Creative Process as a Lesson Planning Tool

Apply what you just learned about the creative process, and the activity and
discussion we just did. Pick a project you’d like your students to create and plan
what the steps in the creative process should look like to get the kids to
successfully create it. This is a formative assessment so this will allow me to see
what we still need to work on. No grades should be given during a formative
assessment.

What is the intended project supposed to look like? (Describe what it is and what kind of art
materials you’d need. What does the final product need to look like?)

This is a mosaic “puzzle” created using various shapes to represent different parts of a fishes
environment using construction paper cut into shapes. The final project should resemble a
fish in water. Any details are up to each individual student.

Step 1: Imagine and Generate (What could you show the students to get them thinking about
the artwork? How will you introduce the project? What themes could be discussed?)

To start, I would explain to the students what a mosaic is. A mosaic is a pattern or image
made of small regular or irregular pieces of material (colored stone, glass, ceramic or in our
case, construction paper.) I would show my students pictures of different kinds of fish. (Bright
colored, neutral colored, blending in to their environment). I would also show different places
fish live. (coral reefs, anemone, seaweed) I would also show different home that people live
in around the world to demonstrate that like people, fish live in different homes too. Themes
we would discuss would be how using different shapes and colors can help create an image.
Step 2: Plan, Prepare, Explore, and Focus (What exercises, techniques, or mediums could you
have the students practice with to get them ready for the project? Are you assigning any
planning time for sketching? If so what/how many?)

I would have my students prepare for the project by cutting shapes that I would have printed
out in various sizes (circles, square, rectangles, half circles, rectangles with squiggly sides) on
normal printer paper, then on construction paper. I would allow 5 minutes of planning time
for the students to figure out what their fish is going to look like, what colors they want to
use, as well as what the surrounding area will look like. The final project would be on a piece
of white construction paper with color construction paper for the image.

Step 3: Develop and Make (What are you demonstrating, how long will the students have to
work on the piece, how might you guide them through the completion of the piece? What
other assistance might they need?)

I will show an example of a fish mosaic that I did. I would go through the steps of me planning
where I want my fish to go, what type of sea weed, then what colors I wanted to make sure
were in my image. After giving the students time to figure out what they want in their image,
I would go through the steps, step by step. 1. Sketch what shape and where I want my fish to
go as well as sea weed or whatever else they want to include. 2. Plan what colors are going to
go where. 3. Think about what shapes will be used for the different areas. 4. Cut out shapes.
5. Glue with glue stick where they will go.

Assistance they might need is help figuring out how to get the shapes to fit on the page and
to represent what they are trying to make their fish look like.

Step 4: Evaluate and Present (How do you intend to evaluate the work? How do you intend to
exhibit the work? How will student know when they are done? What criteria will it need to
have?)

I intend to evaluate the students work by is there something that represents a shape of a
fish? Did they use a variety of shapes? I would exhibit the work by hanging it up in the
hallway. Students will know they are done when they cannot fit anymore of the shapes the
cut out on their white piece of paper. Criteria their mosaic will need to have are a fish,
different shapes, various colors, and something to show where they are (home, water, “out
and about”)
Step 5: Reflect (What kinds of questions could you ask the students in order for them to reflect
on what they’ve learned? Will this be done in a large group, small groups, one-on-one, or as a
writing assignment? Why did you choose this kind of reflective activity?)
Questions that I would ask my students are “What is a mosaic?” “What can we use to create a
mosaic?” “How are fish and people similar?” “What shapes did we use in our mosaic?”

This will be done in one large group, but writing activity. I will ask the questions, then give the
students time to write down their answers. Once we go through all the questions, we will
share out loud those that feel comfortable. I will collect the answers and review them myself.