THE ART OF CHANGE– A CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL ADVENTURE: EXPLORING PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL CHANGES THROUGH INDIGO DYEING 5,7

EXPLORING PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL CHANGES THROUGH INDIGO DYEING

THE ART OF CHANGE–A CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL ADVENTURE:EXPLORING PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL CHANGES THROUGH INDIGO DYEING

Learning Description

Students will explore both physical and chemical changes by using the visual arts process of indigo dyeing to help students apply their understanding of chemical and physical changes as they go through the various steps of dyeing fabric.

 

Learning Targets

GRADE BAND: 5,7
CONTENT FOCUS: VISUAL ARTS & SCIENCE
LESSON DOWNLOADS:

Download PDF of this Lesson

"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

  • I can use art materials to engage in the artistic process of indigo dyeing./li>
  • I can differentiate between which steps in the visual arts process were physical changes and which were chemical changes.
  • I can justify my artistic choices using my knowledge of both physical and chemical changes.

Essential Questions

  • How can visual arts be used to demonstrate understanding of what constitutes a physical change versus a chemical change?
  • How can the artistic process of indigo dyeing be used to model and classify both physical and chemical changes?

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 5:

S5P1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to explain the differences between a physical change and a chemical change.
a.Plan and carry out investigations of physical changes by manipulating, separating, and mixing dry and liquid materials.
b.Construct an argument based on observations to support a claim that the physical changes in the state of water are due to temperature changes, which cause small particles that cannot be seen to move differently.
c. Plan and carry out an investigation to determine if a chemical change occurred based on observable evidence (color, gas, temperature change, odor, new substance produced).

Arts Standards

Grade 5:

VA5.CR.1 Engage in the creative process to generate and visualize ideas by using subject matter and symbols to communicate meaning.
VA5.CR.2 Create works of art based on selected themes.
VA5.CR.3 Understand and apply media, techniques, processes, and concepts of two-dimensional art.
VA5.CN.2 Integrate information from other disciplines to enhance the understanding and production of works of art.

 

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 7:

7-PS1-2. Analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after the substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.

Arts Standards

Anchor Standard 1: I can use the elements and principles of art to create artwork.
Anchor Standard 2: I can use different materials, techniques, and processes to make art. 
Anchor Standard 7: I can relate visual arts ideas to other arts disciplines, content areas, and careers.

 

Key Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary

  • State of matter - The distinct forms that different phases of matter take on: solid, liquid, gas and plasma
  • Physical change - A change from one state of matter to another without a change in chemical composition
  • Chemical change - A change that produces one or more new substances and may release energy
  • Substance - A type of matter that has a unique set of properties
  • Material - Relating to, derived from, or consisting of matter
  • Heat - The movement of thermal energy from one place to another
  • Reversible change - A change that can be undone; often called a physical or temporary change
  • Irreversible change - A process that is not reversible
  • Mixtures - A combination of two or more substances that can be separated by physical means
  • Compound - A substance made up of two or more elements that are chemically combined. For example, carbon dioxide is a compound that is chemically combined
  • Oxidize - To undergo a chemical reaction in which a substance combines with oxygen, resulting in a change in its chemical composition

Arts Vocabulary

  • Indigo dye - An organic compound with a distinctive blue color; historically, indigo was a natural dye extracted from plants, and this process was important economically because blue dyes were once rare
  • Indican - The compound that yields indigo blue, is a glycoside: a sugar (in this case a form of glucose) bound to another molecule, indoxyl; when the glycosidic bond is broken, the indoxyl is freed; then the indoxyl compound is oxidized, it becomes blue: indigo blue
  • Shibori - A Japanese manual resist dyeing technique, which produces patterns on fabric
  • Resist - A technique where a substance or material is applied to a surface to prevent certain areas from absorbing paint, dye, or ink; it creates patterns, designs, or textures by "resisting" the medium in specific areas


Materials


Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

  • Review physical and chemical changes.
  • Introduce students to the art of Shibori with images.
    • Have students observe the images using a visual thinking strategy, such as the artful thinking routine of 10x2 or the artful thinking routine of Colors/Shapes/Lines.
      • 10x2 Artful Thinking Routine:
        • Look at the image quietly for at least 30 seconds. Let your eyes wander.
        • List 10 words or phrases about any aspect of the picture.
        • Repeat Steps 1 and 2: Look at the image again and try to add 10 more words or phrases to your list.
      • Colors/Shapes/Lines Artful Thinking Routine:
        • Look at the artwork or object for a moment.
          • What colors do you see?
          • What shapes do you see?
          • What lines do you see?

Tell students that Shibori is a technique that results in both physical and chemical changes.

Work Session

Teacher note: This activity can be done in small groups or as a whole class.

Hand out the physical and chemical changes checklist. Students may complete this individually or in pairs/groups. Students will complete the checklist during the process.

