Inspired by oceans.

Several years ago, our school system agreed on a five-year cycle of nature themes to integrate instruction across disciplines. Last year, we studied artists and artworks inspired by oceans. Students also explored the theme with their own artistic expressions. We began the year with lessons based on sea creatures and finished by considering the power and rhythm of the water itself. Here are two lessons that were especially enjoyable for students:

Catching the Wave

A reproduction of The Great Wave Off Kanagawa by Hokusai was the inspiration for this lesson. I shared information about the artist and the tradition of Japanese printmaking. We compared the Hokusai print with parodies of the image found in contemporary advertising. Students were challenged to re-interpret the image by inserting their own popular culture characters into the picture and changing the mountain in the background to some other recognizable landmark. They were given a choice of media including markers, crayons, colored pencil, and watercolor.

Beach Bonanza 

Look What I Did with a Seashell by Morteza E. Sohi gives students useful information on types of shells and their origins. It is also the inspiration for a sculpture lesson using commonly found seashells.

We were fortunate to have a large collection of seashells, so students had a variety of shell shapes to work with. Students were encouraged not to begin with the intention of creating a particular thing, but to let the shapes inspire them. Working with an assortment of shells, students playfully arranged and re-arranged them into three-dimensional forms. When they came upon an arrangement that inspired them, they used craft glue to join the shells together. In some instances, I had to use a hot glue gun. For embellishment, we used tiny shells, beach glass, beads, or wiggly eyes.

NATIONAL STANDARD

Students use subject matter, symbols, and ideas to communicate meaning.

WEB LINK

www.atozteacherstuff.com/Themes/ Ocean

Stephanie Leonard is an art teacher at Fairmount School in Bangor, Maine.