Level 3: ART 309 & Student Teaching

Central Focus
Grade Level
Class Size
Time
Demographics

Watercolor Creature
Short stories and imagery that create imaginary creatures.
1st Grade
6 Students
1 hr. 50 min.
Diverse

National Visual Arts Standards Addressed

VA:Cr1-1a. Collaboratively engage in exploration and imaginative play with materials.
VA:Re8-1a. Interpreted art by categorizing subject matter and identifying the
characteristics of form.
VA: Cr1-1b. Use observation and investigation to make a work of art.
VA:Cr2-1 a. Explore uses of materials and tools to create works of arts or design.
Forms
Frames
Conceptual
Framework

2D
Cultural

Subjective

3D
Structural

4D
Postmodern

Artwork

Artist

Audience

World

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of this lesson, students will be able to:
1.
Using watercolors, accurately create at least five different watercolor
technique blocks on given watercolor paper. VA:Cr1-1a.
2.
Orally, analyze the relationship between the written description and
visual representation of at least three of the creatures discussed in class. VA:Re8-1a
3.
Create at least three different creature drawings combining
observation of provided animal images and original ideas.
VA: Cr1-1b
4.
Using markers, will draw at least five segments of their creature on
their watercolor technique squares, utilizing all five completed squares. VA:Cr2-1 a
5.
Using scissors, glue sticks, and tape, will cut out their creature pieces
and assemble them into one completed creature. VA:Cr2-1 a

Watercolor Activity
Demos

Large
watercolor paper

Waterc
olor set

Paintbr
ushes

Water/c
up

Paper
towel

Salt

Toothbr
ush

Straw

Dish
soap

Plastic

TEACHER MATERIALS
Discussion/Presentation

Short
Story (written by us)

Teacher
example creature

Where
the Wild Things Are

Animal/
creature posters

Spiderw
ick book

PowerP
oint Presentation

Charact
er profile worksheet

Story
telling blanket

Music

Creature Creation &

Assembly

Teach
er example story

Teach
er example creature

Pencil

Black
marker

Scisso
rs

Glue
stick

Final
paper

Popsic
le stick

Tape

Music

EE = Early Elementary grades K-3 LE = Late Elementary grades 4-6 MS = Middle School grades 6-9
EHS = Early High School grades 10-11 LHS = Late High School grade 12

Level 3: ART 309 & Student Teaching

wrap

crayon

White

Teacher
examples pre-made

Music

Watercolor Activity

Large
watercolor paper

Waterc
olor set

Paintbr
ushes

Water/c
up

Paper
towel

Salt

Toothbr
ush

Straw

Dish
soap

Plastic
wrap

White
crayon

STUDENT MATERIALS
Discussion/Presentation

Charact
er profile worksheet

Creature Creation
Assembly

marker

rs

stick

paper

le stick

&
Pencil
Black
Scisso
Glue
Final
Popsic
Tape

ARTISTS IN CONTEXT
Key Artists
Key Artworks

Key Critical
Questions

Maurice Sendak (Writer/Illustrator of Where the Wild Things Are)

Emily Stepp (Illustrator)
Tony DiTerlizzi (Writer/Illustrator of Spiderwick Chronicles)
Maurice Sendak:
Where the Wild Things Are
Entire book.
Emily Stepp:
Rhino Tiger Hawk
Tiger Leatherback Sea Turtle Porcupine
Baboon Mantis Shrimp Cassowary
Tony DiTerlizzi:
River Troll
Caribbean Mermaid
Stray Sod
Glowing Toadfly
1. What textures do you see in these
creatures?
2. What would these textures feel like?
3. What do you think this creature does? Is it a
nice creature? Mean?
4. What makes you think that?

EE = Early Elementary grades K-3 LE = Late Elementary grades 4-6 MS = Middle School grades 6-9
EHS = Early High School grades 10-11 LHS = Late High School grade 12

Level 3: ART 309 & Student Teaching

5. What could different creature parts mean?

Horns? Claws? Fur? Slime? Spikes? etc.
6. What textures would these parts have?
7. Where do you think these creatures belong?
8. Do you like this creature? Why or why not?

