Correlation:

Art, Science, Social Studies

Activity:

Drawing

Time:

2–3 class periods: research/discussion; art activity

Objectives:

• Create a surrealistic composition with a flight theme.
• Develop an understanding that an object's motion is always judged relative to some other object or point. (Science 4.05)
• Analyze ways North Carolinians have modified, used, adapted to the physical environment. (Social Studies 1.3)
• Apply diverse, original solutions in the problem-solving process. (Visual Art 3.03)
  
  

Materials:

Pencils
Markers
White drawing paper

Discussion:

Briefly discuss the origins of flight and the Wright brothers' flight at Kitty Hawk in 1903. How do students think the public responded to the news of the flight? Imagine how unusual it was for the people of the early 20th century to see machines flying in the air!

With the invention of the first flying machines, people were able to dream of bigger things: faster movement, space travel, time travel, and more. Rather than quenching man's thirst for the spirit of flight, the invention of aircraft fueled even greater imaginative interpretation.

The surrealists were a group of artists of the 20th century who explored the relationships of objects to each other in unusual contexts. Many artists who have taken the subject of flight for use in their artwork have also played with some of these surrealistic notions. (See artist list below.) Their unexpected juxtapositions of aircraft and interior spaces makes us reexamine the relationships we have with flight, its nuances and metaphoric qualities.

Procedure:

Look at the work of artists Ralph Helmick and Stuart Schechter, and Roman Signer (listed below). Discuss the placement of aircraft in the scenes depicted. What ideas might the artists want to convey about flight? Ask students to observe the startling quality of the unexpected movement of the aircraft in the stable, quiet environments.

Ask students to look for other surrealistic artworks and compare their use of the unexpected. (CD-ROMS, Internet, and library resources may be used.)

Using the theme of the unexpected, have students sketch out an idea for flight in an unusual place. It can be real or imagined, but the emphasis should be on the surprise of finding a flying aircraft (spacecraft?) in their chosen environment. Details are important, and their drawing should have a focal point and good composition.

After students lightly sketch their ideas, have them use markers to complete the composition.

1. Were students able to depict their ideas clearly and creatively?
   
2. Was each student able to complete the task with appropriate details and explanation?
   
   

Resources:

Related Activities:

• Ask students to write science fiction short stories about their works.
  
• Display artworks and writings.