Lesson Overview:
Using Crockett Johnson’s book Harold and the Purple Crayon, students learn about the concept of neighborhoods and neighbors. An exploration of color leads into an activity in which students create a painting of their own neighborhoods.
Length of Lesson:
Four 45-minute periods
Instructional Objectives:
Students will:
- learn about the concept of neighborhoods and neighbors.
- read the book Harold and the Purple Crayon.
- identify the primary colors.
- understand how secondary colors are created.
- create a painting that represents their neighborhood.
Supplies:
- Example of a color wheel
- Johnson, Crockett. Harold and the Purple Crayon. New York: HarperCollins, 1955.
- Myers, Walter Dean. Harlem: A Poem. New York: Scholastic, 1997. (optional)
- Newspaper
- Paintbrushes
- Paper cups filled with water
- Red, blue, and yellow tempera paint
Instructional Plan:
Warm up
Begin the lesson by reading aloud Harold and the Purple Crayon, or
have the students read it independently. After reading the book ask the students the following questions:
- What were some of the things that Harold drew?
- What adventures did Harold have on his journey?
- What is a neighborhood?
- Could any of the places Harold visited be called a neighborhood?
What is a Neighborhood?
Discuss with the class the definition of a neighborhood. A neighborhood is
an area—smaller than a city, but larger than a street—where people live, work, play, and learn. All of the people in a neighborhood, who live near one another, are called neighbors. Neighborhoods are often defined by their geographic boundaries, but sometimes, the people who live in a neighborhood also share certain qualities and are part of a shared community.
Give students examples of the types of neighborhoods found in their own city or country. Show pictures of what neighborhoods can look like. Use a first grade social studies textbook, magazines, or books that offer views and pictures of neighborhoods. It is important to show diverse views, especially ones that differ from students' own neighborhood settings.
Discuss with the students that there are many places in the world to visit
or live. Ask them to share with the class some of the places that they may have lived. Students who have not lived in other areas may have a relative who lives in a neighborhood other than their own. Was that neighborhood different or similar to the one they live in today? As these suggestions are presented, list them on the board or chart paper. For those children who have difficulty reading some of the words, introduce icons/pictographs and use them to clarify the definitions.
Explain to the students that they can use art and creativity to help people understand what their neighborhood is like. By viewing their artwork, people can "visit" their neighborhood without actually being there. Remind
the students of how Harold used his gigantic purple crayon to visit new places. Explain to students that they are going to create an artwork depicting their neighborhood, but like Harold, they will use only one color.
Learning About Color
Organize the classroom and distribute art supplies to each student. If
there are tables in the classroom, spread newspapers on the tables before distributing supplies. The students will learn about the color wheel, primary colors, secondary colors and how to mix two primary colors in order to create one secondary color.
Equip each student with a paintbrush, a cup of water, heavy white art paper, a palette to hold paints, and three primary colors of tempera paint. Show everyone the example of the color wheel and explain how the primary and secondary colors form two triangles. Discuss the definition of secondary colors, then demonstrate how to mix two primary colors in order to obtain a secondary color. First, make the color purple since it relates to the story, then make orange and green. Ask the students to mix blue and red in order to create their own color purple (a secondary color). Now have them mix colors to make orange and green.
Painting a Neighborhood
Tell students to close their eyes and envision their neighborhoods. What sort of things do they see? A street? A sidewalk? Houses? Trees or bushes? What colors do they see? Which are primary colors and which are secondary colors?
Invite the students to discuss the color purple. Ask if they can list any purple items from their own neighborhood. For the final portion of the art lesson, ask them all to create a pieces of artwork that represent their neighborhoods. Like Harold, they will be able to use use only one of the secondary colors that was created in their paint palette. Remind the students visualize the area around their house and things that they should include in their paintings. Their artwork should represent a vista or view of the neighborhood that is familiar to them.
Compare the students' paintings with each other, as well as with the illustrations in the book. Display all of the designs and chat about the details, the elements are recognizable, and the feelings that viewing each
one invokes. Complete the lesson with a discussion about the neighborhoods that the students live in and the neighborhoods that they imagine others live in. Encourage the children to use colors in their descriptions.
Assessment:
See the accompanying Assessment Rubric.
Extensions:
Expand the discussion of art by having students look at paintings of neighborhood scenes. The paintings of Norman Rockwell would provide a good example. For an urban setting, you may wish to show the children the Walter Dean Myers book Harlem and discuss the illustrations by Chris Myers. An online presentation of this book is available on the Kennedy Center's Storytime Online.
Allow the students to do a Web search for other artworks that depict landscapes of neighborhoods. After they have located examples of landscapes that depict different neighborhoods have them look at each artwork and ask these questions:
- What has the artist shown us in the drawing or painting?
- Are there items in the artwork that are found in your neighborhood or a neighborhood that you know?
- When you look at the picture can you describe what is happening in the neighborhood?
For additional examples of art, use magazines or large art prints.
Sources:
Print:
- Banks, J., Beyer, B., Contreras, G., Craven, J., Ladson-Billings, G., McFarland, M., Parker, W., The World Around Us. People and Neighborhoods, Places We Live. New York: MacMillan-McGraw-Hill School Publishing Company, 1995.
Authors:
-
Rebecca Holden, Educator
Virginia Beach, VA
