Metapec Suns

Spanish Heritage Month
2nd Grade
4 Days


1.    Anticipatory Set:
Students will come into classroom and sit on the floor. I will prompt them to make different emotions using their face; i.e. happy, sad, angry, silly. Then I will show them my examples of sun faces showing the different emotions.

2.    Objectives/Purpose:
•    Students will learn how to express an emotion through art by creating a 3D Metapec sun that creates the feeling of an emotion.
•    Students will show their understanding of warm and cool colors by using one of the color sets in their background of the sun and the other set for the detail of the sun.

3.    Materials:
Model Magic, sculpting tools, scissors, markers (warm and cool colors), bags to store clay, sharpie to write name, practice paper, mat board, bowls as stencils.
4.    Preparation:
•    Laminate examples.
•    Draw warm and cool colors on board.
•    Draw different emotions on board.
5.    Standards:
a.    V.A.  1: Students recognize and use the visual arts as a form of communication.
b.    V.A. 3: Students know and apply visual arts materials, tools, techniques, and processes.
c.    V.A. 4: Students relate the visual arts to various historical and cultural traditions.
d.    V.A. 5: Students analyze and evaluate the characteristics, merits, and meaning of works of art.
6.    Providing input (info needed to get started):
a.    What is a Metapec sun and what is the meaning to Mexican culture?
b.    What are the warm and cool colors and how do these color enhance an emotion?
c.    How to use model magic clay.
d.    How to express different emotions-- The rays of the sun can influence the expression of the face based on their design, such as straight, sharp, wiggle, thick or pointy.
7.    Procedure:
Day 1:
Students will practice drawing suns and emotions. They will create at least three different practice suns then decide which is their favorite.  If time is left in class students can color their suns, warm or cool colors.


Day 2-5:
1.    Work the clay by hand to soften it.
2. Place the clay on a work surface and flatten it to make a slab about the size of a cereal bowl.
3. Cut away triangle shapes to create sun rays. Keep the cut-away scraps of clay to add later for facial features.
4. Mold features into the sun's face keeping in mind emotion and design already drawn on practice paper. Holes can be cut for eyes, nose and mouth or added with more clay. Add designs and features to the face with the cut-away scraps.
5. Poke a small hole in the top of the sun for hanging it on a nail when dry.
6. When the sun's facial expression and rays are complete, allow the clay to dry until hard. Depending on the type of clay product selected, this is usually overnight.
7. When the clay is dry, color the suns face using warm or cool colors.
8. Finishing: Adult will spray with coating to seal.

8.    Checking for Understanding:
•    Ask students to point out warm and cool colors around the room.
•    When lining up ask students with warm colors to line up 1st then cool colors next.
•    At the end of each demonstration call on one student who you think was not paying attention the whole time, and ask what they are supposed to do first. Then continue through the procedure for the day, calling on different students.

9.    Accommodations/Modifications:
a.    I will have handouts/ pictures for the students who need help with drawing a sun and or an emotion.
b.    I will also provide large circle stencils. 
c.    Students whom are finished walk around the room and become “helpers” to the students who are not finished.

10.    Closure:
If time, have a critique outside in the Secret Garden. Hang suns or place them so all are showing and prompt students/ take students through a critique. Have students come up to talk about their own artwork.
i.    Questions:
1.    Have students guess at the emotion before the artist tells us.
2.    Is this warm or cool?
3.    How do the colors emphasize or show the emotion the artist was trying to create?