Music Inspires Writing 2-3

MUSIC INSPIRES WRITING

MUSIC INSPIRES WRITING

Learning Description

Using music as inspiration for creating original poetry and music, students will develop skills and understandings in language arts and music. Creative thinking, vocabulary development, and structural understanding are necessary to create poetry and music in a prescribed form. Musical skills addressed include improvising, composing, listening, and speaking.

 

Learning Targets

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

Download PDF of this Lesson

"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

  • I can write diamante using the appropriate form and parts of speech.

  • I can create and perform effective musical rendering of my diamante.

Essential Questions

  • How can music inspire written and musical composition?

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 2: 

ELAGSE2SL2 Recount or describe key ideas or details from written texts read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.

 

ELAGSE2L1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

 

Grade 3:

ELAGSE3W10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

 

ELAGSE3SL2 Determine the main ideas and supporting details of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.

 

ELAGSE3L1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

 

Arts Standards

Grade 2:

ESGM2.CR.2 Compose and arrange music within specified guidelines.

 

ESGM2.PR.2 Perform a varied repertoire of music on instruments, alone and with others.

 

ESGM2.RE.1 Listen to, analyze, and describe music.

 

ESGM2.CN.1 Connect music to the other fine arts and disciplines outside the arts.

 

Grade 3:

ESGM3.CR.2 Compose and arrange music within specified guidelines.

 

ESGM3.PR.2 Perform a varied repertoire of music on instruments, alone and with others.

 

ESGM3.RE.1 Listen to, analyze, and describe music.

 

ESGM3.CN.1 Connect music to the other fine arts and disciplines outside the arts.

 

 

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 2: 

ELA.2.OE.1 Read and write for a variety of purposes, including academic and personal, for extended periods of time. 

 

ELA.2.OE.4 Collaborate with others and use active listening skills. 

 

ELA.2.AOR.2.1 Identify and explain an explicit theme in a literary text. 

 

ELA.2.C.4.1 Write and expand grammatically correct sentences (e.g., simple, compound, declarative, imperative, interrogative, and exclamatory). 

 

Grade 3: 

ELA.3.OE.1 Read and write for a variety of purposes, including academic and personal, for extended periods of time. 

 

ELA.3.OE.4 Collaborate with others and use active listening skills. 

 

ELA.3.AOR.2.1 Identify and explain an explicit theme in a literary text and how it is developed by key details. 

 

ELA.3.C.4.1 Write and expand grammatically correct sentences (e.g., simple, compound, and complex) and paragraphs.

 

Arts Standards

Anchor Standard 1: I can arrange and compose music.

 

Anchor Standard 4: I can play instruments alone and with others.

 

Anchor Standard 6: I can analyze music.

Anchor Standard 9: I can relate music to other arts disciplines, other subjects, and career paths.

 

 

Key Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary

  • Adjective - Describes a noun

  • Noun - Person, place, or thing
  • Verb - Action word 

 

  • Gerund - Verb ending in –ing that acts as a noun

  • Diamante - Poem that looks like a diamond (derived from Italian word for diamond)
  • Synonym - A word that means the same thing as another word
  • Antonym - A word that means the opposite as another word

Arts Vocabulary

  • Body percussion - Sounds produced by striking or scraping parts of the body; typically includes snapping, clapping, patting, and stamping

  • Found sound - Sounds produced by non-traditional sound sources in the environment (e.g., scraping a ruler along a binder spine, tapping a pencil on a desk)
  • Timbre - Quality of sounds that causes different instruments and/or voices to sound different from each other
  • Rhythm - The pattern of sounds and silences over time, often created by the arrangement of beats, accents, and note durations
  • Melody - A sequence of musical notes that are perceived as a single, coherent entity; it is the part of the music that is most memorable and recognizable, often considered the "tune" of a piece
  • Form - The overall structure or organization of a piece
  • Timbre - The characteristic quality of a musical sound that distinguishes it from other sounds; the different sounds that different instruments make
  • Tempo - The speed at which a piece of music is played
  • Dynamics - The loudness or softness of sound
  • Program music - Compositions with extra-musical content intending to evoke a literary or pictorial association; particularly popular in the 19th century
  • Absolute music - Compositions with no intended literary, dramatic, or pictorial association

