MY FAVOURITE THINGS – Art in the Style of Eric Carle

Students will be able to:

• create a collage in the style of Eric Carle that tells something about their favourite things;
• create a variety of textured papers using paint and different of objects;
• use the placement of elements to create one or more areas of interest;
• create colours and textures to depict specific elements;
• demonstrate planning ability, technical accomplishment and creativity; 
• support their ideas with evidence found in the artwork.

Have students:

• work in small groups;
• place their pictures in an order that tells a story with a beginning, middle and end;
• practice telling their part of the story out loud;
• present their story to the class, holding up their pictures as they tell their part of the story.

1. Prior to this lesson teach students about real and implied textures and look at a variety of artworks that employ one or both.
2. Lead students on a texture walk in the classroom. Challenge them to make rubbings of many different textures, including walls, floors, shoes, clothing etc. Share and discuss finished rubbings.
3. Generate and display a list of texture words.
4. Encourage students to do a texture walk at home and bring examples into class for discussion.
5. Have students create their own colour wheels of primary and secondary colours, mixing the secondary colours from the primaries.
6. Show students a variety of artworks that demonstrate strong areas of emphasis.
7. Discuss how having a strong focal point or area of emphasis helps lead the eye through a work of art.
8. Preview the Eric Carle videos.
   Favourites
   Caterpillar
9. Preview the Artistic Process article from the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Bool Art.
10. Collect objects to use with paint to create textures.
11. Gather and make available books by Eric Carle, such as, The Art of Eric Carle, by Eric Carle; Have You Seen My Cat? by Eric Carle; Today Is Monday, by Eric Carle; From Head to Toe Board Book, by Eric Carle; Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? by Bill Martin Jr., and Eric Carle; and The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle. 
     

1. Read and discuss several Eric Carle books focussing on:
   - the techniques he used to achieve a wide variety of textures and colours in his artworks;
   - the compositions he used create one or more areas of interest;
   - the collage technique.
2. View the Eric Carle video about his Favourite things.
3. Ask children to think about their favourite things. What is their favourite:
   - activity
   - colour
   - animal
   - food
   - time of day
   - thing
4. Introduce the challenge.

1. Once the artworks are complete, display pictures at eye level and have the class take a gallery walk. Remind students of the challenge.​​
2. Ask students to walk silently, thinking about a picture they are drawn to because it exemplifies one or more of the learning goals.
3. After the gallery walk gather the class and invite students to share positive comments about their chosen work using language from the learning goals. Model what you mean first. For example, I notice how John used a lot of blue in his picture to show the sea. The texture looks like water because of the way he used his fingers to go up and down and make wavy marks. His orange sailboat stands out against the blue water. That creates an area of interest for me.
4. Ask children to tell what they think the favourite things are for a picture and to tell why. For example, I think his favourite colour is blue because there is a lot of blue in the picture, and it looks like he likes to go sailing. Probably blue reminds him of sailing.

1. Observe students as they work – thoughtful focus, discriminating, seeking more information, elaborating, experimenting.
2. Observe students as they discuss their collages – speaks with a clear voice, looks at audience while speaking, points to areas in the collage, 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 - CarleCollage_tracking.pdf)
5. Have students use the self-assessment form to evaluate their work. (Downloads - CarleCollage_self-assessment.pdf and Primary-CarleCollage_self-assessment.pdf)