Bonnie Brown

Lesson Plan

Shape & Form, Light & Shadow: Shading

Lesson topic and focus

Visual arts 7&8: Explore visual arts

Link to Curriculum Standards practices as inspiration to explore and
develop themes, concepts or ideas in
artworks (VCAVAE033)

Identity. An Inquiry-based unit focused

Unit Context around the essential ideas of:
What is identity and what does It mean?
Who am I and what makes me unique?
Considering Friedman’s statement “self-
definition does not occur in a vacuum, but
in a world already defined” (1992, p. 837),
students will question and reflect on the
way that they see and express themselves
in the world considering un-changeable
factors that influence an individual’s
identity such as culture, ethnicity, gender,
experiences, family and status and
variable factors such as; hobbies,
interests, skills & talents, emotions,
personality, appearance, friends, beliefs
and aspirations,
The art works viewed throughout the unit
will look at self-identity and group identity
from different artists and movements
throughout history. How an artist’s
perception of self can change over time,
some prefer to use the plural word
‘identities’, emphasising that identity is
fluid and shifts throughout one’s life.”
(“investigating Identity,” n.d)
How we view ourselves (from the inside
out) and how we view others will be
integral to the unit.
Sub themes will include;
Self-portraiture; understanding a sense of
self.
An awareness of others through
Bonnie Brown
Lesson Plan
Learning Outcomes (Students)
Learning Outcomes (Teacher)
Teaching Resources/Materials required
portraiture.
Cultural identity.
Students should be able to demonstrate:
1. Identify the differences in pencil
scale and shading styles.
2. Describe the different styles of
shading.
3. Explain how light and shadow can
give form.
4. Application of shading techniques
to create a form from a 2D shape.
I should be able to:
1. Scaffold and develop knowledge of
the concept of graphite tone and
shading to create an illusion of
depth.
2. Demonstrate examples of shading
styles and encourage a high
standard of students work.
3. Develop an appreciation of how
shading can enhance an art
practice, and subsequently an
awareness of light and shadow in
the world around them.
Artworks to discuss that use light and
shadow:
https://www.tate.org.uk/search?q=shadin
g&type=artwork
Still life explanation:
https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-
terms/s/still-life
For teacher:
https://www.thoughtco.com/introduction-
to-pencil-shading-1123299
Bonnie Brown
Lesson Plan
Prior knowledge :
Essential Questions/Big Ideas:
Teaching Strategies
Range of pencils H-8B, Students own art
diaries, handouts, grey paper, white
pencils, objects for still life, Computer for
presentation discussion.
Foundation level knowledge from prior
contour and cross contour drawing lesson
were development in drawing objects
from still life was established through the
use of pencils and felt tip pens.
Subsequently acquiring the understanding
of the importance of line in drawing.
Of Unit:
What makes up an identity? How would I
describe myself to someone who has
never met me?
Of Lesson:
What creates shadow?
How do we create an illusion of depth?
Do objects have an identity? Or do
someone’s objects create their identity?
(lesson this allows a connection to be
made between the unit theme and the still
life objects)
1. Inquiry-based instruction:
encourage independent thinking
with though-provoking ideas and
questions.
2. Dialogic teaching: effective
teaching using welcome
conversation between students
and teacher for a more meaningful
understanding of the subject.
3. Differentiation: personalize
tangible learning goals for
individual students of differing
Bonnie Brown
Lesson Plan

abilities.

Evidence of Student learning against

What are the learning outcomes:

assessment tasks? Formative assessment as skills will be

applied to future works.

1. Scaffold and develop an

understanding of graphite scale
and shading styles: annotated
pencil scale experimentation in art
diaries and 1 completed work
sheet.
2. Demonstrate practical use of
shading techniques: 1 completed
still life drawing of chosen style or
combination of styles.
3. Develop an understanding of how
a 3D form can be created from a
2D shape and how light creates
shadows: engaging in discussion
and reflection through annotating
in art diaries.
Bonnie Brown
Lesson Plan

What will the teacher do? What will the students do?

Transition Stage: Transition Stage:

- Teacher will play soft welcoming
music as students enter the class and
get settled. Music will be used as a
non-verbal cue throughout lesson;
when music is turned off attention
will be given to teacher.
- Introduce the lesson by asking the
students to experiment with the
different scales of pencils placed on
their tables, through mark making in
their art diaries.
- Teacher prompts class discussion and
explanation on what differences
students found.
- Teacher clarifies reasons and
benefits of different scale pencils in
drawing.
- Students will enter the class as
music plays and will avert attention
to teacher when it is turned off.
- Student will draw lines and
gradients in their art diaries to
investigate the difference between
the scale in pencils.
- Students will annotate the pencil
scale used to make individual
marks and note the differences
they observe.
- Students will discuss the
differences they found with the
class.

Engagement Stage: Engagement Stage:

- Teacher will open opportunity for - Students will engage in
discussion around shape & form (2D conversation on shape & form and
to 3D) and light & shadow through light & shadow through looking at
the still life objects on the table and objects on table.
drawing on the white board. - Students will complete hand out to
- Teacher will demonstrate different demonstrate techniques observed.
shading techniques (hatching, cross
hatching, stippling, tonal &
scumbling).
- Teacher will hand out work sheets
and encourage students to spend a
short amount of time trialing each
style before bringing the class
Bonnie Brown
Lesson Plan
together again.
- Teacher will rotate the room giving
one on one guidance to students
that require it.
Building Knowledge Stage:
- Teacher will give small presentation
on how artists have used light and
shadow in their art.
- Teacher will remind students of
previous lesson in contour and cross
contour drawing. Teacher will
instruct students to draw from the
still life set up in the middle of the
table (with strong light), combining
their previous skills of contour
drawing and new skills of shading.
Transformation Stage:
- Teacher will assist students who
need guidance.
- Teacher will offer and encourage the
use of white pencil to add highlight.
Feedback/Consolidation:
- Teacher will conclude lesson with
review of what students have learnt
about the difference between shape
& form and review how light &
shadow creates depth in an image.
- Teacher will ask students to finish
shading handout for homework and
will ask students to look out for
interesting light and shadows they
notice in the real world for next
lesson.
Building Knowledge Stage:
- Students will recall previous
knowledge on contour and cross
contour lesson.
- Students will draw still life objects
using their contour drawing and
shading techniques with graphite
pencil on gray paper.
Transformation Stage:
- Students will be given the
opportunity to enhance their
drawings with the use of white
pencil, introducing another
element of shading; highlighting.
Feedback/Consolidation:
- Students will engage in
conversation about what they
learnt.
- Students will reflect in their art
diaries what they wish to improve
on and how they could use shading
in their own works.
Bonnie Brown
Lesson Plan

· What outcomes were achieved?

Reflection and Evaluations
· To what extent?

· What can be improved for future lessons?

· What goals can I set to achieve these?

References
Friedman, J. (1992) The Past in the Future: History and the Politics of Identity. American
Anthropologist. 94 (4), 837. Retrieved from https://www-jstor-
org.ezp.lib.unimelb.edu.au/stable/680224?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents

Investigating Identity. (n.d). Retrieved from

https://www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/themes/investigating-identity/intersecting-
identities/
Bonnie Brown
Lesson Plan

SHADING EXERCISE
Re-create the examples by using different shading styles to create forms from the shapes
below: