#29 Drawing Shells
Grade Level 1-6
Description/Objective
Students draw a composition of shells while listening to music or recorded sounds of the ocean and seagulls.
Materials
Assorted sea shells - large, medium and small. Have a variety of shapes available - starfish, clams, mussels, oysters, scallops, etc. Pass out a set of shells for each group.
10" x 16" white construction paper (1 per student)
Permanent non-toxic black fine tip Sharpie brand markers (1 per student)
12" x 18" black construction paper (1 per student)
Music or Ocean tape
Procedure
1. Hold up the starfish and ask the students, "What shape is this?"
2. Using a sheet of 10" x 16" white construction paper, demonstrate tracing around the shape of the starfish with the thin permanent marker. Tell the students that it is O.K. to have part of your drawing go off the page.
3. Ask the students what texture means. Explain that texture is the surface quality of any object; how an object feels. Have the students feel their cheeks. Have them feel the rough surface of the starfish. Demonstrate how to draw this texture by using small circles or dots.
4. Hold up a clam shell and talk about the oval shape. Ask the students if the clam shell has the same texture as the starfish. Have the students touch the lines on the clam shell. Have them all show you in the air which directions the lines go.
5. Place the clam shell on the white paper, slightly overlapping the starfish in one or two places. Ask the students what overlapping means. Explain that overlapping means when one object is in front of another. Demonstrate drawing only part of the object that is behind. Tell the students not to draw on top of what they have already drawn.
6. Draw the curved line texture on the clam. Point out to the students how the texture pattern of the starfish looks interesting juxtaposed to the lines on the clam.
7. Tell the students about positive and negative space. The shape of the shells is positive and the space around them is negative. Encourage the students to use large, medium and small shells. Discuss composition. Have the students leave some interesting negative space around the shells.
8. Tell students to make some shells light and some shells dark in their drawing. When texture lines are drawn close together the pattern looks darker. In art we call dark and light value.
9. Have the students put the shells on a desk in each group. Pass out the paper and pens. Play the music or ocean tape. Students complete the shape and texture of one shell before drawing another.
10. Students have the choice of tracing around the shape of the shells or freehand drawing of their shapes.
11. Mat finished work on 12" x 18" black construction paper.
Note: To help students remember the art vocabulary in this lesson, I give them hand gestures for important words.
Shape - Put thumbs together and index fingers together to form a circle. Work with changing the shape. Make oval and heart shapes.
Texture - Rub your cheek and feel how smooth it is.
Overlap - Put one hand on top of the other.
Value - Make "V" with your index and middle finger to remember value.
Subject Matter Integration
LANGUAGE ARTS:
1. Through this multisensory project the students learn several arts related vocabulary words: Shape/Form, Texture, Variety, Pattern, Negative and Positive Space and Composition. These words can be used for spelling or vocabulary.
2. Develop a special vocabulary dictionary, listing and alphabetizing names of shells. Have the students do a drawing of each shell and verbal description.
3. Have the students write a haiku using an ocean theme.
Variations/Extensions
1. Have the student's shell drawings reduced. The small drawings make attractive stationery.
2. Have one student's shell drawing printed on acetate. Project the shell drawing with the overhead projector on the classroom wall and do an ocean theme poetry reading in front of the sea images. This is a great open house activity.
3. The students may paint their shell drawings with watercolor since permanent markers were used. Reproduce the original drawing. Have the students use colored pencils or markers to color the copy.
4. Put a shell on the overhead projector and trace the enlarged shape with a pencil on roll paper. Cut two shell shapes. Paint texture on giant shell shapes with cotton swabs. Stuff lightly with newsprint and staple together. Hang the giant shell shapes from the ceiling.