UbD: Vincent van Gogh's Texture: Oil Pastel

Landscape
Elementary Art, grades preK-5
2 days
Minnesota Arts Standards:
0.1.1.5.1, 0.2.1.5.1, 0.3.1.5.1, 4.1.1.5.1, 4.1.1.5.3

Focused Instruction Standards:

4.1: I can reproduce real and visual texture. (S1.1.1)
4.2: I can construct artwork with texture. (S21.1.1)
National Arts Standards:
VA:Cr2.1.1: Explore uses of materials and tools to create works of art or
design.
VA:Cr3.1.1: Use art vocabulary to describe choices while creating art.
STAGE 1 IDENTIFY DESIRED RESULTS
Established Goals: (e.g., content standards, course objectives, learning outcomes,
etc)

Students will use the works of Vincent van Gogh in order to understand
the meaning of and difference between real and visual (implied) texture.
They will then work to create a landscape drawing using colored
construction paper and oil pastel, with the instruction to try and use short,
colorful "brushstrokes" when creating their landscape. This will help create
visual texture in their work.
What essential questions will be considered? (Provocative questions to foster
inquiry, understanding, etc.)

What is real texture?

What is visual texture?
How do the paintings of Vincent van Gogh have both real and visual
texture?
How do I create a drawing that resembles van Gogh's work and
uses visual texture?

What understandings are desired? (big ideas, specific understanding about them;
predicable misunderstanding)

Students will understand that

Real texture is something that you can actually touch and feel
Visual texture is how something looks like it feels
If we touch Vincent van Gogh's paintings, they would have real
texture (bumpy paint)
If we look at his paintings on a screen, we only see visual texture

Using oil pastels and short drawing strokes can create a drawing
that looks like van Gogh's

What key knowledge and skills will students acquire as a result of this
unit?

Students will know

How define and distinguish between real and visual texture
How van Gogh's work can have both kinds of texture, depending on
how it is viewed
How to use oil pastels to create visual texture in a drawing

STAGE 2 DETERMINE ACCEPTABLE EVIDENCE

What evidence will show that students understand?

Performance Tasks:
Students will participate in a discussion about van Gogh and texture
in van Gogh's work after the teacher reads a story about his
paintings
Students will create a drawing using oil pastels on colored
construction paper that demonstrates understanding of visual
texture
Students will reflect on their work before continuing the drawing in
the next week (reflective questions)
Students will be able to
Discuss the artist Vincent van Gogh and state how his artwork uses
real and visual texture
Create a drawing using oil pastels on colored construction paper
that demonstrates understanding of visual texture
Reflect on their work to see if it is meeting project guidelines

What other evidence needs to be collected in light of Stage 1 Desired

Results?
Other Evidence: (e.g., tests, quizzes, prompts, work samples, observations,
homework, etc.)

Observation during class discussions and during work time to

ensure that all students are participating
Student Self-Assessment and Reflection:
Before working on their project on the second day, students will
reflect on their work and see if it is meeting project guidelines
(visual texture, short drawing marks that resemble the brushstrokes
of van Gogh, multiple colors within a section)

