Step 1Desired Results

5th Grade Visual Arts

5th Grade Social Studies

Standard 1
(Making): The student will explore and
refine the application of media,
techniques, and artistic processes.

Science Benchmark
Students will learn the states and capitals
across the United States.

Objective 1
Explore a variety of art materials while
learning new techniques and processes.
a. Differentiate between
foreground, middle ground, and
background in the production of
artwork.
b. Observe objects in detail and
portray them with greater
accuracy in works of art.
c. Simplify the beginning of a work
of art, using start- up skills; e.g.,
blocking in, gesture drawing,
stick figures.

5th grade Social Studies

Standard 1
Students will understand how the
exploration and colonization of North
America transformed human history.
Objective 1
Describe and explain the growth and
development of the early American
colonies.
Using maps - including pre-1492 maps and other geographic tools, locate and
analyze the routes used by the explorers.
Explain how advances in technology lead to
an increase in exploration (e.g. ship
technology)
Identify explorers who came to the
Americas and the nations they represented.
Determine reasons for the exploration of
North America (e.g., religious, economic,
political).
Compare the geographic and cultural
differences between the New England,
Middle, and Southern colonies (e.g.,
religious, economic, political).
Analyze contributions of American
Indian people to the colonial
settlements.

Step 2Assessment Evidence

Performance taskWhat will students do to show what they have learned?
Performance criteriaHow good is good enough to meet standards?
The student will:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Use observational skills to document characteristics of physical states and their flags
Will use a variety of media to create a composition
Students will utilize principles and elements of design within their art work
Students will be able to discuss the principles and elements of design within their
work
Students will be assessed on their attention to details in their blind and modified
contours of the states and the state flags.

Step 3Learning Plan

Learning activities (step by step from start to finish, detailed enough for another teacher to follow)
1. SUPPLIES NEEDED

Water color sets, paper (coffee filters for fiber paper texture) brushes, sponges,
print out of states and state flags, black ink pens (gel pens roll smoothly)
A map of the country
.

Lessons

Opening

1
Introduce the lesson to the students. Give each student a black pen and
give each table a stack of papers. Distribute 3 pictures of the states to
each student for reference for the last part of the lesson.
- Teach students to be respectful of others art work. We are all learning.
1.

Warm up

Skill Based
Art Form

Begin the day with blind contours of their hand and then
partner. Help the students go beyond the shape of their hand/
partner and to closely observe what they see, not what they
think they will see.
Note the details of blind contour/rules
a. Keep eyes on the image or object)
b. Do not pick up your pen or pencil, make on continuous line
c. Focus on the object or image
d. Draw what you SEE not what you THINK you see.
e. You can think of an ant slowly walking across the form
make the ants path
f. There is no wrong answer or result for this PROCESS
2.

Choose several different angles to draw from for the blind

contour exercise.

1.

We will introduce modified contours that the students will draw

of their partners. Baylee will model this by creating a modified
contour of another one of the teachers
She will teach the students several rules about modified
contours:
- students may lift their pens
- students need to pay close attention to the face that they are
drawing
Students will be given 5-10 minutes to practice modified
contours of their neighbors face.

2.

3.

Skill application
Art for applied to other subject

Closing

Students will use their new knowledge of paying close attention to

details to draw blind and modified contours of the states that they were
handed in the beginning of class. Torill will quickly model how to do a
blind and modified contour of a state. Then the students will create their
own.

We will gather the students best work and display them on the board.
The students will then walk around to see each others work. At the
end we will gather materials.