MY FIVE SENSES

Finding Patterns

Children will use their sense of sight to explore patterns.

Lesson Objective

Children will use their sense of sight to explore patterns and create patterned artwork.

Art

What You'll Need

  • A large, color reproduction or digital image of Beaded Crown (Adé) from the North Carolina Museum of Art website
  • Items with simple patterns (such as clothing, fabric swatches, gift bags, and so forth for display)
  • 12" × 18" construction paper (1 per child)
  • 4" × 18" construction paper strips (2–3 per child)
  • Construction paper scraps or pre-cut circles, squares, and triangles in multiple colors
  • Scissors
  • Glue

What To Do

  1. Discuss with the children what makes a pattern (see Vocabulary).
  2. Display the patterned items, and discuss with the children which of their five senses they will need to use to examine these items (see Guiding Student Inquiry).
  3. Have the children describe the patterns (see Guiding Student Inquiry).
  4. Ask the children to look at their clothing and discuss any item of clothing that has a pattern.
  5. Display the image of Beaded Crown (Adé), and ask the children what they see (see Guiding Student Inquiry).
  6. Discuss what a crown is and who would wear a crown (see Did You Know?).
  7. Tell the children that they will be making a crown with a pattern on it.
  8. On a strip of construction paper, demonstrate gluing pre-cut shapes in a pattern. Make 2 construction paper patterned strips.
  9. Glue the 2 strips on a sheet of 12" × 18" construction paper. Staple the paper into a crown that can be worn.
  10. Distribute paper strips, scissors, glue, and pre-cut shapes.
  11. Have the children make 2 pattern strips and glue them on a sheet of 12" × 18" construction paper.
  12. When the glue is dry, staple the construction paper into crowns that can be worn.

Guiding Student Inquiry

  • Explain what makes a pattern.
  • Tell me about this item. How do you know it has a pattern?
  • Explain which of your five senses helps you to tell about the pattern.
  • Describe the pattern on your clothing.
  • Describe the pattern in the artwork.
  • Tell me who might wear a crown. 

Explore, Extend & Integrate

  • Have the children look for patterns in your classroom.
  • Explore patterns in some simple rhymes. Have the children clap the rhymes and talk about the pattern. Play some music, and have the children wear their crowns as they dance.
  • Have children use items in the classroom to make patterns. They can use small toys or blocks. Have them begin by making simple patterns. Once they understand how to make a simple repeating pattern, such as ABABAB, challenge them to make more complicated patterns, such as AABAABAAB.

Check for Children’s Understanding

  • Could children explain that a pattern repeats?
  • Could children talk about patterns on items or clothing?
  • Could children identify the patterns in the artwork?
  • Could children explain who might wear a crown?

Resources

Did You Know

Sight is one of our five senses—the five senses include sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. Our senses work together to give us information about the world around us. Eyes allow us to see things like images, colors, and patterns. The repeating patterns and bold, bright colors in the focus work of art, Beaded Crown (Adé), are a feast for the eyes. We can see colors and patterns all around us—on buildings, on clothing, and in nature.

A crown is a symbol of royalty. Typically, a crown represents power, honor, and glory. Crowns are often decorated with precious stones, which are sometimes arranged in patterns. Kings and queens in different parts of the world have worn different types of crowns throughout history. The artwork featured in this lesson, Beaded Crown (Adé), was worn long ago by a king who lived in Africa. 

Vocabulary: Child-Friendly Definitions

  • crown – a metal object worn on the head by kings and queens.
  • pattern – a group of things placed in an order that repeats.
  • repeat – to make again and again.
  • similar – being almost the same as something else.
  • sight – the ability to see.
  • senses – any of the five ways to experience the environment.

Lesson Tips

  • Once the crowns are stapled, place a piece of tape over the staples. This will help keep the staples from injuring children’s fingers.
  • If pre-cut shapes are not available, patterns can be made by drawing shapes on the construction paper strips. Children can color the shapes with crayons or markers to make patterns.

Books

  • Spotty, Stripy, Swirly: What Are Patterns? (Jane Brocket’s Clever Concepts) by Jane Brocket
  • Lots of Spots (Classic Board Books) by Lois Ehlert
  • My Five Senses (Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science 1) by Aliki
  • Sight (Five Senses Series) by Maria Rius
  • The Crown on Your Head by Nancy Tillman

Home School Resources

Home educators: use these printable lesson PDFs to teach this lesson to your home schoolers. They're available in English and Spanish.

Home/School Connections

Las Conexiones a la Casa

While we believe that the books and resources recommended may be of value to you, keep in mind that these are suggestions only and you must do your own due diligence to determine whether the materials are appropriate and suitable for your use. PNC has no sponsorship or endorsement agreement with the authors or publishers of the materials listed.

Content Provided By

North Carolina Museum of Art

Visit The North Carolina Museum of Art website

Common Core State Standards Initiative – These lessons are aligned with the Common Core State Standards ("CCSS"). The CCSS provide a consistent, clear understanding of the concepts and skills children are expected to learn and guide teachers to provide their students with opportunities to gain these important skills and foundational knowledge [1]. Visit the CCSS