4th/5th Grade
4th & 5th Grade Students
Heroes and Peacemakers Triptych Mills Lawn Project Peace
Artist Residency
Sessions led by artist, Allison Paul
Three sessions with the artist during regularly scheduled art classes. (See schedule).
Large-scale “contour-text” drawings of heroes or peacemakers will make up the centerpiece of each section of the triptych.
Pre-Lesson Work in Classrooms:
• In order for this lesson to be executed successfully, 4th & 5th grade students should be engaged in
research on heroes and peacemakers in early February. A process to choose three (3) representative
heroes/peacmakers should be established by the 4th-5th teachers. Please communicate the
students’ choices of 3 representative heroes/peacemakers by Friday 2/15 to Allison Paul
allisonspaul@gmail.com.
• Every 4th and 5th grade class should come to their sessions #2 and #3 with at least several sentences of
research notes on two (2) of the three selected heroes (it could be all three, but at least two please).
These notes will literally be “drawn” into the portraits. The research process and how each student is
assigned/selects their two heroes to research will be at the discretion of the classroom teachers.
Session One
1. Artist will introduce artistic processes and student roles; review qualities of heroes/peacemakers.
2. Students will be divided into groups; trace projected portraits onto canvas.
3. Other students will work independently on self-portrait contour drawings (mirrors or hero books).
Session Two
1. Artist demonstrates adding quotations about or by hero/peacemakers to the contour drawing on canvas. Quotes will be written in pencil first, then black sharpie.
2. Students will rotate groups: penciling words, sharpie tracing, working on individual portraits
Session Three
Students will complete individual portraits, including adding answers to reflection questions over contour lines. Any unfinished aspects of the hero/peacemaker portraits on canvas will be completed.
Classroom Extensions:
Students may benefit from exploring the guiding concepts listed each week of the residency schedule, and through other classroom activities related to bullying and peacemaking.. See the book list on our google doc and books selection in the MLS library. You might also want to check out the PBS streaming videos from our google doc.