Owen and The Scream

This is another integrated art lesson plan, that uses Kevin Henkes' book Owen and Edvard Munch's painting of The Scream to help talk about being afraid! 

Grades: K-2

Length: 1 Day

Objectives: 1) To make inferences about how Owen and his parents might be feeling or thinking. 2) To make Text-Self Connections.

Questions: Why does Kevin Henkes use the Edvard Munch’s painting The Scream in Owen?

Materials:

            Owen by Kevin Henkes

            A print of The Scream

            White paper

            Crayons

Directions:

         1)    Show students a copy or a picture of Edvard Munch’s painting The Scream.

         2)    Ask students the following questions: Why they think the painting is called The Scream? Why do you think the person is screaming?

         3)    Tell them you are going to read the book Owen and that you want them to stop you when The Scream reminds them of something that they see in an illustration.

         4)    Read Owen by Kevin Henkes. Throughout the read aloud ask students how Owen is feeling? How are the parents feeling?

         5)    Ask them to share their Text to Self Connections, as well, while you read. 

         6)    When students spy Kevin Henkes’ version of the scream, ask students to make an inference about how Owen might be feeling. Why do you think Owen is feeling that way? What is happening in the story?

         7)    After reading, give students time to think about a time they have felt afraid or felt like screaming. Have them share with a buddy.  

         8)    Today the student’s job is to create a drawing of when they felt afraid and felt like screaming. (If they are having a hard time coming up with a time when they felt afraid, share a time that you have felt afraid. I like to use getting lost at the store and not knowing where my mom was.)    

         9)   When students have completed their artwork, choose how to celebrate their work (gallery walk, buddy share, whole class share, or group share). 

Discovering Primary and Secondary Colors!

These lessons can be given through out the year! It is actually best to separate these lessons so that they have multiple opportunities to absorb this information. 


Grades: K-2 

Length: 4 days (Does not need to occur back to back)

Lesson 1 Discover the Secondary Colors

Materials

            Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh

            Model Magic (Red, Yellow and Blue)

            Color Wheel

Before lesson begins

Give a piece of red, yellow, and blue model magic to each child. Have students make 3 red balls, 3 yellow balls and 3 blue balls. Students should not mix the colors!!!

Directions:

            Remind students to keep their hands locked while you read and that they should only touch the model magic, only when you have told them to do so.

Have them point to the colors as you read them “one red, one yellow, and one blue.” Stop and tell them that these are the primary colors. (Make a list of primary colors on the board).

What are the primary colors?

After you read, “the red mouse stepped into a yellow puddle, ” direct students to mix one red ball with one yellow ball. Tell them to mix them until a new color comes to be. What color do you see? ___________ (Orange). Write the word Secondary Colors on the board. Underneath write red + yellow = orange.

Have students lock up their hands and continue reading. After reading, “the yellow mouse hopped into a blue puddle,” direct students to pick up one yellow ball and one blue ball and mix together until they see a new color. What color do you see? ________ (green). Write on the board yellow + blue= green.

Have students lock up their hands and continue reading. After reading, “then the blue mouse jumped into a red puddle,” direct students to pick up one blue ball and one red ball and mix together until they see a new color. What color do you see? _________ (purple). Write on the board, red + blue= purple.

Finish reading!

Review

The primary colors are red, yellow and blue.

Secondary colors are colors that are made when two primary colors mix together. Review the mixes.

            What happens when you mix red and yellow? Yellow and Blue? Red and Blue?

The secondary colors are orange, green and purple.

Introduce students to the color wheel and show where the colors are and how the when two primary colors mix, it makes the color that goes in between.

Lesson 2 Making the Color Wheel

Materials:

            Color wheel

            Blank Color Wheels (white construction paper works best)

            Water Colors

            Paper Towels

Directions:

1)    Review Primary and Secondary colors.

2)    Tell students today we are going to be making our own color wheel using only the primary colors!

3)    The following directions should be done in the format I do it, You do it.

-       paint one part red. Rinse and dry brush.

-       skip one part, paint yellow. Rinse and dry brush.

-       skip one part, paint blue. Rinse and dry brush.

-       What happens when I mix red and yellow together? Put a lot of yellow watercolor in the empty spot between the red and yellow. Rinse and then put red in the same spot, mix together until you make orange.

-       What happens when you mix yellow and blue? Put a lot of yellow watercolor in the empty spot between the yellow and blue. Rinse and put blue in the same spot, mix together until you make green.

-       What happens when you mix blue and red? Put a lot of blue watercolor in the empty spot between the red and blue. Rinse and put red in the same spot, mix together until you make purple.

4)    Let air dry. After they are dry have students on the bottom make a label. Primary colors are red, yellow, and blue. Secondary colors are orange, green and purple.

Lesson 3 Making the Color Purple!

*** I like to use this lesson when we are talking about text-self connections when we have had previous experience with Lilly.

Materials:

            Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes

            A Collection of Purple Objects (preferably different shades)

            Large Poster board (4-5 kids will share)

            Red and Blue Paint

            Paint Brushes

Directions:

• Read Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse.
• After reading, have students look at the different objects of all different shades of purple.
• Ask, how do you make purple?
•  Today you are going to work as a team to discover ways to make purple and different shades of purple. But first, what two primary colors make purple? The best way to make different shades of purple is to make dots. (You can make a connection if you have made the dot art, found in the lesson titled “Everyone is an Artist”)
• Tell them not to mix in the cup of paint, but only on the paper.
• Have them begin to paint. As they paint walk around the room and ask the question, How do you make a lighter purple? Darker purple? Guide them to the conclusion the lighter the purple the more red they need, the darker the purple the more blue they need to use.

