Christine A. Elmore
Young people are especially fascinated by the various kinds of representations of modern life that we find in Pop Art imagery. Pop artists' delightful use of color and, often, brief texts, and their genius for turning the most common images into art captivate the attention in the same way that advertising and tele-media imagery do.
In this interdisciplinary unit I plan to help my students develop an understanding of art as a highly adaptable vehicle for self-expression through the exploration of and experimentation with the many styles and the more elementary techniques employed by the well-known Pop artist, Andy Warhol. Although it is designed for first-graders, I am confident that it can be adapted for older students.
This unit is divided into four sections. In Section One students will learn about the Pop Art Movement in which Andy Warhol was a leading figure. We will look at art created by Pop artists as well as by Abstract Expressionists. In Section Two students will learn about the life of Andy Warhol using children's books and a Readers Theater play about his life. In Section Three students will explore the use of both line and color in art. In Section Four students will try their hand at creating a number of artworks, imitating some of Andy Warhol's techniques.
(Developed for Language Arts, grade 1; recommended for Language Arts, grades 1-6)
