Shapely Polar Bear for the Winter Extravaganza Party

Shapely Polar Bear for the Winter Extravaganza Party

Materials:  

• 9x11 Black construction paper (body of the bear)
• 9x11 Dark blue construction paper (background)
• 9x11 White construction paper halved (snow)
• White and Black chalk/soft pastels
• Black oil pastels
• Scissors
• Glue

Prep Time:  20 minutes

Preparation prior to class:  9x11 white paper needs to be cut in half.  Gather additional supplies for the classroom.  Students can use their own scissors and glue.

Class Time:  1 hour

Reason for Lesson:  This lesson was chosen to show the kids that through the use of basic shapes (Element of Art) an artist can create a more complex object, in this case, a polar bear.   The finished product will be displayed during the Winter Extravaganza.

Instructions: 

STEP 1:  Preparing the background

                    Each student should have one dark blue paper and 1/2 of a white paper.  Carefully tearing along one of the longer ends of the white paper will create the snow effect for our background.  Next, glue the white paper to the bottom of the dark blue construction paper.  Matching up the clean edges on both.

STEP 2: Polar Bear

                     Using the white chalk on the black construction paper the student is ready to make their bear!  Starting with the head of the bear, use the side of the chalk to make a large round shape in the middle of the paper, filling in with the chalk.  Next, the body will extend down from the head to the bottom of the paper.  The neck of the polar bear should be more tapered than the body.  Again, fill in the body with the side of the chalk.  To create the ears, the student will make small circles on either side of the head, fill them in.  Students will then use their fingers to gently blend the chalk to remove any harsh lines, adding more chalk if necessary.

STEP 3:  Creating the Face

                       Using the black oil pastel, the students will make the facial features of the polar bear.  First is the nose.  In the lower half of the round head, start by drawing an upside down triangle and fill it in with the oil pastel.  From the bottom tip create the mouth by making a "J" and a backwards "J".  ***Optional:  from the top corners of the nose the students can draw short inward angled lines***  Next, come the eyes.  The student can choose to draw round or almond shaped eyes and then add a black circle for the pupil.  Now, fill in the inner ear with the black pastel.  Finally, by using the black chalk the student will rub a little under the chin to create a shadow.

STEP 4:  Cutting the Bear Out

                    The students will cut their bear out, following along the edge of the chalk line.  The students can now glue their bear onto the prepared background paper.

          

STEP 5:  Finishing Touches

                     The students will add snowflakes and wind to their pieces using the white chalk.

                 

Credit:  www.artventurous.blogspot.com