What's in the Sky?

elementary: 28 grade 2 students between 6 and 8 years old | Willingdon elementary (Montreal) | September to December 2009

LESSON PLAN

Duration: 40 minutes

Title: Safe and Easy Stained Glass

Rationale: this lesson serves to teach children about the interaction of light in colors on semitransparent paper.

Integration: this lesson is integrated with science because it deals with the notion of transparency, translucency, and opacity.

Broad Areas of Learning: environmental awareness and consumer rights and responsibilities (by being aware of stained glass, opacity, transparency, and translucency in their environment)

Cross-Curricular Competencies: Uses information (by taking the concepts learned to create a work of art), uses creative thinking (by creating a personal figurative or non-figurative image).

Visual Arts Competencies: Creates personal images (by making a stained glass-like work of art), appreciates works of art and cultural objects from the world’s artistic heritage, personal images, and media images (by participating during the response)

Learning Objectives:

The students will demonstrate their understanding of the concepts of transparency, translucency, and opacity by creating a stained-glass inspired work of art.

Art Form: drawing

Technique: ‘stained glass’

Materials, Tools, Equipment:

• Paper
• Pencil
• Semitransparent Mylar (plastic-based) or vellum (paper-based) in approx. 6x6 or 8x8 inches
• (optional) acetate
• Scissors
• tape
• Wax crayons if using Mylar or markers if using vellum (markers do not dry on Mylar)
• Black Oil pastel (or, if appropriate, black permanent marker)
• (optional) black construction paper
• Glue (if using black construction paper)

Vocabulary: transparent, translucent, opaque, stained-glass

Artistic and/or Cultural References: (optional) bring in or bring the students to a stained-glass work, and/or a book with pictures of stained glass, for example:

Harris, H. (1996). 390 Traditional Stained Glass Designs. Dover Publications: New York, USA

LESSON PHASES

Motivation: Time allotted: 7 minutes

Procedure: Show them stained glass and ask them to describe what it is. Explain that the light goes through the color and that light is stopped by the black lines so that we see a separation between the pieces of glass. Let them know that something transparent is see-through, and lets light in completely, like calm water in a bath or a piece of acetate (show them the acetate in you have it). It is difficult to see through the colors of the stained glass but light still comes through so that makes the glass in a stained glass work translucent (show them a piece of the Mylar or vellum and ask if they can see through it (the answer should be ‘not very well’). Next, explain that the black lines in a stained glass piece stop the light completely, and it’s impossible to see through, like a piece of cardboard or their desks. The term for an object like this is opaque. Let the students in on what the activity will be: they will be making their own stained glass with Mylar or vellum that they will color to make the translucent glass and the opaque lines will be made using oil pastel (or permanent marker). If inspiration is needed, the students can create their stained glass based on what one would see in the sky; have a discussion about this to find ideas (planes, helicopters, UFOs, witches, birds, etc.)

Development: Time allotted: 25 minutes

                        Procedure:

• The students will draw a sketch of their stained glass on a paper with a pencil
• then tape Mylar or vellum over it so as to see the image underneath as guide.
• The students will color in their pictures using the wax crayons (or markers) provided,
• and add the opaque lines with the oil pastel (or permanent markers)
• the work will be cut out in the shape of their choice, and
• if desired, a frame can be cut out from black construction paper and glued onto the work.

***NOTE*** it may be a good idea depending on the group to do this activity step by step: explain step 1, hand out the appropriate materials for that step, then ask the students to come show you, then explain step 2 and distribute the materials for step 2. Repeat the process until all steps are completed.

Response: Time allotted: 5 minutes

                        Procedure: The response should be used to review what has been learned: what is transparency, is it present in our piece, and if so then where? What is translucency, where is it on your artwork? What is opacity and which part of your artwork is opaque? Can you think of other things in the classroom that are transparent, translucent, or opaque? Also, don’t forget to ask: was this lesson fun? What did you like (or dislike) about it? What was the hardest part?

Clean-up: Time allotted: 3 minutes

                        Procedure: recycle all paper scraps (or keep if in good condition), and put away all materials.

Evaluation Rubric

Title:

Name of student:

Objectives:	Check whichever applies
The student has made a stained-glass inspired artwork	“        no “        yes
The student has demonstrated an understanding of translucency by coloring the Mylar or vellum with wax crayons or markers	“        not at all “        only partially “        yes, entirely
The student has demonstrated an understanding of opacity by using oil pastel (or permanent marker) to make opaque lines	“        not at all “        only partially “        yes, entirely

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