VOCABULARY AND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

Story
Texture
Watercolor
Technique
Personality
Characteristic
Functions
analyze, compare/contrast, critique, describe, interpret, question,
etc.
Demands
Syntax
Discourse
Tasks and
1.
Class discussion about watercolor, texture,
etc.
2.
Planning of their creatures will involve
writing a story as well as inventing a personality for their
creature.
Supports
1.
Describe 2 instructional support materials
that will help students use the language functions and
demands

Vocabulary

Language
Language
Language
Activities

Language

INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES AND LEARNING TASKS

Introduction/Launch
Instruction Methods
Introduction
Group
Introduction of students and teachers. (Fun
discussion
activity?)
Launch
Ask students about the monsters/fantasy
creatures that they know about.
o From movies like Monsters Inc.,
Maleficent, etc.
Reveal to students that we will be creating
one-of-a-kind fantasy creatures today.
Instruction
Instruction Methods

Teachers introduce students to watercolor

group
and discuss the different textures that can be created
discussion
with different watercolor techniques.
differentiated
o What is texture?
group work,
o What kinds of texture can be on
independent
a living creature?
student work
o How can we make texture with
teacher
watercolor
demonstration
Teacher demonstrates the wash watercolor
direct
technique.
instruction
Students create wash watercolor technique on
the square of their paper labeled wash or 1.
Teacher demonstrates the wet on wet
watercolor technique.
EE = Early Elementary grades K-3 LE = Late Elementary grades 4-6 MS = Middle School grades 6-9
EHS = Early High School grades 10-11 LHS = Late High School grade 12

Level 3: ART 309 & Student Teaching

Students create wet on wet watercolor

technique on the square of their paper labeled wet
on wet or 2.
Teacher demonstrates the plastic wrap
watercolor technique.
Students create plastic wrap watercolor
technique on the square of their paper labeled
plastic wrap or 3.
Teacher demonstrates the salt watercolor
technique.
Students create salt watercolor technique on
the square of their paper labeled salt or 4.
Teacher demonstrates the wax/crayon resist
watercolor technique.
Students create wax resist watercolor
technique on the square of their paper labeled wax
resist or 5.
Teacher demonstrates the toothbrush
watercolor technique.
Students create toothbrush watercolor
technique on the square of their paper labeled
toothbrush or 6.
Teacher demonstrates the dry brush
watercolor technique.
Students create dry brush watercolor
technique on the square of their paper labeled dry
brush or 7.
Teacher demonstrates the bubble watercolor
technique.
Students create bubble watercolor technique
on the square of their paper labeled bubble or 8.
Students move to a new area (away from
watercolor pages) for other activities and
presentation while their watercolors are drying.
Teacher asks students to close their eyes and
visualize a creature from their imagination.
(Something that would only exist in a fantasy world.)
o What color is your creature?
o Does it live on land? In the sea?
In the sky?
o Does it have fur? Fangs?
Spikes? A tail? Claws? Is it slimy?
o Does it have any arms? Legs?
Eyes? Fingers? Toes? How many?
o What does it do? Is it a nice
creature? Is it a mean creature?
o Does it have a special power or
ability?
o Where does it live/exist?
Students will share with the class a verbal
description of the creature that they imagined.
Teacher reads short story/description (that
they created) to students.
o Teacher asks students to close
EE = Early Elementary grades K-3 LE = Late Elementary grades 4-6 MS = Middle School grades 6-9
EHS = Early High School grades 10-11 LHS = Late High School grade 12

