"Where's Waldo" Narrative Art Lesson
Submitted by: Donna Rodeghiero, Beecher High School, Beecher, IL
Unit: Drawing - Identity - Illustration
Lesson: "Where's Waldo" - Self "Portrait"
Grade Level: High school (adaptable to lower grades)
Description:
Students create a narrative piece showing their likes and dislikes. "Where's Waldo" (Where's Wally) serves as inspiration. Look at narrative art - Hieronymus Bosch and others. Students learn there can be different kinds of self portraits.
Objectives:
Identify the cultural clues found within art forms
Produce/explore works of art based on their environment - personal experiences. Create a work of art about self.
Recognize how technical elements affect works of art - use elements and principles of design effectively
Click images for larger views
Materials:
(Optional) Where's Waldo?
White Drawing Paper
Drawing Pencils
Sharpie Fine Point Markers
Colored Pencils
Resources:
Hieronymus Bosch (Scholastic Art past issue on Narration: Hieronymus Bosch). Also see the book, Hieronymus Bosch
Where's Waldo (Where's Wally) (Google image search will bring up examples) - illustrator Martin Handford
Star Wallowing Bull - Cultural Identity - "Black Elk's Little Sandman" - learning poster from Plains Art Museum. Poster is free - just pay shipping charges. More work by Star Wallowing Bull (Native American) can be found on line. Try a Google search.
Books
Where's Waldo? The Complete Collection
Where's Waldo? 2014 Calendar
Misc:
Wheres Waldo Costume Kit
Where's Waldo? Poster
Instruction/Motivation:
Show examples of narrative art. Look for cultural clues in narrative art by Heironymus Bosch. Present some images of Where's Waldo. Compare/contrast with work of Bosch.
Tell students they will fill the composition with memories from early childhood to present. (Donna told them it could be about anything and everything they liked or disliked from their earliest memories on....like having glasses or braces, their pets, their games or special holidays or vacations that had a lasting effect on their lives or memories and to go from there.)
Look at some different kinds of self portraits (such as Van Gogh's chair and others).
Procedures:
Brainstorm events, happenings, memories from early childhood on. Make sketches on newsprint to represent the happenings, events - likes and dislikes
Fill composition on drawing paper with images to represent memories. Plan to unify the composition - repeating patterns. shapes and colors.
Color with choice of colored pencils, markers or watercolor.
Write a reflection about finished work.
Class critique.
Added by Jackie Brewer:
I have done something very similar to this. The students have difficulty when it comes to thinking of things about themselves. My approach has been this:
Brainstorm. List 20 things about themselves (can relate to family, events, likes and dislikes).
Choose sixteen, I don't tell them much more than this at a time for fear of getting trite ideas.
Fold 12" x 18" (30.5 x 46 cm) newsprint paper into sections to create sixteen areas.
Then they are told that they must illustrate all sixteen items. They may bring items in to work from but can not use magazines.
Cut out the individual drawings, such as around an apple... around the rose... etc.
I give them an 9" x 12" (23 x 30.5 cm) piece of Construction Paper
.
They take the cutouts and make a collage of the drawings. Note: individual drawings could be photocopied larger or smaller if needed.
Draw a grid on top of the collage.
Enlarge on to 18" x 24" (46 x 61 cm) paper. Fill in negative space with patterns/shapes to unify.
Complete in color.
Jackie suggests this for semester exam project which makes a good Christmas gift to mom and dad if they incorporate family and family traditions.
Assessment/Rubric (adapted from Rubric by Marianne Galyk)
Assessment Rubric |
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Student Name: |
Class Period: |
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Assignment: About Me Memories (Where's Waldo) |
Date Completed: |
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Circle the number in pencil that best shows how well you feel that you completed that criterion for the assignment. |
Excellent |
Good |
Average |
Needs Improvement |
Rate Yourself |
Teacher’s Rating |
|
Criteria 1 – sketches and planning |
10 |
9 – 8 |
7 |
6 or less |
|
|
|
Criteria 2 – composition filled with images representing memories |
10 |
9 – 8 |
7 |
6 or less |
|
|
|
Criteria 3 – composition has unity through use of color, shapes, patterns. |
10 |
9 – 8 |
7 |
6 or less |
|
|
|
Criteria 4 – Effort: took time to develop idea & complete project? (Didn’t rush.) Good use of class time? |
10 |
9 – 8 |
7 |
6 or less |
|
|
|
Criteria 5 – Craftsmanship – Neat, clean & complete? Skillful use of the art tools & media? |
10 |
9 – 8 |
7 |
6 or less |
|
|
|
Total: 50 |
Grade:
|
|
|
|
|
Your Total |
Teacher Total |
Student reflection:
Teacher's Comments:
National Standards: Standards covered would depend on how much critique/student discussion
1. Understanding and applying media, techniques, and processes |
2. Using knowledge of structures and functions |
3. Choosing and evaluating a range of subject matter, symbols, and ideas |
5. Reflecting upon and assessing the characteristics and merits of their work and the work of others |
Students apply media, techniques, and processes with sufficient skill, confidence, and sensitivity that their intentions are carried out in their artworks |
Students demonstrate the ability to form and defend judgments about the characteristics and structures to accomplish commercial, personal, communal, or other purposes of art |
|
Students identify intentions of those creating artworks, explore the implications of various purposes, and justify their analyses of purposes in particular works |
Students conceive and create works of visual art that demonstrate an understanding of how the communication of their ideas relates to the media, techniques, and processes they use |
Students evaluate the effectiveness of artworks in terms of organizational structures and functions |
Students apply subjects, symbols, and ideas in their artworks and use the skills gained to solve problems in daily life |
Students describe meanings of artworks by analyzing how specific works are created and how they relate to historical and cultural contexts |
