Visual Arts Education — Grade 1

Calico Watercolor Cats

This two-class lesson focuses on students learning how to draw a cat using geometric shapes, learning and applying wet-on-wet technique of watercolor painting, and using crayon to create area surrounding cats. The final art product will be a mixed media painting of one cat and one kitten in an indoor or outdoor environment. Students will orally present their completed artwork using prepositions and nouns to describe the location of their cats.

Format: lesson plan (grade 1 Visual Arts Education and English Language Development)

By Barbara Zimmerman and Heidi Summers.

Colorful fruit bowl

Students learn color theory by exploring color mixing. Students will use overlapping to show simple perspective in their picture.

Format: lesson plan (grade 1 Healthful Living Education and Visual Arts Education)

By Marilyn Carter.

Old Hat, New Hat - 3-D Pattern Hats

After students read "Old Hat, New Hat" by Jan Berenstain and Stan Berenstain, they create new 3-D hats in art.

Format: lesson plan (grade 1 Visual Arts Education and Mathematics)

By Lisa Mitchell.

Painted Cylindrical Sculptures

Students will experiment painting a variety of lines as directed in addition to inventing their own on 12" x 18" paper. Students will also glue pre-cut paper strips onto their sculptures experimenting with a variety of paper sculpture techniques such as bending, folding and curling.

Format: lesson plan (grade 1 Visual Arts Education and Mathematics)

By Rose Szabo.

Lesson plans on the web

Shape hunt

Students look for examples of patterns and shapes in both the natural and designed world. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 English Language Arts, Visual Arts Education, and Mathematics)

Provider: American Association for the Advancement of Science