BIG EMOTIONS, BIG ART MEET THE MONSTERS / I AM IN THE ZONE

1. How do we recognize or identify our emotions and what elements of art (shape, color, texture, etc.) bring out emotions in us?
2. What is a “mural” and what do we see in Golden’s mural that stir up some of our emotions?
3. How does color play a role in shifting our emotions?

Students will be able to… verbalize the basic idea of a mural and describe or point to monsters from Golden’s artwork that align with my emotions, describe or point to monsters from Golden’s artwork that align with my emotions and identify emotions and sort them into “zones”.

• Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work. Describe what is seen in an artwork (e.g., “I see a dot; I see yellow in the corner; I see a round part”), interpret a possible meaning, and explain why the meaning makes sense. (PK-K.V.R.08)
• Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work. Select a work that evokes feelings and describe the connection between the work and the emotional response. (PK-K.V.R.09)

Students will learn how the elements of art can be used to invoke emotions; for example, how a color can make you feel a certain way, or how a line is drawn on a face can translate as happy or sad. Students will discuss murals and street art and have an opportunity to view some of Golden’s work both at their own school, and through photos of his other pieces. Students will also discuss and revisit the Zones of Regulation and find connections between the monsters in Golden’s mural and the colors of each zone.

Week 1

As a class we will look at Golden’s mural (as well as his other work) and discuss what we see – the colors, the expressions, etc. Students will be asked to describe what emotions they think the characters might represent. We will explore the definition of a mural and I will introduce the idea of creating our own as a collaborative piece. I will ask students to share some basic shapes or images they want to include in our artwork, and I will use a large black bingo dauber to outline those on butcher paper. Students will then have the opportunity to color the work, keeping in mind that their color choices should reflect how they feel about the shape or image they are working on.

Week 2:

Students will use a variety of materials to create their own monsters. Students will be instructed to put thought into the relationship between the color and the expression on their monsters, and will be encouraged to imagine a backstory for the monster they create. Once all monsters have been created, I will ask students to sort themselves into the zones of regulation they believe their monsters fit into (color coded areas of the room) and students can talk with other peers in that zone about their monsters to see how they are similar or different.

Students will first work in a whole group, then have an opportunity to work individually, and again in a small group. Students may verbalize or gesture to indicate understanding. Colors will be named in both English and Spanish.

Students may choose to work in pairs to collaborate with a peer on their monster.

1. Butcher paper
2. Black bingo dauber Markers
3. Pre-cut shapes
4. Glue sticks
5. Googly eyes
6. Popsicle sticks
7. Buttons Yarn
8. Pom poms
9. Paint sticks
10. Brass fasteners
11. Hole punches

1. Mural
2. Emotions
3. Color
4. Line
5. Shape
6. Expression
7. Identity

• Table groups will receive a deck of cards with artwork depicting different emotions and students will be asked to sort them into the zone of regulation they think best fits on a laminated “zone board”.
• Are students able to sort their monsters into the zone of regulation that aligns with the color or emotion they chose? Are students able to verbalize or visually identify their choices?

• Reflections will be verbal only since most preK kiddos can’t yet write. Reflections will be a whole group effort with all students given the opportunity to add their thoughts.
• Reflections will occur between students in each zone once monsters have been sorted. Reflections will be verbal.

• Mural at ECC, google search of Golden305 for visual references, https://beyondwalls.org/artists/golden/
• Zones of Regulation online resources: https://zonesofregulation.com/