Early Childhood

The Essential Question
How do artists represent what they see?

Objective
Students will create still-life drawings while reinforcing their knowledge of the current season.

Materials
seasonal plants and produce, oil pastels or gel crayons, 6 x 9" (15 x 23 cm) watercolor paper, watercolors (palettes or liquid)

Procedures
1. Read a book about the current season. Find a book with symbols or illustrations of plants and produce that grow during the season.
2. Show students one example of something that grows during the season (for fall, we used a pumpkin). Ask students to identify the shapes and colors they see.
3. As a class, create a sample drawing using those shapes and colors. Have one student draw the basic shape, another student add texture, another student add the stem or other details, etc.
4. In small groups, allow students to arrange a still life using the rest of the produce brought to class. Encourage students to draw what they see.
5. When the drawings are finished, students paint their work with watercolors.

Assessment
Were students able to find identifying characteristics of their subject? Did they represent it on paper? Can students determine how the subject relates to the time of year?

Sue Liedke is an art teacher at Settlement Music School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.