5 sessions; 50 minutes per session

1. SWBAT tell several places that Japanese koi designs can be found.
2. SWBAT use the elements of art and principles of design effectively in their artwork.
3. SWBAT have a deeper appreciation for artwork in other cultures and the world around them.
4. SWBAT effectively utilize the oil pastels in creating their art.

1- Reference pictures of koi fish
2- white paper
3-pencils
4-kneaded erasers
5-oil pastel palettes

Need these materials? Visit Blick!

1. Spend 1 lesson teaching a lesson on various forms of artwork that feature Japanese koi. I like to do a power point and show many forms from tattoos to book illustrations.
2. Have students do a rough sketch of a koi fish design, making sure they use their elements of art and principles of design. (I make this lesson come well after those lessons)
3. Students will draw out the basic shape of the fish design.
4. Students will each get a set of oil pastels and begin to fill in the colors, blending as they go.
5. Demonstrate how the colors can blend into each other, light colors can go right over dark to give a gentle gradation. White gives a nice highlight to colors.
6. If pencil marks show through still or some students are difficulty blending, encourage them to finish with a dark black pastel outline to carefully give definition and contrast.

Students are graded on their ability to use the full length of class to work on their art, to use their learned skills effectively in their piece, and their creativity to not just copy a reference picture but to add their own ideas into it as well.

https://www.nga.gov/content/ngaweb/education/teachers/lessons-activities/elements-of-art.html

https://www.getty.edu/education/teachers/building_lessons/principles_design.pdf

https://owlcation.com/humanities/koi-fish-art#mod_17659567

My kids love this art project because they love the "koi" subject and they also seem to always love it when we get the oil pastels out. Something about getting messy with the art supplies makes them work harder and these always turn out beautiful!

[9-12 Proficient] Students conceive and create works of visual art that demonstrate an understanding of how the communication of their ideas relates to the media, techniques, and processes they use

[9-12 Proficient] Students apply media, techniques, and processes with sufficient skill, confidence, and sensitivity that their intentions are carried out in their artworks

[9-12 Advanced] Students communicate ideas regularly at a high level of effectiveness in at least one visual arts medium

[9-12 Proficient] Students evaluate the effectiveness of artworks in terms of organizational structures and functions

[9-12 Proficient] Students demonstrate the ability to form and defend judgments about the characteristics and structures to accomplish commercial, personal, communal, or other purposes of art

[9-12 Proficient] Students create artworks that use organizational principles and functions to solve specific visual arts problems

[9-12 Proficient] Students reflect on how artworks differ visually, spatially, temporally, and functionally, and describe how these are related to history and culture

[9-12 Proficient] Students apply subjects, symbols, and ideas in their artworks and use the skills gained to solve problems in daily life

[9-12 Advanced] Students describe the origins of specific images and ideas and explain why they are of value in their artwork and in the work of others

[9-12 Proficient] Students differentiate among a variety of historical and cultural contexts in terms of characteristics and purposes of works of art

[9-12 Proficient] Students describe the function and explore the meaning of specific art objects within varied cultures, times, and places

[9-12 Proficient] Students analyze relationships of works of art to one another in terms of history, aesthetics, and culture, justifying conclusions made in the analysis and using such conclusions to inform their own art making

[9-12 Advanced] Students analyze common characteristics of visual arts evident across time and among cultural/ethnic groups to formulate analyses, evaluations, and interpretations of meaning

[9-12 Advanced] Students analyze and interpret artworks for relationships among form, context, purposes, and critical models, showing understanding of the work of critics, historians, aestheticians, and artists

[9-12 Proficient] Students reflect analytically on various interpretations as a means for understanding and evaluating works of visual art

[9-12 Proficient] Students identify intentions of those creating artworks, explore the implications of various purposes, and justify their analyses of purposes in particular works

[9-12 Advanced] Students correlate responses to works of visual art with various techniques for communicating meanings, ideas, attitudes, views, and intentions

[9-12 Proficient] Students compare the materials, technologies, media, and processes of the visual arts with those of other arts disciplines as they are used in creation and types of analysis

[9-12 Proficient] Students compare characteristics of visual arts within a particular historical period or style with ideas, issues, or themes in the humanities or sciences

Abstract Art, Asian Art, Symbolism

Balance, Color/Value, Contrast, Emphasis, Form, Line, Movement, Proportion/Size, Rhythm/Pattern, Shape, Space, Texture, Unity/Harmony, Variety

Pastel