  • Pass out the Indigo Dying Chart to students. Spend a few minutes going over the document.
  • Follow these steps for preparing the indigo:
    • Fill a bucket with four gallons of water.
    • Add the thiox and soda ash to the water while stirring.
    • Add the reduced indigo.
    • Stir in a clockwise motion until indigo is dissolved, reverse the direction and place the lid on the bucket.
    • Let indigo sit for twenty minutes.
  • While the indigo is sitting, demonstrate or show students a video of shibori folding techniques. Students should fold their cloth and bind to create a resist.
  • Remove the lid from the indigo vat and remove the frothy bloom. The bloom is the result of oxygen leaving the vat. Now the vat is ready for dyeing.
  • Put on rubber gloves.
  • Dip the fabric bundle into clean water and wring out.
  • Hold your bundle under the surface of the indigo vat, massaging the dye into the fabric for one minute.
  • Remove the bundle; notice the physical characteristics of the bundle.
  • It should be a yellow color that changes from green to blue as it oxidizes.
    • Ask students to make observations about what is happening to the color and why they think it’s changing.
    • Discuss what it means for something to “oxidize”.
  • The bundle may be dipped multiple times to obtain a deep blue color.
  • Allow the bundle to sit for ten minutes.
  • Rinse the bundle under water.
  • Unbind your bundle and admire your design.
  • Hang to dry.

Closing Reflection

  • Have students reflect on the following questions either in small groups or in a written format:
    • How did engaging in the arts support and build upon your understanding of chemical and physical changes?
    • How did this STEAM activity help you understand chemical and physical changes in the world around you?
    • If you were to go through this artistic process again, what would you do differently? Why?


Assessments

Formative

  • Observations of students in the artistic process
  • Question and answer

Summative

Indigo Dying Chart


DIFFERENTIATION

Acceleration: 

Ask students to predict their shibori pattern based on their folding technique. Compare the predictions and final product.

Remediation:

  • Chunk the lesson by periodically stopping to review the Indigo Dying Chart with students and discuss the physical and chemical changes that are taking place.
  • Allow students to work with a small group or in partners on the Indigo Dying Chart.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Shibori: https://www.seamwork.com/issues/2015/08/shibori-dyeing


CREDITS

U.S. Department of Education- STEM + the Art of Integrated Learning

*This integrated lesson provides differentiated ideas and activities for educators that are aligned to a sampling of standards. Standards referenced at the time of publishing may differ based on each state’s adoption of new standards.

Revised and copyright:  June 2025 @ ArtsNOW

 

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CLASSY CLASSIFYING OF ARTSY ANIMALS: CREATE A CRITTER 3,5

CREATE A CRITTER

CLASSY CLASSIFYING OF ARTSY ANIMALS: CREATE A CRITTER

Learning Description

In this lesson, students will explore animal attributes by creating a one-of-a-kind critter using the art technique of “exquisite corpse”. The synthesis of knowledge of animal classification in this visual way is both engaging and memorable. Students will write a description of their critter detailing the characteristics of each animal group they integrated into their design. Students will name their animal and present their animal to the class via a “Wanted” poster.

 

Learning Targets

GRADE BAND: 3,5
CONTENT FOCUS: VISUAL ARTS & SCIENCE
LESSON DOWNLOADS:

Download PDF of this Lesson

"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

  • I can create a critter that integrates three different animal parts.
  • I can create an original name for my critter based upon the attributes.
  • I can create a “Wanted” poster for my unique critter that describes its animal characteristics.

Essential Questions

  • How can I apply my knowledge of animal classification to create a new critter using the “exquisite corpse” technique?

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 5:

S5L1 Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to group organisms using scientific classification procedures.
S5L1.a Develop a model that illustrates how animals are sorted into groups (vertebrate and invertebrate) and how vertebrates are sorted into groups (fish, amphibian, reprise, bird, and mammal) using data from multiple sources.

Arts Standards

Grade 5:

VA5.CR.1 Engage in the creative process to generate and visualize ideas by using subject matter and symbols to communicate meaning.
VA5.CR.2 Create works of art based on selected themes.

 

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 3:

3-LS2-1. Construct an argument that some animals form groups that help members survive.
3-LS3-1. Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence that plants and animals have inherited traits that vary within a group of similar organisms.

Arts Standards

Anchor Standard 1: I can use the elements and principles of art to create artwork.
Anchor Standard 2: I can use different materials, techniques, and processes to make art.

 

Key Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary

  • Vertebrate - An animal that has a backbone or spinal column, which is part of an internal skeleton that supports its body
  • Invertebrate - An animal that does not have a backbone or spinal column
  • Mammal - A warm-blooded vertebrate animal characterized by the presence of hair or fur, the ability to produce milk for its young through mammary glands, and (in most cases) giving live birth
  • Amphibian - A cold-blooded vertebrate animal that typically has a life cycle with both aquatic and terrestrial stages
  • Fish - A cold-blooded, aquatic vertebrate that lives in water and breathes through gills
  • Bird - A warm-blooded vertebrate animal characterized by feathers, beaks (instead of teeth), and the ability to lay eggs with hard shells
  • Reptile - A cold-blooded vertebrate animal that typically has scaly skin and lays eggs with leathery or hard shells
  • Insect - A small invertebrate animal that belongs to the class Insecta; Insects have three main body parts: The head, thorax, and abdomen
  • Classify - To organize or group objects, organisms, or phenomena based on shared characteristics or properties
  • Characteristics - The distinguishing features, traits, or properties of an object, organism, or phenomenon that help to identify or describe it
  • Organism - Any living thing, whether it's a plant, animal, fungus, bacterium, or microorganism, that exhibits the characteristics of life
  • Backbone - A flexible, column-like structure made up of individual bones called vertebrae
  • Warm-blooded - Refers to animals that can regulate and maintain a constant internal body temperature, regardless of the temperature of their surroundings
  • Cold-blooded - Refers to animals whose internal body temperature is largely determined by the temperature of their environment
  • Reproduce - The biological process by which living

