UNIT PLANNING TOOL
Les#:
Date
Theme:
“Treasures”
Grade Level: 6th
Unit Theme/Title: “Treasures”
Historical/Multicultural
Exemplars
Sketchbook/ Artist’s
Journal
Motivation/Dialogue
Media/ Processes:
Composition &
Design Princips.
Closure
Aim/Goal of the Curriculum: (meets state goals 25, 26, 27)
 To foster students’ appreciation of the their own cultural values as well as the values held by different cultures and eras.
 To arm students with artistic techniques in both the two dimensional and three dimensional realms, and further their appreciation and
understanding of the formal elements of design and medium.
 To help build students’ ability to communicate through artwork, and develop their understanding that images can communicate as much as
words do – even more.
Goals for 5-Week Program:
 Creative/Aesthetic, Affective/Expressive: Students will explore the concept of “Treasures” and what it means “To Treasure” both literally
and metaphorically/symbolically. They will develop an understanding of what and why they treasure certain things, and how this compares
and contrasts with what different societies/groups treasure.
Specific Learning Objectives (including studio, media, design and historical/multicultural understandings)
 Productive: Students will learn a variety of drawing, painting, and 3D design techniques to execute artworks. They will work with the
concepts of design, mark-making, composition, framing, ground, color theory, mounting & presentation, collage, overlapping, shading, 3D
representations, observation & perception, multi-panel works, collaboration, and positive/negative space.
 Historical/Multicultural: Students will explore artworks from a variety of cultures and eras that exemplify the above productive concepts.
They will investigate ancient Grecian and Mesoamerican artists who have used the sgrafitto technique on ceramicware, as well as artworks
from these two cultures that functioned as vessels to contain treasures. Students will further understand that the techniques they will be
learning have been used throughout history, and that the representations these artists chose to depict reflected their environment.
 Creative/Aesthetic, Affective/Expressive: Students will learn how their own and others’ artwork is a powerful form of communication. Not
only does content convey meaning, but media, placement, presentation, etc. all contribute to the artistic expression. They will learn to
critique in terms of formal elements as it relates to communication/expression of ideas, and will learn to self-assess.
Use of Artist’s Journals/Sketchbooks:
 During selected sessions, students will use their sketchbook/journal to develop ideas related to the project they will be working on.
d:\533567879.doc
1
UNIT PLANNING TOOL
Les#:
Date
Theme:
“Treasures”
Historical/Multicultural
Exemplars
1:
9/29
 Things I
treasure
(1)
 Ancient Grecian
vessels using
sgraffito technique
for narratives
 Contemporary
ceramicists who’ve
used sgrafitto
2:
10/6
 Things I
treasure (2)
 Same as lesson 1
3:
 Things I
10/13
treasure (3)
 Same as lesson 1
d:\533567879.doc
Grade Level: 6th
Unit Theme/Title: “Treasures”
Sketchbook/ Artist’s
Journal
Motivation/Dialogue
Media/ Processes:
 Writing/sketches  Introduction:
 Activity:
-Pick most
- What is a treasure?
- Introduction
treasured of the
Examples?
- Practice
3 artifacts you
- What does it mean to
- Design
brought in. Tell
treasure something?
- Begin designing close-up
why you
drawing of object on 9”x9”
 HO – Dictionary definition of
treasure it, etc.
colored construction paper
treasure
using oil pastels and sgraffito
 Design
 Demos:
technique
composition for
- Composing close up with a
piece
viewfinder (slide frame)
- Sgraffito with oil pastels on
colored paper
 HO – Oil Pastel sgraffito
instructions
 HO – Practice worksheet:
- Layering
- Blending
- Sgraffito
 3 artifacts (photos, sketches or
actual objects) of treasured
things students have brought
in
 Teacher made exemplar
 Students will
 Student selected artifact
 Activity:
bring in their 3
treasure to draw
- Begin close-up drawing of
sketched (for
object on 9”x9” colored
 Teacher made exemplar
homework)
construction paper using oil
compositions of
pastels and sgraffito technique,
their treasure as
framing composition with
well as their
viewfinder.
journal writing
about this
treasure.
 Students will
 Selected artifact treasure
 Activity:
transcribe their
- Complete close-up drawing of
 Teacher made exemplar
journal writing
object on 9”x9” colored
about this
construction paper using oil
treasure to their
pastels and sgraffito technique
artwork.
- Transcribe story from
sketchbook onto panel to be
mounted next to picture
Composition &
Design Princips.
Closure
 Composition/  Volunteers
Framing
share their
writings about
 Ground
their treasures
 Composition/ 
Framing
 Ground
 Color theory
 Composition/  HW: finish
Framing
artwork and
narrative panels
 Ground
and mount.
 Color theory
 Mounting/
presentation
2
UNIT PLANNING TOOL
Les#:
Date
Theme:
“Treasures”
Historical/Multicultural
Exemplars
Sketchbook/ Artist’s
Journal
Motivation/Dialogue
4:
 Things I
10/20
treasure (4)
 Same as lesson 1
 HO: Group
worksheet
critiquing
others’ artwork
formally and
expressively.
5:
 Treasured
10/27
memories
box (1)
 Ancient Egyptian
Canopic Vessel
 Ancient
Mesoamerican
Gourd Vessel
 Making Shadow
Boxes and Shrines
by Kathy CanoMurillo: 2002,
Rockport
Publishers
 Design layout of  Discussion: Treasured
inner box –
memory box introduction –
photocopy and
Inside of box are things you
accent piece
treasure, outside of box is the
placement
ideal future world you
treasure.
 Demos:
- Historical exemplars of
vessels used to hold treasures
- Tracing box panels and
designing
 Discussion: Think about how
your images and the cuts on
your accent pieces will
express something.
 Teacher made exemplar
 HO: Homework reminder

