Teachers demonstrate an awareness of, a commitment to, and respect for multiple aspects of diversity, while working toward common goals as a community of learners
Pop Art & Communication: Claes Oldenburg Style
Colorado Academic Standards – Visual Arts (1st Grade)
Standard 2: Envision and Critique to Reflect
Students analyze, interpret, and critique artwork using visual language and structured critique methods.
Standard 4: Relate and Connect to Transfer
Students connect artistic ideas to personal meaning, community, and historical context.
Investigating Pop Art
Day 1:
I can explain what Pop Art and identify how artists use objects from everyday life in their artwork.
Mentor Artist Study
Day 2:
I can describe Claes Oldenburg’s sculptures and explain how large size changes the meaning of an object.
Visual Literacy & Communication
Day 3:
I can use Describe, Analyze, Connect, and Interpret to explain how art communicates ideas.
I can identify expressive features such as repetition, scale, and bold color.
Planning My Artwork
Day 4:
I can choose an object from everyday life to turn into art and make my object bigger, brighter, or repeated.
Studio Creation
Day 5:
I can create artwork using bold colors
I can apply repetition or enlargement intentionally.
I can use space and proportion carefully.
Reflection & Share
Day 6:
I can explain how I turned an everyday object into art.
I can describe which Pop Art characteristics I used.
I can respectfully respond to classmates using critique language.
Mr. Zach- Lesson Slide Deck
Lesson Overview:
In this 6-day studio unit, students investigate Pop Art and explore how artists transform everyday objects into meaningful visual statements. Through the study of Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, students analyze how scale, repetition, bold color, and placement communicate ideas.
Students engage in structured visual literacy discussions using Describe, Analyze, Connect, Interpret, building academic vocabulary while learning to respect diverse perspectives. By selecting objects from their own lives, students bring personal and cultural meaning into their artwork.
In this unit, students explored Pop Art through the lens of personal meaning and everyday experience. Rather than focusing solely on historical context, the unit emphasized how artists transform familiar objects into something new by making them bigger, brighter, repeated, or bold, ultimately giving them new meaning and visibility. Students investigated how Pop Art can make ordinary items feel important or “popular” by changing their context.
Student Examples
This unit was a strong experience in introducing an art movement while balancing what is developmentally appropriate for this age group. Students were able to engage with the larger idea of Pop Art (transforming everyday objects) while also connecting it to their own lives and interests. If I were to revise this unit, I would provide more scaffolding around the historical and cultural impact of Pop Art, helping students better understand how the movement responded to its time. Additionally, I would build in more opportunities for reflection and analysis, allowing students more time to think about and discuss how their artistic choices connect to meaning and audience.
