Lesson 1: Texture (The Feel of Art)
Duration of Days: 3
Lesson Objective
Students will distinguish between tactile texture (what you actually feel) and visual texture (what you see) by exploring, rubbings, and creating a sensory-rich collage.
1. How does the surface of this paper change when we add something "bumpy"?
2. Can you find something in the room that feels the same way this looks?
3. How can we describe a feeling using only our hands?
Texture, Tactile, Visual, Rough, Smooth, Soft, Hard, Pattern.
NCAS: VA:Cr1.2.HS1 (Shape an artistic investigation of an aspect of present-day life using a contemporary practice).
Adaptive Focus: Sensory integration, tactile discrimination, and descriptive communication.
Descriptive Language: Building vocabulary for sensory details in writing.
Biology/Science: Understanding the nervous system and how our skin sends "touch" signals to the brain.
Description: Students will go on a "Texture Hunt" in the classroom to create "rubbings" using large crayons, followed by creating a "Sensory Masterpiece" using materials like sandpaper, cotton balls, glue and corrugated cardboard.
Purpose: To connect physical sensation to visual representation, strengthening the brain's ability to process multi-sensory information.
DOK Level: Level 2 (Skill/Concept) – Students will organize materials based on their physical properties and compare how they feel vs. how they look.
Daily Living: Recognizing textures for safety (e.g., the "bumps" on the sidewalk at a crosswalk for those with visual impairments).
Textiles: Exploring the cultural significance of fabrics like Kente Cloth (texture in weaving) or Batik (wax-resist texture).
Students might think "texture" only means "rough." (Explain that "smooth" is a texture too!).
Thinking a drawing of a rock will feel like a rock.
Visual: Use high-contrast colors (e.g., black sandpaper with white chalk) so the texture is visually obvious.
Physical: Use "Hand-Under-Hand" support for rubbings or provide pre-cut "Texture Tabs" with loops for easier gripping.
Environmental: For students with tactile defensiveness (don't like touching sticky/rough things), provide nitrile gloves or allow them to use a "Texture Wand" (a stick with a sample attached).