Unit Title :

Unit Goals:
It is important for students to understand our
planet and how it works. It is also important
to have an understanding of the solar
system and be able to identify and be
familiar with other planets, the sun, and the
moon.

Teachers name:

Lesson Title:

Grade:

Length of time:

Plant Earth

Grade 4

1-60 Minute class

Earth Patterns, Cycles, and Change

Kaitlyn McGowan

General Lesson Objectives:

Upon completion of this lesson, students will have an understanding of the planets in our solar system, specifically focusing on
planet Earth. Students will also be able to identify Jackson Pollock and become familiar with his style by looking at examples of his
art and creating a Pollock inspired painting of their own.
VA.SOLs :

Art SOLs:

Science 4.7: The student will investigate and understand the

organization of the solar system. Key concepts include
a) Plants in our solar system

Art 4.3: Students will use imaginative and expressive imagery to

create works of art
Art 4.13 Students will describe artists and their works.

Materials:
Resources for lesson or parts of lessonadvance organization to do before class:
1) www.storyboardtoys.com/gallery/Jackso
Gather images to project through LCD
n-Pollock-lesson-plan.htm
1) Image of solar system
2) www.planetforkids.org/planet2) Jackson Pollock examples
earth.html
Create Teacher example
3) www.123homeschool4me.com/2013/06/famous-artistseries-pollock.html
Push tables together in groups of four
Lay newspaper down on desks
teacher LCD projector
White Bristol paper
Paint
Cardboard box lids
Bowls
Marbles
Spoons
students Painting Smock
Vocabulary:
Orbit-to follow in a circular path around an object
Abstract- Art that has no subject, it is just lines, color, and shape
Expressionism- painting about emotion

Anticipatory Set- Hook: (2-3 Minutes)

Last assignment we did was about the solar system, you picked two planets to draw using colored pencils. Well today our
assignment will also be about the solar system but today we will be focusing on one specific planet.
Does anyone want to take a guess as to what planet that might be? Planet Earth
Raise your hand if you can tell me something about our planet
Motivation: (7-10 Minutes)
1.Input- (Part 1- Background)
(SHOW POWERPOINT SLIDE 1)
Earth is the third planet from the sun, located between planet Mars and planet Venus. As you have learned, the planets orbit
around the sun, meaning they move in a circular path around the sun. Earth takes 365 days to do a complete orbit around the
sun. It takes less days for the planets closer to the sun to make a complete orbit and it takes the planets further away even more
days to complete their circle.
Today we will be creating our own Earth, Jackson Pollock style.
Does anyone know who Jackson Pollock is?
Jackson Pollock was a famous American abstract expressionist painter.
(Write abstract expressionist on the board)
I know your thinking what is an abstract expressionist. Lets break it down into two parts first, abstract art is art that has no real
subject, it is just lines, shapes, and colors. Expressionism means to paint about emotion. So putting the two together, Jackson
Pollock expressed emotion by painting random lines and shapes and using a variety of colors to do it. Which we will see here.
(SHOW POWERPOINT SLIDE 2)
This is an example of one of his works.
What do you guys notice about this? What are your thoughts?
See how the painting has no real subject just a bunch of random lines and drips to make one beautiful painting.
(SHOW POWERPOINT SLIDE 3)
Here is another example of Jackson Pollocks work.
What do you guys notice about this one?
What similarities/differences do you see between the first one and this one?
So today we will be making a Jackson Pollock inspired Earth using paint and marbles!

2. Modeling/ Demo- (5-10 Minutes)

To begin, each of you will cut a circle out of a sheet of white Bristol board paper.
Then you will take your circle and place it in the lid of the cardboard box, like so.
Each of you will have three bowls; one bowl with blue paint, one with green paint, and one bowl with a little water in it.
You will take a marble and stick it in either the blue or the green paint. I am putting mine in the blue paint, then with a spoon you
are going to roll the marble around in the paint getting it completely covered in paint.
Once your marble is covered in paint you will take a spoon, like so, and lift your marble out of the bowls and gently drop them onto
your white circle. Then you will pick up your cardboard box top, with both hands, and slightly tilt the box in different directions
making your marble move around.
Notice how this creates a trail of paint that changes direction when I change it.
Once you are done rolling that marble around you will stick the marble in the bowl that has the water.
You will continue this process until your circle is mostly covered in paint.

Be sure to rotate between using 1, 2, or 3 marbles at a time you are not limited to just doing one at a time.
This assignment can be fun but it can also be pretty messy so please do not drop your marble from high up, this will create a mess,
notice how my hand was just above the circle.
3. Directions:
1) Put on painting smock
2) Cut out circle from Bristol board
3) Place circle in cardboard lid
4) Place marbles in the paint
5) With spoon roll marbles around covering it in paint
6) Drop marble on top of your circle
7)Using both hands, tilt lid in different directions
8) Place marble in water bowl
9) Repeat until finished
4. Ck. for understanding: Does everyone understand? Does anyone have any questions? If you have any questions at any time
about the project just raise your hand and I would be happy to help you!
Guided Practice- No guided practice

Distribute materials: (5 minutes)

-Desks will be pushed together in groups of four covered in
newspaper.
-I will have a student help pass out Bristol board paper and
cardboard lids to each students
-Spoons and Empty bowls will be on the desk when they
arrive (bowls secured down to avoid spillage)
- I will disperse of paint and marbles when everyone is in their
seat and ready to begin
Independent Practice- (20-25 Minutes)
Students will use paints and marbles to create their own
Jackson Pollock influenced Earth.

Evaluation of student workStudent has

understanding of
vocabulary
Student creates
Pollock inspired
Earth
Student is
familiar with who
Jackson Pollock
is

Closure- (6-10 minutes)

1.Clean- up- Students will wash their hands and place their
project still in cardboard lid on the back table to dry. I will come
around and collect the bowls and marbles from each table and
remove newspaper.
2. Critique questions- (3-5minutes; Critique & Summary)
1) The earth is the ______ planet from the sun?
2) Who remembers the name of the artist we discussed
today?
3) Can anyone tell me anything about his style of work?
3. Summary- Throughout the class we discussed the solar
system, today specifically we discussed planet Earth. We
discussed how long it takes the Earth to orbit the sun and what an
orbit is. We also learned who Jackson Pollock is and learned
about abstract expressionalism.
Modifications
-spec. ed- Have a classmate and them work on one Earth
creation instead of them both creating one
-gifted- Encourage them to make specific patterns and use a
variety of marbles and methods.

A
Yes

C
Somewhat

F
No

Yes

Somewhat

No

- if done early- Encourage student to try and add more color to

either Earth or created a second one

Yes

Somewhat

No

(Reflections-would be after project taught- so skip this now)

TEACHER EXAMPLE: