My Kite! - Multiple Intelligences Lesson Plan

Lesson Plan Title:

 My Kite!

Developed by:

 Celeste Vilhauer

Subject Area:

 Elementary Art Class (could be adapted for Social Studies project on families/traditions)

Topic:

 Making brown paper bag kites that tell a story.

Grade Level:

 3

Time Frame:

 1 hour

Lesson Summary:

 The students will learn how to make a kite out of a paper bag and illustrate it with their favorite childhood memories.

Prerequisites:

 The students must already know how to write, cut with scissors, glue, and use a hole punch.

Standards:

 The lesson will incorporate the following state Fine Arts standards:

Lesson Objectives:

The students will be able to create a kite out of a paper bag and describe the steps they used to make it.  They will also be able to use their kite to tell a story about a favorite childhood memory.

Assessment:

The closure discussion as well as the attached checklist will serve as the assessment.  The students will also write three sentences describing their childhood memory on a separate piece of paper. 

Technology to be Used:

  **Optional:  Power Point presentation about kites, or ways to make memories could be used for an introduction.

Other Materials:

 Materials and Materials Management:

• Large brown paper grocery bag (one per student)
• Strong string
• Scissors
• Hole punch
• A number of paper ring reinforcement (the kind you use on paper in binders -- from any office supply. You could also substitute masking tape).
• School glue or paste
• Paint (tempera, acrylic -- whatever you have)
• Crayons, markers, pencil crayons
• Paper streamers or crepe paper that you can cut into strips
• A few found objects (bits of paper, glitter, buttons -- nothing too heavy)

Procedural Activities:

Introduction/Motivation:  I will ask the students if any of them have ever flown kite.  A few of them will share their experiences with kite flying. 

Instructor’s Procedures:

I will gain the student’s attention through the discussion about kite flying.   After I introduce the project, I will ask the students to take a minute to think about how they would like to decorate their kite.   After giving them about 30 seconds to a minute to think of how they would like to decorate, I will ask them to think about how what a kite needs to be able to fly.  After about 30 seconds to a minute, I will review the directions:

1. “Begin by taking the hole punch and making four (4) holes in the top of the paper bag - one in each of the corners. Add paper ring reinforcements to the holes, or put a small piece of masking tape over the hole and poke through with a pencil. This will ensure that your holes don't tear through.
2. Next, cut two (2) lengths of string about 30" each.
3. Tie each end of the strings through a hole in the bag. The goal is to create two loops.
4. Next, cut another piece of string -- again around 30". Loop this new piece of string through the two loops you created and tie in a knot. This piece of string will become the handle of your kite.
5. You are now ready to decorate the paper bag kite using paint, markers or whatever else you desire. You can paint designs on the kite or turn the kite into a fish by adding eyes, gills and fins. You can glue different items to the kite but be sure not to load the kite down with heavy items -- or it will have a hard time staying up in the air. Remember to decorate it to illustrate your favorite childhood memory.
6. Use paper streamers as kite tails and glue them to the bottom of the paper bag. You can make your own streamers by cutting crepe paper into strips. Another nifty streamer idea is to take plastic bags and cut them into strips.”
7. Write three sentences on a separate piece of paper describing the childhood memory you have illustrated on your kite. 
8. If you finish early, find a partner and tell them about the memory you illustrated.
9. When you are finished hold on to your kite until everyone is done.  Then we will go outside and try them out.

Student Procedures: 

The students will take part in a discussion about kites. This will appeal to the verbal-linguistic learners.  They will be given 30 seconds to think of how they would like to decorate and another 30 seconds to a minute to think about what a kite needs to be able to fly.  After receiving materials and being given a signal to begin, they will:

1.  “Begin by taking the hole punch and making four (4) holes in the top of the paper bag - one in each of the corners. Add paper ring reinforcements to the holes, or put a small piece of masking tape over the hole and poke through with a pencil.
2. Cut two (2) lengths of string about 30" each.
3. Tie each end of the strings through a hole in the bag to create two loops.
4. Cut another piece of string -- again around 30". Loop this new piece of string through the two loops you created and tie in a knot.
5. On your own, decorate the paper bag kite using paint, markers or whatever else you desire to illustrate a favorite childhood memory. This will appeal to the intrapersonal learners.
6. Use paper streamers as kite tails and glue them to the bottom of the paper bag. This project will appeal to the visual spatial learners as well as to the as well as the bodily kinesthetic learners.
7. Write three sentences on a separate piece of paper about the childhood memory you illustrated.  This will appeal to the verbal-linguistic learners and the intrapersonal learners.
8. If you finish early,find a partner who is also finished early and share with them the memory you illustrated.  This will appeal to the interpersonal learners.

When they are finished, they will hold on to their kites until everyone is done.  Then they will go outside and try them out.  This will appeal to the naturalist learners.

Closure/Review: As a closure I will ask the students to think about how they decorated their kites, what materials they used, and I will ask two students to pretend that no one else has ever made this kite before and they will explain to the class how to create the kite.  I will also ask two students to share their favorite childhood memories they illustrated with the rest of the class.  This will appeal to the interpersonal learners.

Attachments:

Checklist for grading the My Kite! Project