Lesson Plan #2- Anna Atkins

Teacher Candidate: Michaela Katz

Date of Scheduled Visit : November 8th 2015
Name/Address of School: Creative Playgroup: 5 east 62nd street
Age Group : Two Years Old
Cooperating Teacher : 2
Room Number : 102
Title of the Lesson : Creating Their Own Cyanotype
Brief Description of the lesson : Students will review their
newly obtained information of the photography process,
Cyanotype and will be able to create their own.
Developmental Focus
Domain 1: Physical well Being: Gross Motor/ Sensorimotor
Skills: Students will be able to walk outside as they find
objects for the project and thus react physically react
appropriately to the environment
Domain 3: Approaches to Learning- Persistence and
Attentiveness- Students will remain focused on their artwork
long enough to complete the activity
Domain 4: Cognition and General Knowledge: Causation/
Scientific Thinking: After discussing the process of
Cyanotypes,, the students will be able to explain the
importance of the light from the sun when creating these
prints and they will be able to describe the observations and
make predictions from what they see.
Objective(s) After learning about the artist, Anna Atkins, the
children will be able to
Create their own cyanotypes
Understand the scientific process of the importance of
sun when creating the cyanotypes
Connection to Standards (if applicable)
ARTS. VA E.1. Students will actively engage in the process
that constitutes creation
ARTS VA S 2 Students will know and use a variety of visual arts
materials, techniques and processes.
ARTS V.A. S4 Students will explore art and artifacts from
various historical periods and world cultures to discover the
roles that art plays in the lives of people of a given time and
place and to understand how the time and place influences the
visual characteristics of art work.
Resources:
(http://www.p12.nysed.gov/ciai/arts/artstand/arts4.html)

Lesson Plan #2- Anna Atkins

Relevance/Rationale: Through this lesson plan, students will

practice their gross motor skills as they walk around outside
trying to find objects for this project. They will also expand
their social/emotional development as they interact with their
fellow classmates as they search for objects. Lastly, the
children will be expanding their cognitive development as they
learn about the scientific facts for creating a cyanotype
Time Needed: 10 minutes for discussion, 25 minutes for
project and 1 day to let it fully dry
Instructional Context: The lesson plan will commence with a
reading and discussion by the teacher in front of the whole
class. The lesson plan will continue as a whole classroom
experience as they all venture outside to find objects. When
they return to the classroom, the children will work one on one
with the teachers to complete the project.
Procedure
After morning meeting the teacher will introduce the
lesson plan by teaching the children what sun prints are
and how to create them (emphasizing on the importance
of the light from the sun and the water)
The teacher will illustrate this by showing the students
some examples of sun prints
The teacher will educate the students about Anna Atkins,
the first photographer to create sun prints
The teacher will then inform the students that they will
be able to create their own Sun prints, by showing them
the sun kit that she has.
The teacher tells her students that they will be going on a
class trip outside so that they can find objects to use for
the project
Following the teacher, the students will venture outside
and start searching for their objects
Once all the children have found their objects, they are
instructed by the teacher to find a shady area, where
they can all sit down in a circle
As soon as all the children are sitting down, the teacher
provides each student with a sun art paper and instructs
them place the objects that they found on that paper
Once completed, the teacher will direct the children to
wait patiently as she goes from child to child and
provides them with a clear acrylic sheet from the kit and
puts it over the objects
After all the children have a clear acrylic sheet over their

Lesson Plan #2- Anna Atkins

objects, the teacher informs them, that if the weather
permits to place their papers in a specific spot in the
sunlight, already cleared by the teacher.
However if the weather doesnt permit, the teacher will
have to find a spot indoors with a lot of sunlight
The paper should be left out in the sun for three to five
minutes or until it turns very lightly blue
During this time, the teacher will re-state the process of
Cyanotype and have a discussion with the children,
predicting what they think is occurring to their paper and
why
Once the paper is light blue, the teacher will collect the
papers and lead their students back into the classroom
Once in the classroom, the teacher will call a child one by
one to place their paper into a tub filled with water for
one minute (that was pre-filled by the assistant teacher,
while the other teacher was with the students)
During this time, the child can watch as the paper turns
from light blue to darker blue
If you want you can add a few drops of lemonade into the
water
After the prints have soaked for a few minutes, show the
child the end results and then place their project on the
towel that was placed next to the tub by the assistant
teacher, so that in can dry
In order for the prints to dry flat, have a book handy so
that you can place it on top of the childs projects
Once all the childrens projects are laying on the towels,
have them slowly walk around and notice the different
objects each of their classmates have chosen to use and
have a discussion about it.
Resources/Materials Needed
Examples of Cyanotypes (especially Anna Atkins work)
Sun Art Paper Kit
Outdoor Objects
Tub of Water
Lemon Juice (optional)
Towel
Book for pressing
Room modifications :
Create a section in the room for the tub and towels
Plan for differentiated instruction/Instructional modifications:
Students with under developed motor skills will be assisted by

Lesson Plan #2- Anna Atkins

the teacher as they walk around outside as well as when they
place the objects onto the paper
Method of assessing childrens growth and learning :
Throughout the lesson plan, I will ask the children about the
process of Cynaotypes. I will write a running record of what
the child says when picking the specific objects and their
predictions of what will happen when placed in the sun and in
water
Follow-up/Extension Activities
The next day, we will look at their Cyanotypes and see if their
predictions were correct
Any additional information that would be helpful for the
observer to know:
N/A
Observer feedback on the lesson plan, including
commendations and recommendations for improving aspects
of the learning activity :