Lesson 4 Making the Color Orange (I would suggest using this lesson around Halloween)

Materials:

      A book about pumpkins (can be nonfiction or fiction)

      Red and yellow paint

      Paint brushes

      18x24 white construction paper (1 piece per 2 students)

Directions:

•  Read and discuss pumpkins.
•  Ask, How do you make orange?
• Today you are going to make orange and different shades of orange using the primary colors red and yellow. You are going to be working with a partner to make a pumpkin that are different shades.
• Remind them not to mix in the cup of paint, but only on the paper.
• Have them begin to paint. As they paint walk around the room and ask the question, how do you make a lighter orange? Darker orange?
• Guide them to the conclusion, for lighter orange they need more yellow for darker orange they need more red.

Lesson 5 Making the Color Green (I would suggest using this lesson near Christmas or St. Patrick’s Day)

Materials:

            Read a book about trees or St. Patrick’s Day

            Yellow and Blue Paint

            Paint Brushes

            9X12 white construction paper

Directions:

• Read aloud the book of your choice.
• Ask, how do you make green?
• Today you are going to make green and different shades of green using the primary colors, yellow and blue.
• Remind them not to mix in the cup of paint, but only on their paper.
• Have them begin to paint. As they paint walk around the room and ask the question, how do you make a lighter green? Darker green?
• Guide them to the conclusion, for lighter green they need more yellow for a darker green they need more blue. 

Chrysanthemum, Chrysanthemum, Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemum Galore!

*The beloved favorite written by Kevin Henkes. The following are different ideas of how you can utilize Chrysanthemum in your classroom. It might be a good idea to get the Big Book edition, follow the link!

The Importance of Names

         Read Chrysanthemum and discuss how Chrysanthemum feels about her name. How does she feel about it in the beginning? In the middle? Why did she change the way she feels about her name? In the end? What made her change the way she feels about her name?

         Discuss how names are important! That everyone has a right to be called by their name and that being kind to one another is using each other’s name and not making fun of each other.

Being a Friend

         Discuss how Chrysanthemum classmates were not being good friends. Discuss what makes a good friend, make a list. Was Victoria being a bully?

Weather and Chrysanthemum’s Mood

         Kevin Henkes uses the weather to show how Chrysanthemum’s mood changes during the book. When she is happy, it is sunny. When she is sad, it is raining or storming outside. The weather in the story helps make inferences about how Chrysanthemum is feeling about what is happening at school.

         After reading have students think about their mood and have them create a water color painting that matches their mood.

Act it out!

         In Chrysanthemum there are many instances where you can have your children act out different parts. How did she feel going to school the first time. Sometimes I like it when my students use their faces to match the mood of Chrysanthemum and track it how it changes going back and forth between home and school.

My favorite words for my students to act our are: miserably, wilted, absolutely dreadful, she blushed, she beamed, she bloomed. 

If you would like more ideas buy Teaching with Favorite Kevin Henkes Books

Everyone is an Artist!

Have you ever heard, "I am not good at art!" "I hate art!" "Art isn't for me!" Here is a solution that works every time, by showing your students that everyone is and can be an artist!

Everyone is an Artist

Grades: K-3

Length: 2 days (30-40 minutes)

Visual Art Integration

Objective:

1)    To create an open and safe environment that, students will be able to feel comfortable creating art all year long.

2)   Discuss with students what is and what is not art.

Lesson 1

Materials:

Water Colors

Water Color Paper

The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds

Large Canvas – Optional

Directions:

1.    Read The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds.

2.   After reading, discuss with students what happened in the story and how Vashti saw herself in the beginning of the story and how it changed at the end of the story.

3.   Talk about how everyone is an artist and today they are going to prove it by creating a dot like Vashti did in the story.

4.   Show students how to use water colors (if they have never had prior experience). Tell them it is up to them if they want to use just one dot or more than one dot.

5.   If you want you can make a large canvas with the class where each student gets to create one dot of their own and sign it.

6.   When students are done, go on a gallery walk or have several students stand up at a time and have the class appreciate each others work.

Lesson 2

Materials

Ish by Peter H. Reynolds

White paper

Crayons, colored pencils or pencils (your choice)

1.    Read Ish by Peter H. Reynolds.

2.   During reading, discuss with students how Ramon views his own art. Discuss how at first he loved to draw. What happened when Leon came along? Who helped him see his art in a new way?

3.   Today you are going to be able to draw your favorite object. Remind students that they should try their best and whatever they end up making, just like Ramon they are going to add the word –ish at the end. Before students go back to their seats give them some brainstorming time, have them whisper in your ear what they are going to draw before they get their paper. Give your students a choice of using crayons, colored pencils or pencils.

4.   After students finish, have them label their picture with what they drew with the ending, -ish.

5.   When all students have completed their artwork have each student stand up and say what their drawing is.

**The “ish” art makes a great display and can show students visual art talents.

Education and the Arts

     My hope is for this site to be rich with content and a source of ideas for parents and teachers. Over the last few years, I have been collecting and implementing ideas on how to use the arts in the classroom to benefit all learning styles in my classroom. You will be able to find lesson plan ideas, information on artists, as well as, where to find different books, art prints, c.d.'s, etc.