Winter Value Paintings 

Learning Targets

I can...

• Create an original Winter Value Paintings using drawing techniques learned in class
• Use color combinations (neutral, monochromatic, grayscale), shape variation (geometric, organic, free form), and value (lightness, darkness, tonal, tints, shades) inspired by American Photographer (1902-1984) Ansel Adams 
• Use photography techniques (exposure, dynamic, speed, rule of thirds) and design principles (movement, composition, emphasis) based on American Conservation Movement
• Define Tonal (the lightness or darkness of a color or area called value)

Lesson One
Day One, Art Start

1. Young Oaks In Snow (1938) Ansel Adams 

2. Read First Edition Trees: Ansel Adams by Ansel Adams

3. Discussion Questions "How does an artist create a feeling of mood and drama without using any color? What words (cold, bright, majestic, silent) come to mind when you look at this snow? Why would capturing the beauty of nature might make people want to protect it? How did Ansel Adams use his art to show love and protection for nature? How does looking at a winter landscape make you feel? How can we arrange our trees so that some look very close to us (foreground) and others look far away (background)? How did limiting your palette to just values (black, white, grey) change how you focused on the textures (trees, snow, bark) in the value painting? In what ways did your painting capture the grand, powerful feeling of nature that Ansel Adams loved?"

Lesson Activities

1. Use ruler, compass, or straightedge to draw the scenery (background, foreground, middle ground) of the Winter Value Paintings

2. Add details (buildings, animals, plants) within the positive space (foreground, trees) and scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Winter Value Paintings

3. Use permanent marker to outline the positive space (foreground, trees) and scenery (middle ground, background, foreground) of the Winter Value Paintings 

Day Two, Art Start

1. Retrieve Winter Value Paintings for Assigned Tables

2. Oak Tree, Snowstorm (1948) Ansel Adams

3. Discussion Questions "Why might an artist choose to work outside? What mood do you feeling when looking at Ansel Adams' black and white photographs? Why do you think Ansel Adams chose to focus so deeply on nature and national parks? Where do you see the brightest whites and the darkest blacks in the snowy landscapes? How does light change the way the tree trunk looks when it is covered in snow? How can you use brushstrokes to show the texture of rough bark versus soft, fluffy snow? What happens to your horizon line when you want to show a vast, heavy winter sky versus a massive blanket of snow? How does removing color help us notice details like texture, shape, and light that we might normally ignore? Do you think Ansel Adams work was purely about documenting nature, or was he trying to tell a story?"

Lesson Activities

1. Add patterns (swirls, clouds, stripes, stars) to the scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Winter Value Paintings

2. Use color combinations (monochromatic, analogous, neutral) to fill in the scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Winter Value Landscapes 

3. Use color combinations (monochromatic, analogous, neutral) to fill in the scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Winter Value Landscapes 

Day Three, Art Start

1. Retrieve Winter Value Paintings for Assigned Tables 

2. Set Up Studio Area (paintbrushes, tempera paint, water buckets, pencils)

Lesson Activities

1. Add highlights (reflective light, light source, cast light) within the scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Winter Value Landscapes

2. Add shadows (reflective shadow, cast shadow) within the scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Winter Value Landscapes

3. Add details (animals, buildings, people) within the scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Winter Value Landscapes 

Artist Examples

Student Examples 

Stacked Pumpkins

Learning Targets

I can...

• Create an original Stacked Pumpkins using drawing techniques learned in class
• Use line types (horizontal, vertical, diagonal), shape variation (geometric, organic, free form), and texture (actual, visual, implied) inspired by American Artist (1981-Present) Stephanie Buscema 
• Use painting techniques (impasto, alla prima, glazing, dry brush) and design principles (composition, movement, variation) based on American Art
•  Define Overlapping (two or more things share the same space, time, or characteristics by partially covering or coinciding with each other)

Lesson One
Day One, Art Start

1. The Pumpkin Balloon (2018) Stephanie Buscema

2. Read The Ugly Pumpkin by Dave Horowitz

3. Discussion Questions "How is his shape different from other pumpkins on the patch? How does the ugly pumpkin feel when people walk past him? How can you tell by looking at his face? Is your squash feeling lonely like the beginning of the book, or happy like the end? What shape should we make the mouth to show that? What is more exiting that all of our artwork looks different instead of exactly the same? What is something unique about you that makes you special? What is one specific detail that the artist added to their squash that you really like? How can artists use overlapping shapes to create the illusion of depth? How can artists arrange simple shapes to create an interesting composition? How can color, pattern, and value make pumpkins appear three-dimensional? How can artists turn simple pumpkins into expressive works of art?"

