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Caldercreations

This document provides the lesson plan for a 1 hour and 30 minute art lesson introducing students to the kinetic sculptor Alexander Calder and having them create their own art inspired by his mobiles and stabiles. Students will learn about Calder's use of shapes, colors, balance and movement. They will identify primary colors and use scissors to cut squares into triangles. Then students will make yarn mobiles by gluing colored yarn in designs and triangle stabiles by connecting cut paper triangles in various configurations. The lesson incorporates viewing a video and images of Calder's art as well as hands-on creative activities to explore color, form and kinetic sculpture.

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256 views3 pages

Caldercreations

This document provides the lesson plan for a 1 hour and 30 minute art lesson introducing students to the kinetic sculptor Alexander Calder and having them create their own art inspired by his mobiles and stabiles. Students will learn about Calder's use of shapes, colors, balance and movement. They will identify primary colors and use scissors to cut squares into triangles. Then students will make yarn mobiles by gluing colored yarn in designs and triangle stabiles by connecting cut paper triangles in various configurations. The lesson incorporates viewing a video and images of Calder's art as well as hands-on creative activities to explore color, form and kinetic sculpture.

Uploaded by

api-263381268
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Grades: Kindergarten & 1st

Calder Creations

Medium: Multimedia
Durations: 1Hour & 30Minutes

Kansas State Standard VA:Basic:1.3.1

Materials

Standard 1: Understanding & Applying Media, Techniques, & Processes.


Benchmark 3: The student experiments with various media, techniques, &
process to develop manipulative skills.
Indicator 1: Uses tools and materials to strengthen fine and gross motor skills.

Yarn (Blue, Yellow, Red)


Glue
Wax Paper
Student Names (printed on sm. strips)

Objectives

Construction Paper (Blue, Yellow, Red)


Scissors

Students will identify and use primary colors.

Students will use scissors with control to create triangles out of squares.

Students will create two different types of 3D artwork based on the


artwork of Alexander Calder.

Elements of Art
Shape, Line, Color

Principles of Design

Art Production

Balance(physical), Movement

30 Minutes Introduce Calder, Suspend


1 Hour Yarn Mobiles & Triangle Stabiles

Vocabulary

30 Minutes Introduce Alexander Calder & Kinetic Art


State Objective: Today were going to learn about an artist named Alexander
Calder. Calder made sculptures; thats art in 3D. He made sculptures of animals out
of wire, shapes that hang from the ceiling and move when the air blows, and big
sculptures made out of metal that stand on the ground.

Mobile a decorative structure suspended


so as to turn freely in the air.
Kinetic Art artwork dependent on
movement for its effect.

Input: AlexanderCalder.PPT (Mobiles & Standing Mobiles)

Stabiles a freestanding abstract sculpture


in the style of a mobile but stationary.

Guided Practice: Look at an image of Calders mobile --What type of shapes do you see? (Talk about these shapes in relation to the ones
weve already talked about, Dots-Circles, Lily pads-Ovals.)
What colors do you see? (Discuss Primary Colors briefly)

Primary Colors Red, Blue, Yellow.


These colors are where all other colors
come from; they cannot be mixed.

Independent Practice: Suspend game.


Demonstrate to students how the game works, how to place pieces gently to
balance them. Let students experiment with the game. This is a hands-on learning
experience about balance and kinetic artwork. Allow students to explore the
process for themselves, learning what tips the balance, how gently or slowly they
need to place the pieces, etc.

Art History/Resources

Closure: Ask students what was hard about the Suspend game. Do you think
Alexander Calder had the same problems when he made his art? Next time you
come in well make some art inspired by Alexander Calder.

Calder Creations

AlexanderCalder.PPT

Calder, Black, White, & Ten Red, 1957


Calder, Triple Gong,1951
Calder, Crinkly, 1970
Calder, Crinkly with a Red Disc, 1973
Calder, Wire Elephant, 1928

1 Hour Yarn Mobiles & Triangle Stabiles


Anticipatory Set: OK GO Primary Colors Video. Review- What artists did we
talk about last time you were here? ALEXANDER CALDER. What kinds of art
did Calder make? MOBILES. What made Calders mobiles special? THEY
MOVE. What is the word for that? KINETIC.
Check for Understanding: Last time you were here we talked about the colors
Alexander Calder used in his art. Do you remember what those are? All of our
sculptures are going to be made out of the primary colors. Why do you think that
is?
Input: AlexanderCalder.PPT (Wire Sculptures & Stabiles)
State Objective: Today were going to make Alexander Calder inspired yarn
mobiles (show example) and triangle stabiles (show example) using the primary
colors.
Input/Demonstrate: Today were going to use some different shapes. What
shapes have we talked about before? CIRCLE & OVAL. What shape is this?
(Show square). Show students how to divide a square. What shapes can you make
with a square? If you cut it down the middle you get two rectangles. If you cut it
DIAGONALLY, corner to opposite corner, you get two triangles. Today were
going to cut our squares into triangles.

Calder, Cow, 1929


Calder, La Grande Vitesse,1969
Calder, Trois Pics, 1967
Calder, Object in 5 Planes,1964

Modifications/Notes
OK GO Primary Colors Song
Lego Version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mC
u0l1vBw_k
Original:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddY
Uw7a4erk

Check for Understanding: How should we cut them if we want triangles?


DIAGONALLY. Youll have 3 squares, one blue, one red, and one yellow. If you
cut your blue square in half how many triangles will you have? 2. How many red
triangles? 2. How many yellow triangles? 2. How many triangles is that total? 6.
Input/Demonstrate: Then youll cut a small slice into each one. Make sure you
dont cut it all the way through. You can use those cuts to put your triangles
together and build your STABILE sculpture (demonstrate). Take your triangles
apart and put them together in lots of different ways. If it falls over, thats okay;
put it back together
Independent Practice: Provide each student with one square of blue, yellow, and
red paper. Have each student pick up a pair of scissors.
1. Cut each square into two triangles.
2. Cut a small slit into one side of each triangle.
3. Experiment with different ways to connect the triangles. This may be creating
two sculptures with all the primary colors, or trying to build one big sculpture.
Because the construction paper isnt sturdy, building with more than three triangles
will be tricky.
Guided Practice: While students are working on their triangles stabiles, call out a
table at time to make their yarn sculptures. Have a table set up with 15inch strings
of red, blue, and yellow yarn, painting mats covered in wax paper, and a container
with a 2:1 glue and water mixture.
1. Select a primary color of yarn. (Red, Blue, or Yellow)
2. Dip the string in the glue, hold a small piece out of the glue so you have
something to hold on to.
3. Pull the string out and use the edge of the container to scrape off excess. (It may
be helpful to do this part for the students)
4. Place the glued yarn down on a sheet of wax paper in any design you like.

Calder Creations

Students may try to create an animal like Alexander Calder, a shape, or just an
abstract scribbly shape.
5. Wrap a strip of paper with the students name on it, around the glued yarn for
identification.
5. When students are finished, place their piece on the drying rack and they may
return to their stabiles.
Closure: Use envelopes to corral stabile pieces. Write the students name on an
envelope and have them put all their pieces in it.

Aesthetic Questions
Does movement bring Calders work to life?

Art Criticism/Analysis Questions


What colors do you see in Alexander Calders artworks?
Which type of Calders artwork do you like best? Why?

Calder Creations

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