Grade Level:4th grade
Length: 4 Days
Medium: Clay (ceramics), underglaze or glaze, paper, pencils
Learn about Vincent van Gogh and his famous sunflower paintings.
Explore the story Van Gogh and the Sunflowers.by Laurence Anholt.
Understand the structure and design of a sunflower.
Create a sunflower out of clay using sculpting and texture techniques.
Book: Van Gogh and the Sunflowers by Laurence Anholt
Images of Van Gogh’s sunflower paintings
Clay (air-dry or kiln-fired)
Clay tools or toothpicks/popsicle sticks
Slip (if using kiln clay)
Underglazes or glaze/tempera paint (if using air-dry)
Water, sponges, paper towels
Aprons or smocks
Activities:
Read Van Gogh and the Sunflowers aloud to the class.
Show students Van Gogh’s sunflower paintings.
Discuss: Who was Van Gogh? Why did he paint sunflowers? What colors and shapes do you see?
Sketch a sunflower on paper using pencil.
Live demo of clay and clay blending
Activities:
Demonstrate how to flatten clay to create a circular base.
Show how to add petals by shaping and attaching them (using score & slip for kiln clay).
Students create their own sunflower—just one flower head.
Add texture with clay tools or found objects (like forks or pencils).
Let dry (or store carefully for kiln).
Touch up clay work or begin painting if clay is dry.
If firing in a kiln, fire pieces at this point.
If using air-dry clay, begin painting the sunflowers with tempera or acrylic paints.
Activities:
Paint with glaze (if using fired ceramics) or with acrylic/tempera (if using air-dry).
While drying, students can write a sentence or two about their sunflower and what they learned about Van Gogh.
Display sunflowers on a bulletin board with Van Gogh’s art as the backdrop.
VA:Cr1.1.1a: Engage collaboratively in exploration and imaginative play with materials.
VA:Cr2.1.2a: Experiment with various materials and tools to explore personal interests in a work of art or design.
VA:Cr2.3.3a: Individually or collaboratively construct representations, diagrams, or maps of places that are part of everyday life.
VA:Pr5.1.1a: Explain the purpose of a work of art and how it is displayed.
VA:Pr6.1.2a: Analyze how art is displayed inside and outside of the classroom to determine the effectiveness of the presentation.
VA:Re7.2.2a: Describe what an image represents.
VA:Re8.1.3a: Interpret art by analyzing use of media to create subject matter, characteristics of form, and mood.
VA:Cn10.1.2a: Create works of art about events in home, school, or community life.
VA:Cn11.1.1a: Understand that people from different places and times have made art for a variety of reasons.