Arts Vocabulary

  • Surrealism - A 20th-century avant-garde movement in art and literature that sought to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind, for example by the irrational juxtaposition of images
  • Exquisite Corpse - A method by which a collection of words or images is collectively assembled (much like a collage)
  • Line - Curves or marks that span a distance between two points
  • Texture - The feel, appearance, or consistency of a surface
  • Shape - The form of an object or its external boundary, outline, or external surface, as opposed to other properties such as color, texture or material composition
  • Space - Any area that an artist provides for a particular purpose, this includes the background, foreground and middleground, and the distances or around, between, and within things
  • Subject matter - The topic dealt with or the subject represented in a work of art


Materials


Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

  • Show examples of exquisite corpse artwork using https://www.britannica.com/art/exquisite-corpse or drawings by Surrealist artists.
    • Lead students through the See, Think, Wonder artful thinking routine for one of the images. Instruct students to look at the artwork or object for a moment.
      • What do you see?
      • What do you think about what you see?
      • What do you wonder about?
    • Tell students that exquisite corpse drawings were a form of artwork where one artist would draw one portion of a figure, another artist would add another portion without looking at the first portion, and so on.
    • Exquisite corpse drawings were part of the Surrealist art movement.

Work Session

  • Review characteristics/attributes of each vertebrate group (bird, fish, mammal, amphibian, reptile).
  • Tell students that they will be demonstrating their understanding of vertebrate groups through creating exquisite corpses.
  • Review procedures of working with groups and time constraints for the lesson.

Part I–Creating the Exquisite Corpse:

  • Show students how to fold paper so that there are three vertical sections.
  • Each student will roll a die. They will draw the body part according to the number they roll:
  • 1= bird 2 = fish 3 = mammal 4 = amphibian 5 = reptile 6 = invertebrate. For example, if “mammal” is rolled. the student could draw the head of a dog on the top section.
  • Students should focus on communicating the defining characteristics of that group of vertebrates, such as fur, a beak, scales, etc.
  • After a specified amount of time, the student will fold the paper so that only the middle section is showing (IMPORTANT–the student needs to continue the top part of the drawing slightly into the next section so that the next student knows where to start drawing) and pass to the next student. The students will again roll the die, and draw the torso of an animal that represents that group.
  • After a specified amount of time, the student will fold the paper so that only the bottom section is showing and pass to the next student. The students will again roll the die and draw the bottom (feet, tail) of an animal that represents that group.
  • The last student in the group will open the paper to reveal the three sections.

Part 2–Creating the “Wanted” Poster:

  • The student will take the created critter and develop a name for the critter using all three of the animals in the picture.
  • The student can now outline with Sharpies if desired, add color and an environmental background for the critter.
  • Each section of the critter should be finished using different textures and colors accurate to that group of vertebrates.
  • This paper will then be turned into a “wanted poster”. The student will write a description using some characteristics of all of the animal parts. (E.g. Be on the lookout for a missing “Ligerdile” (lion, tiger, crocodile) that has escaped.  It has fur, is warm blooded and might be near the eggs it laid. It was last seen…..)

Classroom Tips:

  • Encourage students to consider placement and size of each body part; center each part; draw large enough to show texture and details, etc.
  • The teacher should emphasize that while the drawing does not have to be realistic, it should include enough detail to show characteristics of the vertebrate group.

Closing Reflection

  • Students should reflect on the following questions at the conclusion of the lesson. This can be done as a discussion or in written form.
    • From using the exquisite corpse technique, what did you learn about animal classification?
    • How realistic was this–does this sort of cross-breeding happen in real ecosystems? Can we brainstorm some examples of this?
    • What sort of adaptations could we envision these critters having? How would these help them survive in their ecosystem?


Assessments

Formative

  • Class discussion
  • Teacher should check in with small groups as they work on their critter to ensure they understand the attributes of each animal group
  • Questioning

Summative

Project Rubric for the “Wanted Poster”


Differentiation

Acceleration: 

  • Students can use ChatterKids to make their critters come to life and share their descriptions and characteristics that they wrote.
  • Students can create a three-dimensional model of the critter by molding aluminum foil for the body and gluing textured materials on the surface.
  • Students can do additional research on the different types of vertebrate groups prior to making their exquisite corpse critters.
  • Students can write a story in which their critter is the main character.

