INTRODUCTION TO FIRST GRADE ART
FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS AND EXPECTATIONS
First graders are enthusiastic learners. They have a much better control of their drawing and painting tools, and most children can use scissors with precision when cutting large shapes. They follow step by step drawing instructions well and love to repeatedly draw what they’re good at. They’re beginning to add details to their drawings and enjoy experimenting with mixing primary and secondary colors. Most children identify all the elements of art in their artwork as well as their surroundings, and can demonstrate their knowledge in their own artwork. Children take interest in learning different subjects like still life, landscapes, cityscapes and love to draw inspiration from other artists. They love talking about their artwork, take pride in their accomplishments and can begin to critique their classmate’s artwork.
GRADE 1 ART PROJECT INDEX
| THEME | INSPIRATION | TECHNIQUE | ART CONCEPT | ART PROJECT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilāyah | Allah is al-Khāliq. “He created the earth and suspended it, retained it without support, made it stand without legs, and raised it without pillars.” Imām ʿAlī (ʿa) (Nahj al-Balāghah, Sermon 186) | Printmaking, Collage | Mixed Media, Color Blending | Earth in Space |
| Allah is al-Khāliq. “He brought out the creation by His power and made the winds blow with His compassion.” Imām ʿAlī (ʿa) (Nahj al-Balāghah, Sermon 1) | Straw painting with resist | Cool Colors, Organic Shapes | Leaves | |
| Trust | “There is no animal on land, nor a bird that flies with its wings, but they are communities like yourselves” Noble Qurʾān (6:38) | Painting | Paint blending | Birds |
| “On the Day of Judgment, the closest to me will be the ones who are the most honest, loyal to their word, reliable, and friendly toward people.” Prophet Muḥammad (ṣ)(‘Keeping a Promise’, Pages 79-80, Tales of the Last Messenger) | Painting | Landscape, Warm Colors | Desert Landscape | |
| Patience | “That which is with you will be spent [and gone], but what is with Allah shall last, and We will surely pay the patient their reward by the best of what they used to do.” Noble Qurʾān (16:96) | Crayon resist painting | Directional Lines, Patterns | Spider |
| “He rewarded them for their patience with a garden and [garments of] silk,” Noble Qurʾān (76:12) | Collage, painting | Impressionism, Texture | Waterlilies | |
| Respect | “Indeed Allah desires to repel all impurity from you, O People of the Household, and purify you with a thorough purification.”Noble Qurʾān (33:33)(Steps To Perfection, HISTORY, Lesson 2.2: The Story of the Kisā’) | Oil pastels or any coloring media | Stained Glass Design | Candles |
| “The Ahl al-Bayt (ʿa) are like the ship of Prophet Nūḥ (ʿa). Whoever gets on it will be saved, and whoever doesn’t will drown.”(Steps To Perfection, ʿAQĀʿID, Lesson 5.2: Imāmah) | Painting & collage | Color Value | Ship on Sea | |
| Justice | “O my brothers! All human beings who have existed from the time of Prophet Adam (a) until now are equal, just as each seed in a pomegranate is equal. Each seed is similar in size, and tastes as sweet as the one that rests next to it! But, do you know what makes a person better than another? It is their taqwa, God-consciousness, and good deeds.” Prophet Muḥammad (ṣ) (‘Like Seeds of the Same Pomegranate’, Pages 7-8, Tales of the Last Messenger) | Fingerpainting / printing | Color Value, Complementary Colors | Pomegranates |
| “Among those We have created are a nation who guide by the truth and do justice thereby.” Noble Qurʾān (7:181) | Found art collage | Geometric Shapes, Texture | Toy Train | |
| Gratitude | “Give thanks to Me (Allah) and to your parents” Sūrah Luqmān, Noble Qurʾān (31:14),(Steps To Perfection, AKHLĀQ, Lesson 8.1: Gratefulness to Parents) | Handbuilding with clay | Form | A Gift |
| “And of humans and beasts and cattle there are likewise diverse hues” Noble Qurʾān (35:28) | Painting | Illustration | Cow | |
| Mercy | “O God, send out for us Your rains, Your bounty, Your provision, and Your mercy, and give us water in a measure that would benefit us, satiates our thirst, and makes the land green with grass,” Imām ʿAlī (ʿa) (Nahj al-Balāghah, Sermon 143) | Crayon resist painting | Color Spectrum | |
| “Allah is kind, and He likes kind people.” & “Only the kind-hearted will enter paradise.” Prophet Muḥammad (ṣ)(‘The Merciless Crowd’, Pages 5-6, Tales of the Last Messenger) | Coloring | Primary Colors |
LESSON PLAN STRUCTURE
Here’s a brief outline of the lesson structure. Please refer to the section in the main curriculum about the Studio Thinking Framework by Project Zero for more information.
| LESSON SEGMENT | EXPLANATION | VIEWER |
|---|---|---|
| THEME | This section mentions the name of the specific Root of Risers, on which the art lesson is based. | Students |
| ART PROJECT | This section shows the name of the art project as well as a sample image of the project. | Students |
| OBJECTIVES | There are usually three kinds of objectives we aim to achieve through teaching the art project - a spiritual objective, a technique/skill based objective and an art concept based objective. | Students |
| INSPIRATION | This section contains the Qur’anic verse, hadith or other spiritual content which inspires the creation of the art project. It is a literary branch of the main Roots of Risers theme. | Students |
| THE LESSON | This section elaborates on the inspiration verse. It discusses the spiritual dimension of the art project. | Students |
| THE ART CONCEPT | This section discusses the art skills, techniques and ideas that will be introduced to students in the art project. | Students |
| PROJECT PREPARATION | This section has four main components.It has a list of art materials needed for the project. It also has a ‘Background Prep’ section, with information on what the teacher needs to do before the lesson begins. It has an estimate of the time needed to work on each project.It also has suggestions for project modifications and adaptations for the benefit of all types of learners in the classroom. | Teacher and/or Students. Online students may need to see this slide. |
| CREATION PROCESS | This section shows the step by step process of project creation. It has sample images to guide students, as well as tips on modifications. Students should always be given a choice to add or subtract ideas in the creation process, and be encouraged to personalize their artwork to reflect their own ideas. | Students |
| REFLECTION | This section has been set up as a ‘circle time’ for the teacher to ask students questions about their projects, to review the art concepts and wrap up the lesson with a reference to the spiritual context of the lesson. The teacher may choose to revisit the inspiration verse at this time. | Students |
| HOLISTIC ASSESSMENT | This section has a guide to help assess each student holistically. It has pointers for formative assessments. Teachers may also use other types of assessments to grade students. Please refer to the ‘Sample Assessments’ section in the main curriculum. | Teacher |
| NCAS | This section mentions the National Core Arts Standards implemented in the lesson plan. | Teacher |
| INSPIRATION IMAGES | This section has a larger view of the images that were used as visual inspiration for the art project. | Students |