Lesson Overview:
Students will be introduced to the concept of "junk art" or "found art." They will be tasked with creating an original piece of artwork from a combination of found/recycled materials and "purchased" materials. Students will be given a fixed amount of money to spend at a mock craft store. They will also be able to select recycled or "free" materials to produce their work of art. Students will be required to plan out the materials they will need to "buy," add up their purchases, and ensure that they do not exceed their budget.
Length of Lesson:
One 45-minute period
Notes:
This lesson is particularly suitable for grade 2.
Instructional Objectives:
Students will:
- read decimal notations for amounts of money ($1.00-$2.00).
- associate relevant applications of this knowledge by "purchasing" supplies for an art project.
- select supplemental "found" or recycled materials to use in an original piece of art.
- create an art project using a combination of found and purchased materials.
Supplies:
- Several craft items "for purchase," such as: yarn, tape, glitter, sequins, pipe cleaners, clay, glue, and construction paper
- A bin full of found/recycled materials, such as: newspaper, aluminum cans, wooden dowels,
paper towel tubes, scraps of fabric, tin foil, and plastic bottles
- Bags of play money (coins)
- Scissors
- Large signs to label prices of items in the craft store
Instructional Plan:
Warm Up
Ask students to think of examples of art that they have seen (paintings, sculptures, statues, drawings, etc.). Ask them what sort of materials artists might need in order to create different types of artwork (paints, clay, canvas, steel, stone, etc.).
Introductory Activity
Explain to students that artists can use many different kinds of materials to produce a piece of art. Some artists like to use materials that other people would consider "junk," including scrap metal, buttons, beads, pieces of fabric, parts of old machinery, etc. Consider discussing the phrase, "One person's trash is another person's treasure." With creativity, one can turn a commonplace item into part of something imaginative. Show examples of junk art or found art, such as:
Tell students that they will be working on a craft project. Each student should choose one of the following items to create:
- a house
- a mask
- a monster
- a cat or dog
Explain to students that they will be given a set amount of money to purchase certain craft supplies, but first, they will select free items from a box of found materials. Tell students that they they should think carefully about the supplies they need to complete their projects; they must use whichever found items they select in a creative way.
Have a large bin at the front of the classroom filled with found or recycled items, such as newspapers, aluminum cans, wooden dowels, paper towel tubes, scraps of fabric, tin foil, platic bottles, etc. Allow students to come up in small groups and select items for their projects. (Depending on the amount of materials available, you may want to limit the number of items each student can select.) Have students return to their seats.
In the classroom, have a store set up with a variety of craft supplies such as yarn, glitter, pipe cleaners, etc. Prior to teaching the lesson, price each item as either $0.01, $0.05, $0.10, $0.25, or $0.50. Make sure the prices are written large enough so that students can see them from their desks.
Note: The essential items such as glue should be priced more "affordably" than other items. For example:
- one piece of yarn = $0.05
- glitter = $0.75
- one pipe cleaner = $0.50
- glue = $0.10
- construction paper = $0.05 per sheet
Show students the items in the craft shop. Name an item that can be purchased and have a student use magnetized oversized coins on the blackboard to show the amount that is needed to buy that item. Repeat for several of the items.
Guided Practice
Provide each student with a bag of money. Give each student a manageable amount of money, ideally $1.00-$2.00. In partners, students will count the amount in their bag. Check that the students have counted accurately.
Independent Practice
Have students complete the My Craft Store Shopping List handout, recording the items they want to buy, the cost of those items, how much they will need to spend for all for the items, and how much money will be left over, if any.
Divide the class in half or into small groups. Have some students be buyers in the craft store, and assign others to be the sellers. The buyers should purchase three items from the store, paying the seller the correct amount. The sellers should accept the money and make change, if necessary. When the first group of buyers is finished making purchases, the students should switch roles.
Students should then use the purchased and found supplies to create the art project that they chose at the beginning of the lesson.
Assessment:
Collect the completed Materials
Worksheets. Check for student accuracy and assess mathematical computation skills with this worksheet.
Have students present their completed art project to the class. They should explain why they chose to purchase the items that they bought, and discuss how they used the found or recycled materials in the project. They should also talk about what, if any, items (found and/or purchased) they would add to the piece to improve it.
Extensions:
Allow students to bring home their art projects and look for more found items to enhance the piece.
Talk about junk art in relation to recycling. Consider teaching this lesson in conjuction with ScienceNetLinks' lesson Recycled Materials.
Sources:
Web:
Authors:
-
Christine Sweger-Miller, Teacher
Thomas Pullen Arts Magnet School
Landover, MD
