Shapes Come in Like a Lion

Elements of ArtPrinciples of Design 

Color: an element of visual art; the visible range of reflected light. Color has three properties: hue, value, and intensity.
Shape: a two-dimensional closed line, it can be geometric or organic. In this lesson, we will be using triangles to make squares and rectangles and using a circle for the moon.

Principles of Design

Symmetry: an image made up of similar parts facing each other or around an axis.

Additional Vocabulary

Circle: a round figure with all points on the curved line equal distance from the center point.
Collage:  a way of making a work of art by gluing different objects, materials, and textures to a surface. 
Octagon: an eight-sided figure, with all sides being equal in length.
Portrait : A work of art created to show a person, animal, or group of people, usually focusing on the face.
Rectangle: a four-sided figure with two pairs of sides being equal in length, two pairs of sides are parallel and all angles being 90
Square: a four-sided figure with all sides being equal in length, two pairs of sides are parallel and all angles being 90.
Triangle: a three-sided figure.

Materials & Supplies

Advanced Preparation

Check out the book, In Like A Lion Out Like a Lamb, by Marion Dane Bauer.

Create one of each of the following items from the materials and supplies list per student:

• Draw a 6 inch long by 5 inch wide rectangle on the tan paper (face)
• Cut tan paper into THREE 5 x 5 inch squares and ONE 6 x 5 rectangle (ears, cheeks)
• Cut pink paper into ONE 4 x 4 square (inner ears)
• Cut black paper into TWO 4 x 4 squares (nose, whiskers, mouth, eyes)
• Cut white paper into ONE 4 x 4 square (eyes)
  

Discussion Points

Ask the students what they think March will be like this year.

Reflection Point (Assessment of Learning Objectives)

Can students hold and manipulate a paint brush, learning to start at the center and paint outwards, and practice painting techniques?
Can Students use fine motor skills to cut and glue paper pieces to the background painting to resemble the facial features of a lion?
Students will identify shapes: square, rectangle, circle, triangle & octagon

Instructions for Lesson

1. Using the foam paintbrush, demonstrate to students how to paint in bold strokes from the center of the page outwards with the yellow tempura paint.  It is not necessary to cover the entire page – some white can show through.  
2. Repeat this process with the orange paint over yellow paint.
3. Repeat this process with the brown paint.
   
4. Stress that we do not want to make “mud” by mixing all the colors together.  We want to see streaks of color.  Show them how to “double load” the paintbrushes to create a less uniform effect – more typical of a lion’s fur.
5. They do not need to clean the brush between colors, just wiping the brush on a paper towel will be OK.
6. Let the painting dry and read In Like A Lion Out Like A Lamb, by Marion Dane Bauer, illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully.  Then move on to the next step.
7. Demonstrate cutting triangles, octagons and circles
8. For cheeks and ears have the students cut the corners off the tan squares
9. Have the students cut a corner (triangle) off the black paper for a nose.
10. Have them cut another corner off and cut it into a thin triangle for the mouth and glue down. 
11. Cut the last tan square (with edges but off) in half for ears.
12. Do the same for the pink square for inside the tan ears.
13. Use the black paper to cut thin strips for whiskers.
14. Use the white paper to cut two circles for the eyes, and use the remaining black paper for the inner eyes. 
15. Demonstrate making a lion face.   Show them how to build the face from large shapes to small details.  Show them how to use glue drops directly onto the large shapes, not the backgrounds.   Encourage students to make creative choices; will their line be gentle or strong?  With their lion be angry or happy?   Have them experiment with placement before gluing.
16. Once students have designed their lion, then give them glue.  Glue the tan rectangle to the dried fur painting (this will be the upper part of the face where the eyes will be glued).  Have them glue down the tan paper, then black paper and lastly details.
        
17. Finish the piece by adding small details—eyes, noses, claws, etc.
18. Have the students title and sign their artwork on back.

References & Attributions

Lesson written by Rebecca Schwenk.
Hale, Joyce P.  “March - Lion and Lamb.”  Poem of unknown publication
Hill, Lorie.  “In Like A Lion, Out Like A Lamb.”  Poem of unknown publication
Bauer, Marion Dane. And McCully, Emily Arnold, Illustrator. In Like A Lion Out Like A Lamb. New York, New York. Holiday House Publishers, 2012. Print.

Notes for Educators

21st Century Thinking Habits & Skills
Observing, making connections, visualizing, sequencing, comparing/contrasting (squares & rectangles), determining main idea, cause and effect, decision making (if they create a mood for the lion). 

WA State 2017 Learning Standards
(VA:Cr1.1.K) a. Engage in exploration and imaginative play with materials.
(VA:Cr2.1.K) a. Through experimentation, build skills in various media and approaches to art-making.
(VA:Cr3.1.K) a. Explain the process of making art while creating. 
(VA:Re7.2.K) a. Describe what an image represents.
(VA:Re8.1.K) a. Interpret art by identifying subject matter and describing relevant details.

Arts Integration Opportunities
Science: Track weather for the month of March and see if it did ‘come in like a lion and go out like a lamb.’