Middle School

The Essential Questions
How can students use the elements of art to paint an interesting scene?

Objective
Students will paint an outer space scene using lines, shapes, and colors.

Materials
12 x 18" (30 x 46 cm) white paper, pencils, tempera paints (various colors and black), paintbrushes, paper towels, reference images of space

Procedures
1. Show students various images of space. Discuss the sun, planets, stars, comets, and other features. Then tell students they will create their own scenes of space.
2. Distribute white paper and drawing and painting materials. Using pencil, students draw various lines and shapes to represent objects seen in space.
3. Students paint their lines and shapes with tempera paint.
4. Students fill the space around their painted shapes with black, filling the entire paper
5. Students can create stars and other features with flicks or splatters of white or yellow paint.

Assessment
Did students depict a space scene using the art elements of line, shape, and color?

Wendy Libby is an art teacher at Fruit Street School in Bangor, Maine.