Lesson Plan 5 - Revisit

Teaching Team:

Reilly Ness, Dan Lindsay, and Luo Wang

Grade Level:

Grades 2-5

Date Taught:

Nov 2, 2015

Aim/Goal of the 8-wk Curriculum:

The student will learn various elements & principles of design through learning and
playing Minecraft. The student will be encouraged to apply what they learn in video game
(Minecraft) to art-making practice and life.
Fine Arts Goals Met by the Objectives:

Interfacing with digital media/Digital Literacy

Understanding of Elements/Principles of Design

Objectives: Students will

Be able to reference specific elements/principles discussed in previous lessons.
Understand how to combine these elements/principles in a way that helps to create a visually
interesting piece of art.
Vocabulary:
Incorporate all past vocabulary from previous lessons.
Teacher Materials: (___ students plus demos)
Projector & Screen
Computers with Minecraft
Basic Minecraft building tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvv1eW_BrfM
Building Examples
Materials for alternate (non-Minecraft) lesson
Learner Materials:
Computers with Minecraft
Legos
Paper (both white & black)
Drawing tools (markers, colored pencils, etc.)
Handout with past elements/principles w/ definitions.
Motivation/Activities and Prompts:
Icebreaker activity to reflect and review upon the past lessons.

 Identify how much students have learned/retained.

Classroom Layout/Physical Set-up:

TABLE FORMATION:
o

Same set-up as previous lessons: large open area in center of room for large
group activities, surrounded by clusters of 4-5 desks.

Procedures:

INITIAL DISCUSSION/INTRO: (5 minutes)

o

Hand out nametags

Explain that this lesson will draw from past material.

ICE BREAKER: (15 minutes)

o

Ask students to recall past elements/principles

Have students identify (with our help) how & why they used these
elements/principles in their work.

Question students as to whether these elements/principles can be incorporated

into a work so that they work together to improve a piece.

CIRCLE DISCUSSION #1: (15 minutes)

o

Handout sheet that lists all of the previously-mentioned elements/principles.

Specifically touch on ones that were not mentioned in the ice-breaker. Check
students understand/remember these ones.

Explain that students will be working on a piece that incorporates two or more
elements/principles from different lessons.

MINECRAFT BUILD: (30 minutes)

o

Students will be told to create a castle, which uses various elements/principles

from different lessons.

Make sure students understand how much time they have.

Ask students what they believe is important in a castle. Ask them how the
element/principles they chose reflect this.

Alternate activity: Use legos/drawing to create a structure that incorporates the

multiple elements/principles.

CIRCLE DISCUSSION #2: (20 minutes)

o
o

CLOSURE: (5 minute)

Explain that there will be a new concept for the next lesson.

CLEAN UP: (Separate 30 minutes)

Timetables:
Time allotted for lesson (90 minutes total):
Activity

Minutes

Initial Discussion/Introduction

5 mins.

Icebreaker

15 mins.

Circle Discussion 1

15 mins.

Minecraft Construction

30 mins.

Circle Discussion 2

20 mins.

Preview of Wed. Lesson

5 mins.

Lesson Plan 6 - Balance

Teaching Team:

Reilly Ness, Dan Lindsay, and Luo Wang

Grade Level:

Grades 2-5

Date Taught:

Nov 04, 2015

Fine Arts Goals Met by the Objectives:

Interfacing with digital media/Digital Literacy

Understanding of Elements/Principles of Design

Objectives: Students will

Be able to use various approaches to make a drawing/ a building(in Minecraft) in balance.
Learn how to make a cube, and how to construct a building by cubes.
Vocabulary:
Cube
Symmetry:
Asymmetry
Radial
Teacher Materials: (___ students plus demos)
Projector & Screen
Powerpoint Presentation
Computers with Minecraft
Cube template
Building Examples
Color markers
- Tape
Learner Materials:
Computers with Minecraft
Handout/Color Chart
Procedures:

ICE BREAKER: (10 minutes)

Gather into circle- or sit at desks/ tables

Pass out name-tags

Have students say what weve learnt in the previous class

INITIAL DISCUSSION/INTRODUCTION: (10 minutes)

o

Introducing todays lesson- create a balance

Show them what is balance. Ask them if they can find something that has
balance in the classroom. (such as table, smartboard, computer.)

Introduce different strategies to create a balanced image: symmetry,

asymmetry, radial.

Introduce our project today

MINECRAFT EXPLORATION/ CUBE PROJECT: (50 minutes)

1) MINECRAFT
o

Enclose the structure that theyve built. Have students look at their structure from

the outside, inside, far away, close up. Suggest that the students ask themselves, is
this balanced? Help them think about balance as it relates to their building. i.e. Is one
wall higher than the others? Is there a roof? Is there an entrance? If so does it work?
Is it in a useful place or off center? Are there random extra blocks or holes that need
to be added/removed/cleaned up?
Students who feel theyve given their structure some balance can continue with their
color schemes and building. Students who feel like their structures color schemes
are also finished can begin landscaping. Talk about how to make balance with their
garden, prompt them to look at their creation from multiple angles. Ask students
questions about what vision or idea they have in their mind as they are building. Help
them flush out those ideas, encourage sharing of ideas, creations, hints, tips, and
tricks between students. Give them any interfacing assistance they need when
students are stumped.
Remind students to think BIG! Remind them that the Minecraft world is limitless.
Their houses, beacon, and garden should be as grand, fancy, and large as they can
imagine and create.

2) BOX PROJECT
o

Give them the cube template and show them how to fold it into a cube, and let
them know thats what they will do later. Also let them know, it is same as what
we used in minecraft to build staff.

Provide them color markers to draw a pattern in balance on each squares. They
could draw same pattern for 6 times, or different patterns. We will show them
examples.

After they finish draw all the cubes, let them construct a building by these cubes.

CIRCLE DISCUSSION/REFLECTION: (10 minutes)

Look at each others work

Talk about what strategies they use to create balance

Ask students to think critically about how balance work in real world buildings &
how it works in their Minecraft structures.

CLOSURE: (5 minute)
o

Introduce next weeks lesson

CLEAN UP: (5 minutes)