Remediation:

  • Students will be provided with different pictures of invertebrates and vertebrates cut up into three sections (the head, torso, and legs). They will create a creature by gluing down the parts of the pictures they choose. Students will roll a dice. They will paste down the body parts according to the number they roll:
    1= bird 2 = fish 3 = mammal 4 = amphibian 5 = reptile 6 = invertebrate
  • Writing Accommodations:
    • Label critter’s characteristics directly on the poster using a word bank provided by the teacher.
    • Students may type their critter descriptions in OneNote using the “Dictate” feature. Students can then copy the description to their poster. (OneNote > Learning Tools Add-in > Dictate).
    • Students can write a longer description including how their critter’s characteristics contribute to their ideal habitat.


Credits

U.S. Department of Education- STEM + the Art of Integrated Learning

Ideas contributed by: Sarah Weiss, Virginia Diederich, Abby Hernandez, Edited by Jessica Espinoza, Edited by Dr. Carla Cohen

*This integrated lesson provides differentiated ideas and activities for educators that are aligned to a sampling of standards. Standards referenced at the time of publishing may differ based on each state’s adoption of new standards.

Revised and copyright:  June 2025 @ ArtsNOW

 

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ECO-EXPRESSIONS: MONET MASTERPIECES 4-5

MONET MASTERPIECES

CAN YOU BALANCE?MONET MASTERPIECES

Learning Description

Students will analyze the Water Lilies series by Claude Monet inspired by his garden in Giverny, France. Students will then create their own paintings that depict the ecosystem. Students will be asked to visually represent the roles of consumers, producers, and decomposers, as well as their energy sources, through their artwork. Students will be asked to reflect on how they synthesized their knowledge of the ecosystem in their impressionistic paintings.

 

Learning Targets

GRADE BAND: 4,5
CONTENT FOCUS: VISUAL ARTS & SCIENCE
LESSON DOWNLOADS:

Download PDF of this Lesson

"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

  • I can identify consumers, producers, decomposers and their energy sources.
  • I can apply impressionistic techniques while painting an ecosystem landscape.
  • I can analyze the relationships of the different roles in the ecosystem
  • I can interpret the various roles in the ecosystem by making body movement and voice choices.

Essential Questions

  • How can I demonstrate my understanding of the interworking of an ecosystem through visual arts?
  • What are consumers, producers, and decomposers, and what are their energy sources?

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 4:

S4L1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the roles of organisms and the flow of energy within an ecosystem.
a.Develop a model to describe the roles of producers, consumers, and decomposers in a community.
b.Develop simple models to illustrate the flow of energy through a food web/food chain beginning with sunlight and including producers, consumers, and decomposers.
c.Design a scenario to demonstrate the effect of a change on an ecosystem.
d. Use printed and digital data to develop a model illustrating and describing changes to the flow of energy in an ecosystem when plants or animals become scarce, extinct or overabundant.

Arts Standards

Grade 4:

VA4.CR.2 Create works of art based on selected themes.
VA4.CR.3 Understand and apply media, techniques, processes, and concepts of two-dimensional art.
VA4.RE.1 Use a variety of approaches for art criticism and to critique personal works of art and the artwork of others to enhance visual literacy.

 

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 5:

5-LS2-1. Develop a model to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment.

Arts Standards

Anchor Standard 1: I can use the elements and principles of art to create artwork.
Anchor Standard 2: I can use different materials, techniques, and processes to make art.
Anchor Standard 5: I can interpret and evaluate the meaning of an artwork

 

Key Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary

  • Bacteria - Microorganisms that can make you sick, but also can help you digest food; found everywhere in nature
  • Carnivore - An animal that eats only other animals
  • Camouflage - Process of animals changing their colors, patterns, and shapes to disguise themselves from predators or prey
  • Community - All the organisms in an ecosystem
  • Consumer - An animal that gets its energy by eating plants or other animals
  • Decay - To break down into simpler materials
  • Decomposers - A living thing that breaks down the remains of dead organisms
  • Ecology - The study of how living and nonliving factors interact
  • Ecosystem - A system made up of an ecological community of living things interacting with their environment especially under natural conditions
  • Energy source - A source from which useful energy can be extracted or recovered either directly or by means of a conversion or transformation process (e.g. solid fuels, liquid fuels, solar energy, biomass, etc.)
  • Extinct - A species that is gone forever because all of its kind have died
  • Food chain/web - The path of energy in an ecosystem from plants to animals (from producers to consumers)
  • Habitat - The place where an animal or plant lives
  • Herbivore - An animal that eats plants
  • Hibernate - When animals go into a deep sleep
  • Interdependence - When living things in an ecosystem need each other to meet their needs
  • Microorganisms - Very small living things
  • Omnivore - An animal that eats both plants and animals
  • Organism - A living thing
  • Photosynthesis - Process through which plants make food
  • Plankton - Small organisms in water that are producers and give off oxygen
  • Producer - A living thing (such as a green plant) that makes its food from simple inorganic substances (such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen) and many of which are food sources for other organisms

