Lesson 1: How to Draw in 2-D and 3-D
Teach your students how to sketch polygons and objects in perspective.
by Andrew Brosnan
Jenny Parma
Curriculum by Build SF Staff
Download Lesson 1 (68KB)
Math and art comingle in this first lesson, which gets students to think about shapes and objects from different perspectives. The information here prepares students for sketching and graphically rendering golf holes in future lessons.
Before beginning this lesson, define the project's goals. Will students build a playable mini-golf course from their designs? If so, when and where? Or will students just learn basic techniques? Be sure to discuss with students the project's agenda, keeping an open communication channel throughout the curriculum.
Lesson Objectives and Materials
Objectives
- To define and recognize a variety of polygons
- To represent the same shape in two and three dimensions in order to practice three-point-perspective drawing
Materials:
- graph paper
- protractors
- pens and pencils
- rulers
- objects or graphics representing different polygons
Engaging Students
Get your students interested in the lesson by asking them for the following information:
- Ask for definitions and examples of 2-D, 3-D, orthographic drawing, polygons, and perspective. (See the glossary for definitions.)
- Ask them to find specific polygons in the classroom or in their lives -- for example, a stop sign or the chalkboard.
- Ask for examples of movie studios that make films primarily in 2-D (Disney's older films) and primarily in 3-D (Pixar).
Project Application: 2-D Drawing
Ask students to draw a rectangle and another polygon of their choice in 2-D -- first in freehand and then using a ruler and graph paper. Here are some tips for practicing certain skills:
- To practice perimeter and area, assign students lengths and widths for the rectangle.
- To practice calculation, try changing the measurements.
- To practice estimation, convert from standard measurement to metric measurement and back again.
- To help struggling students, have them practice drawing a polygon until they're more comfortable using a pencil, a ruler, and graph paper.
Project Application: 3-D Perspective Drawing
Perspective drawing requires finding the vanishing point and drawing rays that extend from that point. Get your students to draw a 3-D rectangle in perspective by asking them to follow these steps:
Download Perspective Drawing Instructions (364KB)
If students are having trouble creating the rectangle, ask them to repeat the exercise, and help them when needed. Students who feel comfortable with the exercise can repeat it using different polygons.
If some students come to class with drawing skills, ask them to freehand simple 3-D shapes (for example, a shoe box, a brick, dice, a cup, a chair, a table).
Project Application: Introduction to Orthography
Help your students visualize objects from the three views of orthographic drawings: plan, side, and front. You will further develop orthographic drawings in Lesson 4. Here are some pointers to whet your students' orthographic appetite:
- Ask students how many ways they think they can draw their polygon.
- Form groups, and ask each group to look at the same complex item (a chair, a bike, or a backpack) from a different viewpoint -- one group from top down (the plan view), another group from the side (the side view), and another group in front of the object (the front view). Discuss what students do and don't see from each angle.
- Explain what each view means and its relationship to orthographic drawing.
- Ask students why architects create multiple illustrations of a building in different perspectives. How do multiple designs help in planning the building? Why is this important to investors and in the construction process?
Student Assessment
At the end of this lesson, you should have a good idea of each student's understanding and skill level with polygons, drawing in perspective, and the other concepts covered. Here are some guiding points to help assess each student.
The student's mastery of the subject matter is
- excellent: Students can differentiate between true polygons and other shapes and represent them accurately (2-D and 3-D are correctly drawn) and with a sense of composition.
- good: Students can differentiate between true polygons and other shapes and represent them accurately.
- fair: Students often spot polygons but mislabel some shapes; drawings are inaccurate or lack the depth of three dimensions.
- Poor: Students do not differentiate between polygons and other shapes; 3-D drawings look 2-D.
This article originally published on 1/20/2009
Go to A New Day for Learning, Part Two 
Build SF Table of Contents
-
Overview
-
Lessons
- Overview: Build SF Lessons at a Glance
- How to Draw in 2-D and 3-D
- Conceptualizing the Golf-Hole Design
- How to Build Golf Holes to Scale
- How to Make Blueprints on Presentation Boards
- Using 3-D Software to Render Golf-Hole Designs
- Presenting and Playing the Hole
- A Glossary of Common Build SF Terms
- Troubleshooting Project-Implementation Hurdles
-
Videos and Tips
-
Articles
-
Contacts
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