Aboriginal Bark Paintings: Free Lesson Plan Download

Grade Level: 3-5 Art Education Lesson Plan

Art Elements: Line, Contour Line

Art Skills: Observational Drawing

Art History: Aboriginal Art, Australia

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This lesson plan helps 3rd grade students learn about contour line. They will be using a visual library, which I posted about here, to look at animals and try to draw an accurate outline of that animal.

Then, in the style of the Aboriginal Artists of Australia, students will draw X Ray Vision inside the animal and paint dots using the traditional colors of red, black, white and yellow.

I love this lesson because it has the “Trifecta” of art lessons.

1. Not Cookie Cutter! – Each project turns out different, because kids can differentiate based on skill and interested by choosing their own animal to draw

2. Art history  This has a great cultural connection that makes the art element of Line much more interesting and desirable to a 3rd grader

3. They Look Good! – As much as well all say the process is more important than the product, a visually pleasing product that students can be proud of is a very important part of the artist process.