Defy gravity and imagine soaring like birds over the dazzling fields of Munchkinland with this Wicked art lesson plan by Adele Darlington…
You may well have heard the pupils in your class belting out the high notes from the songs ‘Popular’ or ‘Defying Gravity’. If you’ve seen the blockbuster movie Wicked yourself, you’ll no doubt recall the stunning tulip fields, which make up the magical landscape of Oz.
In this lesson, we’ll use these scenes as inspiration for a colourful art activity with a touch of Wicked charm. After all, everyone deserves a chance to fly…
Learning objectives
- Learn the meaning of the term ‘bird’s eye perspective’
- Create artwork using a photo/video as a point of reference
- Make an abstract piece of artwork using colour, line, shape and space to represent rows of flowers
Starter activity
Begin by sharing a selection of photographs of tulip fields with your pupils. A quick internet search should turn up plenty of images.
Lay them out on tables. Alternatively, display them on the interactive whiteboard or via a visualiser for the whole class to see. Invite discussion on the images, focusing on colour, line, shape and space.
What colours can pupils see? Can they spot patterns, shapes or lines? Draw attention to some bird’s eye views of the fields.
Explain that these show the view a bird would have if it flew over them, and that a bird’s view of the world while it soars is very different from a human’s view down on the ground.
Adele Darlington is an experienced teacher, art lead and primary art consultant. She is also the author of 100 Ideas for Primary Teachers: Art (£15, Bloomsbury).
