Creating Dominance and Emphasis - Weber State University

Creating Dominance and Emphasis
Orlene Ovard-Snyder
Ed. 4340 p.m.
4 th Grade
Integrated/ Social Studies
Original Art Lesson
AI4Ovardsnyderpm
State Core:
4 th Grade Art Targets #3: Create interest in the foreground by giving objects there
contrasting values, bold or pale colors, details, and/or texture.
Art Objective(s):
Students will use color, detail, and or texture to show interest and dominance of
an object in the foreground.
Key Vocabulary: emphasis, dominant, foreground, detail, texture, diorama
Materials Needed:
Print of Boy With a Tire by Hughie Lee-Smith
Print of Snap the Whip by Winslow Homer
20X20 Piece of Butcher Paper for each student
Pioneer figures for each student
Crayons
Glue
Chalkboard
Chalk
Objective Activity Assessment
Students will use color,
detail, and or texture to
show interest and
dominance of an object
in the foreground.
Together as a class, students
will examine two prints and
discuss what elements are
used to draw the viewers
eye to the most significant
object(s)
Students will create a
diorama using different
elements to show emphasis
and dominance.
Into:
Show student’s prints of Boy With a Tire and Snap the Whip. Ask students to examine
the print closely.
After all students have had an opportunity to examine both prints, ask them what they
think the pictures are about and how the pictures make them feel.
Allow plenty of time for students to respond.

Through: (Allow time for and discuss responses after each question)
Q: What object in these pictures do you think the artists feels is the most important?
Q: What did the artist do to draw importance to these objects?
Allow students time to respond, list detail, color, and texture on the board as they are
mentioned.
Show empty diorama
This is called a diorama.
Write the word diorama on the board.
A diorama is a miniature scene depicting characters in a natural setting.
As you can see, my diorama is empty. In Social Studies you have been talking about
pioneers, so I am going to fill my diorama with figures to create a miniature scene from
pioneer times.
Show the various characters to be featured in diorama. (Father, Mother Wagon, Boy,
Girl, Chimney Rock, dog, snake).
Place figures in the diorama using the brightly colored family. Allow students time to
look at it.
Q: What do you think I am trying to draw your attention to if I designed my diorama like
this?
Q: What elements did I use to do this?
Place figures in the diorama using the detailed wagon. Allow students time to look at it
again.
Q: Now what do you think I am trying to draw you attention to?
Q: What element did I use this time?
Place figures in the diorama using the textured Chimney Rock. Allow student time to
look at it again.
Q: Now what do you think I am trying to draw your attention to?
Q: What element did I use this time?
Now it is time for all of you to create a diorama. Before you start, I want you to think
about what object you want the viewer to be drawn to. Then decide if you are going to
use color, detail, or texture to accomplish this. Your projects will be graded on 3 things;
completeness, neatness, and your use of one of the elements to show importance we have
just discussed.

Beyond:
Hand out supplies for diorama. Show students how to make the diorama (See instructions
below)
Allow students time to make their dioramas.
Assessment:
Grade dioramas using the rubric.
Score Completeness Neatness Elements
1 Project. Includes Project is not neat. Element is missing.
less than 2 figures Most figures not
and background is securely fastened
not colored and a lot of excess
glue.
2 Project includes at Project is somewhat Element is present
least 2 figures but neat. Some figures but not emphasized.
background is not are securely
colored.
fastened a lot of
excess glue
3 Project includes at Project is mostly Element is present
least 2 figures and neat. Most figures and somewhat
background is are securely emphasized.
colored.
fastened some
excess glue.
4 Project includes at Project is neat, Element is present
lease 3 figures and figures are securely and emphasized.
background is fastened no excess
colored.
glue.
Instructions for making dioramas: Fold square paper corner to corner. Open up and
fold again corner to corner using other two corners. Open up again. Cut one folded line
from corner to center. Slide one cut side under the other cut side and staple or glue in
place. Diorama should resemble one half of a pyramid. (Students will need to color the
background and bottom before stapling or gluing it together.
Patterns for pioneer cutouts were found in This is the Place The Story of the Mormon
Trail An Activity Book for Children by William E. and Jan C. Hill. HillHouse Publishing
1996. Centereach, NY. Pages 36-39. ISBN 0-9636071-2-X