Lesson Activities

1. Use geometric shapes (oval, circle, rectangle) to draw an assorted vegetable (pumpkin, gourd, squash) for the Stacked Pumpkins

2. Use geometric shapes (oval circle rectangle) to draw the details (stems, leaves, wind) of the Stacked Pumpkins

3. Use line types (horizontal, vertical, diagonal) to draw the positive space (foreground, middle ground, pumpkin) of the Stacked Pumpkins

Day Two, Art Start

1. Retrieve Stacked Pumpkins for Assigned Tables

2. Spirit Of Autumn (2014) Stephanie Buscema

3. Discussion Questions "How does the pumpkin feel on the cover? Why do you think no one is picking him from the patch? Have you ever felt like you did not fit in? How is the main character's shape different from the other pumpkins? How did he feel when he was teased? How did he feel when he found his family? Just like the squash, what makes each of us unique and special? How can artists use shapes, colors, lines, and patterns to make a character unique? What could you change about a pumpkin to make it funny, silly, spooky, happy, or surprised? Can you create a pumpkin character that communicates a specific emotion without sharing the emotion? What is a squash, and why does this discovery make him happy? How can we use different colros to shaow all those unique bumps?"

Lesson Activities

1. Use line types (horizontal, vertical, diagonal) to add details (stems, leaves, branches) to the positive space (foreground, middle ground, pumpkin) of the Stacked Pumpkins

2. Use oil pastels to fill in the positive space (foreground, middle ground, pumpkins) with neutral colors (black, grey, white, brown) for the Stacked Pumpkins

3. Use oil pastels to fill in the negative space (background) with neutral colors (black, grey, white, brown) for the Stacked Pumpkins

Day Three, Art Start

1. Retrieve Stacked Pumpkins for Assigned Tables

2. Set Up Studio Area (paint brushes, pencils, erasers, water buckets)

Lesson Activities

1. Add pumpkin parts (brown stem, green leaves, shell) with neutral colors (black, grey, brown, white) for the Stacked Pumpkins

2. Use texture techniques (eraser, cloth, sponge) to add details (brown stem, green leaves, shell) to the Stacked Pumpkins

3. Add highlights (reflective light, light source) and shadows (cast shadow, shadow) to the negative space (background) of the Stacked Pumpkins 

Artist Examples

Student Examples 

 Art Museum Sculptures

Learning Targets

I can...

• Create an original Art Museum Sculpture using drawing techniques learned in class
• Use shape variation (geometric, organic, free form), form (two dimensional, three dimensional), and texture (actual visual implied) inspired by Chinese American Architect (1917-2019) I.M. Pei
• Use sculpture techniques (carving, casting, assembling, modeling) and design principles (proportion, movement, composition) based on Modern Architecture
• Define Museum (a public or private non-profit institution that collects, preserves, studies, and exhibits works of visual art for entertainment)

Lesson One
Day One, Art Start

1. Louvre Pyramid (1983-1984) I.M.Pei

2. Read The Glass Pyramid: A Story Of The Louvre Museum And Architect I.M.Pei by Jeannie Walker Harvey

3. Discussion Questions "What do museums want people to learn and why? Who are museums hoping to attract and why? Are there any culturally significant objects you would include in your museum? Is there an item passed down from your family or an item from your home country you could include? How can you document the important information about each item? Did you know most museums record the date it was collected, where the artwork came from, and a brief description of the object? How does visiting museums help motivate us to learn more about art history? What are the colors, shapes, and objects you can see without giving any facts? Why is touching artwork forbidden and how do guards protect the work for the future? How can buildings reflect the relationship between people and the environment?" 

