Art Talk: Feelings with Todd Parr
An art talk is a PowerPoint presentation used to teach through the arts. This art talk was created with a classmate who is placed in the same school and grade level as I am. In it, we have highlighted the work of children's illustrator Todd Parr to integrate into a lesson about feelings and emotions. Below you will find the slides and the lesson plan that goes with it. For a reflection of my teaching, see ART TALK REFLECTION
Lesson Plan
*for Kindergarten
Standard/Benchmark
HCPS III
Strand: Visual Arts
Standard 1: VISUAL ARTS: Understand and apply art materials, techniques, and processes in the creation of works of art and understand how the visual arts communicate a variety of ideas, feelings, and experiences
Topic: How the Arts Communicate
Benchmark FA.K.1.3 Create art that expresses feelings about a familiar subject
Assessment
Students will be able to: mimick illustrator Todd Parr’s use of thick lines and bold colors in their own drawing of a face that shows one emotion or feeling. *For this lesson drawing will be completed on iPad program Skitch, but can be completed with other art materials if iPads are unavailable.
Materials
- SmartBoard or other device for projecting and displaying powerpoint presentation
- 18 iPads for students, 1 for teacher to demonstrate
- Two copies of each picture printed and laminated with colored picture on one side and black and white on the back side.
- Optional: Todd Parr Books available for examples during art time, or to be read prior to teaching lesson to familiarize students with his work.
Prep for iPads
- Two 30 min. sessions prior to lesson to prepare students for creating art piece
- Demonstrate skills how to choose your color, how to adjust brush size, how to undo a mistake, how to move line, how to draw a pre-made shape, etc.
Lesson Sequence
**Students should be on the floor facing the smartboard. Ppt should be loaded on the smartboard and ready to go.
Slide 1
Let’s read the message on the board together. Feelings. What is the first sound you hear in feelings? What letter is that? Yes, today we’re going to talk about feelings with a friend, Todd Parr.
Slide 2
This is him, Todd Parr. What can you tell about our friend by looking at this picture?
Slide 3
I have some things to share with you about our friend Todd Parr. These are some of his favorite things…
Slide 4
He is also an author and an illustrator. What does an author do? What about an illustrator? These are some of the books he’s written and drawn.
Slide 5
I have a story to tell you about our friend Todd Parr…
6. Discussion on Todd’s story:
What did you like about Todd’s story to becoming an artist?
What didn’t you like about Todd’s story?
What kind of emotions did Todd have throughout the story?
7. Prepare for small groups:
Did you know that art speaks. It tells us things. It makes us feel things. We’re going to look at Todd’s art now in small groups. As you are looking at Todd’s art, I want you to tell your group members: When I look at this picture, I see…. * have students repeat This picture makes me feel…… *have students repeat. You will each be in a group of three and you will have one of Todd’s pictures to look at. When I tell you what group you are in, I want you to sit in a triangle with your hands in your laps. Then I will give you a picture to look at. Leave it on the floor & do not pick it up.
8. Direct Small Group Conversation:
Talk to the friends in your group, what do you see? Teacher goes around to different groups to listen to discussion, ask questions to direct groups towards recognizing emotional signals (crying, frown, etc.). When students are done discussing, they should turn their paper around and discuss what is different. How do the colors change the face or the feeling in the face? Why do you think Todd Parr chose those colors? Teacher continues to go around to different groups.
9. Groups trade pictures and continue discussing:
When students have had enough time to discuss, have them trade pictures to look at the same things in a new picture. What do you see? How do the colors change the picture? What emotion do you think Todd Parr was trying to draw?
*Collect pictures, transition from small groups into one whole class discussion
10. Whole class discussion:
What emotions did you look at? How do you know it was a ____ face?
Todd drew the emotions by putting details on the face. Details like a tear, or an frown, or hair that’s sticking up.
11. Give directions for art assignment
Today you are going to make your own drawings just like Todd Parr. In his drawings, Todd Parr chose one emotion or one feeling to draw. We are going to do the same thing.
12. Brainstorm as a class:
What are some feelings/emotions that we can show in our face drawings?
13. Details for art assignment
Drawing must have color, not black and white
When you are choosing a color, ask yourself: What color will make my face look the most ___________?
Face must have thick lines like Todd Parr’s
Only drawing a face, not a whole body
14. As students are working
Circle room and make sure students are on task.
Assist if they don’t know how to do something on the iPad.
