Georgia Standards

 

South Carolina Standards

 

Key Vocabulary

 

Materials

• Selected fairytale or fable
• Pencils
• Copy paper
• Styrofoam sheets
• Dull pencils or ball point pens
• Water based printing ink
• Brayers
• Newsprint or packing paper
• Paper for printing
• Colored pencils or art sticks
• Drying rack or space to lay prints

 

 

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

Engage (Read & Discuss)

• Read a selected fable or fairytale (e.g., "The Tortoise and the Hare", "The Three Little Pigs", or "The Lion and the Mouse").
• Discuss the story’s theme and identify key details that support it.
• Look closely at the illustrations.
  • Ask: How do they support the theme of the story?
• Discuss what a symbol is, and ask students for examples of symbols in everyday life.
• Brainstorm symbols that could represent the theme.
  • Here are some examples:
    • Hard work pays off (e.g., “The Little Red Hen” – Symbol: Grain of wheat or a loaf of bread).
    • Kindness is rewarded (e.g., “Cinderella” – Symbol: A heart or a helping hand).
    • Patience and perseverance (e.g., “The Tortoise and the Hare” – Symbol: A slow-moving turtle or a clock).
    • Bravery and courage (e.g., “Little Red Riding Hood” – Symbol: A shield or a roaring lion).
    • Sharing and generosity (e.g., “Stone Soup” – Symbol: A steaming pot of soup”).

Work Session

Explore (Sketch & Plan):

• Discuss how symbols can convey meaning visually.
• Have students sketch possible symbols on paper to represent the theme, focusing on simple yet effective designs.
• Next, have students sketch possible symbols on paper to represent the key details that help develop the theme, focusing on simple yet effective designs.

 

Create (Printmaking Process):

• Introduce and demonstrate the printmaking process:
  • Carving the styrofoam plate:
    • Draw lightly with a pencil before pressing into the styrofoam to avoid mistakes.
    • Use a dull pencil or ballpoint pen to carve designs—press firmly but avoid puncturing all the way through the styrofoam.
    • Keep lines simple and bold for clear prints; intricate details may not transfer well.
    • Vary line thickness for added depth—thicker lines hold more ink, while thinner lines create subtle details.
  • Inking the plate:
    • Roll out a thin, even layer of ink on a tray before applying to the printing plate with a brayer.
    • Then, using the brayer, roll a thin, even layer of ink over the styrofoam plate. Too much ink can make details disappear!
    • Students should take turns rolling ink on the plate while their partner watches for even coverage.
  • Printing process:
    • Carefully place the inked plate face down on paper—one student can hold it while the other presses.
    • Use hands or a clean brayer to press firmly and evenly over the entire plate.
    • Lift the plate slowly to reveal the print!

Students may need to repeat this process, experimenting with different amounts of ink and application of pressure when transferring the print.

• Composition:
  • Have students arrange their prints to show how the key details support the theme. For example, students might put the print representing the theme above the prints representing the key details, which might be arranged in a row below the theme.
• Cleanup and reflection:
  • Lay prints flat to dry before handling.
  • Have students compare their prints and discuss what worked well.
  • If needed, allow students to re-ink and try again.
  • Once prints are dry, add color and details with art stix, crayons, or colored pencils.

 

Classroom Tips:

• Students can work in pairs to create prints.
• Encourage students to work carefully.
• Make sure there is a piece of newsprint under each printmaking station.
• This process works great as a center. Set up a station and allow student pairs to rotate through to create their prints.

 

Extension:

• Use Book Creator to record short videos discussing the theme of their assigned fairy tale or fable.
• Students can also create digital storyboards with apps like Storyboard That to map out key details leading to the theme.

 

Closing Reflection

Reflect (Gallery walk and discussion):

• Display student prints and discuss how each symbol represents the theme and key details.
• Have students write a reflection explaining their design choices and how their symbols connect to the story’s theme and key details.

 

Assessments

Formative

• Teacher observation during discussions and sketching phase

Summative

• Final print and reflection explaining their artistic and thematic choices

 

 

Differentiation

Accelerated:  Encourage advanced students to incorporate multiple symbols in their design to represent complex themes. Have students compare and contrast different versions of the same fairytale and compare the theme.   Remedial: Provide sentence stems for theme explanation ("The theme of this story is ___. I know this because ___ and ___."). Offer pre-drawn templates or examples of symbols for inspiration. Pair students for peer support during sketching and carving phases.

