Wood Carving and Relief Sculpture, Tools and Functions for SS 3

Class: SS 3
Term: First Term
Week: 4
Age: 17 years
Duration: 60 minutes
Subject: Visual Art
Curriculum Theme: Sculpture
Previous Lesson: Landscape and Seascape Composition
Topic: SCULPTURE, WOOD CARVING AND RELIEF
Subject Matter: Definition; function of craving tools: carve, chisel, etch, remove, etc.; 2-dimensional relief carving; relief carving: register type: door, plaque, verandah posts, and divination tray; carving tools: gouge, rasps, sandpaper, sharpening stone, oil for sharpening stone, rifflers, mallets, scrappers, and steel wool

Specific Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils/students should be able to:

Cognitive Domain

• Define sculpture, wood carving, and relief sculpture.
• Identify various wood carving tools.
• State the functions of different carving tools.
• Describe the characteristics of 2-dimensional relief carving.
• List examples of relief carving register types.

Affective Domain

• Appreciate the skill and artistry involved in wood carving.
• Value the importance of using appropriate tools for carving.
• Demonstrate care and safety when handling carving tools.

Psychomotor Domain

• Demonstrate the proper handling of selected carving tools.
• Illustrate basic carving actions like chiseling and etching.
• Produce a simple relief carving on a piece of wood.

Social Domain

• Collaborate with peers in identifying and discussing carving tools.

Reference Materials

The following resources were used in planning this lesson:

• 2014 Senior Secondary Education Curriculum (SSEC)
• Relevant State Unified Scheme of Work
• Visual Art for Senior Secondary Schools Textbook
• FCT ERC/NAPPS Scheme of work

Instructional Materials

The teacher will teach this lesson with the aid of:

• Examples of carved wooden objects (e.g., small relief plaque, carved figure)
• Various wood carving tools: gouges, chisels, rasps, sandpaper, sharpening stone, oil for sharpening stone, rifflers, mallets, scrapers, steel wool.
• Small pieces of soft wood for demonstration and practice.
• Pictures or charts illustrating different types of relief carvings (e.g., carved doors, verandah posts).

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is important for students to understand the fundamental concepts and techniques of wood carving, a significant aspect of sculpture. It provides practical knowledge of tools and their applications, fostering an appreciation for traditional and contemporary art forms. This understanding helps students develop practical skills and creative expression in visual art.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Students should have basic knowledge of art forms and an understanding of different materials used in art production from their JSS Visual Art classes.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

SCULPTURE, WOOD CARVING AND RELIEF

Definition of Sculpture and Wood Carving

1. Sculpture: This is a three-dimensional art form created by shaping or combining materials such as wood, stone, metal, clay, or plastic. Sculptures can be freestanding (viewable from all sides) or in relief (projecting from a background).
2. Wood Carving: This is a form of sculpture where wood is shaped using cutting tools. It is one of the oldest forms of art and craft, with examples found in various cultures worldwide.
3. Carving in the Round: This refers to a type of sculpture that is fully three-dimensional and meant to be viewed from all angles. The artist carves all sides of the material, creating a freestanding object.

Functions of Carving Actions

1. Carve: To cut or shape a material, especially wood or stone, to form an object or design.
2. Chisel: To cut or shape with a chisel, typically for removing larger portions of material or creating defined edges.
3. Etch: To cut or incise a design into a surface, often creating fine lines or textures.
4. Remove: To take away excess material from the workpiece to reveal the desired form.

Types of Relief Carving

1. 2-Dimensional Relief Carving: This refers to carvings where the design projects from a flat background, but the overall impression is still somewhat flat, often with limited depth. It focuses on creating an image that is raised from the surface.
2. Relief Carving: Register Type: This involves carving designs that are organized into distinct horizontal or vertical bands or sections (registers) on a surface. Each register typically depicts a scene or motif, and they are often used to tell a story or convey a series of related images.

Examples of Relief Carving Register Types

1. Door: Carved wooden doors, common in traditional architecture, often feature intricate relief designs arranged in panels or registers depicting cultural motifs, historical events, or symbolic figures.
2. Plaque: A flat, ornamental piece of wood with a carved design, often used for decorative purposes or to commemorate an event. These can feature designs in registers.
3. Verandah Posts: Structural posts supporting verandahs or porches, frequently adorned with relief carvings in registers, showcasing traditional patterns, flora, fauna, or ancestral figures.
4. Divination Tray (Opon Ifa): A ceremonial wooden tray used in Yoruba traditional religion for Ifa divination. Its rim is typically carved with relief designs in registers, representing symbols, deities, or narratives related to the divination process.

