Lizards extraordinaire.

Lizards extraordinaire. It must be those bulging eyes, curled tongues, bumpy textures andlong tails that make lizards irresistible to almost everyone--especiallykids. Lizards are the perfect subject matter to teach sixth-gradeartists the difference between Realism and Surrealism. After extensive book research, the students chose a favoritelizard. They then practiced drawing by observation. Colored penciltechniques were used to draw a realistic lizard in a naturalenvironment. Student artists were concerned with shape, color andespecially texture. The next challenge was to encourage students tostretch their imagination and see an already unusual subject in a moreunusual way. Surrealism can be a tough subject to comprehend at the elementarylevel. We begin by first looking at Salvador Dali's melting clocksin Persistence of Memory. Students are fascinated by Dali's abilityto dream up a magical environment. The first words A First Word means the first word someone has said in his/her entire lifetime. Usually it's a sign of language development.First Words is a Canadian hip hop group, consisting of Halifax beatmaker Jorun, DJ STV and emcees Sean One & Above. that came to mindare, "... sort of real with imagination." Surrealists challenge our reality by putting together objects thatnormally would not go together or are changed in some strange way.Looking at M.C. Escher's fascinating drawing, Reptiles, getseveryone thinking in the right direction. Students observe lizards thatseem to crawl off the paper and back on again. Sixth-grade artists arechallenged to create a three-dimensional surrealistic sur��re��al��is��tic?adj.1. Of or relating to surrealism.2. Having an oddly dreamlike or unreal quality.sur��re lizard bycombining the shape of a lizard in an out-of-the-ordinary place with anequally unusual texture. Next we talk about point of view. Each lizard has to be viewed fromabove as if you were looking down from on top. Symmetry is a must. Alllizard parts have to be visible with equal parts on both sides. Eachlizard needs all four feet in order to become three dimensional in itsnew environment. The lizard shape is drawn first with pencil to fit a 9" x12" piece of tag board. Students are encouraged to work as large aspossible and fill the whole page. The body has to curve naturally inorder to fit all of the parts. Artists need to observe that body partsget thicker where they attach to the body. Markers, colored pencils, crayons, paint and paper are choices usedto create a lizard's unusual texture. Brainstorming helped withideas for textures and background environment. Students came up with thestrangest ideas. Some lizards were made to look like leaves, geometricshapes This is a list of geometric shapes. Generally composed of straight line segmentspolygon concave polygon constructible polygon , computer boards, metal, tie-dye and cinnamon swirls. With the texture finished, the next job is to release the reptilesfrom the tag board by cutting carefully so as not to lose any parts. Iuse the tip of an open scissor scissorpertaining to scissors; like scissors in effect.scissor bitesee scissor bite.scissor moutha narrow space between the rami of the mandible so that the molar arcades do not meet. to score each lizard along the centerunderside so they fold in the middle and stand on their own. The storeline follows the curve of the body from the head to the tip of the tail.Scoring makes it easy for students to get a clean fold down the middle. Some students use their leftover texture scraps to construct theenvironment. Others create totally different environments for theirlizards to call home. Lizards are attached to their new homes by gluingonly the tips of the four feet, allowing them to stand freely and appearreal until closer observation. The lesson is complete when students compare the difference betweenrealistic and surrealistic lizards. How are they alike and different?What element makes them surreal? When on display the final results aresensational. A great way to cement the lesson is by reading Dinner AtMagritte's, by Michael Garland (Dutton Books; 1995). A young boyleaves his boring world of reality and enters the sensational world ofSurrealist, Rene Magritte. The surreal illustrations are fascinating.Students are amused when Salvador Dali Noun 1. Salvador Dali - surrealist Spanish painter (1904-1989)Dali is an unexpected but fun dinnerguest. What better way to retain the study of Surrealism than byobserving the setting of a Magritte sky? RESOURCES * Lizard books * Dinner At Magritte's by Michael Garland (Dutton Books; 1995) * Reproductions of Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dali andReptiles by M.C. Escher MATERIALS * Pencils * Paintbrushes * Paper scraps * Drawing paper * 9" x 12" tag board (white or colored) * Makers * Colored pencils * Crayons * Paint (watercolor or tempera tempera(tĕm`pərə), painting method in which finely ground pigment is mixed with a solidifying base such as albumen, fig sap, or thin glue. ) * Scissors LEARNING OBJECTIVES Students will ... * understand, identify, describe and discuss the difference betweenrealistic and surrealistic art. * create a three-dimensional surrealistic lizard within anenvironment. * select and use materials and tools that enhance their ideas. * formulate responses to works of art from personal and criticalpoints of view. For nearly two decades, Mary Lu Lovett has taught K-6 art atJohnson Elementary School elementary school:see school. in Fort Collins, Colorado The City of Fort Collins, a home rule municipality situated on the Cache la Poudre River along the Colorado Front Range, is the county seat and most populous city in Larimer County, Colorado. .