INTRODUCTION TO SECOND GRADE ART
FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS AND EXPECTATIONS
Second graders are the most energetic kids in the art room. Around this age, some kids have developed advanced artistic skills, while others still struggle to make their objects look realistic, or struggle to cut straight lines. It is very important to modify lesson plans to include the variety of emerging skill levels, and to make sure the lesson implementation is well balanced and inclusive of all abilities. In addition to the art lessons provided here, introduce color theory in art instruction and projects, like teaching color value, warm and cool colors. Introduce children to adding details in their clay projects with the 4S clay attaching method. A variety of painting techniques like crayon resist and salt on wet paint are fun at this age. Encourage children to begin drawing from observation, to observe patterns in nature, and to create balance in their drawings. Encourage children to give positive feedback while reviewing their peers, and to always take pride in their efforts.Along with teaching art based on these lessons, encourage children to observe their surroundings and draw inspiration from what they see. You can choose to alternate structured lessons with student choice based art centers, where students are encouraged to freely explore various art techniques without having a definite project based goal in mind.
LESSON: WILĀYAH 1
| THEME | INSPIRATION | TECHNIQUE | ART CONCEPT | ART PROJECT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilāyah | “Behold! The example of the Household of Muḥammad (ṣ) is like the stars of the heaven: when one stars sets another one rises.” Imām ʿAlī (ʿa) (Nahj al-Balaghah, Sermon 100) | Watercolor Paint & gel pens | Illustration | Stars at night |
| “All Praise is for Allah, the Nurturer of the worlds”Sūrah al-Fātiḥah, Noble Qurʾān | Painting | Organic Shapes, Warm/Cool Colors | Snail family | |
| Trust | “Don't you know that Allah is always watching?” Noble Qurʾān (96:14) (Steps To Perfection, ʿAQĀʿID, Lesson 2.4: Allah is al-Baṣīr) | Handbuilding with clay | Form | Oranges |
| Heavenly Trees (Page 41, Tales of the Last Messenger) | Painting & Printing | Traditional Illustration,Pattern | Heavenly Trees | |
| Patience | “They intend to blow out the Light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah will perfect His Light, even though the disbelievers may not like it.” Noble Qurʾān (61:8)(Steps To Perfection, ʿAQĀʿID, Lesson 5.2: The Living Imām (ʿaj) ) | Printing, Painting, Collage | Color Value, Directional Lines | Sun Behind Clouds |
| “So, surely with hardship comes ease” Noble Qurʾān (94:5) | Crayon resist painting | Color Spectrum | Rainbow | |
| Respect | “Heaven lies under the feet of your mother.” & “Whoever makes his mother and father happy has indeed made Allah happy.” Prophet Muḥammad (ṣ)(Steps To Perfection, AKHLĀQ, Lesson 1.1: Respecting Parents) | Drawing, Collage | Patterns | Flowers |
| Manners in a Masjid (Steps To Perfection, AKHLĀQ, Lesson 9.1: Manners in a Masjid) | Painting, Collage | Warm and Cool Colors, Texture | Masjid Design | |
| Justice | “ʿAdālah means that Allah is just and fair”(Steps To Perfection, ʿAQĀʿID, Lesson 3.1: ʿAdālah) | Crayon resist painting | Proportion | Foxes and apples |
| “He brings forth gardens, trellised and untrellised, palm trees and crops, different to eat, and the olive and pomegranates alike and unlike. When it bears fruit eat of it and pay what is due (the zakat) of it upon the harvest day. But do not be wasteful; He does not love the wasteful.” Noble Qurʾān (6:141) | Coloring media | Landscape, Texture | Orchard | |
| Gratitude | “Good etiquette in a person is like a tree whose roots are the intellect.” Imām ʿAlī (ʿa) (Ghurar al-Ḥikam) | Watercolor painting | Character Design | Sharing |
| "It is He who has made the night and day follow each other for those whom He desires to remember or He desires to be thankful." Noble Qurʾān (25:62) | Agamograph | Balance, Contrast | Day & Night | |
| Mercy | “Be good to others just as Allah has been good to you,” Noble Qurʾān (28:77)(‘The Thirsty Kitten’, Page 9, Tales of the Last Messenger) | Collage | Portrait | Kitten |
| Twenty-One Dates (Page 131, Tales of the Last Messenger) | Collage | Still Life | Dates Platter |
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 |