Lesson #1

Pablo Picasso and Abstract Art

Grade

4/5

Subject

Art

Time Duration

60 minutes

OUTCOMES FROM ALBERTA PROGRAM OF STUDIES

Art General Learning Outcomes:
Art Specific Learning Outcomes:
APPRECIATION: Students will interpret artworks by
Images can be portrayed in varying degrees of realism.
examining their context and less visible characteristics.
Colour can be made to appear dull or bright.
Feelings and moods can be interpreted visually.
MAIN FORMS AND PROPORTIONS: Students will
perfect forms and develop more realistic treatments.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Students will:
Identify who Picasso was and what time periods he worked during.
Compare different moods and emotions depicted in images.
Identify key concepts of abstract art.
ASSESSMENTS
Key Questions:
Observations:
Students are able to identify key identifiers in abstract art What is abstract art?
(ex. colour, line, point of view, direction.)
Who was Pablo Picasso?
Students are engaged in discussion.
Why do these images feel a certain way?
Written/Performance Assessments:
Worksheets are filled in with the appropriate observations and terms.
LEARNING RESOURCES CONSULTED
Program of Studies
Other Teachers
YouTube
MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT

SMARTBoard

Worksheets (of SMARTBoard Activities)

PROCEDURE
Introduction (10 min.):
Hook/Attention Grabber: Picasso video (0:37-1:32) http://youtu.be/X59U4mUqWtw?t=37s
Assessment of Prior Knowledge: Class discussion: Ask who knows who that video was about? Does anyone know what he is
famous for? Has anyone seen any of his work? Who knows what abstract means? These answers will guide teaching about the
background. If the class has a good grasp on who he is and what works he has done focus on the history and meaning of the
paintings in the activities. If the class doesnt really know about Picasso then ensure they have a good understanding of
abstract art, the time periods for his major works, and who he was.
Expectations for Learning and Behaviour: Respectful group discussion, raising hands and giving others a chance to
contribute. Staying on task and respecting other classmates as well as the teacher.
Advance Organizer/Agenda: SMARTBoard activity for who Pablo Picasso was, and some of his major works. Video of the
different faces of Picasso and discussion of what they saw change. SMARTBoard activity going over major aspects of abstract
art.
Transition to Body: Now that we have discussed what we know about Picasso, lets look at who he was!
Body 45 min.):
Learning Activity #1: SMARTBoard activity for who Pablo Picasso was and some of his major works.
Ask questions about what students may have seen on a slide previous and how it connects with lesson on current slide.
Ask what students see in art works and how they make them feel.
These questions will help guide this activity. If students display a good understanding of the information and are able to
answer questions with minimal prompting and guided questions, move onto the next activity. If students are having issues
with the questions, review the information and allow more discussion to help with understanding.
Allow the class to discuss the answers to these questions and their importance to the art and who Picasso was. Look
for understanding of the topics in their answers. If students display a good understanding you can move onto the next
activity but if students are lacking understanding then review the information with emphasis on what they have issues
with. Encourage discussion and offer different ways of thinking about what students are having issues with.
Learning Activity #2: Video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=fjoWCdzhuFI) of the different
faces of Picasso and discussion of what they saw change. Comparison of works of art.
Students will identify the changes they saw throughout the video in Picassos work. Have students write down these
observations. Play the video a second time, a third if necessary. Students should comment on the use of colour, line,
realism vs. abstract, and shape. Take in their observations and look for these key concepts to get an idea of what the

general understanding is and where you may need to clarify. Should students not have mentioned some of they key
concepts, review them at the beginning of next class and explain why they are important in abstract art.
Compare 3 images from the video and continue discussion on the changes using these images. If students do not
identify the concepts on their own, use guiding questions such as, What is different about the colour of this picture?
or How does this picture make you feel compared to that one? Why? If students are struggling with identifying the
differences and require 5+ prompts, take extra time in the next activity to ensure that students understand the concepts.
If you are unsure of the classes understanding or believe they would benefit from more practice, compare another set
of images as a class to gauge students understanding before the next activity.

Learning Activity #3: Worksheet going over different pieces of Picassos art and having students identify the components used
(colour, line, mood).
When moving through the classroom I will ask students what they see in an image (lines, colour, direction, depth) and
how it is different than another non-abstract image. If students are able to easily identify these, I will be able to do a
short review of the concepts next class. If students are struggling go over concepts as a class again, comparing images
together. Do a more in-depth review next class to ensure understanding.
Take in worksheets to see where the classes level of understanding is and tailor the review at the beginning of next
class to this. Do a more in depth review if students are struggling. Repeat the lesson if students are really struggling,
re-evaluating the areas of concern and adjusting the lesson to better communicate these topics (do a different activity
or explain it a different way).
Learning Activity #4: Worksheet for students to represent their interpretation of a positive and negative emotion. This can be
done to start the next class if there isnt time.
Move through the classroom to see what students are drawing and ask why/what/how questions to gauge
understanding.
Take in worksheets to check for understanding
Closure (5 min.):
Consolidation/Assessment of Learning: Briefly review the concepts that the students learned in this lesson: key concepts of
abstract art, who Picasso was.
Feedback From Students: Have students respond to 3 questions by thumbs up/ thumbs down method: Was Picasso an artist?
Does abstract art look like real life? I understand how colour changes a mood in an image.
Feedback To Students: Thank the students for their good work and good behaviour in respecting their peers.
Transition To Next Lesson: Next lesson we will compare abstract paintings to realism paintings, and start our own abstract
pictures!
Reflection:

It was very important to me to provide the appropriate background on the topic to the students before
jumping into the activity. I wanted students to fully understand the concepts before applying them and to
be able to connect the concepts to different areas (ELA, Social Studies). Providing the proper background
allows students to apply the concepts with a full understanding and my students understanding was
evident in their worksheets and discussions. I used different activities to help students understand the
background and the concepts especially as they can be a bit confusing. I specifically used a seating chart
to ensure that all students contributed to discussions and I asked everyone to provide adjectives in
response to some of the images. Questioning the students continually not only gave me an assessment of
their knowledge but also made them think about the concepts they were learning.
The worksheets worked really well to assess an abstract concept as well as for students to work
through their questions. Paired with small group and large group discussion, the worksheets catered to
different learning styles as students were able to work through the concepts (kinesthetic), see the concepts
(visual) and discuss (auditory). The evidence of this working for the students was in the worksheets and
their discussions. Students were very engaged and their discussions demonstrated their understanding of
the concepts as well as their interest in the topic. When I mentioned that we would be making our own
abstract art the students were excited and I was able to tell that they were enjoying the material. This
validated that my teaching method was engaging and motivated students to take charge of their own
learning.
I again used music to control volume and it has proven to be very effective. Students were able to
carry on with their discussions but volume level was kept manageable so that all students were able to
work undistracted. I believe that the students engagement and my choice of activity were also factors in

the volume level as students were interested in the subject matter. This level of engagement was also
helpful when I had students leave and then re-join the lesson as I was able to direct them to talk to their
peers. They were quickly brought up to speed by their classmates which simultaneously tested the
knowledge of the students who were teaching them and provided me with an assessment of the
effectiveness of my lesson.
My goal to be taken from this lesson is to incorporate this level of pertinent background in other
lessons in order to encourage this level of engagement. I want to ensure that students understand the
concepts before they are required to apply them as this decreases their frustration, preemptively answers
questions and increases their engagement. If I strive for students to be excited about the subject matter
then they take charge of their own learning and their understanding deepens. I was very pleased with how
this lesson went and now I have a model to compare other lessons to.