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Back to Pumpkin Lesson Plan |
Subjects
Grade
Brief Description
Create unique pumpkin mobiles to hang from the ceiling.
Objectives
Students will
Keywords
pumpkin, mobile, Halloween, fall, October, September, autumn, jack-o-lantern, following directions
Lesson Plan
Provide each student with two sheets (8-1/2- x 1-inches in size) of orange construction paper. Have them hold together the two sheets as they cut out the shape of the body (not the stem) of a pumpkin. They should end up with two identical pumpkin shapes.
Instruct students to keep the two orange pumpkin "bodies" together and make two cuts. Demonstrate the cuts for students. See Illustration 1. (You might describe the cuts as making a line similar to a smile of frown line drawn on a cartoon face or as the shape of a moon somewhere between a quarter moon and a half moon.) You might instruct younger students to draw light lines to mark the cuts before they do any cutting.
Students will be using the top and bottom sections they have cut; collect the center sections and add them to a construction paper scrap box.
Next, it is time for students to cut out two expressive eyes, a nose, and a mouth for their jack-o'-lantern mobiles. To do that, they will hold together two sheets of black paper and cut so they end up with two mouths, two noses, and two pairs of eyes that are exactly alike. If they want their mouths to have teeth, they will need to cut teeth out of the black paper. See Illustration 2 to see how these parts might look on a completed mobile.
You might talk with students about the triangle-shaped eyes and noses that many jack-o'-lanterns have. Will their pumpkin mobile have the traditional triangle-shaped eyes and nose, or will they give their jack-o'-lantern's eyes and nose different characteristics?
Then students can cut out a stem from green or brown construction paper. A single stem is all they will need.
Next, students should measure and cut pieces of thread or yarn. Cut two pieces that are 2-3 inches long, and one piece that is 6-8 inches long. (You might have already cut these pieces of thread or yarn for students.)
Now it is time for students to begin putting together their jack-o'-lantern mobiles. Have them
Assessment
Evaluate students using the following criteria: Did they follow directions? Are their pumpkins uniquely their own?
Lesson Plan Source
Education World
Submitted By
Gary Hopkins
National Standards
FINE ARTS: Visual Arts
GRADES K - 4
NA-VA.K-4.1 Understanding and Applying Media, Techniques, and Processes
NA-VA.K-4.2 Using Knowledge of Structures and Functions
GRADES 5 - 8
NA-VA.5-8.1 Understanding and Applying Media, Techniques, and Processes
NA-VA.5-8.2 Using Knowledge of Structures and Functions
GRADES 9 - 12
NA-VA.9-12.1 Understanding and Applying Media, Techniques, and Processes
NA-VA.9-12.2 Using Knowledge of Structures and Functions
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