Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v5 - Grade 3

Lesson Video

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Performance objectives

• Identify at least three different art materials.
• Demonstrate at least two different art techniques.
• Create a simple artwork using these materials and techniques.
• Explain your choice of materials and techniques.
• Care for and clean up your art materials.

Lesson summary

This week, we're diving into the wonderful world of creative arts! Specifically, we'll be exploring different materials and techniques we can use to make art. In South Africa, art is all around us – from the vibrant colours of our traditional clothes to the intricate designs on our pottery and the stories told through our music and dance. Learning about different art materials and how to use them helps us express ourselves, share our stories, and celebrate our unique culture. It also develops our problem-solving skills, hand-eye coordination, and appreciation for beauty.

Lesson notes

Let's explore some exciting materials and techniques!

Materials: Paper: Paper comes in many forms: thin, thick, coloured, patterned, recycled, and even newspaper. It's fantastic for drawing, painting, collage, and paper mache. Think about how paper is used to make books filled with stories from South Africa, drawings of animals in Kruger National Park, or even the money we use to buy things.

Paint: Paint adds colour and life to our creations. We can use different types of paint like watercolours (light and transparent), poster paint (bright and opaque), or even natural paints made from berries and soil. Think of the colourful houses in Bo-Kaap, painted with bright hues – that's paint in action!

Clay: Clay is a natural material that can be moulded into different shapes. It can be used to make pots, sculptures, and tiles. Many South African artists use clay to create beautiful traditional pots and figurines that reflect our culture.

Fabric Scraps: Old pieces of fabric, such as cotton, wool, or felt, can be used in collage, patchwork, and other textile arts. Think about the shweshwe fabric used in traditional South African clothing – fabric art is all around us!

Natural Materials: Twigs, leaves, sand, stones, and seeds can be used to create natural artworks. These materials connect us to the earth and offer unique textures and colours. Consider the patterns created with sand art, or the use of twigs in constructing small sculptures.

Crayons/Wax Crayons: These are sticks of colored wax used for drawing, coloring and writing. Crayons are non-toxic and easy to use, which make them ideal for young children to explore different colors and develop their motor skills.

Techniques: Drawing: Using pencils, crayons, or markers to create lines and shapes on paper. We can draw anything we see around us, like our homes, our families, or the animals at the zoo.

Painting: Applying paint to a surface using a brush, sponge, or even our fingers. Remember the colours of the South African flag - we can try painting them!

Collage: Cutting and pasting pieces of paper, fabric, or other materials onto a surface to create a picture. Imagine creating a collage of Table Mountain using different coloured paper scraps.

Modelling: Shaping clay or other materials into three-dimensional forms. You could model an elephant, a lion, or a traditional hut using clay.

Printing: Creating patterns by pressing an object covered in paint onto paper. We can use leaves, vegetables (like potatoes cut into shapes), or even our own fingers to make prints. Think about the patterns on shweshwe fabric – that's printing in action!

Wax Resist: This technique involves drawing or painting with wax crayons, followed by applying watercolor or ink over the wax. The wax will resist the watercolor or ink, creating a unique pattern or design.

Worked example

Creating a Collage: Gather colourful pieces of paper (newspaper, magazines, construction paper). Cut them into different shapes and sizes. Using glue, paste them onto a larger sheet of paper to create a picture of your favourite South African animal, like a giraffe.

Painting with Watercolours: Use watercolour paints and a brush to create a landscape painting of the Drakensberg mountains. Remember to use light colours for the sky and darker colours for the mountains.

Modelling with Clay: Take a lump of clay and mould it into the shape of a traditional South African pot. Use your fingers to smooth out the surface and add decorative details. Let it dry and then paint it with bright colours.

Creating a Wax Resist Design: On a piece of white paper, draw a simple pattern using wax crayons. Once the pattern is complete, use watercolour paints to paint over the entire paper. Observe how the watercolor does not stick to the areas covered in wax, creating a design.

Making Potato Prints: Cut a potato in half and carve a simple shape (star, heart, circle) on the cut side of each half. Apply paint to the carved surface, then press it onto paper to create a patterned print.

Guided Practice (With Solutions)

Question 1: Name two different art materials and describe one thing you can do with each of them.

Solution:

Paper: You can draw pictures on paper using crayons or pencils.

Clay: You can mould clay into the shape of a small animal or a pot.

Commentary: This question tests the learners' ability to recall and describe different art materials and their uses.