Teachers’ Names: Hannah Burris, Cameron Gentry, Taylor Medley, Margaret Davis Huggins

Art Lesson Title: Abstract Art & Adjectives

Grade/age Level: 4th Grade
Rationale/Goals:
This lesson will introduce the concept of abstract art to the students and help them to think creatively and
outside of the box by them creating their own abstract art based on that of Kandinsky. In using
Kandinsky’s style as inspiration, students will be able to explore the art of a different culture. In addition,
several elements of design, including line, color, shape, and space will be reinforced as the students
incorporate the elements in creative and abstract ways within their artwork. Students will learn how to
effectively connect visual art and music by creating abstract art based on the music they hear. Moreover,
students will also learn how to analyze the artwork of their peers. Finally, in this lesson students will learn
the importance of adjectives and the descriptive role that they play in sentences, and they will learn how
to use adjectives in sentences to add descriptive detail. Overall, they will gain a better understanding of
how to use adjectives and art together to better communicate with the world around them.
Standards/Objectives/Assessments:

STANDARDS* OBJECTIVES** ASSESSMENTS***

SC ELA 4.1 When writing
show knowledge of the
function of nouns, pronouns,
verbs, adjectives, and adverbs.
Students will be able to explain
their use of adjectives and be
able to show their
understanding of the role
adjectives have in sentences
through the way they describe
their classmates’ artwork and
by writing their own sentence.
The adjectives that students
orally use to describe their peers’
artwork (informal assessment);
their sentences using adjectives
written after the lesson (formal
assessment)

VA.CR NM.2.1 Students will be able to use at Students’ Kandinsky-style

I can use art materials to
explore ways to make art.
least 3 different colors of abstract paintings that include 3
tempera paints, 3 types of line, types of line, shape, and color,
and 3 types of shape of their and fill the space of the paper
choice, while fully utilizing
space to create an abstract
painting inspired by the work of
Kandinsky.
 VA.R IM.5.1
I can analyze the subject and
content in an artwork and
explore the artist’s intent.
Students will be able to analyze
the abstract artwork (lines,
shapes, colors used) of their
peers as well as interpret their
classmates’ intent in a(n)
oral/written format.
Students’ descriptive critiques
of peers’ artwork using
adjectives (lines, shapes, colors
used)