 

Additional Resources

• What Is Printmaking? The Met
• Printmaking - Tate Museum

 

Credits

Ideas contributed by: Shannon Green

*This integrated lesson provides differentiated ideas and activities for educators that are aligned to a sampling of standards. Standards referenced at the time of publishing may differ based on each state’s adoption of new standards.

Revised and copyright:  May 2025 @ ArtsNOW

 

 

Georgia Standards

South Carolina Standards

 

Key Vocabulary

 

Materials

• Literary text (short stories, poems, novel excerpts)
• Sketchbooks/pencils
• Styrofoam sheets
• Dull pencils or ball point pens
• Brayers
• Water based printing ink
• Printing paper (white, colored, textured)
• Colored pencils or art sticks
• Drying racks or designated drying space

 

 

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

Engage (Text Selection & Theme Analysis)

• Students will read and analyze a short story, poem, or novel excerpt (e.g., Of Mice and Men, The Great Gatsby, Fahrenheit 451, Othello).
• As they read, students will annotate how key details develop the theme over time.
• In groups, they will identify a universal theme (e.g., power and corruption, isolation, identity, loss of innocence, resilience, fate versus free will) and discuss its relevance.

Work Session

Explore (Symbol Development & Sketching):

• Students will brainstorm symbols that represent their theme (e.g., a broken clock for time’s passage, a tree with missing branches for loss, etc.).
• Each student will sketch at least two possible symbols, refining their designs through peer feedback.
• The class will discuss how symbols communicate deeper meaning in both literature and art.

 

Create (Printmaking Process):

• Follow the printmaking process below.
• Prepping the Styrofoam Plate:
  • Use a dull pencil or ballpoint pen to carve designs—press firmly but avoid puncturing all the way through.
  • Encourage students to sketch lightly first before carving to avoid mistakes.
• Carving Techniques:
  • Keep lines simple and bold for clear prints; intricate details may not transfer well.
  • Reverse letters or numbers if including text, as prints will be a mirror image.
  • Vary line thickness for added depth—thicker lines hold more ink, while thinner lines create subtle details.
• Inking the Plate:
  • Roll out a thin, even layer of ink on a tray before applying to the plate with a brayer.
  • Make sure ink covers the entire design, but avoid excessive ink, which can cause smudging.
  • Test prints on scrap paper before the final collaborative print.
• Printing Process:
  • Place the inked plate face down on the final paper and press evenly with hands or a clean brayer.
  • Avoid shifting or sliding the plate while printing to prevent smudging.
  • Lift the plate carefully to reveal the design.
  • Encourage students to appreciate the imperfections as part of the artistic process!
• Creative Enhancements:
  • Try different colors – Experiment with layering multiple prints in different colors.
  • Overlap prints – Print the same design multiple times on one page to create patterns.
  • Use mixed media – Combine printmaking with drawing, collage, or watercolor backgrounds for unique effects.

 

Classroom Tips:

• Encourage students to work carefully.
• Make sure there is a piece of newsprint under each printmaking station.

 

Extension:

• Virtual Gallery: Upload finished prints to Padlet or Google Sites for peer review.
• Video Reflection: Students can record a short video explaining their theme and artistic choices using Flipgrid or Canva Video.

 

Closing Reflection

Reflect (Gallery walk and discussion):

• Students will display their final prints in a class gallery.
• They write a reflection explaining their theme, symbol choice, and how it connects to the text in paragraph form.
• Students will participate in a peer critique, providing constructive feedback on how effectively their peers' work communicates meaning.

 

Assessments

Formative

• Class Discussions: Check for theme identification and text analysis through guided questions.
• Sketch and peer review: Monitor symbol development before carving begins.

Summative

• Final print and reflection: Students submit their printmaking piece with a written analysis of their symbol, theme, and artistic choices.
• Gallery walk participation: Students will evaluate and compare different artistic interpretations of universal themes.

 

 

Differentiation

Accelerated:  Encourage students to layer multiple prints to represent contrasting themes within one text. Compare themes across two different texts and create a dual print composition. Research how historical artists have used printmaking to explore social themes (eg: José Guadalupe Posada).   Remedial: Provide graphic organizers to help break down theme development step by step. Offer symbol examples and guided sketching activities. Allow students to work in pairs to carve a shared printing plate.

