Botanical Illustrations

Central Focus

Students will be introduced to Botanical art by introducing the artist John James Audubond.  Students will learn how art can be used in a scientific purpose rather than expression. 

Lesson Summary and Rational.

Students will be introduced to Botanical art by introducing the artist John James Audubond.  Students will learn how art can be used in a scientific purpose rather than expression.  Students will be choosing from fake plants and casting the plants in plaster.  The plants would be casted by plaster strips or plaster on wax paper.  Once plants are casted, students will water color and use colored pencil to document the plants that they casted.

The rational for this lesson is for students to understand that art is used in different subject areas such as science.  Additionally, that art can be used for documentation purposes and references to history.

Lesson Objectives

·      Students will introduced to Botanical Art

·      Art can be used for documentation

·      There is more than one way of documenting information besides drawing

State Standards

6^th Grade

·      4PR Apply art and design principles in the construction of three dimensional artworks

7^th Grade

·      4PR Apply art and design principles in the construction of three dimension artworks

·      5RE Identify professions that art and design, and explore the relationship between art, technology, and industry

8^th Grade

·      2PE Develop awareness and articulate various functions of art

Learners with Exceptionalities

I will make myself aware of anyone on IEPs and address individual issues; with continuous assessing of students.  I will demonstrate step by step while explaining and demonstrating at the same time. 

Assessments

Pre-Assessment

·      Ask students what does the word Botanical mean?

·      How was images documented before technology?

Formative Assessment

·      As students are doing project, I will assess any common issues that students are having and address together as a class

Summative Assessment

·      Final Product

Procedure

Day 1: Part 1: Introduction

·      Pre-Assessment

o   Ask students. . .

§  What does Botanical mean?

§  How are things documented before technology?

·      Talk about the art of Botanical Art and what is it

·      Introduce the Artists John James Audubond

·      Why was he important?

o   Documented American birds

o   Started bird tagging

Part II: Demonstration

·      Take a piece of wax paper or ceramic wrap and pick out an assortment of fake plants

o   Tell students how the plants should be facing upside to get the best impression

If with Plaster Strips

·      Take the cut out plaster strips and soak each strip in water

·      Use multiple layers depending on the kind of plant of that student uses

If with plaster or plaster like material

Have students place plaster material in a pie pan and then take the plants and press facing up or down depending which side will get a better relief and set up over night.

·.

Day 2: Demonstration

·      Talk to students about how to create a style of painting that would be from time frame that botanical art would be used by using color pencil and water color

·      Tell students to use color pencil to go over line detail,

·      Explain to students how to use water color

o   What happens when you add water and don’t add water

o   Let water color naturally drip through the cast and apply different tones of color

·      Explain to students where do they see botanical illustrations and how we are documenting plant life.

Student Examples with Plaster Strips