Arts Vocabulary

  • Landscape - A type of art that shows a wide expanse of land and shows depth through a background, middle ground, and foreground
  • Background - The area of the artwork that appears furthest away and is smallest
  • Middle ground - The area of the artwork that appears in the middle of the picture plane between the background and middle ground
  • Foreground - The area of the artwork that appears closest and is largest
  • Color - An element of art with three properties: 1. Hue, or the name of the color (e.g. red, yellow, etc.); 2. Intensity, or the purity and strength of the color, such as brightness or dullness; and 3. Value, or the lightness or darkness of a color
  • Emphasis - In a composition, this refers to developing points of interest to pull the viewer's eye to important parts of the body of the work. A focal point is an example of showing emphasis.
  • Subject matter - Refers to the things that are represented in a work of art such as people, buildings, and trees
  • Texture - The surface quality, or "feel" of an object, such as roughness, smoothness, or softness. Actual texture can be felt while simulated textures are implied by the way the artist renders areas of the picture.
  • Impressionism - A painting style originating in France in the 1860s that depicts the visual impression of the moment, especially in terms of the shifting effect of light and color


Materials


Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

  • The students will view the following video clip of Claude Monet painting in his flower garden: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJE4QUNgaeg.
  • Share the following information with the class: “Water Lilies” is a series of approximately 250 oil paintings by French Impressionist painter Claude Monet. The paintings depict Monet's flower garden at Giverny and were the main focus of Monet's artistic production during the last thirty years of his life.

Work Session

  • As a whole group, view “Claude Monet’s Garden” (4 minutes 3 seconds) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2KGkK2wcbk. In order to cut down on time, you could view the clip from the 1 minute 55 second mark till the 3 minute 6 second, as this part of the video focuses on the ponds and water lily plants.
  • Pause the video clip every once in a while to ask the class what types of ecosystems they see. Create a list of the producers, consumers, and decomposers that inhabit these gardens.
  • Once the list is complete, ask the students where the producers, consumers, and decomposers received their energy from. What is their energy source?
  • Project an image of the real water lilies in Giverny and Monet’s painted version.
    • Ask students what colors and textures they see.
    • Ask students how the painting is different from the photograph.
    • Discuss with the class the artistic methods Monet used in his paintings, such as big brush strokes, heavy use of oil based paint, etc.
    • This would be a good opportunity to collaborate with the visual arts teacher at your school.
  • Distribute mixed media paper and pencils.
  • Have students sketch out their own version of Monet’s water lilies on their paper.
    • They will include a water source, plants, as well as animals that may live in this type of habitat. In essence they will be creating an ecosystem with consumers, producers, and decomposers. The students must also include the energy sources as well in their painting.
    • Pass out water cups, paint brushes, and tempera paint pre-poured on paper plates.
    • Students will then use their tempera paint to paint in the style of Monet (broad brush strokes).
      • Alternative: Students can use oil pastels to create large “brush strokes” by making short, dashed lines with their oil pastels.
    • Students will write an “Artist Statement” paragraph about the piece they created. The statement should describe how the artist integrated science vocabulary and concepts into the painting.

Once the paintings have dried, host a “Gallery Walk” with the class. The students will take a tour of each painting. As they view the paintings they will discuss and identify the consumers, producers, and decomposers, as well as energy sources.

Closing Reflection

  • Facilitate a discussion around the following questions:
    • How did painting a Monet style painting help you better understand the roles/responsibilities of producers, consumers, and decomposers in an ecosystem?
    • Why is the energy source for producers, consumers, and decomposers an important part of an ecosystem?


Assessments

Formative

  • Class discussion, group discussions, and reflection questions
  • Anecdotal notes when observing students working in small groups

Summative

  • Monet style ecosystem painting (Monet Style Ecosystem Painting Rubric)
  • Students can accurately identify producers, consumers, and decomposers.
  • Students can properly order producers, consumers, and decomposers in the food chain/web.


Differentiation

Acceleration: 

After discussing the ecosystem shown in Monet’s “Water Lilies”, allow students to choose their own ecosystem to paint.

Remediation:

  • Provide students with a graphic organizer to identify the various parts of the ecosystem. Have students draw an image to represent each part.
  • Allow students to use alternative materials to paint in which they can achieve the same Impressionistic effect, such as oil pastels.


Additional Resources
  • The Magical Garden of Claude Monet by Laurence Anholt
  • Who Was Claude Monet? by Ann Waldron
  • Linnea in Monet’s Garden by Cristina Bjork
  • Monet Paints a Day by Julie Danneberg


    • Credits

    U.S. Department of Education- STEh3 + the Art of Integrated Learning

     

    *This integrated lesson provides differentiated ideas and activities for educators that are aligned to a sampling of standards. Standards referenced at the time of publishing may differ based on each state’s adoption of new standards.

    Revised and copyright:  June 2025 @ ArtsNOW

     

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    CAN YOU BALANCE? GOLDBERG’S NOT-SO-SIMPLE-MACHINE 3-4

    GOLDBERG’S NOT-SO-SIMPLE-MACHINE

    CAN YOU BALANCE?GOLDBERG’S NOT-SO-SIMPLE-MACHINE

    Learning Description

    In this project, students will engage in the engineering design process to create a Not-So-Simple-Machine demonstrating force and motion! Students will create a drawing of a Rube Goldberg Not-So-Simple-Machine and create a kinetic sculpture, or working model, of that machine. In this project, students will demonstrate how simple machines can be combined in a complicated way to perform a simple task.

