Art Lesson PlanTitle Personalized Hands (Collaborative Option)

Teacher Corinn Simpkins

Grade level 3-5

Time duration 1-2 Sessions

Overview Students trace their hand and part of their arm then decorate it, illustrating their personality and what it important to them. All the hands will be put together to create a collective display.

Objective/Elements

This provides students a means of creating a small personal piece where they can share personal information on a smaller scale. Most of the elements can be represented in one way or another. Depending upon what the student wants to share. Line, color, shape and pattern are expected.Texture, space and form come into play as some students get more detailed in their representations of family, pets and objects of interest. Stress the importance of illustrating in pictures rather than words.

Materials White drawing paper, pencil, colored pencils/crayons, markers, scissors.

Activities and procedures

I begin by teaching the kids how to trace their hand. I like to have them also leave as much as their arm as possible to provide more room to draw and use the hands as part of a collective project.Next, the kids draw their designs in pencil, using limited words. Once they have a base design, they may color. I encourage leaving no white unless it is essential to an object.Lastly, they cut it out, and I assemble into a collaborative project/poster for the teacher. This may be used as a school wide project incorporating quotes and/or school wide themes with a motivational context.

Conclusions Originally I thought this might be too basic assuming most, if not all, kids have traced their hand and done something of this sort. I was shocked to find out only about half of my students have ever traced their hand. The project turned out far better than I anticipated as the students took it seriously and put a lot of effort into the design and personalization. This is something I will definitely do with the 3rd grade every year.

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