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Learning Experience/Unit

It's a Jungle in Here- inspired by Henri Rousseau

Subject

The Arts (1996)

Grade Levels

Elementary, 2nd Grade

Assessment

Students will complete art activities and hold class discussions to better their understanding. Students and teacher will follow a rubric to assess the lessons.

Rubric

Learning Context/ Introduction

Students make and use prints in a variety of ways to create a personal and class jungle after learning about French artist Henri Rousseau.

Duration

Three 45-minute sessions

Essential Question

Who was Henri Rousseau? What makes a person an artist? How can printmaking be used to make art? Why do artists collaborate?

Instructional/Environment Modifications

Students of all abilities can succeed with this unit. Teacher guidance or a student buddy would help students that have a difficult time following sequential steps.

Procedure

Session 1

Watch the video “Dropping in on Rousseau” or read a biography of Henri Rousseau. Look at a map and locate France. Explain on a time line when Rousseau lived compared to today. Discuss as a class or in table groups what makes a person an artist using Rousseau as an example. With a wide selection of green drawing materials, decorate a 9X9” square of light green paper with lots of jungle vegetation. If time allows give a “sneak peek” of the printmaking technique.

Session 2

View the Rousseau PowerPoint. Demonstrate printmaking with a Styrofoam printing plate. Point out the mirror image and discuss why we would not write our names or words on the front of the printing plate. Post and review the steps to creating a Styrofoam printing plate and prints. Allow artists to work at their own speed.

CREATE A PRINTING PLATE

STEP 1 Think! What animal will you create for your jungle?

STEP 2 Draw your animal on the center of the printing plate.

STEP 3 If space allows, create a frame with a pattern.

DO NOT WRITE YOUR NAME ON THE FRONT OF THE PLATE.

PRINTMAKING

STEP 1 Write your name on the back of 4 papers. *Do not choose the same color as the ink!

STEP 2 Squeeze a small amount of ink onto the inking plate. Roll the ink out with a brayer until smooth (it sounds like Rice Krispies in milk).

STEP 3 Ink the printing plate with an even layer of ink.

STEP 4 Carefully place the paper on top of the inked printing plate, name facing up. Rub the paper with a clean brayer or the palm of your hand.

STEP 5 Slowly peel the paper off of the printing plate. You have a print!

STEP 6 Sign and number your print in the corner. (This step can wait until the prints are dry.)

REPEAT STEPS 2-6 for the remaining papers.

Session 3

Choose the best print and put it aside to mount on contrasting paper. Finish the personal jungles and create a cooperative class jungle collage. The final print can be altered with chalks and oil pastels or added to one of the projects.

PERSONAL JUNGLES

STEP 1 Fold 9X12” green paper in half and trace a hand, cut it out (you get two).

STEP 2 Cut out the animals from two prints.

STEP 3 Glue one animal print and one “hand plant” on the jungle square.

STEP 4 Glue the other hand and animal into the class jungle.

STEP 5 Create grass, vines, trees and plants with green scrap paper and glue in the jungles.

Display the jungles in the hall for the school community to view.

Rousseau's Jungle Power Point

Reflections and Feedback

This unit would be wonderful integrated with the science curriculum. I will do a similar concept next time and have the students form letters from the ASL alphabet with their “plant hand” to correspond with the animal they chose. The students enjoyed working together on the cooperative mural. It moved us nicely into paper manipulation for sculptures.

Student Work

Students will create a printmaking plate and four prints. The best print will be a finished artwork. Two prints will be used in the personal jungle and in a cooperative class jungle collage. The final print will be mounted to colored paper, altered with chalks and oil pastels or added to one of the projects.