     

    Learning Targets

    GRADE BAND: 3,4
    CONTENT FOCUS: VISUAL ARTS & SCIENCE
    LESSON DOWNLOADS:

    Download PDF of this Lesson

    "I Can" Statements

    “I Can…”

    • I can demonstrate how a simple machine works.
    • I can revise and refine my plans as I experiment with my creation.
    • I can create a working model from a sketch.
    • I can represent a three-dimensional model by a two-dimensional drawing.

    Essential Questions

    • How do balanced and unbalanced forces relate to simple machines?
    • How can simple machines combine to affect the balance of forces?
    • How can simple machines combine to affect motion?
    • How can simple machines make a task easier/harder?
    • How do we sometimes make things more complicated than they need to be?

     

    Georgia Standards

    Curriculum Standards

    Grade 4:

    S4P3. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the relationship between balanced and unbalanced forces.

    a. Plan and carry out an investigation on the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on an object and communicate the results. b. Construct an argument to support the claim that gravitational force affects the motion of an object. c. Ask questions to identify and explain the uses of simple machines (lever, pulley, wedge, inclined plane, wheel and axle, and screw) and how forces are changed when simple machines are used to complete tasks.

    Arts Standards

    Grade 4:

    VA4.CR.2 Create works of art based on selected themes.

    VA4.CR.4 Understand and apply media, techniques, processes, and concepts of three-dimensional art.

     

    South Carolina Standards

    Curriculum Standards

    Grade 3:

    3-PS2-1. Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object.

    Arts Standards

    Anchor Standard 2: I can use different materials, techniques, and processes to make art. 

    Anchor Standard 7: I can relate visual arts ideas to other arts disciplines, content areas, and careers.

     

    Key Vocabulary

    Content Vocabulary

    • Force - Any interaction that, when applied to an object, can cause it to change its motion or shape
    • Balanced forces - Two or more forces acting on an object in such a way that they cancel each other out, resulting in no change in the object's motion
    • Unbalanced forces - Two or more forces acting on an object are not equal in size or are not opposite in direction, causing the object to accelerate (change its speed or direction)
    • Gravitational force - The force of attraction that pulls objects toward each other due to their mass
    • Motion - The change in the position of an object over time
    • Mass - A measure of the amount of matter in an object or substance
    • Simple machines - Basic mechanical devices that make work easier by altering the direction or magnitude of a force; the building blocks for more complex machines
    • Rube Goldberg - An American cartoonist, engineer, and inventor best known for creating elaborate, humorous illustrations of complex machines designed to perform simple tasks in overly complicated ways
    • Inclined plane - A flat surface that is tilted at an angle
    • Lever - A simple machine consisting of a rigid bar or beam that pivots around a fixed point called the fulcrum
    • Wedge - A simple machine that consists of a triangular-shaped object, often with a sharp edge, which is used to split, cut, or lift objects
    • Pulley - A simple machine consisting of a wheel with a groove around its edge, through which a rope, chain, or belt can pass
    • Screw - A type of simple machine that consists of an inclined plane wrapped around a central shaft or core
    • Wheel and axle - A simple machine that consists of two circular objects—a larger wheel and a smaller axle—that are connected and rotate together

    Arts Vocabulary

    • Assemblage - An artistic process in which a three-dimensional artistic composition is made from putting together found objects
    • Kinetic sculpture - Three-dimensional art that is designed to move
    • Craftsmanship - Skill in producing expertly finished products
    • Sketch - A rough drawing, often made to help make a more finished product
    • Variety - The differences in a work, achieved by using different shapes, textures, colors and values
    • Two-dimensional art - Art depicted on a flat surface
    • Three-dimensional art - Art that has height, width, and depth

    Materials

    • Goldberg’s Not-So-Simple-Machine Rubric
    • Mousetrap game by Hasbro (or a video of the game being played)
    • Notecards with simple machines written on them
    • Copy paper (1-2 sheets for each student for sketches)
    • Drawing paper (9"x12")
    • Paper storage boxes
    • Safety goggles
    • Materials for constructing matches, such as:
      • Dominoes
      • Marbles
      • Ping-pong balls
      • Trains tracks
      • Cars tracks
      • LEGOs
      • Wooden blocks (e.g. Jenga)
      • String
      • K'nex pieces
      • Mini-pulleys
      • Masking tape
      • Rubber bands
      • Glue
      • Paper towel rolls
      • Cardstock

    Instructional Design

    Opening/Activating Strategy

    • Divide students into small groups.
    • Human Simple Machines: Each group will choose a card with the name/picture of a simple machine. The group will act out the simple machine for the class to identify.
    • Encourage students to think about how they can creatively use their body to work together and become the various parts of a simple machine

    Have the Mousetrap Game set up and choose a group of students to demonstrate to the class how it runs. Explain to students that they will be using their creativity to design an unnecessarily complicated machine to do a simple job. Alternative: Show a video of the game being played.

