Art Classes: Level II

Level II - Lesson 15: The Weaving From Thailand

Enjoying Our “Mistakes"

The lesson is suitable for students in grade 3 through adult.

Art Lesson Description:

If you are like us, just hearing the words “Thai food” is enough to make your mouth water. This lesson combines one common ingredient in Thai cuisine - fish - with another wonderful part of Thai culture - silk weaving.

The lesson starts with a handsome wooden fish sculpture from Thailand (Thailand is also known for its exquisite teak and rosewood furniture and carvings). We draw the fish, not once, but twice.

Then the lesson builds on skills students have learned in the Level I lesson, The Umbrella from Thailand, where they have experimented with creating textures with their paintbrush. In this lesson students paint one of their drawings with solid color and paint the other with textures.

Then we cut the two paintings into one-inch wide strips and weave the strips together to make a paper weaving that not so much a precisely drawn fish as much as it is a weaving with a fish hiding inside it.

We hope the lesson helps demonstrate the idea that precision in drawing is not the only worthy goal in art. Playing with pattern and creating distortion can also create interest!

This lesson includes both POWERPOINT and VIDEO versions of the lesson plus 2 downloadable printouts: a warmup and a drawing of the fish.

List of Supplies for Each Student:

1 copy of the warm-up (this comes with the lesson)
1 fine tipped permanent black marker (#ad)
2 sheets of 11" x 15" watercolor paper (#ad)
Paint palette (#ad)
Tempera paints or acrylic paints (#ad)
Drawing board: (Make your own by cutting an 18" x 24" piece of 1/4" masonite)
Set of brushes (#ad)
Masking tape (#ad)
1 bottle or cup for rinsing brushes
White glue (such as Elmer’s)
Scissors

Suggestions for Cross-Curricular Connections:

Silkworms

Watch silkworms eat mulberry leaves.
The Princess and the Silkworm (#ad) Learn how a Chinese princess’ dream led to silk production.
Mulberry Project (#ad) The true story of two youngsters who raise silkworms for a state fair project.
Silkworms (Lerner Natural Science Books) (#ad) An introduction to the domesticated silkworm moth, raised on farms in Japan and elsewhere.

Marine Life

Ocean (#ad) This book will sweep you into the magic of an underwater world with great photos.
The Big Book Of Sea Monsters (Scary Looking Sea Animals): Animal Encyclopedia for Kids (#ad) Learn about these sea monsters by meeting them “face-to-face.”
Children's Book About Fish: A Kids Picture Book About Fish With Photos and Fun Facts (#ad)

Elephants

Learn about elephants at the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee.
Read about elephants: Elephants: Facts and Amazing Pictures of African, Asian and Baby Elephants (#ad)

Food

Book: Easy Thai Cooking: 75 Family-style Dishes You can Prepare in Minutes (#ad) Cooking Thai food can be quite a challenge, but this cookbook offers simpler tasty recipes.
Online recipe collection for easy Thai food.