 

Materials

  • Paper and pencils
  • Tape
  • Sound source (computer and speakers) 
  • Audio recording (e.g., Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons”) 
  • Whiteboard/flipchart and markers 
  • Visual of diamante form 
  • Visual of diamante poem (“Seasons Change”) 
  • Optional: Template of Diamante Poem for students to use to write their own
  • Hand drum (or other sound source to make a drum beat)

 

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

Classroom Tips: Arrange student groups in the room so that they can move far enough apart during the creating process to enable careful listening and minimize distraction from other groups.

 

  • Review definitions of nouns, verbs, adjectives and gerunds.
    • Use a hand drum (or other sound source) to set a steady beat. Speaking rhythmically to the beat of the drum, ask students what each part of speech is and have them answer, speaking to the beat of the drum.
  • Ask students what kind of instrument you are using. Ask them if a drum is a noun, adjective or verb. 
  • Have students describe the sound and/or visual appearance of the hand drum; classify these words as adjectives. 
  • Have students describe how one might play the drum (strike, hit, thump); classify these words as verbs. 
  • Next, if appropriate to what students are learning in class, transform the verbs to gerunds (striking, hitting, thumping). 
  • Challenge students to think of an instrument that produces a much different sound from a hand drum (such as a cowbell) and repeat the process of identifying the noun, adjectives, verbs, and gerunds associated with that instrument. Students can do this independently or with a partner.

 

 

Work Session

    • Play a selected piece of music (recommended - Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons”). 
  • Teacher tip: Showing a YouTube video of an orchestral performance may be helpful so that students can see the instruments being played.
    • As students listen, ask them to describe the:
      • Melody (what happens to the melody throughout the performance?)
      • Timbre of the instruments (how do musical instruments sound different?),
      • Tempo (when does the music speed up? Slow down?)
      • Dynamics (when does the music get loud? Soft?) 
    • Throughout the listening exercise, ask students what season they think the music is communicating. Ask them what sounds made them think that.
  • Distribute paper and pencils to students. Play the selected piece of music again and have students write down words associated with the music. 
  • Ask students to work with a partner to see if they can circle the adjectives, put a box around the nouns, and underline the verbs. 
  • Next, using anchor chart paper (one for each part of speech), create a class list of adjectives, nouns, and verbs.
    • As students share, challenge them to use musical terminology when discussing why they chose certain words to describe what they heard. 
  • Pass out a sample diamante poem to partner groups. Have students circle the adjectives, put a box around the nouns, and underline the verbs. If students have learned about gerunds, have them put a squiggly line under the gerunds.
  • Then, project the diamante on the board and have students share responses.
  • Ask students to discuss with their partners what the topic/main idea of the poem is.
  • Discuss how (1) the poem is shaped like a diamond (hence the name diamante); (2) diamante poems can be about one topic or about opposites; (3) the number of words and parts of speech vary by line to create the diamond shape. (4) lines 1 and 7 are nouns that are either synonyms or antonyms. 
  • Have students work with their partners to create a diamante using the words they generated while listening to Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons”. Optional: Pass out Template of Diamante Poem to guide students in their writing.
    • Teacher tip: Depending on your students, it may be helpful to decide as a class what the nouns in lines 1 and 7 will be. Students can work with their partners to write lines 2-6.
  • After students have written their poems, have students experiment with various ways of performing student-created diamantes musically (individually or in small groups).
    • Some options include:
      • Create soundscape by using body percussion, found sound, unpitched percussion, etc. to accompany reading of diamante. 
      • Transfer the text of the diamante to body percussion. 
      • Transfer the text of the diamante to unpitched percussion instruments. 
      • Use different combinations of voices and/or instruments to perform the diamante (e.g., line 1 = solo; line 2 = duet; line 3 = trio; line 4 = quartet; line 5 = trio; line 6 = duet; line 7 = solo). 
      • Alter the tempo (fast/slow) and dynamics (loud/soft/crescendo/decrescendo) while reading the diamante.

