EARLY CHILDHOOD

Julia L. Hovanec

After reading aloud the book Tangled by Anne Miranda (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2019), I introduce students to the work of printmaker Hetty Haxworth, who creates large prints that feature various geometric and organic shapes. Students then create a shape mobile inspired by the book and the artist. The lesson ends with students collaborating to combine their mobiles into one large tangled shape mobile.

Lesson Benefits
This lesson teaches students about shapes (geometric and organic) and collaboration—important concepts for young learners. Shapes help students identify and organize visual information while assisting them in learning skills in other subject areas. Collaboration helps students discover their strengths and those of their classmates while they problem solve and work together.

Collaboration helps students discover their strengths and those of their classmates while they problem solve and work together.

Procedures
Ask students: “Who knows their shapes? Who knows the difference between geometric and organic shapes? What does it mean to collaborate?” Then tell them, “Today, we’re going to read a book about shapes and learn about a printmaker who makes art that features all kinds of shapes. After that, we’ll make shape mobiles that we’ll combine to create one large tangled shape mobile.”

Reading Tangled
Before reading the book, invite students to take note of all the different shapes they can identify in the book. Read the book and encourage students to call out the shapes they see. Then guide students in a discussion about what they learned. Ask: “What did you learn about shapes? How did the shapes in the book work together to get untangled?”

Next, introduce students to the work of printmaker Hetty Haxworth. Share some of her prints that feature shapes, then ask, “What do you like best about this artist’s work? What shapes do you see?”

Making Mobile Shapes
Give each student a piece of string, six sheets of colored paper, scissors, and glue. Then demonstrate how to draw and cut out various shapes.

Ask students to draw three shapes as big as they can, each on its own sheet of paper. Students use the remaining three sheets of paper to layer under each drawing before cutting. Students need a matching set of three shapes for their mobile.

Assembling the Mobile
Next, show students how to make a “string sandwich” by gluing the string in the middle of two matching shapes. Repeat the process for the other two shapes down the string.
After the demonstration, invite students to use what they learned to create their shape mobiles. Assist them individually as needed.

When their mobiles are complete, have students collaborate to figure out the best way to “tangle” them all together to make one large tangled shape mobile. Afterwards, have them assist with cleanup as directed.

Julia L. Hovanec is an associate professor of art education at Kutztown University in
Pennsylvania. hovanec@kutztown.edu    Tangled Shapes