ANIMAL FABLES – Contrast, Pattern, Mixed Media

Students will be able to:

• create a mixed media artwork to illustrate an animal from a fable of their choice;
• use size, contrast and space to create a dynamic composition;
• use repetition to create a variety of patterns;
• demonstrate technical accomplishment and creativity; 
• support their ideas with evidence found in the works.

Have students:

• rewrite the fable set in modern times;
• create a digital book of their retelling of the fable;
• use a photo editing program such as Photoshop to compose illustrations for their fable;
• share their fables with each other.

1. Prior to this lesson you may want to have your students do the Exploring Crayons techniques lesson available on this website.
2. Gather, and make available, books about famous fables, for example, The Classic Treasury of Aesop's Fables, by Don Daily; Fables, by Arnold Lobel; Animal Fables from Aesop, by Barbara McClintoc; and The Fables of Aesop, by Edward J. Detmold.
3. Have students learn about fables and select one to work with. 
4. Download and display the Elements of Art and Principles of Design posters available on this website.
5. Have students download and print an image of their animal.
6. Create a partially completed example.

1. Have students share some of the information they have found about their fables and the animals in the stories.
2. Discuss the things that might be included in a picture of one of the animals, for example, a tortoise.
   - tall grass
   - flowers
   - rocks
3. Discuss how to create a dynamic composition,
   - draw the subject really big
   - draw several medium sized objects  around the big object that help give it more meaning 
   - add lots of small elements to move the eye through the composition
4. Show your partially completed example pointing out key concepts.
   - frame
   - placement of partial animal photo
   - size and placement of animal body so it breaks the frame a some spot 
   - patterning around frame
   - torn/cut out magazine letters for name and moral 
5. Introduce the challenge.

1. Place students into small groups. 
2. Ask them to: 
   - Share their work and discuss the things they learned about fables.
   - Discuss the things that are especially effective in the drawings and why.
   - Talk about what they found difficult and what they found easy to do.
3. Share ideas with the whole class. 
4. Ask students to tell how they felt about doing this project.

1. Observe students as they work – thoughtful focus, discriminating, seeking more information, elaborating, experimenting.
2. Observe students as they discuss their pictures – speaks with a clear voice, looks at audience while speaking, points to areas in the picture, provides accurate information, answers questions from the audience effectively.
3. Observe students as they listen – looks at presenter, asks effective questions, supports ideas with evidence found in the artwork.
4. Use a checklist to track progress. (Downloads – Fables_tracking.pdf)
5. Have students use the self-assessment form to evaluate their work. (Downloads – Fables_self-assessment.pdf)