Animal Mosaic Lesson Plan

Parrot Mosaic, Unknown artist.

Teacher: Angela Davidson

Grade Level: 6th grade

Title: Animal Mosaic

Brief History and Background:
The art of mosaic, in one form or another, has been practised for thousands of years, but mosaic as we know it was invented by the Greeks, who then passed their skills on to the Romans. Many ancient mosaics have survived the ravages of time remarkably well. It was the Romans, who learnt the art of mosaics from the Greeks, who were responsible for the spread of mosaics throughout their huge empire. Some of the earliest 2nd and 1st century AD mosaics have been found preserved at Pompeii. Even the pavements were decorated with stone and marble patterns. Considering the violent nature of Pompeii's end it is remarkable that such treasures have survived!

Fish Mosaic, Pompeii.

Standards:
9.2.A. Explain the historical, cultural and social context of an individual work in the arts.
9.2.B. Relate works in the arts chronologically to historical events (e.g., 10,000 B.C. to present).
9.2.D. Analyze a work of art from its historical and cultural perspective.
9.2.E. Analyze how historical events and culture impact forms, techniques and purposes of works in the arts.
9.2.F. Know and apply appropriate vocabulary used between social studies and the arts and humanities.

Content Standard: 1: Understanding and applying media, techniques, and processes
Content Standard: 2: Using knowledge of structures and functions
Content Standard: 3: Choosing and evaluating a range of subject matter, symbols, and ideas
Content Standard: 4: Understanding the visual arts in relation to history and cultures


Goal: To create a mosaic that represents the silhouette of an animal.

Objectives:
* Students will make a drawing from memory or observation.
* Students will use their drawings to create a mosaic.
* Students will learn about the history of mosaics.

Resource Materials/Visual Aides:
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/default.cfm- for images of animals.

Supplies/Materials:
White paper
Colored Paper and/or magazines
Scissors
Glue
Pencils
*If your budget allows, this is a great project to do with ceramic tiles!

Teacher Preparation:
Have images of mosaics and images of animals available.

Introduction:
Mosaic is one of the earliest art forms. There are mosaics which are still in existence today that were made in the times of the Ancient Greeks and Romans. For this project, we will create a mosaic from an image of an animal. When you make your initial drawing, think about the shapes and the composition on the page.

Directions:
1. Choose an image of an animal.
2. Draw the animal on a piece of white paper, taking into consideration the composition, and the shapes being created.
3. On a second sheet of paper, trace the outline of the first drawing.
4. Cut colored paper or magazine scraps into small pieces. (about ½ inch squares.)
5. Using the outline as a guide, fill in the entire paper with colored tiles.

Critique/Evaluation/Assessment:
How is the chosen animal represented? How much consideration did the student take in arranging composition? How high is the quality of craftsmanship in creating the mosaic?

Time Budget:
1st class (45 minutes) to choose an image, and draw the image. Begin transferring the image to the final piece.
2nd class (45 minutes) finish transferring image. Begin mosaic process.
3rd class (45 minutes) finish mosaic, final critique.

Bibliography/References:
http://www.mosaicmatters.co.uk/mosaics/index.htm- Mosaic matters, the online magazine for all things mosaic.
http://www.mosaicworks.com/ -Mosaic artist Sonia King