    Work Session

    • Tell students that they will be designing a machine inspired by Rube Goldberg. It will be a complicated machine to complete a simple task.

    Part I - Planning:

    • Students will work in small groups to:
      • Research Rube Goldberg machines.
      • Brainstorm ideas for possible purposes of a machine they will create.
      • Brainstorm uses for materials provided.
      • Experiment with various materials.
      • Decide on a goal for the machine.
    • Show students a list of the materials that are available to them.
    • Individually, students will sketch an initial design with pencil on copy paper. Tell students that they should include six or more individual steps, using four or more simple machines.
    • Remind students that they should use as much variety as they can and try to include a "Wow!" factor.
    • Students should compare their designs and choose which to build or combine ideas into one final idea.
    • Students should label their sketch with the materials that they will use.

    Part 2 - Creating:

    • Students should work in their small groups to create their machines.
    • Students should create one piece of the machine at a time and combine components as the test whether they work.
      • Teacher tip: If creating takes more than one class period, at the end of class, take photos of the machines created in each group and disassemble enough to store. Machines can be stored in storage boxes.
    • After the machines are finished, students should test run the machine three to four times for evaluation.
    • Finally, students will sketch their final machine and label the simple machines that they used.

    Classroom Tips:

    Divide students into groups of three to four. Students who are having difficulty might start with the last step and work backwards. One student in each group should take pictures of building progress at the end of each class period before the machine is disassembled and stored. Each group should have a labeled box for storing partial products.

    Closing Reflection

    • After completing their machines, have students reflect on the following questions:
      • How did you choose the job you wanted your machine to do?
      • What would have been the simplest way to do the job without the machine?
      • Why was it important to plan before trying to build the machine?
      • How did your drawing change from your first sketch to the final copy?
      • What would have made the process simpler?

    Assessments

    Formative

    • Teacher will observe the students experimenting to determine whether they understand how simple machines work.
    • Teacher will question students on the functions of their simple machines.
    • Teacher will observe cooperation and participation.
    • Teacher will periodically assign each group a different simple machine to act out for a neighboring group to identify.

    Summative

    DIFFERENTIATION 

    Acceleration: 

    • Students can document the process through video.
    • Students can create a cartoon of their machine in the spirit of Rube Goldberg.

    Remediation:

    • Preview the key vocabulary with pictures listed beside each word on an anchor chart, word wall, or flashcards. The teacher and students will define words together. This may be done in small groups the day before the unit begins.
    • Group students heterogeneously and assist the group to help find appropriate contributions for each step of the project based on individual strengths.
    • Allow students to proofread their responses by dictating their reflections in OneNote (OneNote > Learning Tools Add-in > Dictate).

    ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

    CREDITS

    U.S. Department of Education- STEM + the Art of Integrated Learning

    Ideas contributed by: Mark Thompson, Edited by Jessica Espinoza, Dr. Carla Cohen

    *This integrated lesson provides differentiated ideas and activities for educators that are aligned to a sampling of standards. Standards referenced at the time of publishing may differ based on each state’s adoption of new standards.

    Revised and copyright:  June 2025 @ ArtsNOW

     

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    CAN YOU BALANCE? BALANCING ACT–CALDER MOBILE 3-4

    BALANCING ACT–CALDER MOBILE

    CAN YOU BALANCE?BALANCING ACT–CALDER MOBILE

    Learning Description

    In this lesson, students will use their knowledge of balanced and unbalanced forces to design and create a mobile inspired by the artist, Alexander Calder. A mobile is a sculpture of three to five levels that has various materials attached to wire that must be balanced upon completion. Students will use their critical thinking skills to utilize the materials provided to create a piece of artwork that incorporates the scientific concepts of gravitational forces, as well as balanced and unbalanced forces.

     

    Learning Targets

    GRADE BAND: 3,4
    CONTENT FOCUS: VISUAL ARTS & SCIENCE
    LESSON DOWNLOADS:

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    "I Can" Statements

    “I Can…”

    • I can identify and compare balanced and unbalanced forces.
    • I can create a balanced mobile using unbalanced forces.
    • I can analyze how forces affect balance and revise my plan as I design.
    • I can communicate my understanding of forces by reflecting upon my construction of my Calder mobile.

    Essential Questions

    • How can gravitational forces affect the balance of objects?
    • How does proportion affect balance?
    • How can you identify balanced and unbalanced forces?

     

    Georgia Standards

    Curriculum Standards

    Grade 4:

    S4P3. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the relationship between balanced and unbalanced forces.

    a. Plan and carry out an investigation on the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on an object and communicate the results. b. Construct an argument to support the claim that gravitational force affects the motion of an object. c. Ask questions to identify and explain the uses of simple machines (lever, pulley, wedge, inclined plane, wheel and axle, and screw) and how forces are changed when simple machines are used to complete tasks.

    Arts Standards

    Grade 4:

    TA4.CR.2 Develop scripts through theatrical techniques.

    TA4.PR.1Act by communicating and sustaining roles in formal and informal environments.

    TA4.RE.1 Engage actively and appropriately as an audience member.

    TA4.CN.1 Explore how theatre connects to life experience, careers, and other content.

