Description

This local New York City school used Keith Haring's art to inspire a lesson on expressing movement in drawing.

Objective

Students will examine how lines can express movement.

Students will describe the movement illustrated in Keith Haring's work.

Students will create drawings influenced by Keith Haring's work that indicate evidence of movement.

Resources

Keith Haring's posters
Keith Haring's books

Keith Haring Documentary
341A | Drawing the Line: A Portrait of Keith Haring | VHS Tape | $20.00
-Call Pop Shop, 212.219.2784-

Materials

Pencils
Paper
Oil pastels (or any other drawing/coloring material)

Procedure

I thought my Fourth Graders would relate to Keith Haring's striking symbols, the subway drawings, and the vibrant pictures he created that tell of friendship, fun, feeling, and imagination.

While looking at some of Keith Haring's work, we discussed lines- their thickness, their length, their stroke, and how they were used to express movement. (This tied over nicely to our match curriculum).

After the discussion, pencils were handed out and students were asked to draw an image that used movement lines, indicating that figures or objects were moving and/or interacting.%20 After the students were finished drawing, oil pastels were provided for them to color in their drawings and bring them to life.

Questions

Why would someone who wants to make a drawing, which, by its very nature is flat and immobile, seek to express movement in the work?

How many things can you name that move?
Do these things move move in different ways?
How would you depict different kinds of movement with drawing? (thickness of line, stroke, color, density of lines, proximity of lines to figur/object...)

When we look at a photograph of someone or something moving very fast, what does it look like? Does anyone know why?

What was it about movement that might have interested Keith Haring so much?

Why is it a valuable skill to learn how to make different kinds of lines that mean different things?

Extensions

Hang up the work and have an exhibition!!!

PS 57 was on the chancellor's list to close because of poor performance. Working tirelessly, the school has turned itself around and the students are learning and growing like never before!