The Cosmos: A Mosaic Expression of the Universe
Designed for grades 4 & 5 Fine Arts, English Language Arts and Reading, Science
Formal Lesson Plan and TEKS Information
Activity and Lesson Plan Designed by: Amber Day Scott
Program Coordinator, Wichita Falls Alliance for Arts and Culture
Opening:
Watch this video of starlings in flight:
Check out this video about galaxies narrated by Carl Sagan
Learn about mosaics from artist Lauren NeFasha:
.
Activity:
Materials Needed:
- Cardboard
- Glue
- Water
- Dyed Rice
- Paintbrush
Draw your cosmic design on a piece of cardboard. The design should be fairly large and not have tiny details. Encourage learners to utilize the whole space for their designs.
Pour glue into a container you can use for dipping your brush. You will work on your design using only one color at a time. Carefully apply a thick layer of glue onto the area of one color (image depicts glue being applied to the area that will be yellow.)
Sprinkle the dyed rice directly onto the glue. You may choose to gently pat the rice down to make sure it has good contact with the glue. Use a dry brush to gently sweep away any extra rice that is outside of the intended area. (This is a better method than tipping the cardboard and tapping off the extra rice.)
Repeat the process for each area of your design.
Fill the entire surface with rice, leaving no cardboard exposed.
Allow the completed project to lay flat and undisturbed while drying. After completely dry, brush a coat of watered-down glue over the entire surface. Allow that layer of glue to completely dry.
Share and Reflect! How is Mosaic an example of individual components contributing to the whole? How does this tie into the theme of Cosmos? How else can we use the mosaic process to convey additional ideas?