     

    South Carolina Standards

    Curriculum Standards

    Grade 3:

    3-PS2-1. Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object.

    Arts Standards

    Anchor Standard 1: I can use the elements and principles of art to create artwork.

    Anchor Standard 2: I can use different materials, techniques, and processes to make art. 

     

    Key Vocabulary

    Content Vocabulary

    • Force - Any interaction that, when applied to an object, can cause it to change its motion or shape
    • Balanced forces - Two or more forces acting on an object in such a way that they cancel each other out, resulting in no change in the object's motion
    • Unbalanced forces - Two or more forces acting on an object are not equal in size or are not opposite in direction, causing the object to accelerate (change its speed or direction)
    • Gravitational force - The force of attraction that pulls objects toward each other due to their mass
    • Motion - The change in the position of an object over time
    • Mass - A measure of the amount of matter in an object or substance

    Arts Vocabulary

    • Balance - This is a sense of stability in the body of work. Balance can be created by repeating the same shapes and by creating a feeling of equal visual weight.
    • Proportion - The size relationships between different parts of an artwork. It determines how each element relates to the others in terms of size, scale, and placement.

    Materials

    Instructional Design

    Opening/Activating Strategy

    Optional: Choose a book to explore as a class from the below list:

    • Alexander Calder: Meet the Artist by Patricia Geis
    • Sandy’s Circus: A Story About Alexander Calder by Tanya Lee Stone
    • Alexander Calder and His Magical Mobiles by Jean Lipman
    • Show students an image of one of Alexander Calder’s mobiles from the following site: https://calder.org/archive/all/works/hanging-mobile/.
      • Engage students in the 10x2 Artful Thinking Routine. Instruct students to do the following:
        • Look at the image quietly for at least 30 seconds. Let your eyes wander.
        • List 10 words or phrases about any aspect of the picture.
        • Repeat Steps one and two–Look at the image again and try to add 10 more words or phrases to your list.
      • Ask students what they think the artist had to think about when he designed and created the mobile (i.e. how much do materials weigh, how strong is the structure, etc.?).

    Introduce the artist Alexander Calder to students and use this website to introduce students to the concept of mass: http://thekidshouldseethis.com/post/experimental-balancing-sculptures.

    Work Session

    • Facilitate class discussion on gravitational force. (http://study.com/academy/lesson/gravitational-force-definition-equation-examples.html)
    • Tell students that they will be challenged to create a balanced mobile using unbalanced forces.
    • Divide students into small groups of two to three students.
    • Students should plan their mobiles:
      • Students should begin by sketching a design for their mobile.
        • Determine the number of levels for mobile (should be between three to five).
      • Determine the lengths of wires they will use.
      • Determine other materials for use and label them on the sketch.
      • Predict how the sculpture will balance.
    • Students should then present their sketches to another group to get feedback on their designs.
    • After making any needed revisions, students can begin creating their mobiles.
      • Students should begin by attaching materials, such as foam/cardstock/beads, to the ends of the wires.
      • Students should check for balance and re-check as needed as they construct.
      • Students should record in their journals how they balanced levels–did they have to omit materials, change materials, ect.?

    Classroom Tips:

    • Review safe work procedures.
    • Review classroom rules.
    • Review peer interaction regulations.
    • Teacher will be in charge of cutting wire.
    • Other materials can be divided into kits or bags.

    Closing Reflection

    • After completing their sculptures, students should reflect on the following:
      • How did you visualize your mobile?
      • Did your original plan work?
      • What did you have to revise?
      • If you positioned levels differently, how would your final product change?
      • If you changed materials, what would have changed? Why?

    Assessments

    Formative

    • Teacher will observe the students to determine if they understand gravitational force.
    • Teacher will observe the students to determine if they understand balanced and unbalanced forces.
    • Teacher will observe the students’ use of proportion in relation to balance.
    • The teacher will check for student’s communication of deeper thinking throughout the project (specifically checking for understanding of how proportion and gravitational forces affect balance).

    Summative

    • Calder Sculpture Rubric
    • Have students respond to the following reflection questions after the creation of their artwork:
      • How are balance and gravitational force related?
      • How did you plan to balance your mobile?
      • How did you determine the material used to balance your mobile?
      • How did gravitational force affect your plan?
      • What did you have to rethink while attempting to balance your mobile?

    DIFFERENTIATION 

    Acceleration: 

    • Increase the number of levels required in the design.
    • Have students write instructions on how to build their mobile for a classmate to follow.

    Remediation:

    • Modify the number of levels required.
    • Provide a graphic organizer with levels for students to draw and visualize materials to attach to each level.
    • Give sentence frames for reflection questions.
    • Provide opportunities for peer checks so students can get feedback on their project.

    ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

    CREDITS

    U.S. Department of Education- STEM + the Art of Integrated Learning

    Ideas contributed by: T. Renee Manuel, Edited by Jessica Espinoza

    *This integrated lesson provides differentiated ideas and activities for educators that are aligned to a sampling of standards. Standards referenced at the time of publishing may differ based on each state’s adoption of new standards.

    Revised and copyright:  June 2025 @ ArtsNOW

     

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