Ask them about their work. What emotion/feeling are you drawing? Why did you choose that color?
10. Finished:
When students are done, have them show a teacher, explain what emotion they did. Put away their iPads? They can go to the library to read silently or work on any other tasks mentor teacher needs them to do.
Standard/Benchmark
HCPS III
Strand: Visual Arts
Standard 1: VISUAL ARTS: Understand and apply art materials, techniques, and processes in the creation of works of art and understand how the visual arts communicate a variety of ideas, feelings, and experiences
Topic: How the Arts Communicate
Benchmark FA.K.1.3 Create art that expresses feelings about a familiar subject
Assessment
Students will be able to: mimick illustrator Todd Parr’s use of thick lines and bold colors in their own drawing of a face that shows one emotion or feeling. *For this lesson drawing will be completed on iPad program Skitch, but can be completed with other art materials if iPads are unavailable.
Materials
- SmartBoard or other device for projecting and displaying powerpoint presentation
- 18 iPads for students, 1 for teacher to demonstrate
- Two copies of each picture printed and laminated with colored picture on one side and black and white on the back side.
- Optional: Todd Parr Books available for examples during art time, or to be read prior to teaching lesson to familiarize students with his work.
Prep for iPads
- Two 30 min. sessions prior to lesson to prepare students for creating art piece
- Demonstrate skills how to choose your color, how to adjust brush size, how to undo a mistake, how to move line, how to draw a pre-made shape, etc.
Lesson Sequence
**Students should be on the floor facing the smartboard. Ppt should be loaded on the smartboard and ready to go.
Slide 1
Let’s read the message on the board together. Feelings. What is the first sound you hear in feelings? What letter is that? Yes, today we’re going to talk about feelings with a friend, Todd Parr.
Slide 2
This is him, Todd Parr. What can you tell about our friend by looking at this picture?
Slide 3
I have some things to share with you about our friend Todd Parr. These are some of his favorite things…
Slide 4
He is also an author and an illustrator. What does an author do? What about an illustrator? These are some of the books he’s written and drawn.
Slide 5
I have a story to tell you about our friend Todd Parr…
6. Discussion on Todd’s story:
What did you like about Todd’s story to becoming an artist?
What didn’t you like about Todd’s story?
What kind of emotions did Todd have throughout the story?
7. Prepare for small groups:
Did you know that art speaks. It tells us things. It makes us feel things. We’re going to look at Todd’s art now in small groups. As you are looking at Todd’s art, I want you to tell your group members: When I look at this picture, I see…. * have students repeat This picture makes me feel…… *have students repeat. You will each be in a group of three and you will have one of Todd’s pictures to look at. When I tell you what group you are in, I want you to sit in a triangle with your hands in your laps. Then I will give you a picture to look at. Leave it on the floor & do not pick it up.
8. Direct Small Group Conversation:
Talk to the friends in your group, what do you see? Teacher goes around to different groups to listen to discussion, ask questions to direct groups towards recognizing emotional signals (crying, frown, etc.). When students are done discussing, they should turn their paper around and discuss what is different. How do the colors change the face or the feeling in the face? Why do you think Todd Parr chose those colors? Teacher continues to go around to different groups.
9. Groups trade pictures and continue discussing:
When students have had enough time to discuss, have them trade pictures to look at the same things in a new picture. What do you see? How do the colors change the picture? What emotion do you think Todd Parr was trying to draw?
*Collect pictures, transition from small groups into one whole class discussion
10. Whole class discussion:
What emotions did you look at? How do you know it was a ____ face?
Todd drew the emotions by putting details on the face. Details like a tear, or an frown, or hair that’s sticking up.
11. Give directions for art assignment
Today you are going to make your own drawings just like Todd Parr. In his drawings, Todd Parr chose one emotion or one feeling to draw. We are going to do the same thing.
12. Brainstorm as a class:
What are some feelings/emotions that we can show in our face drawings?
13. Details for art assignment
Drawing must have color, not black and white
When you are choosing a color, ask yourself: What color will make my face look the most ___________?
Face must have thick lines like Todd Parr’s
Only drawing a face, not a whole body
14. As students are working
Circle room and make sure students are on task.
Assist if they don’t know how to do something on the iPad.
Ask them about their work. What emotion/feeling are you drawing? Why did you choose that color?
10. Finished:
When students are done, have them show a teacher, explain what emotion they did. Put away their iPads? They can go to the library to read silently or work on any other tasks mentor teacher needs them to do.