### Lesson Plan: Basic Shapes in The Arts
#### Grade Level:
Foundation (Pre-K/K)
#### Duration:
45 minutes
#### Objective:
Students will be able to identify and create art using basic shapes, including circles, squares, rectangles, and triangles.
#### Materials Needed:
- Construction paper (various colors)
- Safety scissors
- Glue sticks
- Crayons/colored pencils/markers
- Printed templates of basic shapes
- Picture book featuring shapes (e.g., "Mouse Shapes" by Ellen Stoll Walsh)
- Large poster board or butcher paper
- Stickers or stamps in the shape of circles, squares, rectangles, and triangles (optional)
#### Standards Met:
- Students demonstrate an understanding of shapes and spatial awareness.
- Students will use a variety of materials to create artwork.
- Students will recognize and name basic shapes.
---
### Introduction (10 minutes):
1. **Book Reading:**
- Read "Mouse Shapes" by Ellen Stoll Walsh (or a similar book) that emphasizes basic shapes.
- Engage the students by asking questions about the shapes they see in the illustrations.
2. **Discussion:**
- Display large cut-outs of a circle, square, rectangle, and triangle.
- Ask students to identify each shape and discuss where they might see these shapes in everyday life (e.g., wheels, windows, books, rooftops).
---
### Guided Practice (15 minutes):
3. **Shape Hunt:**
- Spread out pre-cut shapes around the classroom.
- Ask students to find and collect these shapes. When a student finds a shape, they should return to their seat and draw it on their paper using crayons or markers.
- Encourage students to share their shapes with the class, verifying they’ve correctly identified each one.
4. **Shape Sorting:**
- Hand out a variety of printed and pre-cut shapes.
- Have the students sort them into groups based on their shape.
- Discuss why certain shapes belong together.
---
### Art Activity (15 minutes):
5. **Creating Shape Art:**
- Provide each student with a piece of construction paper and safety scissors.
- Instruct students to cut out basic shapes from different colored papers.
- Demonstrate how to arrange the shapes on the construction paper to create a picture (e.g., a house made from squares and triangles, a tree made from a rectangle and circles).
- Allow students to glue their shapes onto the construction paper to create their artwork.
---
### Conclusion (5 minutes):
6. **Art Gallery Walk:**
- Have students showcase their artwork by placing it in a designated "art gallery" space in the classroom.
- Conduct a gallery walk where students can view each other’s artworks.
7. **Reflection:**
- Gather the students back in a circle and discuss what they learned about shapes today.
- Ask individuals to share what shapes they used in their artwork and how they felt about the activity.
---
### Assessment:
- Observe students during the shape hunt and sorting activities to ensure they can correctly identify and name the shapes.
- Review students’ artwork to see if they have used various shapes accurately.
- Gauge student participation and enthusiasm during discussions and activities.
---
### Extension Activities:
- **Shape Collage:**
- Provide additional materials for students to create a larger collaborative shape collage as a class project.
- **Shape Scavenger Hunt:**
- Prepare a shape scavenger hunt worksheet for students to complete at home with their parents, looking for objects in their house that match the basic shapes.
- **Interactive Games:**
- Use tablets or computers with interactive shape recognition games to reinforce the lesson.
### Note:
This lesson plan is adaptable. Feel free to adjust the activities based on the students' engagement level and available resources.