STAGE 3 PLAN LEARNING EXPERIENCES

What sequence of teaching and learning experiences will equip students

to engage with, develop, and demonstrate the desired understandings?
List the key teaching and learning activities in sequence below.
1. Week One:
a. Introduce slide with works of art by Vincent van Gogh and ask
students if they recognize it. Explain van Goghs work and
medium of painting.
b. Read story "Vincent's Colors" to the class; ask them to think
about what materials the artist might have used and how he
uses colors.
c. Ask inquiry questions about the topics that students have
been primed with: What did you notice about the artworks in
the book? Do you see any of the same artworks on the screen
(Smart Board)? What kind of materials do you think Vincent
van Gogh used? (Oil paint; used thickly so the paint stands up
off of the canvas). If you were to feel van Goghs real
paintings, what do you think they would feel like? (Bumpy,
lumpy, etc.)
d. Talk about the concept of texture. Further questioning, with
the intention of conveying this information: Real texture is
something that you can actually touch. If we were to touch
van Goghs actual painting, we would be feeling real texture.
If we touch a tree trunk, we would feel its bumpy texture.
Visual texture is what something looks like it feels like. When
we look at a picture of a tree or or van Goghs artwork, we
know it looks bumpy; but if we touch the screen, it will feel
like a smooth screen.
e. Introduce todays project: Using oil pastels and colored
construction paper to create visual texture landscapes.
Landscapes can be either real or invented/fantasy. Students
should try and use short, unblended drawing marks so their
drawings resemble van Goghs painting style.
f. Students work the remainder of the hour on their drawings.
g. 5-10 minutes for clean up (less for older students, more for
younger); students are dismissed by table and put their
projects on the stool in the front of the classroom before
sitting on the carpet.
h. Teacher dismisses students who are sitting quietly to line up
at the door.
2. Week Two:
a. Review last weeks project: Who remembers the artist that we
talked about last week? (Vincent van Gogh) What big idea were
we talking about? (Texture)
b. Recap how van Gogh used color to show the light and shadow of
a landscape (different values and hues of colors). Use either
Starry Night or Buttercups.

c. Explain reflection handout to students: We are going to check

ourselves and see if our drawings are using the same visual
texture that we see in van Goghs paintings.
d. Using a viewfinder, we can zoom in on one part of our drawing,
and one part of van Goghs artwork. We will draw each detail in a
small box on the reflection form, and then rate ourselves from 1
to 4 on whether or not we are following project guidelines.
e. Am I using my colors to show where light might be coming from?
Am I using the oil pastels to create visual texture? Am I using
van Goghs short, textural marks?
f. Students will also answer a goal-setting question to envision
their final drawing: What will I do today to show more visual
texture in my drawing?
g. Students will be released to their tables as the teacher hands
each person a worksheet (exit ticket). They should go to their
table and start using the viewfinder to complete their reflection.
Not everyone can do the reflection at the same time (limited
number of pictures of van Goghs artwork), so students should
take turns and work on their drawing while waiting their turn.
h. Teacher will hand out drawings to students as they are working
on the worksheet.
i. Students work the remainder of the hour on their drawings.
j. 5-10 minutes for clean up (less for older students, more for
younger); students are dismissed by table and put their projects
and reflections on the stool in the front of the classroom before
sitting on the carpet.
k. If there is time (students finish early), possibly talk more about
van Goghs life, since students have been curious about the
man who cut off his ear. Sadness and using art as a vehicle for
expressing our emotions is healthy and good.
l. Teacher dismisses students who are sitting quietly to line up at
the door.

NAME: ________________________________
#:_____________

ROOM

Van Goghs Texture Objectives (Grades 3-5):

4.1: I can reproduce real and visual texture
4.2: I can construct artwork with texture

Use the viewfinder at your table to compare a detail of

your drawing to a detail of van Goghs painting. Think
about:
Does my drawing show visual texture?
Does my drawing show short, colorful marks like
Vincent van Goghs artwork does?
What would I rate my own drawing so far?

1
not similar
similar

2
a little similar

3
mostly similar

4
very

Draw your details here:

My Artwork Detail
Artwork Detail

Van Goghs

What will you do today to make your drawing better

(show more visual texture)?

NAME: _____________________________
#:_____________

ROOM

Van Goghs Texture Objectives (Grades K-2):

4.1: I can reproduce real and visual texture
4.2: I can construct artwork with texture

Use the viewfinder at your table to compare a detail of

your drawing to a detail of van Goghs painting.
Does your drawing show visual texture? (How many
short, colorful marks?)

no marks
a few marks
lots of marks

some marks

Draw your details here:

My Artwork Detail
Artwork Detail

Van Goghs

What will you do today to show more visual texture?