 

Closing Reflection

  • Perform student-created diamantes with musical renderings. Discuss appropriate audience participation and etiquette prior to performances.
  • Discuss each performance discussing the parts of speech and the elements of music present.
  • Compare and contrast the diamantes and musical components. Discuss the similarities and differences in the diamantes and the musical components.

 

Assessments

Formative

Teachers will assess students’ understanding of the content throughout the lesson by observing students’ participation in the activator; ability to identify and generate nouns, verbs, and adjectives; ability to analyze music in terms of melody, timbre, tempo, and dynamics as discussed in class; and collaboration with group to create a diamante with musical accompaniment.

 

Summative

CHECKLIST

  • Students can write diamante using appropriate form and parts of speech. 
  • Students can create and perform effective musical rendering of their diamante.

DIFFERENTIATION 

Acceleration: 

  • Have students experiment with other forms of poetry (e.g., acrostic poems, shape poems, cinquain poems) adding musical components. 
  • Write diamantes about other topics (e.g., shapes for visual art and math; habitats for science). 
  • Have students add a visual art component to illustrate their poem. Encourage them to think about their use of color in their artwork.
  • Compare and contrast student writing and musical renderings. 

Remediation: 

  • Scaffold the lesson by leading the class to create a collaborative diamante and perform it with body percussion. Then, have students work in groups to create their own.
  • Rather than having students write their own diamante, pass out different diamantes to the class. Have partners identify the parts of speech and the topic/main idea and then perform their assigned poem with musical accompaniment.

 

 

*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: Maribeth Yoder-White. Updated by: Katy Betts.

Revised and copyright: September 2024 @ ArtsNOW

 

 

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Visualizing Vocabulary 2-3

VISUALIZING VOCABULARY

VISUALIZING VOCABULARY

Learning Description

Students will learn basic vocabulary words (based on the discipline or main objective of the classroom lesson) and visually incorporate the word and definition into the actual meaning. This art becomes a visual learning hallway for the student body to utilize.

 

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 creatively use images in artwork to demonstrate my understanding of vocabulary words.

  • I can use color and shape to create emphasis in my art.

Essential Questions

  • How can visual art promote understanding and comprehension of vocabulary words?

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 2: 

ELAGSE2L4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 2 reading and content, choosing flexibly from an array of strategies. 

  1. Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase. b. Determine the meaning of the new word formed when a known prefix is added to a known word (e.g., happy/unhappy, tell/retell). c. Use a known root word as a clue to the meaning of an unknown word with the same root (e.g., addition, additional). d. Use knowledge of the meaning of individual words to predict the meaning of compound words (e.g., birdhouse, lighthouse, housefly; bookshelf, notebook, bookmark). e. Use glossaries and beginning dictionaries, both print and digital, to determine or clarify the meaning of words and phrases.

 

Grade 3: 

ELAGSE3L4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning word and phrases based on grade 3 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. a. Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase. b. Determine the meaning of the new word formed when a known affix is added to a known word (e.g., agreeable/disagreeable, comfortable/uncomfortable, care/careless, heat/preheat). c. Use a known root word as a clue to the meaning of an unknown word with the same root (e.g., company, companion). d. Use glossaries or beginning dictionaries, both print and digital, to determine or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases.

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.CR.3 Understand and apply media, techniques, and processes of two-dimensional art.

VA2.CN.2 Integrate information from other disciplines to enhance the understanding and production of works of art. 

 

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.CR.3 Understand and apply media, techniques, and processes of two-dimensional art.

VA3.CN.2 Integrate information from other disciplines to enhance the understanding and production of works of art.

 

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 2: 

ELA.2.AOR.7.1 Determine the meaning of known and unknown words and phrases, choosing from an array of strategies: a. use sentence-level context clues (e.g., definitions, examples) to determine the meaning of a word or phrase; b. use reference materials to build and integrate background knowledge; c. use glossaries and dictionaries to determine the meaning of words and phrases; and d. use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading, and responding to texts.

