Room Balance

Summary

This activity provides students with an artistic, creative and challenging way to create the three types of balance--symmetrical, asymmetrical, and radial.

Materials

• overhead projector
• balance notes outline transparency
• Room Balance assignment sheets
• blank white paper
• colored paper
• scissors
• glue

Background for Teachers

There are three types of balance that the students need to be made aware of--symmetrical, asymmetrical, and radial. Refer to the attached note outline for more detailed information.

Student Prior Knowledge

Students should know that the principles are the guidelines to follow when using the elements of design.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to identify a symmetrical furniture grouping from an asymmetrical grouping. Students will also be able to judge the visual weight of an item and use that visual weight to create a type of balance in a composition of some sort.

Instructional Procedures

Have students take out their notes from previous discussions. Put the balance notes outline on the overhead projector. Go over all information as a class, discuss and elaborate where you find it necessary. Answer any questions as they arise. Visual examples of the different types of balance may be helpful for the students to understand more fully what you are talking about.

Pass out an assignment sheet to each student. Go over all directions as a class. Show an example of what has been done in the past and what can be done. Students should only need 2 half sheets of colored paper in order to complete the assignment successfully. The symmetrical and asymmetrical samples must be room arrangements, with radial balance, it is more difficult to make it a room arrangement and thus you could explain that they may need to create a wall arrangement of some sort--something they would hang on a wall above the furniture arrangements that they created for the other two samples. Remind them once again that neatness is very important. Turn the rest of the class time over to them to complete the task.

Strategies for Diverse Learners

Struggling students may need a little push in the right direction. Give them specific ideas of how to successfully complete the assignment. Their arrangements might be less detail conscious and more based on correct principles.

Assessment Plan

Refer to the attached Room Balance assignment sheet for the specific grading and assessment break down.

Bibliography

USOE Curriculum Guide