Level 3: ART 309 & Student Teaching

their eyes and visualize what is being read

and described.
o Ask them to pay attention to
how descriptive it is.
Teacher reveals the creature that was spoken
about. (Teacher example.)
Class discussion comparing and contrasting as
well as analyzing.
o What did you think the creature
looked like?
o What did it actually look like?
o What was different from what
you were expecting?
o How does it match the story?
Teacher directs students to a presentation,
introducing different artists.
o Maurice Sendak, Where the
Wild Things Are.
o Students go to reading area.
o Teachers read Where the Wild
Things Are, and focus on the descriptions of
the creatures as well as the illustrations.
What kinds of
words did Sendak use to describe the
creatures?
What other words
would you use to describe this
creature?
What does this
creature remind you of in the real
world?
What kinds of
animals do you recognize in this
creature.
o Continue presentation on Emily
Stepp, Illustrator/living artist.
Acknowledge that
it is okay to use observational drawing
of real world creatures to create
fantasy creatures.
Note
posters/photos of animals.
How has Stepp
used real life creatures? (Animals)
o Continue presentation on Tony
DiTerlizzi, author/illustrator.
Focus on the
texture he uses in his illustrations of
the creatures for the Spiderwick Book
Series.
Touch on the
descriptive literary passages that he
either writes after or before he creates
his creatures.
EE = Early Elementary grades K-3 LE = Late Elementary grades 4-6 MS = Middle School grades 6-9
EHS = Early High School grades 10-11 LHS = Late High School grade 12

Level 3: ART 309 & Student Teaching

What kinds of
body parts/characteristics do you
recognize on these creatures? Also
from the creatures previously looked at
by the other two artists?
Discuss creature
characteristics/parts that associate
with different meanings or moods.
Wh
at kind of creature would have
spikes? Fur? Claws? Tail?
Tentacles? Etc.
Wh
at do these characteristics say
about the creature?
Is it
a nice creature? Mean? Scary?
Funny? Ect.
Teacher instructs students to brainstorm a
fantasy creature.
Teacher will pass out character profile sheet.
Students will fill out the character profile
sheet creating their creature through descriptive
words.
Students return to their dried watercolor
technique paintings, bringing along their character
profile sheet.
Teacher will demonstrate how to draw parts of
a creature on the watercolor technique paintings, and
how to cut them out.
Based on the profile sheet, teacher instructs
students to separately draw their creatures different
characteristics/part on the different watercolor
textures and cut them out.
Teacher demonstrates how to assemble the
creature parts into one creature on the final paper,
how to cut out, and how to attach to the Popsicle
stick.
Students assemble the creature parts into one
creature on the final paper, cut them out, and attach
them to a Popsicle stick.
If time permits, students have puppet show
and interact with each others creatures.
Closure
Teachers ask each student to tell one thing
they learned from the lesson.
Teachers ask each student to tell what their
favorite part of the lesson was.

Instruction Methods
group
discussion

ACCOMMODATIONS FOR SPECIFIC DIVERSE LEARNERS

Adaptations and Accommodations
- Teachers will use several activities for students of different learning styles

Visual: PowerPoint and teacher examples

EE = Early Elementary grades K-3 LE = Late Elementary grades 4-6 MS = Middle School grades 6-9
EHS = Early High School grades 10-11 LHS = Late High School grade 12

Level 3: ART 309 & Student Teaching

Verbal: lecture and direct instruction of material

Social: group work and collaboration on art making activities
Enrichment and Extensions
Students can create a space for their creatures to exist. They can either put
their character on a piece of paper and make a background, or keep it on the
popsicle stick and create multiple backgrounds that go with their story.
Activity for Early Finishers
Write/tell a story about a classmates creature.
OBJECTIVE-DRIVEN ASSESSMENTS
1. Students accurately creates at least five different watercolor
technique blocks on given watercolor paper. VA:Cr1-1a.
2. Students orally, analyzed the relationship between the written
description and visual representation of at least three of the five creatures
discussed in class. VA:Re8-1a
3. Students created at least three different creature drawings combining
observation of provided animal images and original ideas. VA: Cr1-1b
4. Using markers, students drew at least five segments of their creature
on their watercolor technique squares, utilizing all five squares. VA:Cr2-1 a
5. Using scissors and glue sticks, students cut out their creature pieces
and assemble them into one completed creature.

INTERDISCIPLINARY CONNECTIONS
English
Science

REFERENCES
You must have references to books, web pages, films, etc. you used in the development
and execution of your lesson, to allow you to teach the lesson again, or to allow
someone else to teach the lesson.
Use APA style in formatting the reference list.
* Developed and written by (Ariel Beverly and Anna Jahncke), Art Education, Illinois State
University, 2015 *

EE = Early Elementary grades K-3 LE = Late Elementary grades 4-6 MS = Middle School grades 6-9
EHS = Early High School grades 10-11 LHS = Late High School grade 12