 

Additional Resources

• What Is Printmaking? The Met
• Printmaking - Tate Museum

 

Credits

Ideas contributed by: Shannon Green

*This integrated lesson provides differentiated ideas and activities for educators that are aligned to a sampling of standards. Standards referenced at the time of publishing may differ based on each state’s adoption of new standards.

Revised and copyright:  May 2025 @ ArtsNOW

 

 

Georgia Standards

 

South Carolina Standards

 

Key Vocabulary

 

Materials

• Selected short stories
• Pencils
• Copy paper
• Styrofoam sheets
• Ball point pen or dull pencils
• Water based printing ink
• Brayers
• Large sheets of paper for group prints
• Colored pencils or art sticks
• Drying rack or space to lay prints

 

 

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

Engage (Research & Discussion)

• Divide students into small groups.
• Assign each group a short story to read and analyze (e.g., "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson, "Thank You, Ma'am" by Langston Hughes, "The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant).
• In their groups, students will discuss and identify one or more themes present in the story.
• Groups will create an objective summary of the text, focusing on how the theme develops over time.

Work Session

Explore (Sketch & Plan):

• Each student will sketch a symbol that represents the identified theme.
• Students will collaborate with their groups to refine their individual symbols to ensure coherence in their final composition.

 

Create (Printmaking Process):

• Follow the printmaking process below.
• After students have created their symbols on styrofoam plates, they will print their individual symbols onto a shared sheet of paper, creating a collective representation of their theme.
• Review these printmaking tips with students:
  • Prepping the styrofoam plate:
    • Use a dull pencil or ballpoint pen to carve designs—press firmly but avoid puncturing all the way through.
    • Encourage students to sketch lightly first before carving to avoid mistakes.
  • Carving techniques:
    • Keep lines simple and bold for clear prints; intricate details may not transfer well.
    • Reverse letters or numbers if including text, as prints will be a mirror image.
    • Vary line thickness for added depth—thicker lines hold more ink, while thinner lines create subtle details.
  • Inking the plate:
    • Roll out a thin, even layer of ink on a tray before applying to the printing plate with a brayer.
    • Make sure ink covers the entire design, but avoid excessive ink, which can cause smudging.
    • Test prints on scrap paper before the final collaborative print.
  • Printing process:
    • Place the inked plate face down on the final paper and press evenly with hands or a clean brayer.
    • Avoid shifting or sliding the plate while printing to prevent smudging.
    • Lift the plate carefully to reveal the design.
    • Encourage students to appreciate the imperfections as part of the artistic process!
  • Final Touches:
    • Allow prints to dry completely before handling.
    • Once dry, encourage students to add color and hand-drawn details.

 

Classroom Tips:

• Encourage students to work carefully.
• Make sure there is a piece of newsprint under each printmaking station.

 

Extension:

• Virtual Gallery: Upload finished prints to Padlet or Google Sites for peer review.
• Video Reflection: Students can record a short video explaining their theme and artistic choices using Flipgrid or Canva Video.

 

Closing Reflection

Reflect (Gallery walk and discussion):

• Groups will present their collaborative prints, explaining their theme choice, how it was developed in the text, and how their symbols represent it.
• Students will write an exit ticket explaining how their symbol represents the theme in paragraph form.
• Facilitate a class discussion on the effectiveness of visual symbolism in interpreting literature.

 

Assessments

Formative

• Group discussions and teacher observation during analysis and sketching phases

Summative

• Final collaborative print with a written reflection on the theme’s development and symbolic representation
• Group presentation assessing comprehension and understanding of thematic analysis

 

 

Differentiation

Accelerated:  Encourage students to incorporate multiple symbols within their group’s composition to represent nuanced themes. Have advanced students compare themes across different texts and integrate symbols accordingly.   Remedial: Provide graphic organizers to help students track how the theme develops over the story. Provide examples of symbols to help students visualize their ideas.

 

Additional Resources

• What Is Printmaking? The Met
• Printmaking - Tate Museum

 

Credits

Ideas contributed by: Shannon Green

*This integrated lesson provides differentiated ideas and activities for educators that are aligned to a sampling of standards. Standards referenced at the time of publishing may differ based on each state’s adoption of new standards.

Revised and copyright:  May 2025 @ ArtsNOW