ALEX Learning Activity

  

Artistic Spiderwebs

A Learning Activity is a strategy a teacher chooses to actively engage students in learning a concept or skill using a digital tool/resource.

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  This learning activity provided by:  
Author: Ginger Boyd
System:Geneva County
School:Samson Middle School
  General Activity Information  
Activity ID: 1997
Title:
Artistic Spiderwebs
Digital Tool/Resource:
How Spiders Make Webs
Web Address – URL:
Overview:

In this learning activity, students will discover how spider webs are made by watching a short video.  Students will compare photographs of spider webs and look for patterns.  Finally, students will create a 3-dimensional patterned spider web using geometric shapes and lines.

This activity was created as a result of the Arts COS Resource Development Summit.

  Associated Standards and Objectives  
Content Standard(s):
Arts Education
ARTS (2017)
Grade: 4
Visual Arts
2) Collaboratively design and create artwork that has meaning and purpose.

Examples: Create a logo for a school or activity.

Unpacked Content
Artistic Process: Creating
Anchor Standards:
Anchor Standard 1: Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.
Process Components: Investigate, Plan, Make
Essential Questions:
EU: Artists and designers shape artistic investigations, following or breaking with traditions in pursuit of creative artmaking goals.
EQ: How does knowing the contexts, histories, and traditions of art forms help create works of art and design? Why do artists follow or break from established traditions? How do artists determine what resources and criteria are needed to formulate artistic investigations?
Concepts & Vocabulary:
  • Constructed environment
  • Cultural traditions
  • Digital format
  • Engagement
  • Tertiary color
  • Preservation
  • Proportion
  • Principles of design
    • Unity
  • Shade
  • Style
  • Tints & shades
Skill Examples:
  • Create a list of multiple ideas, sketches, or thumbnail-sketches before beginning the final version of an artwork.
  • Identify, select, and vary art materials, tools and processes to achieve desired results in their artwork.
  • Brainstorm (alone or with others) potential art styles for a given piece of art, such as Monet's Water Lilies.
  • Create an artwork from direct observation (still-life, self-portrait, figure drawing, etc.).
  • Design a two-dimensional drawings of a futuristic art room, town, or planet
  • Use wood, found objects, wire, paper, or clay-based materials to construct a three-dimensional form.
  • Locate business logos in the community and explore the visual arts skills and materials that were used to create these works.
  • Engage in group critiques of one's work and the work of others.
  • Experiment with art materials by using them in unusual and creative ways to express ideas and convey meaning.
  • Use and care for materials, tools, and equipment in a manner that prevents danger to oneself and others.
  • Mix equal parts of a primary and a secondary color located beside each other on the color wheel to create a tertiary color.
  • Use the design principles of repetition and alignment to add visual unity to an artwork.
  • Create a painting using a monochromatic color scheme by using one color (red) adding white to create a tint (a lighter value--pink) and adding black to the color (red) to create a shade (darker value).
Mathematics
MA2019 (2019)
Grade: 4
5. Generate and analyze a number or shape pattern that follows a given rule.

Unpacked Content
Evidence Of Student Attainment:
Students:
When given a rule or pattern,
  • Generate a number or shape pattern that follows a given rule.
  • Identify a missing number or shape in the pattern.
  • Identify a feature of the pattern.

  • Example: Given the rule "Add 3" and the starting number 1, generate terms in the resulting sequence, and observe that the terms appear to alternate between odd and even numbers. Explain informally why the numbers continue to alternate in this way.
Teacher Vocabulary:
  • Generate
  • Rule
  • Pattern
  • Sequence
  • Term
  • Continue
  • Identify
  • Explicit
Knowledge:
Students know:
  • Strategies for generating and recording number or shape patterns from a given rule.
  • Strategies for identifying and communicating shape and number patterns.
Skills:
Students are able to:
  • Generate a number or shape pattern that follows a given a rule.
  • Analyze a number or shape pattern that follows a given rule.
Understanding:
Students understand that:
  • A pattern is generated from a given rule.
  • The properties of a rule or pattern can be used to extend a pattern.
  • Some features of a given pattern are not explicit in the pattern's rule.
Diverse Learning Needs:
Essential Skills:
Learning Objectives:
M.4.5.1: Identify arithmetic patterns, including patterns in the addition table or multiplication table; and explain them using properties of operations.
M.4.5.2: Recognize arithmetic patterns (including geometric patterns or patterns in the addition table or multiplication table).
M.4.5.3: Construct repeating and growing patterns with a variety of representations.
M.4.5.4: Continue an existing pattern.
M.4.5.5: Identify arithmetic patterns.
M.4.5.6: Demonstrate computational fluency, including quick recall, of addition multiplication facts.

Prior Knowledge Skills:
  • Identify a rule when given a pattern.
    Examples: multiplication and division—"Input x 3 = Output".
    addition and subtraction—"Input + 8 = Output".
  • Use repeated addition to solve problems with multiple addends.
  • Count forward in multiples from a given number.
    Examples: 3, 6, 9, 12; 4, 8, 12, 16.
  • Define pair, odd and even.
  • Recall doubles addition facts with sums to 20.
  • Skip count by 2s.

Alabama Alternate Achievement Standards
AAS Standard:
M.AAS.4.5 Use repeating patterns to make predictions.


Learning Objectives:

Students will create a 3-dimensional patterned spider web using geometric shapes and lines.

Students will create artwork that has meaning and purpose.

  Strategies, Preparations and Variations  
Phase:
After/Explain/Elaborate
Activity:

This learning activity is best if used after a lesson on patterns.

Introduce the lesson by showing students the following video:  How Spiders Make Webs.

After the video, lead a discussion about the features of a spider web.  A spider creates its web one string at a time. The shapes and patterns in the spider’s web are used to trap insects that the spider eats.

As a whole group, show the class the website 30 Astonishing Photographs of Spider WebsAsk the students to compare the spider webs in the photographs.  Are there similarities?  What shapes and patterns are in the spider webs? (triangles and non-triangles)  How does a web help a spider survive?  (The web helps a spider cover a larger area to trap insects than a spider could cover without it.)  

Distribute the materials (one sheet of black construction paper, white Wikki Stix, scissors).  Have the students create a 3-dimensional patterned spider web using geometric shapes and lines.

Post all completed spider webs on the class bulletin board.  Can the students figure out the pattern in their classmates' spider webs?

Assessment Strategies:

Students will be assessed on completion of an exit ticket with the following questions:  

(1) How does a spider's web help it survive?

(2) What shapes can you find in a spider web?

Students will also be assessed on the completion of their spider web.


Advanced Preparation:

The teacher will need a projector, Smartboard, and internet connected computer to play the video How Spiders Make Webs and 30 Astonishing Photographs of Spider Webs.

Each student will need one sheet of black construction paper, white Wikki Stix, and scissors.

Variation Tips (optional):

The 3-dimensional spider webs can be created individually, in pairs, or in small groups (3 students per group).

Notes or Recommendations (optional):
 
  Keywords and Search Tags  
Keywords and Search Tags: