ART PROGRAM

INSECTS

STAGE 2
OUTCOMES VAS2.2
VAS2.3
VAS2.4
INDICATORS - learn to focus on subject matter
- learn to explore characteristics of things
- learn about who artists are and what they make
- experiment with different media
SUBJECT
MATTER INSECTS
FORMS Drawing, Collage, Sculpture
RESOURCES VISUALS: photocopied line studies of insects, colourful
butterfly images, teachers own drawings, Mambo art, M.C
Escher visuals
MATERIALS: soft pastels, art paper, watercolours, collage
paper, graphite pencils, ½ insect photocopies, overhead
transparencies, toy plastic ants and insects, light globes,
aluminium wire, screws or bolts ,coloured wire, found objects
APPRECIATION - talks about the characteristics of things
- discusses the qualities of the different media
- communicates their ideas about the differences in each
students work and the skills used to make the work
PERSPECTIVES Environment
LINKS HSIE, Numeracy
ASSESSMENT Students were able to:
- represent qualities of the subject matter
- look at details within their own and others artwork and
talk about what they had done and how they did it
- manipulate sculptural media
LEARNING EXPERIENCES

STAGE 2
SUBJECT MATTER: INSECTS

1. IDENTIFYING THE CHARACTERISTICS DURATION: Two Lessons

Students will
- look at pictures and models of insects to identify their obvious and
hidden characteristics
- discuss commonalities in all insects and determine special features that
give each insect its own character
- as a class make a list on the whiteboard of insects that they know
2. HALF INSECT DRAWING
Students will
- use a photocopy of an insect on its line of symmetry and redraw the
other half
- use artline pen to render the drawing
- look closely at details on the body such as segmentation and decoration
and details on the wings giving an accurate account of the finest
features
- shade the drawing in artline pen using the cross-hatching technique

Date Completed Revised / Extended / Comment

3. INSECT CALLIGRAPHY DURATION: Three Lessons

Students will
- View previous students work in this area
- Draw their own name in cursive script on a folded sheet of art paper
- Using the window as a lightbox retrace their name in a mirror image
- Open the paper to reveal their name as the beginnings of an insect form
- Use artline pen to add lines to help to fill in the insect allowing existing
lines to start antenna, eyes, legs, stinger etc.
- Once the form is obvious use patterning to fill in the insect giving the
body detail and decoration
- Be assisted by biological drawings of insects
- Discuss the use of text as the motivation in a drawing
Date Completed Revised / Extended / Comment

4. FOUND OBJECT SCULPTURE DURATION: Four Lessons

Students will
- bring in a variety of used light globes from home as the base of their
insect sculpture
- discuss the type of insect that they want to construct concentrating on
the length and position of the legs, position of wings, types of
antennas, body decoration and standing ability
- choose from the found objects supplied to add to the insect. These will
include wire, pipe cleaners, counters, beads, matchsticks etc.
- start by adding the legs to give stability and initially holding the piece
together with bluetac
- continue to add the antennas and the decorative features and lastly add
acetate photocopied wings
- (teacher will hot glue gun the pieces after class)
Date Completed Revised / Extended / Comment

5. OBSERVATION DRAWING DURATION: One Lesson

Students will
- use artline pen to draw their insect in large format on A1 artpaper
- use watercolour paints to add the appropriate colour to the sculpture
- discuss both the insect and the drawing and talk about the processes
they have gone through
- talk about themselves as artists and any problems that they have
surmounted
Date Completed Revised / Extended / Comment