 

Grade 3:

ELA.3.AOR.7.1 Determine or clarify the meaning of known and unknown words and phrases, choosing from an array of strategies: a. use sentence-level context clues (e.g., definitions, examples) to determine the meaning of a word or phrase; b. consult print and digital reference materials to build and integrate background knowledge; and c. consult print and digital reference materials to find the pronunciation, part of speech, and to determine or clarify the precise meaning of words and phrases.

 

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

Specific content vocabulary will be unique to the unit being studied.

Arts Vocabulary

  • 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. 
  • Line - An element of art (or math) that defines space, contours and outline.
  • Shape - A two dimensional enclosed space that is defined as 2 lines meet.
  • Color - An art element with 3 properties: hue, value and intensity, a response to reflected light. There are several color theories, such as primary, secondary, neutral, tertiary, complementary, analogous, monochromatic, etc.
  • Contrast - Placing two things side by side that are visually different

 

  • Emphasis - The area of an artwork that draws the viewer’s eye

  • Negative space - The background of an artwork, empty space, or space around the subject matter
  • Composition - How an artist arranges the elements of art in an artwork

 

Materials

  • Visualizing Vocabulary graphic organizer
  • 12” x 18” white mixed media paper
  • Pencils with erasers
  • Markers, crayons, colored pencils 
  • Collage materials
  • Glue (if using collage)
  • Sponges for glue (if using collage) 
  • Paint
  • Paintbrushes (if using paint)
  • Water cups (if using paint)

 

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

  • Show students an artwork by the artist Roy Lichtenstein.
  • Ask students to make observations about the colors and shapes that they see in the image. 
  • Next, ask students what the word means. Do students see any connection between the background and the word? If so, what?
  • Help students make the connection between the meaning of the word and visuals that Lichtenstein used.
  • Tell students that in the lesson today, students will be visualizing vocabulary words from their lesson through artwork.

 

Work Session

  • Introduce the lesson by reviewing vocabulary words from the unit of study. 
  • Pass out the Visualizing Vocabulary graphic organizer. Assign a word to each student and have them find the definition and use it in a sentence. 
  • 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. 
  • Ask students how they could represent the meaning of the word symbolically, or using images. Students will brainstorm creative ways to visually show what their word is. Have them draw in the third column of their graphic organizer.
  • Tell students that now they will make an artwork to show the definition of their vocabulary word. 
  • Refer back to the artwork by Lichtenstein. Ask students to observe how and where Lichtenstein drew the word “Pop”. Students may observe that he drew it large, the letters make shapes rather than just lines, and that he placed the word in the center of the artwork.
  • Have students draw their word with a pencil on their paper. Encourage them to write big and fill the space on their paper. 
  • Next, students will fill in the negative space, or “empty space”, around their word with images that represent the meaning of the word. They can draw, collage, paint, or use a combination, depending on what the teacher chooses. Encourage students to completely fill in the negative space of their artwork.
  • Refer back to the artwork by Lichtenstein. Ask students to make observations about how the artist used color to make the word stand out.
    • Students may notice that the word “Pop” is much brighter than the other colors in the artwork, that he used a different color from the background, and that the letters are outlined in black. 
    • The way an artist arranges the elements like lines, shapes and colors in an artwork is called composition.
    • Tell students that by using a color for their word that is different from the background images, it will create contrast and make the word stand out. Tell students that this is called emphasis in art.
  • Now, have students go over their word with markers creating emphasis.

Closing Reflection

  • Hang the artwork in the hallway or around the classroom. Conduct a gallery walk so that students can observe how their classmates interpreted their vocabulary words.
  • Facilitate a discussion around how students used images to represent meaning.

 

Assessments

Formative

Teachers will assess students’ understanding of the content throughout the lesson by observing students’ participation in the activator, completion of graphic organizers, brainstorming of ways to show a word visually, and artistic process as they create their artwork.

