NARRATIVE NECKLACES
Learning Description
This lesson will give students an opportunity to tell a personal narrative through collage art. The narrative collage will incorporate images, colors, symbols and text to help describe each element of the story. Students will then use their narrative collage art to write their personal narratives. Students will be using several modern masters as inspiration, such as Michel Basquiat, Karen Michels and Robert Rauschenberg.
Learning Targets
"I Can" Statements
“I Can…”
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I can tell a personal narrative using symbolism through the artform of collage.
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I can tell a personal narrative through writing that includes the elements of a story and meets grade level criteria.
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I can use logical sequencing when creating my collage necklace composition.
Essential Questions
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How can a visual art lesson based on art history become a teaching tool for language arts?
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How can we tell a story through art?
Georgia Standards
Curriculum Standards
Grade 4:
ELAGSE4W3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
- Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally. b. Use dialogue and description to develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations. c. Use a variety of transitional words and phrases to manage the sequence of events. d. Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely. e. Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.
Grade 5:
ELAGSE5W3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
- Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally. b. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, description, and pacing, to develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations. c. Use a variety of transitional words, phrases, and clauses to manage the sequence of events. d. Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely. e. Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.
Arts Standards
Grade 4:
VA4.CR.1 Engage in the creative process to generate and visualize ideas by using subject matter and symbols to communicate meaning.
VA4.CR.2 Create works of art based on selected themes.
VA4.CR.3 Understand and apply media, techniques, and processes of two-dimensional art.
VA4.CN.2 Integrate information from other disciplines to enhance the understanding and production of works of art.
Grade 5:
VA5.CR.1 Engage in the creative process to generate and visualize ideas by using subject matter and symbols to communicate meaning.
VA5.CR.2 Create works of art based on selected themes.
VA5.CR.3 Understand and apply media, techniques, and processes of two-dimensional art.
VA5.CN.2 Integrate information from other disciplines to enhance the understanding and production of works of art.
South Carolina Standards
Curriculum Standards
Grade 4:
ELA.4.C.3.1 Write narratives developing real or imagined experiences. When writing:
- establish a situation and setting; b. introduce a narrator and/or characters; c. organize a plot structure; d. use narrative techniques such as dialogue, descriptive language, and sensory details to develop events, setting, and characters; e. use a variety of transitional words and phrases to sequence events; and f. provide an ending that follows from the narrated experiences or events.
Grade 5:
ELA.5.C.3.1 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences. When writing:
- establish a situation and setting; b. introduce a narrator and characters; c. establish a plot structure; d. use narrative techniques such as dialogue, precise words, descriptive language, and sensory details to develop events, setting, and characters; e. use a variety of transitional words and phrases to sequence the events; and f. provide an ending that follows logically from the narrated experiences or events.
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 story or account of events, experiences, or the like, whether true or fictitious
- Character - A person, animal, or being that plays a role in the narrative of a story
- Setting - Where a story takes place
- Plot - A sequence of events that make up the main story in a narrative
Arts Vocabulary
- Art history - The academic discipline that studies the development of painting and sculptural arts; humanistic discipline, humanities, liberal arts; studies intended to provide general knowledge and intellectual skills
- Elements of Art - The elements of art are a commonly used group of aspects of a work of art used in teaching and analysis, in combination with the principles of art.
- Color - An art element with 3 properties: hue, value and intensity; a response to reflected light
- Texture - Texture is the quality of a surface or the way any work of art is represented
- Negative space - The space around and between the subject matter
- Necklace - An ornament worn around the neck.
- Collage - An artistic composition of materials and objects pasted over a surface, often with unifying lines and color
Materials
- Small cardboard tiles with a hole cut out for stringing (several per student)
- Magazines
- Scissors
- Glue
- Oil pastels
- Modge podge sealant
- Paint brushes or sponges to apply modge podge
- Raffia/string/yarn
- Miscellaneous collaging materials like various types of paper and stickers
Instructional Design
Opening/Activating Strategy
- Project an example of a collage artwork, such as a collage by Karen Michel. Ask students to work collaboratively to engage in the See, Think, Wonder Artful Thinking Routine.
