Samuel Miller

May, 2020
Kindergarten
Beautiful OOPS! (By Barney Saltzberg)

Goals and Standards:

 Students can explore and investigate art tools and materials (Invent and Discover to create, 1.a,
1.b, 1.c).
 Students can create art with intention (Observe and Learn to Comprehend, 1.b).
 Students can recognize that explorative play can be inspiring (Envision and Critique to Reflect,
1.a).
Synopsis:
 After reading “Beautiful OOPS!” by Barney Saltzberg to the class, the students will explore ways
of making art out “mistakes”- tears and holes in paper, paint smears, pencil scribbles, etc. will be
made into intentional pieces of art. This is to teach students the valuable lesson that mistakes
don’t equal failure, and they also teaches them to use creative problem solving.
Supplies:
 Drawing station
o Pencils, paper, colored pencils, erasers, crayons, markers.
 OOPS art collected over the year.
 “Beautiful OOPS!” by Barney Saltzberg.
o If student is at home or misses the lesson, I have a video of me reading the book that
can be shared with the student.
Procedure:
 Over the semester I will collect student’s “OOPS” art work and keeping them in a folder behind
my desk. Place one sheet of OOPS art at each seat before class begins.
 Begin class as student enter the room. After they have all entered their seats and attendance is
taken, ask them to come to reading rug at the front of the room in order to read “Beautiful
OOPS!”
o Book is kept in closet behind desk, furthest to the left.
o Be energetic and turn the book into a conversation. “Do you SEE how the tear was made
into a crocodile mouth? That’s pretty cool, isn’t it?!”
 DEMO: Take a sketch book and quickly create three “mistakes”- A tear, a hole, and a scribble.
Turn the hole into something (A pirate’s eyepatch, a door knob for a door…), make the tear
something (monster’s mouth, a missing pizza slice, Pac-Man!). Ask the students what they think
you should turn the scribble into (they need to raise their hands). Do the best you can, but don’t
take too long!
 Have the students return to their seats to start working!
o Walk around the classroom asking about their work. “What was the oops? What are you
going to be turning it into?”
 Making suggestions for kids that are stuck is ok, but don’t do the art for them!
Assessment:
 Pre-assessment
o Students must be familiar with the general rules of the classroom and with the rules of
the drawing station and the supplies there.
 Post-assessment
 o Students have successfully explored drawing supplies and the potential of taking a
mistake and making it into something good. They are able to verbally tell the teacher
what the “oops” was and how they changed it.
Rubric:
 GOLD STAR! (5/5 Points)
o Participated in class and was attentive during instruction and worked to the best of their
ability on the assignment.
 SILVER STAR! (3.5/5 Points)
o Participated in class but not very attentive during instruction and/or didn’t focus on
their work during part of class.
 BRONZE STAR! (2/5 points)
o Refuses to participate in class and was disruptive during instruction and didn’t focus on
work for most of class.
Safety:
 Pencils can be sharp. May only be allowed for drawing.
 Markers may stain clothes – washable will be used.
 Emotional Safety- Student always compare their own work to others, even in kindergarten. Be
sure to encourage each student, especially when they feel like they are struggling. Praise them
when they do well.
Resources:
 Saltzberg, B. (2010). Beautiful oops! New York: Workman.