Lesson Activities

1. Choose Three 12 X 12 Cardboard Sheets 

2. Use three compositional elements (shape, color, texture) to represent a memory, place, or event from ones own heritage 

3. Use line variation (wavy, straight, curved) as a design principle (balance, movement, repetition) with the Art Museum Sculptures 

Day Two, Art Start

1. Retrieve Art Museum Sculptures For Assigned Tables 

2. Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame (1995) I.M. Pei

3. Discussion Questions "What do you notice about this art museum building? How would you describe it to someone who has never seen it? What do you see that makes you say that? What details might have been inspired by nature or ancient civilizations? What might this museum suggest about the relationship between local people and their environment? What evidence supports your ideas? What might this suggest about your communities outlook on the natural world? How does each work of art reflect the natural world? How does your building look from different sides? How do visitors walk through this museum? What is the mood of your museum, and how will your building shape reflect that? Will your building be historical and classical, or sleek and modern? How will people enter your museum? What makes your building look like a museum rather than an office building, home, or school?"

Lesson Activities

1. Use compass, protractors, and texture plates to add symmetrical shapes (circle, triangles, squares) to the Art Museum Sculptures 

2. Use form (two dimensional, three dimensional) to fill in the positive space (foreground, middle ground) of the Art Museum Sculptures 

3. Use form (two dimensional, three dimensional) to fill in the negative space (background) of the Art Museum Sculptures 

Day Three, Art Start

1. Retrieve Art Museum Sculptures for Assigned Tables 

2. Set Up Studio Area (washable markers, glue sticks, scissors, colored pencils) 

Lesson Activities

1. Use scissors to cut out two dimensional symmetrical shapes (circles, triangles, squares) to create a three dimensional Art Museum Sculptures

2. Glue Down three dimensional symmetrical shapes (circles, triangles, squares) to create a three dimensional Art Museum Sculptures

3. Add decorations (old art, newspaper, fabric scraps, colored paper, buttons, collage) to positive space (foreground, middle ground) of the Art Museum Sculptures 

Artist Examples

Student Examples

 Provence Lavender Fields Paintings

Learning Targets 

I can...

• Create an original Provence Lavender Fields Paintings using drawing techniques learned in class
• Use shape variation (geometric, organic, free form), line types (horizontal, vertical, diagonal), and texture (visual actual implied) inspired by American Artist (1981-Present) Erin Hanson
• Use painting techniques (layering, dry brush, wash) and design principles (repetition, variation, movement) based on Open Impressionism
• Define Landscape (a picture, painting, or drawing that shows outdoor scenery)

Lesson One
Day One, Art Start

1. Hills Of Provence (2026) Erin Hanson

2. Read Paris Adventures For Kids: Interactive Travel Journal by City Line Press

3. Discussion Questions "What type of brushstrokes did you use for the tiny flowers? How do you make the flowers in the front look closer than the ones in the back? What kind of feeling of memory do you want people to get when looking at this? If someone could step inside your painting, what sounds or smells would the person notice first? What was the hardest part of the landscape painting to paint, and how would you solve this problem? How does the sky change the colors you will see in the field? What can you add to the foreground to make the fields look huge? What kind of weather or time of day does your painting feel like? How will you decide where the land meets the sky? How will you show the way the sunlight hits the top of the pants? What color will you use for the shadows between the rows?"

Lesson Activities

1. Use ruler, compass, straightedge to draw the scenery (background, foreground, middle ground) of the Provence Lavender Fields Paintings 

2. Add details (buildings, animals, plants) within the positive space (foreground) and scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Provence Lavender Fields Paintings

3. Use colored sharpies to outline the positive space (foreground) and scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Provence Lavender Fields Paintings 

Day Two, Art Start

1. Retrieve Provence Lavender Fields Paintings for Assigned Tables 

2. Provence Lavender (2024) Erin Hanson

3. Discussion Questions "What are the three parts of landscape paintings? What do you see? What do you think it would sound like in this place? What do you think it would smell like in this place? Is the painting warm colors or cool colors? What season do you think it is in this landscape painting? What would you do if you were in this painting? How does this artwork make you feel? What are the different areas (foreground, middle ground, background) in this painting? What objects, shapes, or colors can you find in these different fields? Is this a place you would want to visit? What would you wear if you were visiting this landscape? Why would artists choose to work outside? What are the different colors and feelings used for different seasonal landscapes?" 

