Shape the possibilities.

Shapes are an important part of the kindergarten and prefirst grade curricula. As an element of design, shape is a significant part of the art curriculum as well. Because it is important for young students to make connections in their world, bringing these two curriculums together helps young students see the relationship between what they learn in the classroom and what they study in the artroom.

In the classroom, teachers introduce and review the basic shapes (circle, square, triangle, rectangle, oval, and diamond). Through books, games, puzzles, and other activities, students learn to identify these shapes, to use the shapes, and to find the shapes in their environment. To become more familiar with these shapes, students learn how to trace, draw, cut, and glue them. Once the shapes are introduced, the art teacher can take young students into the world of art and show them how artists use these same shapes to make images.

Learning How to See Shapes

Starting this unit using simple shapes to make a recognizable picture helps young students see shapes when they encounter them in works of art and gives children the foundation for the interpretation of these images.

The works of Paul Klee and Pablo Picasso are easily introduced once the foundation has been laid. After carefully looking at and discussing works of art, young children can use what they have seen and learned from the masters to create their own images using the basic shapes. The possibilities are endless!

RELATED ARTICLE: The Snowy Village

Before introducing young students to shapes in the world of fine art, I began with a simple lesson using squares and triangles entitled, "The Snowy Village." I started with two 3 x 3" (8 x 8 cm) construction paper squares glued side by side on a piece of 9 x 12" 123 x 31 cm) dark blue construction paper.

I did not tell my students what we were making, but they soon discovered it as we went along. Next, I took another 3 x 3" 18 x 8 cm) piece of construction paper, drew a diagonal line, cut the line, and glued the two triangles to the top of the squares. Diagonal lines were then drawn on two 3 x 3" (8 x 8 cm) pieces of green construction paper and cut. I demonstrated how to build a tree with these triangles.

Now that they knew what the picture was, the children were eager to complete it. Doors and windows were drawn with fine-tip markers, and snow was added using a cotton swab and white tempera paint.

RELATED ARTICLE: The Painter and the Bird

The next lesson begins with a picture book called, The Painter and the Bird by Max Velthuijs (Addison-Wesley, 1975). The bird in the story is made from basic shapes. After a retelling of the story, I demonstrated how to draw the bird using broad-tip markers on 9 x 12" (23 x 31 cm) Manila paper.

The students were free to choose their own colors, but I encouraged them to use the same shapes when drawing their birds. Once the birds were drawn, we discussed what a background is and looked at the backgrounds used in some of the illustrations. The children were then free to design their own backgrounds.

RELATED ARTICLE: The Red Balloon

The third lesson began with a look at Paul Klee's Red Balloon. I asked the children what they saw in this picture. Upon careful inspection and some discussion, they soon discovered that the image was a balloon floating over a village. Then, I asked the students what kind of balloon it was and they responded that it was the kind that people ride in.

With this introduction, they were ready to make their own red balloon images. Each child drew a circle on a 3 x 3" (8 x 8cm) red square of construction paper, cut it, and glued it to a piece of 9 x 12" (23 x 31 cm) Manila paper. Once the balloon was glued, the children finished the picture using pastel color markers. Before drawing began, however, we discussed ideas on how the picture could be finished, and the children were free to complete their pictures as they liked.

RELATED ARTICLE: The Three Musicians 

In the final lesson, I introduced the students to Picasso's Three Musicians (See SchoolArts October 1996 issue, pp. 27-30). We spent the beginning of the period (about twenty minutes) carefully looking at and discussing this work of art. Again, I began the lesson by asking my students what they saw in the image. Once we established that there were three people in the picture and that the people were playing music, we discussed Picasso's use of shapes. Inspired by Picasso's work, the children were ready to complete their final shape assignment.

Using press-on shaped stickers and a 9 x 9" (23 x 23 cm) piece of white construction paper, I demonstrated how to make some simple objects and instructed the children to create images in the style of Picasso. I reminded them not to worry about details, such as eyes or mouths, but to concentrate on using shapes to build pictures. These colorful stickers lent themselves easily to the students' imaginations. Soon, people, animals, houses, and wagons appeared on the papers, and smiles grew on the children's faces.

Kathy Miller-Hewes is an elementary art teacher at the Eagle Lake and Highland City Elementary Schools in Polk County, Florida.