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Silhouetted Characters

Silhouette art will inspire students as they listen to a book read aloud and create art that shows two character silhouettes having a conversation that they could imagine coming from the book.

Lesson Plan

Supplies Needed

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  • Black or Dark Construction Paper
  • Paper

Steps

  • Step 1

    Silhouette art was popular in the 18th and 19th century in the United States. The artform predated photography and was an inexpensive way to create a portrait. There were also noted silhouette artists such as Francis Torond (1743-1812), Auguste Edouart (1789-1861), and Isabella Beetham (1750-1825). Show students some images of silhouette art. Discuss its features, such as that it is usually black against a white or light background, it is a solid shape, and it has also been called shadow art because it resembles a drawn shadow of a figure.

  • Step 2

    Choose a book or story that features a variety of characters, particularly those who are animals which would make interesting silhouettes. Suggestions include "Dinner at the Panda Palace" by Stephanie Calmenson and Nadine Bernard Westcott, "Are You My Mother?" by P.D. Eastman, or a story about Winnie the Pooh and his friends.

  • Step 3

    To help students envision how to create a silhouette have them start by creating one of themselves or a classmate. Ask a student to stand or sit hidden from view. Ideally, it would be behind a screen with a light that creates a shadow of the student that will be visible to the rest of the class. Have student draw the outline of the person and then cut that outline out of black paper.

  • Step 4

    Depending on the age and reading proficiency of students, either an adult, older student, or member of the class will read the selected book aloud. When the reading is finished, have students outline the silhouette of two of the characters from the book, then cut the shapes out of black construction paper. For example, for Piglet in Winnie the Pooh they might draw the top of a head with pig's ears. For "Are You My Mother" they might draw the baby bird's head and beak and one of the characters that the bird talked with. Then ask them to draw speech bubbles on white paper and cut them out, writing lines in the bubbles that they either remember the characters saying or that they imagine the characters would say if the story continued.

  • Step 5

    Have students glue their character silhouette shapes and speech bubbles to a piece of construction paper. Display the artwork near the original book that was read aloud.

Standards

ARTS: Speculate about processes an artist uses to create a work of art.

LA: Add drawings or other visual displays to written text to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.

LA: Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.

Adaptations

Host a "mystery reader" event in the class. Ask a relative or family friend of one of the students to read a book to the class from behind a barrier. After the reading have the class try to figure out which student the mystery reader is connected to.

Have students create a silhouette character game by extending this art experience to other books they have read or listened to. They could draw the cover of the book and a silhouette of the main character and ask classmates to match the images.