Northern Lights with Penguins


Minnesota K-3 Visual Art Standards Used in This Lesson:

  • 1. Identify the elements of visual art including Color, line, shape, Form, Value, texture and space.

  • 2. Identify the tools, materials and techniques from a variety of two- and three-dimensional media such as drawing, printmaking, ceramics or sculpture.

  • 3. Identify the characteristics of visual artworks from a variety of cultures including the contributions of Minnesota American Indian tribes and communities.

  • 4. Create original two- and three- dimensional artworks to express ideas, experiences or stories.

  • 5. Share and describe a personal artwork and reflect on a presentation based on the feedback of others.

  • 6. Compare and contrast the characteristics of a variety of works of visual art.

    • Additional Tie-ins

  • Science: environment
  • Cutting skills
  • Painting skills

    • Students are shown images and a time-lapse video of the Northern Lights to inspire them about how vivid and interesting they can be.

    Students then get to paint northern lights with watercolor after a quick demonstration of how to use wet into wet to produce fuzzy shapes and lines of color.

    The next session is where we cut out shapes and glue them together to make a penguin. Environment is discussed while students work so they have a better understanding of the conditions penguins live in.

    9X12 background for northern lights. 4X6 black rectangles for penguin body. 3X4.5 white. Yellow/orange










    Hall Display