 

Summative

CHECKLIST

  • Students can creatively use images in artwork to demonstrate their understanding of an assigned vocabulary word.
  • Students can use color and shape to create emphasis in art.

 

 

DIFFERENTIATION 

Acceleration: Have students create two artworks using this process that show the meaning of antonyms. Display the artworks side by side.

Remediation: Allow students to work with a partner. Partners will have the same vocabulary word and will complete their graphic organizers together. Students will then create their own individual artworks.

 

 

*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 and Katy Betts.

Revised and copyright:  July 2024 @ ArtsNOW

 

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MOVEMENT AND MEASUREMENT 2-3

MOVEMENT AND MEASUREMENT

MOVEMENT AND MEASUREMENT

Learning Description

In this math and dance lesson, students will compare tall and short height through dance levels. With partners, they will participate in a mirror dance demonstrating their understanding of levels and measurements.

 

Learning Targets

GRADE BAND: 2-3
CONTENT FOCUS: DANCE & MATH
LESSON DOWNLOADS:

Download PDF of this Lesson

"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

  • I can use levels to compare movements that are taller and shorter.

  • I can use my body to demonstrate changes in levels and size.

  • I can use instruments of measurement, such as a ruler or meter stick, to test my conclusions.

  • Grade 3: I can choreograph a dance and organize the data into a line plot.

Essential Questions

  • How can dancers use levels to compare movements that are taller and shorter?

  • How can you use your body to demonstrate changes in levels and size? 

  • What instruments can we use to determine height?

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 2

2.MDR.5: Estimate and measure the lengths of objects and distance to solve problems found in real-life using standard units of measurement, including inches, feet, and yards.

 

2.MDR.5.2 Estimate and measure the length of an object or distance to the nearest whole unit using appropriate units and standard measuring tools.

 

2.MDR.5.3 Measure to determine how much longer one object is than another and express the length difference in terms of a standard-length unit.

Arts Standards

Grade 2

​​ESD2.PR.1 Identify and demonstrate movement elements, skills, and terminology in dance. a. Apply dance terminology to describe and create movement (e.g. levels, pathways, directions, speed, rhythm, energy, qualities, shapes).

 

ESD2.CN.3 Identify connections between dance and other areas of knowledge.

 

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 2

2.MDA.3 Estimate and measure length/distance in customary units (i.e., inch, foot, yard) and metric units (i.e., centimeter, meter). 

 

2.MDA.4 Measure to determine how much longer one object is than another, using standard length units.

 

Grade 3

3.MDA.4 Generate data by measuring length to the nearest inch, half-inch and quarter-inch and organize the data in a line plot using a horizontal scale marked off in appropriate units.

Arts Standards

Anchor Standard 1: I can use movement exploration to discover and create artistic ideas and works.

 

Anchor Standard 2: I can choreograph a dance.

 

Anchor Standard 3: I can perform movements using the dance elements.

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

 

Key Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary

  • Measurement - The size, amount, degree, or capacity of something; it is typically determined by using an instrument or device marked in standard units

  • Inches - A unit of length in the United States customary systems of measurement; twelve inches make a foot

  • Foot - A unit of length in the United States customary systems of measurement

  • Meter - The base unit of length in the International System of Units (SI)

  • Meter stick - A tool that measures meters
  • Ruler - A tool that measures inches

Arts Vocabulary

  • Movement - The various actions performed by the body to create and express motion, rhythm, and emotion

  • Mirror dance - A type of dance exercise or performance in which two dancers face each other and perform movements that mirror each other's actions, as if one dancer is the reflection of the other in a mirror

  • Shape - The positioning and form of the dancer's body

  • Levels - The use of different heights or vertical spaces through which dancers move and position their bodies (high, middle, low)

  • Choreography - The art of designing and arranging movements to create a structured and cohesive performance

 

Materials

  • Photos of dancers demonstrating different levels
  • Drum or music
  • Meter stick
  • Ruler

 

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

Show students several photographs of dancers in various positions that show different heights. Ask students to compare the height of the different positions. Tell students that the height of a dancer’s movement is called a level (high, middle, low).