Wood Carving Tools and Their Functions

1. Gouge: A chisel-like tool with a curved cutting edge, used for scooping out wood, creating concave shapes, and making rounded cuts. They come in various sweeps (degree of curve) and widths.
2. Rasps: Coarse files with individual teeth that stand up from the surface, used for rapid removal of wood and shaping, especially for roughing out forms.
3. Sandpaper: Abrasive paper used for smoothing wood surfaces, removing tool marks, and preparing the wood for finishing. It comes in various grits, from coarse to fine.
4. Sharpening Stone: A stone used to sharpen the edges of carving tools, ensuring they remain keen and effective for cutting. It typically requires lubrication.
5. Oil for Sharpening Stone: Used with oilstones to lubricate the stone, float away metal particles, and prevent the stone from clogging, ensuring efficient sharpening.
6. Rifflers: Small, double-ended files with various curved and pointed shapes, used for carving intricate details, reaching into tight spaces, and refining contours.
7. Mallets: Wooden or rubber hammers used to strike the handles of chisels and gouges, providing the force needed to drive the cutting edge into the wood.
8. Scrappers: Tools with a sharp, burred edge, used for smoothing surfaces, removing fine shavings, and achieving a very smooth finish, especially on hardwoods.
9. Steel Wool: Fine metal fibers used for final smoothing, buffing, and applying finishes to carved wood, particularly useful for reaching into crevices.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Discussion, Demonstration, Guided Practice, Question and Answer, Explanation, Observation, Practical Activity

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Questioning

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces the topic by asking students what they understand by “sculpture” and “carving.” The teacher then defines sculpture and wood carving, highlighting their significance in art. The teacher also briefly explains “carving in the round” as a type of sculpture.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to questions and listen attentively to the definitions and explanations.

Learning Point: Sculpture and carving definitions

Step 2: Functions of Carving Actions

Time: 8 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Demonstration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains the basic carving actions: carve, chisel, etch, and remove. Using a piece of wood and a basic chisel, the teacher briefly demonstrates each action, showing how they contribute to shaping the wood.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the demonstration and ask questions for clarification.

Learning Point: Basic carving actions

Step 3: 2-Dimensional Relief Carving

Time: 7 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Visual Aid

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains 2-dimensional relief carving, emphasizing how the design projects from a flat background. The teacher uses pictures or examples of simple relief carvings to illustrate the concept.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the visual aids and discuss the characteristics of 2-dimensional relief.

Learning Point: 2D relief carving concept

Step 4: Relief Carving: Register Types

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Examples

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains relief carving register types, describing how designs are organized in bands. The teacher provides and discusses examples such as carved doors, plaques, verandah posts, and divination trays, showing images or actual examples where possible.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils identify and discuss the examples of register type carvings.

Learning Point: Relief carving register types

Step 5: Identification and Functions of Carving Tools

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Identification

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher presents various carving tools (gouge, rasps, sandpaper, sharpening stone, oil, rifflers, mallets, scrappers, steel wool). For each tool, the teacher states its name, shows it to the class, and explains its specific function and safe handling.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils identify the tools and listen to their functions, asking questions about their use and safety.

Learning Point: Carving tools and functions

Step 6: Teacher Demonstration and Student Practice

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Guided Practice

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher briefly demonstrates how to use a few basic tools (e.g., gouge, chisel) to create simple cuts or a small relief on a piece of wood. The teacher then guides students to practice simple carving actions on small wood pieces, focusing on safety.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the demonstration and then attempt to practice basic carving actions under the teacher’s guidance.

Learning Point: Basic carving practice

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher evaluates the learning by asking the following questions:

1. What is wood carving?
2. Mention two functions of carving tools.
3. List three examples of relief carving register types.
4. Name two tools used for smoothing wood surfaces in carving.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils answer orally and in writing.

Learning Point: Understanding carving concepts

Step 8: Note-Taking

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Writing

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils/students to copy the essential Board Summary notes on sculpture, wood carving, relief, and carving tools into their notebooks.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils/students copy the notes carefully into their notebooks.

Learning Point: Recording lesson notes

Step 9: Conclusion

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Consolidation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher summarizes the main points of the lesson, reiterating the definitions of sculpture, wood carving, and relief, and the importance of understanding carving tools and their functions. The teacher encourages students to explore wood carving further.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the summary and ask any final questions.

Learning Point: Lesson concepts reinforced

Continuous Assessment/Further Study

Type: Homework/Project

Instruction: Answer the following questions and prepare for a practical task.

1. In your own words, explain the difference between “carving in the round” and “relief carving.”
2. Research and identify one famous Nigerian wood carver and describe a notable work by them.
3. Draw and label five different wood carving tools discussed in class.
4. Find an image of a carved wooden door or verandah post from your local community and describe its relief carvings.
5. Bring a small, soft piece of wood (e.g., a discarded plank or firewood) to the next Visual Art class for a practical carving session.

Lesson Keywords

• Sculpture – Three-dimensional art form.
• Wood Carving – Shaping wood with cutting tools.
• Relief Sculpture – Design projecting from a background.
• Gouge – Curved carving tool for scooping.
• Rasp – Coarse file for rough shaping.
• Riffler – Small, detailed carving file.
• Mallet – Hammer for striking carving tools.
• Sharpening Stone – Tool for sharpening edges.
• Divination Tray – Carved tray with register designs.

Differentiation

For students who grasp concepts quickly, encourage them to research different types of wood suitable for carving and their properties. Provide additional challenging carving patterns for practical activities. For students needing more support, offer simplified definitions, provide one-on-one guidance during tool identification, and focus on mastering one or two basic carving actions with close supervision.

Suggested Lesson Videos

YouTube search: wood carving tools and functions SS3 visual art
YouTube search: relief sculpture types and examples SS3 visual art