Overview
Students will reflect on their art making using close-looking, speaking, writing, and/or sketchbook prompts.
Grade Level
K-2
Media
Collage
Theme/ Big Idea
Collage focuses on creating shapes and experimenting with arranging them to express ideas, develop observational skills, and spark imagination.
Essential Question
How can I express my ideas by arranging torn and cut shapes?
Materials and Tools
- Pencil
- Sketchbook or one to two pieces of paper
- Collage from the previous lesson
Activities
Note: The following activities are written with sample language you may use with your students. Following the art-making lesson, you may choose as many reflection activities as desired for students to work on in class or independently.
Step 1: Close Looking: Clare Youngs (10-15 minutes)
Note to Teachers: Before teaching with a work of art, spend some time looking closely at it on your own. Familiarizing yourself with the artwork will prepare you to guide the close looking activity.
If your students are new to looking at art together, you can introduce the activity to students in the following way:
Today we are going to spend some time looking at and discussing a work of art together. When we look at art, there are no right or wrong answers. I’m going to ask you to look closely, share your ideas about what you see, and listen respectfully to each other’s ideas. Everyone’s ideas are important. We all see things differently, and when we look at art, we can learn to see through each other’s eyes.
Look closely at this artwork by Clare Youngs.
- How many different patterns do you see?
- What shapes and colors repeat?
- What do they remind you of?
Step 2: Writing Activity (10 minutes)
Now we are going to write about our artwork.
Choose your favorite pattern in your own collage.
- What shapes or colors repeat?
Based on your students’ writing skills, choose from the options below:
Option 1: Look at the pattern you chose. Think about what it reminds you of.
Come up with a name for your pattern. For example: “orange suns” or “cherry popsicles.”
Option 2: Use the sentence frames below to write a sentence about your artwork.
I made _________ ___________ that repeat.
orange
purple
green
red
yellow
blue
brown
squares
rectangles
triangles
circles
ovals
diamonds
Option 3: Label your collage using the vocabulary words above.
Step 3: Sketchbook Activity (10-15 minutes)
Now that you have looked closely at the patterns in your collage, we’re going to think about where else we see patterns.
Look around your classroom (or home) and see what patterns you can find.
- Are there patterns on the floor? On the wall?
- Are there objects that have patterns on them?
Draw one of the patterns that you find. Notice the lines, shapes, and colors that repeat.
Then, draw one more pattern from your imagination.
After students finish their drawings, ask:
- What pattern did you draw?
- What do you notice that is repeated in the pattern?
- How did you make your own pattern?
Resources
Clare Youngs, wild boar and baby. 2018, from Animal Parade: https://www.clareyoungs.co.uk/collage