 

Work Session

    • Lead exploration of taller and shorter shapes and movements with “Move and Freeze”. 
    • Teacher will need a drum or music for accompaniment.  
      • Tell students that they are going to dance “Move and Freeze”. This means that when they hear the drum or music, they move, and when it stops, they freeze in a shape, like a statue. 
      • Remind students to make sure that they have a “space bubble” around them so that they don’t bump or touch anyone. 
      • Tell students that they will dance in “self-space”, which means that they will stay in one spot. 
      • Begin the exercise. When the teacher stops the drum or music, tell students to freeze in a shape at a high level. Then, to stretch their shape taller, and freeze again, then stretch taller, and then freeze again. Do the same with low levels to make a shape shorter. 
    • Reflect by asking students whether they were able to make their high level shapes taller and their low level shapes shorter. How do they know? 
    • Next, tell students that they will be creating a mirror dance with a partner to explore tall and short shapes and movements. 
      • Ask students to find a partner. One will start as the leader and one as the follower. 
      • Students will face each other; as the leader moves, the follower will mirror the leader’s movements.
      • Verbally cue leaders as they demonstrate tall and short movements for their partner to mirror. 
        • Tell leaders to start by making tall movements with high levels; then, to freeze in a tall shape. 
        • Tell leaders to use even taller movements; then, to freeze in a shape. 
        • Tell leaders to use shorter movements with a low level. Then, to freeze in a short shape. 
        • Tell leaders to use even shorter movements and freeze in a shape. 
        • Once students understand the concept, allow them to choreograph their own movements.
      • Allow the followers to participate in the leader role and the leaders to participate in the follower role.
      • Facilitate pair-share reflection.
        • Tell students to respond to the following questions: 
          • What types of movements and levels did you pick when you were the leader? Tall, short?
          • Partners, how did you know that was true (that they were tall or short)?
    • Tell students that “Dancing Mathematicians” wonder why things are true, so they will test their conclusions.
      • Review units of measurement with students: Inches, feet and meters.  
      • Review how to use a measuring device such as a meter stick and/or ruler.
      • Ask for two student volunteers. Volunteer 1 will make a short shape at a low level. Volunteer 2 will make a tall shape at a high level. 
      • The class should state which is taller and which is shorter. Ask students what instrument they could use to determine the difference between the heights and determine if their conclusions were correct.
      • Ask a third volunteer to measure the difference between the heights. Discuss findings as a class.

     

    Grade 3 extension: 

    • Tell students that they will be choreographing a dance using high, middle, and low levels. 
      • They can choose the movements and body shapes they would like to use in each level. 
      • They should have at least eight movements in their choreography and should have movements in each level. 
      • They can repeat levels, movements, and shapes however they would like.
    • After they have choreographed their dance, students should interpret their choreography into data and organize their data into a line plot.
    • Students will perform choreographed dances for the class and share their line plots.

    Closing Reflection

    • Ask students to explain how they used levels to make shapes and movements that were taller and shorter in height.
    • Ask students to explain how they determined which movements were taller and which were shorter. 
    • Ask students to explain how these strategies can help them estimate measurement in other scenarios.

     

    Assessments

    Formative

    Teachers will assess students’ understanding by observing students’ discussion of levels in dance photography, participation in “Move and Freeze”, and their participation in the mirror dance and choreography.

     

    Summative

    CHECKLIST

    • Students can use levels to compare movements that are taller and shorter.
    • Students can use their bodies to demonstrate changes in levels and size.
    • Students can use instruments of measurement, such as a ruler or meter stick, to test their conclusions.

          Grade 3 extension: 

    • Students can choreograph a dance with eight movements that show low, middle, and high levels.
    • Students can interpret choreography as data and organize data into a line plot.

     

    DIFFERENTIATION 

    Accelerated: 

    • Students can compare objects in the room by length (long/short) and create choreography with long and short locomotor movements (any movement that travels through space from one location to another).
    • Students can estimate the height of their movements and check them with a ruler or meter stick.
    • Students can choreograph a dance that uses low, middle, and high levels. 

