EXPLORING WRITING THROUGH STILL LIFE
Learning Description
Students will build a still life composition, explore the space with their senses, draw what they see, and write from the point of view of one of the objects in their still life focusing on spatial relationships and descriptive words.
Learning Targets
"I Can" Statements
“I Can…”
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I can describe a still life.
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I can create a still life drawing.
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I can write from the point of view of an object in my still life drawing.
Essential Questions
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What is a still life?
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How can I use a still life as an engaging writing prompt?
Georgia Standards
Curriculum Standards
Kindergarten:
ELAGSEKW2 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in which they name what they are writing about and supply some information about the topic.
Grade 1:
ELAGSE1W2 Write informative/ explanatory texts in which they name a topic, supply some facts about the topic, and provide some sense of closure.
Arts Standards
Kindergarten:
VAK.CR.1 Engage in the creative process to generate and visualize ideas by using subject matter and symbols to communicate meaning.
VAK.CR.2 Create works of art based on selected themes.
VAK.CR.3 Understand and apply media, techniques, and processes of two-dimensional art.
VAK.CN.2 Integrate information from other disciplines to enhance the understanding and production of works of art.
Grade 1:
VA1.CR.1 Engage in the creative process to generate and visualize ideas by using subject matter and symbols to communicate meaning.
VA1.CR.2 Create works of art based on selected themes.
VA1.CR.3 Understand and apply media, techniques, and processes of two-dimensional art.
VA1.CN.2 Integrate information from other disciplines to enhance the understanding and production of works of art.
South Carolina Standards
Curriculum Standards
Kindergarten:
ELA.K.C.2.1 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory pieces about a topic with supporting details.
Grade 1:
ELA.1.C.2.1 Write informative/explanatory pieces to name a topic and provide information about the topic. When writing: a. introduce a topic; b. provide information with details to develop the topic; and c. provide a concluding statement or idea.
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 5: I can interpret and evaluate the meaning of an artwork.
Anchor Standard 7: I can relate visual arts ideas to other arts disciplines, content areas, and careers.
Key Vocabulary
Content Vocabulary
- Informational/descriptive writing - A type of writing that aims to educate or inform the reader about a specific topic
- 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.
- 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. It can also be thought of as the organization of the elements of art according to the principles of art.
- 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 within a three dimensional composition.
- Color - Present when light strikes an object and it is reflected back into the eye, a reaction to a hue arising in the optic nerve.
- Texture - One of the seven elements of art; it is how something feels or looks like it would feel
Materials
- Flowers, pots, plants, fabric or any other interesting elements
- Paper
- Pencils
- Colored pencils, crayons, or other coloring materials
- Printed pictures of still life artwork (see “Additional Resources” below)
Instructional Design
Opening/Activating Strategy
Classroom Tips: Set up two spaces in the room to build each still life with access all the way around the composition.
- Look at a still life painting, such as “Still Life with Apples and Peaches” by Paul Cezanne.
- Use the Step Inside: Artful Thinking Routine.
- Ask students to imagine that they are one of the objects in the still life. Ask them to think about what they would see? Smell? Hear? Think? Feel?
- Allow a few students to share their responses with the class or with a partner/small group.
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.
- Divide students into small groups or partners. Pass out printed images of still lives to each group or partner (see “Additional Resources” below).
- Ask students to describe what they see in each still life. Ask students to describe the colors, shapes, and textures that they see.
- Ask them to use directional language like “next to”, “above”, “in front of”, etc. to explain how the objects are arranged.
- Provide time for students to share about their still lives.
- Explain to students that they will be creating their own still life to draw as a class.
- Place a few objects on each table. Ask each group to choose one object to contribute to the still life.
- Once groups have selected. Create two different still life arrangements for students to choose to draw (alternately, assign students one of the still lives to draw).
- Have students arrange themselves around still life.
- Now that the still life arrangements have been formed, ask students to describe what they see–what shapes, colors, and textures are there?
- Ask them to use directional language like “next to”, “above”, “in front of”, etc. to explain how the objects are arranged.
- Ask students how their perspective is different based on where they are sitting. For example, one student may be able to see a whole banana in the arrangement, but another student may only be able to see part of the banana.
- Pass out paper and drawing materials. Allow time for students to draw their still life. Encourage students to use the whole space on their paper.
- Once students have finished their artwork, explain that they will be writing from the point of view of one of the objects in their still life drawing.
- Remind students that point of view is the way someone views the world, 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 from that object’s point of view using descriptive details.
- Choose what you would like your students to focus on in their writing.
- It could be spatial concepts, such as “next to”, “above”, “in front of”, etc.
- It could be descriptive words/adjectives like colors, textures, and shapes.
- It could be sensory words like textures, sights, and smells.
- Choose what you would like your students to focus on in their writing.
- Students will then choose an object from their own still life drawing and write from the object’s point of view using descriptive details.
- For younger students, providing sentence starters will be key to success.
- Examples:
- I am an _______ (apple).
- I am _______ (red) and _______ round.
- I am sitting on the _______ (table). it is _______ (hard).
- I can see _______ (the vase) in front of me and the _______ (banana) beside me.
Closing Reflection
Within their small groups, students should share their still life drawings and 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’ participation in the activator, contributions to class and small group discussion, work on still life artwork, and conferencing with students during the writing process.
Summative
CHECKLIST
- Students can describe a still life.
- Students can create a still life drawing.
- Students can write from the point of view of an object in their still life drawing.
DIFFERENTIATION
Acceleration:
Remediation:
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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: July 2024 @ ArtsNOW