Lesson Activities

1. Add patterns (swirls, clouds, stars) into the scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Provence Lavender Fields Paintings 

2. Use secondary colors (green orange purple) to fill in the scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Provence Lavender Fields Paintings 

3. Use primary colors (red yellow blue) to fill in scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Provence Lavender Fields Paintings  

Day Three, Art Start

1. Retrieve Provence Lavender Fields Paintings for Assigned Tables 

2. Set Up Studio Area (water bucket, paint brushes, watercolor) 

Lesson Activities 

1. Add highlights (reflective light, light source) within the scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Provence Lavender Fields Paintings 

2. Add shadows (reflective shadow, cast shadow, shadow) within the scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Provence Lavender Fields Paintings 

3. Add details (animals, buildings, people) within the scenery (foreground, middle ground, background) of the Provence Lavender Fields Paintings 

Artist Examples 

Student Examples

Treehouse Drawings

Learning Targets

I can...

• Create an original Treehouse Drawings using drawing techniques learned in class
• Use line types (horizontal, vertical, diagonal), shape variation (geometric, organic, free form), and form (two dimensional, three dimensional) inspired by American Artist (1979-Present) Jedediah Corwyn Voltz
• Use perspective techniques (linear, one-point, two-point, three-point, atmospheric) and design principles (proportion, gradation, composition) based on American Art
• Define Architecture (the art or practice of designing and constructing buildings)

Lesson One
Day One, Art Start

1. Corner Store (2024) Jedediah Corwyn Voltz

2. Read Stuck by Oliver Jeffers

3. Discussion Questions "Are the houses below, in, or on top of the tree? How do you know? What shapes do you see in the structure of the houses? How do you access the houses? Is the tree sitting on a horizon line or inside of an area? What details do you notice in each of the houses? What windows do you notice in each of the houses? What is the secret purpose of the treehouse such as launching water balloons or high-tech makers space? What items would you throw up into the treehouse to keep them safe? Is your treehouse made of wood, giant sticks, crystal, or metal? Is the treehouse hidden by thick leaves, vibrant, or standing out as a statement piece? Is the treehouse drawing sitting on top of branches, wrapped around the truck like a spiral, or floating between multiple trees?"

Lesson Activities

1. Use observational drawing techniques (composition, direct light, value) to draw the basic parts (roof, windows, door, base) of the Treehouse Drawings 

2. Add shape variation (geometric, organic, free form) to add details (windows, doorways, balcony) to the positive space (foreground, middle ground, treehouse) of the Treehouse Drawings 

3. Add shape variation (geometric, organic, free form) to add details (trees, dirt path, puddles) to the negative space (background) of the Treehouse Drawings 

Day Two, Art Start

1. Retrieve Treehouse Drawings for Assigned Tables 

2. Lorax Camp (2020) Jedediah Corwyn Voltz

3. Discussion Questions "What are some things happening in this artwork? What kind of person would live in this treehouse? What is the treehouse made of (leaves, sticks, mushrooms, magical)? Are there any special doors, windows, or stairs to this house? Does this house have a special feature, like a baloney, a look out, or a secret room? What could be added to this picture with more time? What are some famous examples of biomorphic architecture? How does the shape of the home reflect the inhabitants? How does the treehouse blend in with its environment? What types of lines and shapes are present in your house? How are details like windows, doors, and roofs designed to be functional or imaginative? What was the most challenging part of designing and building your treehouse?"

Lesson Activities

1. Use types of patterns (stripes, swirls, meanders) to fill in the positive space (foreground, middle ground, treehouse) of the Treehouse Drawings 

2. Add high contrast (shaded areas, shadows, value) and light/medium contrast (background, light areas, middle ground) to the white space of the Treehouse Drawings 

3. Add embellishments (scrap paper, aluminum foil, paper bags)) to the positive space (foreground, treehouse) of the Treehouse Drawings 

Day Three, Art Start

1. Retrieve Treehouse Drawings for Assigned Tables

2. Set Up Studio Area (pencils, erasers, markers, rulers) 

Lesson Activities

1. Use color combinations (analogous, secondary, neutral) to fill in the positive space (foreground, middle ground, treehouse) of the Treehouse Drawings

2. Use color combinations (analogous, secondary, neutral) to fill in the negative space (background, landscape) of the Treehouse Drawings

3. Add additional types of patterns (stripes, swirls, meanders) to the negative space (background) of the Treehouse Drawings

Artist Examples

Student Examples