 Demos: Paper mache’ing
ground color to box
 Teacher made exemplar
 Selected artifact treasure
 Teacher made exemplar
 Treasured
memories
box (2)
 Same as lesson 5
7:
 Treasured
11/10
memories
box (3)
 Same as lesson 5

 Demos: Adding accents and
b/w photocopies based on
sketchbook design
 Teacher made exemplar
8:
 Treasured
11/17
memories
box (4)
 Same as lesson 5

 Demos: Watercolor
techniques
 Teacher made exemplar
6:
11/3
d:\533567879.doc
Grade Level: 6th
Unit Theme/Title: “Treasures”
Media/ Processes:
- Mount text and drawing
 Activity:
- Hang all drawings for
viewing.
- Group critique of selected
student works.
 Activity:
- Introduction
- Design layout of inner panels
of box
 Designing compositions for
collage
 Activity:
- Begin paper mache’ing
ground color to box
Composition &
Design Princips.
Closure
 Critiquing
artwork.
 Critique,
completion of
project.
 HW: Bring in
small box &
B/W
photocopies
 Collage
 HW: Finish
sketches, tear
 Overlapping
ground paper,
 Composition
cut white
 Color theory
accent shapes,
 Ground color
cut b/w
 Designing
photocopies to
 Balance
complement
 Expression/
accent shapes,
Communicabring these in a
tion through
plastic bag to
formal
next class
elements






Collage
 HW: Bring in
cut-out b/w
Overlapping
photocopies
Composition
and accent
Color theory
pieces
Ground color
 Activity:
Same as 5
 HW: Think
- Finish paper mache’ing
about colors to
ground color to box
use on your
- Collage on accents and b/w
photocopies
photocopies
and accent
pieces
 Activity:
 Same as 5
 HW: Begin
- Finish paper mache’ing
plus
cutting out
ground color to box
magazine
 Watercolor
- Finish adding accents and b/w
images that
painting
photocopies
reflect your
3
UNIT PLANNING TOOL
Les#:
Date
9:
12/1
Theme:
“Treasures”
 Treasured
memories
box (5)
Historical/Multicultural
Exemplars
 Same as lesson 5
Sketchbook/ Artist’s
Journal

Motivation/Dialogue


10:
12/8
 Treasured
memories
box (6)
 Same as lesson 5





d:\533567879.doc
Grade Level: 6th
Unit Theme/Title: “Treasures”
Media/ Processes:
- Begin watercoloring accent
pieces and b/w photocopies
Demos:
 Activity:
- Collaging on magazine
- Finish paper mache’ing
images with acrylic medium
ground color to box
- Acrylic varnishing box
- Finish adding accents and b/w
photocopies
Teacher made exemplar
- Finish watercoloring accent
pieces and b/w photocopies
- Begin collaging on magazine
images with acrylic
- Begin varnishing entire box
inside and out with acrylic
medium
Completed teacher made
 Activity:
exemplar
- Finish collaging on magazine
images with acrylic
HO: Self-Assessment
- Finish varnishing entire box
HO: Artist and Reviewer
inside and out with acrylic
Reflections (critique)
medium
Paired Discussions: Artist and
- Fill out Reflection HO
Reviewer share reflections
- Paired discussion about
and compare/contrast
Reflections
- Question to artist: How
- Self-assessment
might you improve
communications through your
creation?
Composition &
Design Princips.




Closure
ideal future
world.
Same as 5
 HW:
plus
- Finish all
elements of box
Watercolor
up to outside
painting
collaging and
Acrylic
varnishing.
varnishing
- Bring in
Using 3D
magazine
inside and
images cut out
outside to
to collage onto
communicate
outside of box.
 Same as 5
 Share paired
plus
reflections and
how artist
 Evaluating
might improve
and talking
communication
about
via formal
artwork (own
elements
and others’)

Goodbye’s and
 Improving
thank you’s
expressive
power
through use
of formal
elements
4