Cut Paper Dragons
Lesson Plan: Chinese New Year
Author unknown
Dragons!
Procedure:
After a short talk about Chinese dragons and what occasions they're used, Students can make a long dragon with accordion folds. Cut out front of dragon, middle, and back as shown from 9"X12" (23 x 30.5 cm) paper (one piece of 9 x 12 for each section). Color patterns on both sides. Fold fan style (accordion fold). Connect and glue together.
Materials:
Construction Paper
Links
Chinese Dragons- A site that explains the uses for them and includes many pictures.
Chinese Dragons- A comprehensive site with pictures, legends, and cultures.
Resources
A Painting from the Twilight Zone
A Painting from the Twilight Zone
Lesson Plan: Post Impressionism/Expressionism
Unknown lesson submitter
Materials:
12"x18" (30.5 x 46 cm) Heavy Drawing Paper
Brushes, water dishes, Tempera Paint
Procedures:
Forget about painting things the way they look! What about how they feel? After viewing works by Gauguin and Van Gogh, students see that there are many colors that inhabit the world. The sky can become broad strokes of orange, red, purple, and green. A face can become streaks of blue, orange, red, and brown.
With bright or unusual colors, an artist can create a Twilight Zone. When artists paint colors that give the viewer an emotion, that becomes Expressionism. Red typically signifies anger. Blue can mean depression. Black can be death. White can be purity, etc. (For further symbolisms of color, visit IAD's page on color)
Students then will paint a 12 X 18 (30.5 x 46 cm) tempera painting using Expressionists' colors and brush styles. Tell them to add colors like in Gauguin and Van Gogh paintings. Tell students that everyone should be able to tell what emotion that is in the painting.
Follow-up: Show students work done by the little Expressionists and have them discuss how they feel when they see the paintings.