- First, students will identify what they see in the image. Emphasize that they should make objective observations about the image (i.e. physical features, colors, textures, etc.).
- Next, ask students to identify what they think about the image. Emphasize that students should be creating inferences using visual evidence from the image.
- Finally, ask students what they wonder about the image.
- Facilitate a class-wide discussion around students’ observations, inferences, and questions.
- Explain to students that this is an example of collage art. Ask students if any of them has made or knows about collage. Explain that a collage is an artistic work made by combining and pasting materials and images over a surface.
Work Session
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- Show students examples of collage art by Basquiat, Michel and Rauschenberg (see links in “Additional Resources”).
- Ask students to compare and contrast the collages. Students should notice how different the artists’ styles are even though they are using the same artform of collage.
- Tell students that they will be making a collage that tells a story.
- Have students brainstorm a personal or fictional narrative experience. Students will need to establish the setting, characters, and main plot points.
- Facilitate a discussion around examples of symbolism.
- Draw or project symbols on the board such as a peace sign, a heart, a smiley face, a stop sign, etc. Ask students to tell you what each means. Then, explain that a symbol is an image that communicates meaning.
- Explain to students that they will be using cardboard tiles and magazine images to represent these elements visually. Each tile will represent something different–one tile for each setting in the story, one tile per character, one tile per plot point, etc.
- Have students brainstorm with a partner how they could represent each of their story elements using visuals.
- Pass out cardboard tiles that will function as pendants on their necklaces. Have students write their names on their tiles.
- Students will be given magazines and will cut out images and symbols that represent something from their narrative. As these images are cut out, comment on how the student has had an aesthetic reaction to the color, shape, or image and have the student reflect about this.
- Students will glue these images onto their tiles.
- Tell students that negative space in art is the area around the subject matter, or the “empty space”. Students will look at the negative space in their work and fill it with color, textured papers, or text.
- Students will complete their collaged pieces by adding a touch of oil pastel to the edges, giving the pieces a border, and seal with a modge podge (or watered down glue mixture).
- Students will then string their completed pieces onto yarn or raffia, creating a wearable piece of artwork. Remind students to think about sequencing as they choose the order in which they string their collage tiles.
- For example, if a character is not introduced until after the beginning of the story but before the rising action, the character collage tile should probably be strung between the exposition and rising action tiles. Or, if the setting changes for the conclusion of the story, the corresponding setting tile should go after the climax tile but before the conclusion tile.
- Show students examples of collage art by Basquiat, Michel and Rauschenberg (see links in “Additional Resources”).
- Optional: Allow students to add additional decorative elements, such as pony beads, wooden beads, or buttons to give their necklaces more character.
- Once students have completed their necklaces, each student will write their narrative essay. Narrative writing should meet the grade level standards criteria.
- Students should be sure to include descriptive details and sensory language, transitional words and phrases, logical sequencing, and a sense of closure.
- Students should engage in a peer review process if time allows.
Closing Reflection
Allow students to share their personal narratives with each other, using their necklaces as part of their presentation.
Assessments
Formative
Teachers will assess students’ understanding of the content throughout the lesson by observing students’ participation in the activator, discussion of collage as an artform, discussion of symbolism and story elements, artmaking process, and conferencing with students during the writing process.
Summative
CHECKLIST
- Students can tell a narrative using symbolism through the artform of collage.
- Students can use logical sequencing when creating their collage necklace compositions.
- Students can tell a narrative through writing that includes the elements of a story and meets grade level criteria.
DIFFERENTIATION
Acceleration:
Remediation:
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ADDITIONAL 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: Debi West, Drew Brown, and Katy Betts. Technology by: Ramsey Ray.