A Pop of Soup

1. Introduce students to the work of Andy Warhol. Focus on his soup cans and brightly colored silk screens which are the motivation for this lesson. Discuss the works as a class. What do they like about Warhol’s artwork? What do they enjoy less? What do they see? What do they think was the artist’s intention in creating the work? A video introduction to Pop-Art on YouTube at https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LsY4ihZCJL8 and short biographies of Andy Warhol including https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10-3fPderB8 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6rtCr2Coeo can assist with this introduction.
2. Have students bring in recycled tin cans. Explain how they will be making new labels in the style of Andy Warhol.
3. Hand out white paper, Crayola Pointed-Tip Scissors, rulers and pencils. Have students cut out a piece of white paper the same height and slightly longer than needed to wrap their can.
4. Students use the ruler to separate the white paper into equal parts (somewhere between 6-8 columns by 2 rows is usually ideal).
5. On a paper scrap, have students draw a simple food item which is small enough to fit within the squares or rectangles drawn on their can label.
6. Using a piece of carbon paper or simply coating the back side of the scrap with pencil, have students retrace the food item in each square or rectangle to obtain identical food items in each space.
7. Give students a variety of Crayola Markers and encourage them to fully color their can label in a variety of bright colors.
8. Have students attach their labels using Crayola glue sticks. Display.

LA: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade level topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

MATH: Understand ratio concepts and use ratio reasoning to solve problems.

VA: Compare the characteristics of works in two or more art forms that share similar subject matter, historical periods, or cultural context.

VA: Integrate visually and spatial concepts with content to communicate intended meaning.

VA: Intentionally take advantage of the qualities and characteristics of art media, techniques, and processes to enhance communication of their experiences and ideas.

At Halloween, do an Andy Warhol-inspired Pop-Art candy project.

Students create an Andy Warhol-inspired portrait of a person they admire and explain why they chose that person.

Incorporate math concepts into their can design (measuring, pattern making, rotation, flips and translations, etc.)

Incorporate color theory into their can design (primary or secondary, hot or cool colors, etc.)

Study different packaging for foods, study what makes packaging effective, eye catching, sellable.