EXPLORING NARRATIVE WRITING THROUGH STILL LIFE DRAWING

EXPLORING NARRATIVE WRITING THROUGH STILL LIFE DRAWING

Learning Description

Students will build a still life composition, explore the space with their senses, draw what they see, and write a narrative from the point of view of one of the objects in their still life using descriptive details.

 

Learning Targets

GRADE BAND: 2-3
CONTENT FOCUS: Visual Arts & ELA
LESSON DOWNLOADS:

Download PDF of this Lesson

"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

  • I can arrange objects to create a still life.

  • I can use a still life as an engaging writing prompt.

Essential Questions

  • How can I arrange objects to create a still life?

  • How can I use a still life as an engaging writing prompt?

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 2:

ELAGSE2W3 Write narratives in which they recount a well-elaborated event or short sequence of events, include details to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide a sense of closure.

 

ELAGSE2SL4 Tell a story or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking audibly in coherent sentences.

 

Grade 3: 

ELAGSE3W3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.

 

ELAGSE3SL4 Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace.

 

 

Arts Standards

Grade 2:

VA2.CR.1 Engage in the creative process to generate and visualize ideas by using subject matter and symbols to communicate meaning. 

 

VA2.CR.2 Create works of art based on selected themes. 

 

VA2.RE.1 Discuss personal works of art and the artwork of others to enhance visual literacy.

 

Grade 3: 

VA3.CR.1 Engage in the creative process to generate and visualize ideas by using subject matter and symbols to communicate meaning.

 

VA3.CR.2 Create works of art based on selected themes. 

 

VA3.RE.1 Use a variety of approaches for art criticism and to critique personal works of art and the artwork of others to enhance visual literacy.

 

 

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 2

WRITING (W) - Meaning, Context, and Craft

Standard 3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective techniques, well-chosen details, and well structured event sequences.

3.1 Explore multiple texts to write narratives that recount a well-elaborated event or short sequence of events; include details to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings; use temporal words to signal event order; and provide a sense of closure.

 

Grade 3

WRITING (W) - Meaning, Context, and Craft

Standard 3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective techniques, well-chosen details, and well structured event sequences.

3.1 Gather ideas from texts, multimedia, and personal experience to write narratives that: a. develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences; c. organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally; d. use dialogue and descriptions of actions, thoughts, and feelings to develop experiences and events or show the response of characters to situations; g. use imagery, precise words, and sensory details to develop characters and convey experiences and events; and h. provide a sense of closure.

 

 

Arts Standards

Anchor Standard 1: I can use the elements and principles of art to create artwork.

Anchor Standard 2: I can use different materials, techniques, and processes to make art.

Anchor Standard 7: I can relate visual arts ideas to other arts disciplines, content areas, and careers.

 

 

 

Key Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary

  • Narrative - A piece of writing that usually tells a story and has a beginning, middle, and end
  • Descriptive details - Details that enhance a reader’s understanding of the text
  • Point of view - The perspective from which the story is told

Arts Vocabulary

  • Still Life - A painting or drawing of an arrangement of objects, typically including fruit and flowers and objects contrasting with these in texture, such as bowls and glassware
  • Texture - One of the seven elements of art; it is how something feels or looks like it would feel
  • Composition – The placement or arrangement of the visual elements, such as figures, trees, and so on in a work of art, as distinct from the subject or the style with which it is depicted
  • Balance - How the elements of art (line, shape, color, value, space, form, texture) relate to each other within the composition in terms of their visual weight to create visual equilibrium
  • Shape - In the visual arts, shape is a flat, enclosed area of an artwork created through lines, textures, colors or an area enclosed by other shapes such as triangles, circles, and squares
  • Form - A three-dimensional composition or object
  • Color - One of the elements of art; reflected or absorbed light
  • Emotions – Feelings

 

Materials

  • Flowers, pots, plants, fabric or any other interesting elements
  • Paper 
  • Pencils 
  • Colored pencils or other coloring materials

     

     

    Instructional Design

    Opening/Activating Strategy

       

      Work Session

      • Explain to students that artists have painted and drawn still lives for centuries. 
        • A still life is a painting or drawing of an arrangement of non-living objects. Still lives typically include fruit and flowers and objects contrasting with these in texture, such as bowls and glassware.
      • Look at several examples of still lives. 
        • Remind students what descriptive details are. Ask students to use descriptive details to describe the still lives. Ask them to focus on color, shape, and texture, which are all elements of art.
      • Explain to students that they will be creating their own still life in small groups. 
        • Students should work together to select several objects with a variety of textures for their still life and arrange them in the center of their table. 
        • Each student will find a place around their table to carefully observe and draw the still life. 
      • Explain that students will be writing a narrative from the point of view of one of the objects in their still life drawing. 
        • Remind students that point of view is the way a character sees the events in a story, so, the point of view of each of the objects in the still life will be different.
        • Project the still life from the opening activity. Model how to select one of the objects and write a narrative from that object’s point of view using descriptive details.
        • Students will then choose an object from their own still life drawing and write a narrative from the object’s point of view using descriptive details. 
        • Remind students that their narrative must have a beginning, middle, and end.

       

       

      Closing Reflection

      Within their small groups, students should share their still life drawings and narrative writing. Encourage students to notice how each person’s drawing is different based on where they were observing the still life arrangement.

       

      Assessments

      Formative

      Teachers will assess students’ understanding by observing students’ answers to class and small group discussion of point of view and still lives, as well as students’ ability to create a still life arrangements.

       

       

       

       

      Summative

      CHECKLIST

      • Students can create a still life arrangement and drawing.
      • Students can write a narrative from the point of view of an object in their still life using descriptive details.
      • Students can write a narrative that has a beginning, middle and end.

       

       

       

       

      Differentiation

      Acceleration: As an extension, students can pair up and write a dialogue between their object and someone else's.

      Remediation: 

      • Allow students to write narratives with a partner. 
      • Provide students with a writing guide/graphic organizer for their narrative writing.
      • Allow students to orally relay their narrative. 
      • Assign students one of the objects in the still life to use for their narrative writing.

       ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

      Still life examples to show students: 

      Technology Extension: 

      Technology Resources: 

       

      *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.

      Ideas contributed by: Shannon Green; updated by Katy Betts

      Revised and copyright:  May 2024 @ ArtsNOW

       
      Back to Modules