EXPLORING THEMES THROUGH PRINTMAKING
Learning Description
Students will work in groups to analyze a short story, identify one or more themes, and examine how they develop over the course of the text. Each student will design and carve a symbol that represents their group's chosen theme. The group will then collaboratively print their symbols on a single piece of paper, visually representing their analysis through art.
Learning Targets
"I Can" Statements
“I Can…”
- I can determine and analyze the theme of a literary text.
- I can provide an objective summary of a text.
- I can design and carve a symbol that represents a theme in a story.
- I can collaborate with my peers to create a unified visual representation of a literary theme.
Essential Questions
- How do authors develop themes in literature?
- How can multiple themes emerge in a single text?
- How can symbols visually represent a theme?
- How does collaboration enhance artistic and literary interpretation?
Georgia Standards
Curriculum Standards
Grade 6:
ELAGSE6RL2 Determine a theme and/or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
Grade 7:
ELAGSE7RL2 Determine a theme and/or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
Grade 8:
ELAGSE8RL2 Determine a theme and/or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.
Arts Standards
VA.CR.1 Visualize and generate ideas for creating works of art.
VA.CR.3 Engage in an array of processes, media, techniques, and/or technology through experimentation, practice, and persistence.
VA.PR.1 Plan, prepare, and present completed works of art.
South Carolina Standards
Curriculum Standards
ELA.AOR.2: Evaluate and critique the development of themes and central ideas within and across texts.
Grade 6:
ELA.6.AOR.2.1 Analyze how key details contribute to the development of a theme(s) over the course of a literary text.
Grade 7:
ELA.7.AOR.2.1 Compare two or more themes within a literary text(s) and how each is developed over the course of a text(s).
Grade 8:
ELA.8.AOR.2.1 Analyze how key details contribute to the development of two or more themes within and across literary texts.
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
- Theme – The central idea or underlying message in a text
- Symbolism – The use of images or objects to represent deeper meanings
Arts Vocabulary
- Symbol – A visual representation of an idea or theme
- Printmaking – The art or technique of making prints, especially as practiced in engraving, etching, dry point, woodcut or serigraphy
- Brayer – A tool used to roll ink evenly onto the printing plate
- Composition – How an artist arranges the Elements of Art (line, shape, form, value, color, space, texture) to create an artwork
- Collaboration – Working together to achieve a common goal
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.
- Prepping the styrofoam plate:
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
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Accelerated:
Remedial:
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Additional Resources
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