This lesson plan is aimed primarily at the 4th and 5th grade level. However, with a few minor alterations it can be used in art classes from early elementary through middle school. It is designed to include information about a specific Wisconsin Artist (Georgia O'Keeffe). This information could easily be changed to provide information on local artists from anywhere.
Instruct students to color each part of the flower as we go over the handout
Provide real flowers to examine
Count the petals; find the pistil, stamen, stem, etc.
Questions about flowers
How many petals are there?
How many stamens are there?
How many pistils are there?
How does it fell? (rough, smooth, warm, cool, etc.)
How does it smell?
Have the students exchange flowers and ask each other questions about the parts of the flower. Encourage them to look at many flowers and notice the differences in them.
As you have just seen, many artists were inspired by flowers. Now it's our turn to be inspired by the flowers we have just examined. Let's create flower booklets using your own ideas and inspiration with flowers.
Procedure
Take the 4 1/2" by 24" card stock paper and demonstrate how to fold it in half and then fold each end back to the center, and fold again to the center, until the paper is evenly divided into 8 panels. Be sure to press edges with a stiff object shuch as a ruler to make good creases. Paper size is determined by measuring the height of the seed packet which is 4 1/2" and 8 times the width of the seed packet which is 24").
Demonstrate how to reverse the folds so that the strip becomes an accordion fold. Put a small (f) on the section that will be the front cover and a small (b) on the section that will be the back cover.
Cut the front of the seed packet to fit the front cover. Glue this part of the packet to the section labeled (f). Cut the back of the seed packet to fit the back cover and set aside. Have "baggies" or envelopes to hold the students' seeds.
Flip the accordion book over so the section labeled (b) is face up. Cover the back section with glue. Find the middle of the 24" ribbon (color chosen to compliment the colors in the seed packet) and lay the ribbon flat across the middle of the back section. Place the back of the seed packet, cut to size, on top of the ribbon. When the glue dries the ribbon can be wrapped around the book to close it.
Paste or glue each (colored) flower part to pages on one side of the accordion book. Lay the accordion book so that the inside sections are all laid out on the table. Put the individual parts in their sequential order. It helps if you tell your students to lay them out so they go up or down the flower plant.
The opposite side of your accordion book can be your creative side. Write poetry. Add your own design ideas...use markers, magiazine cut outs, photographs, crayon, rubber stamps, colored pencils, watercolors or whatever. Be inspired by flowers! This creative part will balance the memorization of the flower parts on the opposite side (integration of art and science in equal parts).
Note: you can have the children create their designs directly on the cardstock or on paper (white or colored Xerox, construction paper, etc.) cut to size of the cardstock and glue down when they have completed their designs.
When these sections are complete and glued, the accordion booklet can be folded up and tied with the attached ribbon.
Closure and Assessment:
Recall: Students will be asked to identify the different parts of the flower. Students will be given the opportunity to share a poem.
Metacognition: Divide the students into small groups of 3 or 4 and have them share a poem and explain why they chose or wrote the poem they included in their booklet.
Trasfer of Knowledge: While still in smalll groups have the students share their booklet with each other. You may want to have them switch into other groups and continue to share their booklet with other class members. Ask the students to go home and show their booklet to their families and explain the different parts of the flower while sharing the booklet.
The opposite side of your accordion book can be your creative side. Write poetry. Add your own design ideas...use markers, magiazine cut outs, photographs, crayon, rubber stamps, colored pencils, watercolors or whatever. Be inspired by flowers! This creative part will balance the memorization of the flower parts on the opposite side (integration of art and science in equal parts).