Key Concepts: Concepts used in this lesson include, understanding and performing abstract painting
according to that of Kandinsky, descriptively analyzing the artwork of others, and understanding and
using adjectives. Several elements of design will also be emphasized within their artwork: line, shape,
color, and space.
Lesson Sequence:
*Duration: About 30 minutes
***Formal assessment may not be able to be conducted when presenting the lesson at Chastain
Elementary.
1. Motivation: The Noisy Paintbox will be read to the students as they remain in their seats. It is
preferable for the students to sit in small table groups (selected pages).
2. Students will be asked what they thought of the book and what they think of when they see
certain colors. As students raise their hands, a teacher will call on between 2-3 of them
individually.
3. One teacher will pass out plates of paint and cups of water (prepared prior to the lesson) to the
students.
4. Another teacher will pass out a piece 1/8-sheet of paper, a pencil, and a paint brush to each
student.
5. A third teacher will pass out scrap newspaper and smocks to each table group.
6. While materials are being passed out, the fourth teacher will explain to students that they need to
first write their first and last names on the back of their papers. She will continue to explain how
the students will be drawing on inspiration from Kandinsky’s abstract work to create their own
artwork. Students will need to use certain elements of Kandinsky’s abstract artwork: at least 3
different colors of tempera paints, 3 types of line (straight, zig-zag, curved, dashed) and at least 3
different shapes (circle, square, triangle), and they will need to fill up their entire 1/8-sheet of
paper.
7. She will discuss how music will be played and based on what they hear and how the music makes
them feel, the students will draw lines, and shapes and paint with a variety of colors.
8. While explaining, a teacher will turn on a very brief piece of jazz music (about a minute of the
song “Cloe” by Joe Pass) and model Kandinsky-inspired artwork for the students, explaining the
lines, shapes, and colors used.
9. A different piece of instrumental jazz music will be turned (the song “Sunday” by Ben Webster)
on signaling the students to begin their own individual artwork.
10. Students will begin creating their individual artwork while the teachers walk around the
classroom and monitor students’ progress, answer questions, and provide constructive feedback
and positive reinforcement. This should take about 15 minutes.
 11. The teacher can ask several questions to get the students thinking: How does the music make you
feel? What do you picture in your mind when you hear the music?
12. Once students complete their artwork, the teacher will turn the music off and instruct the students
switch artwork with a partner. They will be instructed to observe and discuss each others’
artwork, talking about what choices they made artistically that corresponded with the music.What
words can you use to describe your artwork? Why did you choose the colors that you used? Why
did you choose the shapes that you used? Why did you choose the lines that you used? A teacher
will briefly model for the students.
13. After about 2 minutes, a teacher will instruct the students to finish up their discussions.
14. Once in their seats a teacher will explain how the words they just used to describe their artwork
are called adjectives. She will then give a simple definition of an adjective (a word that describes
something, such as “colorful,” “bold,” “gloomy,” “smooth”)
15. A teacher will go around the room and ask each student to offer an adjective to describe their
partner’s artwork that they observed. What adjectives can you use to describe the colors, shapes,
or lines of the artwork? (Informal Assessment)
16. ***Formal Assessment: While a couple of teachers take up the painting materials, another
teacher will pass out a piece of lined paper to each student, and another teacher will explain how
students will write on a piece of paper a list of adjectives that they think of after observing their
peers’ artwork.
17. After students complete their lists, the teacher will instruct students to pick three adjectives that
they used to describe the paintings and use them in sentences that analyze and critique the
artwork of their peers.
18. The teachers will walk around the classroom and monitor students’ progress, answer questions,
and provide constructive feedback and positive reinforcement. This should take about 6-8
minutes.
19. The teacher will ask students to raise their hands and share one of their sentences. The teacher
will allow for 2-3 students to share a sentence.
20. The teacher will further explain what adjectives are and what they add to sentences.
21. Closure: Call on a few students from each group to present their work to the class. They will be
asked to talk about how they were feeling when they were listening to the music and why the
drew certain lines. They may also be asked why they chose different colors.
22. Clean-up: One student from each group will collect the cups of water from their table and dump
the water in the sink and throw the cups away. Another student from each group will collect the
plates of paint and scrap newspaper and throw them away. A teacher will walk around the room
and collect all of the paint brushes into a cup. Students will take off their smocks once everything
has been collected. A teacher will then collect the art and place it in a place to dry

Abstract Painting Rubric:

Exemplary Satisfactory Unsatisfactory

Use of Color At least 3 different Only 2 colors utilized Only 1 color utilized
colors utilized
 Use of Shape At least 3 different Only 2 shapes utilized Only 1 shape utilized
shapes utilized

Use of Line At least 3 different lines Only 2 lines utilized Only 1 line utilized
utilized

Use of Space Effective use of the Effective use of at least Effective use of less
entire space of the 1/8- half of the 1/8-sheet of than half of the 1/8-
sheet of paper paper sheet of paper

Descriptive Feedback:

Materials, supplies, tools, visuals, and equipment:

● The book The Noisy Paintbox by Barb Rosenstock

● White paper (32 1/8-sheets of watercolor paper)
● Paint (tempera paints) in a variety of colors (red, green, yellow,
blue, orange, purple, pink, black)
● Paint brushes (20)
● Plastic table cloths to use as mats to cover tables
● Cups of water (20)
● Smocks (20)
● Pencils (20)
● Lined paper for all students (20)
● Phone with speaker to play jazz music (have 2 separate tracks picked out)
● Plastic palettes for paints (20)
● Teacher samples (4)
● Tape
● Dry erase board
● Dry erase marker
● Paper Towels

Teacher samples of the artistic product(s):

Visual samples of the artistic product(s):