    Remedial: 

    • For students who struggle with understanding space, this activity can be done outside to allow more space. 
    • Physically adapt this lesson so that students use only upper or lower body movement.

    *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: Jessica Wurst

    Revised and copyright:  May 2024 @ ArtsNOW

     

    Back to Modules

    DOL EMPATHY IN ART 2-3

    EMPATHY IN ART

    EMPATHY IN ART

    Learning Description

    In this lesson, students will be exposed to the work of three artists: Margaret Keane, Norman Rockwell and Fabio Napoleoni. Students will use artworks by these artists to practice using empathy.

     

    Learning Targets

    GRADE BAND: 2-3
    CONTENT FOCUS: VISUAL ARTS & SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING
    LESSON DOWNLOADS:

    Download PDF of this Lesson

    "I Can" Statements

    “I Can…”

    • I can express the meaning of empathy and can empathize with others.

    • I can identify the emotions portrayed in an artwork and use clues from the artwork to justify my answers.

    Essential Questions

    • What does empathy mean?

    • How do artists express emotions in their work?

     

    Georgia Standards

    Curriculum Standards

    ASCA: Behavior Standards

    School counselors provide culturally sustaining instruction, appraisal and advisement, and counseling to help all students demonstrate: Social Skills.

    B-SS 4. Empathy

    B-SS 6. Effective collaboration and cooperation skills

    Arts Standards

    Grade 2

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

     

    VA2.CN.2 Integrate information from other disciplines to engage in the understanding and production of works of art. a. Explore universal concepts (e.g. self, family, community, world) inspired by other subject areas.

     

    Grade 3

    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.

     

    VA3.CN.2 Integrate information from other disciplines to enhance the understanding and production of works of art. a. Apply art skills and knowledge to improve understanding in other disciplines. 

     

    VA3.CN.3 Develop life skills through the study and production of art (e.g. collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, communication).

     

    South Carolina Standards

    Curriculum Standards

    ASCA: Behavior Standards

    School counselors provide culturally sustaining instruction, appraisal and advisement, and counseling to help all students demonstrate: Social Skills.

    B-SS 4. Empathy

    B-SS 6. Effective collaboration and cooperation skills

    Arts Standards

    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

    • Empathy - The ability to understand and share the feelings of another person

    • Perspective - The lens through which individuals interpret information, experiences, and interactions
    • Emotion - A combination of feelings, bodily responses, and behaviors that occur in response to situations or events

    Arts Vocabulary

    • Painting - A two-dimensional artwork made using wet media such as tempera, oil, or watercolor

    • Color - One of the seven Elements of Art; reflected or absorbed light; color can be used to express emotion or mood in an artwork
    • Value - One of the seven Elements of Art; the lightness or darkness of something; artists can use value to create mood

     

    Materials

     

    Instructional Design

    Opening/Activating Strategy

    • Project an image of the artwork Girl at a Mirror by Norman Rockwell. 
    • Ask students to “step inside” the image.
      • Ask students to consider what the girl might be thinking about? Feeling? Why is she looking at herself in the mirror?
      • Have students share their thoughts with a partner.
      • Facilitate a class discussion around student responses. Emphasize that students can have different interpretations because of their individual perspectives and that no perspective is “wrong”. 
    • Discuss the concept of empathy and perspective with students.

     

    Work Session

    • Introduce students to the three artists they will be looking at: Margaret Keane, Norman Rockwell and Fabio Napoleoni.
    • Show students images of these artists' paintings through the presentation.
    • Break students into small groups. Ask each group to select one of the artworks from the presentation.
      • Ask students to consider what the character in the image might be thinking about? Feeling? What in the image tells them that?
        • Ask students to pay attention to physical elements in the paintings, the facial expressions of the characters, the colors and the value the artists use. 
      • Allow students to present their analysis to the class. 
    • Students should select one artwork to analyze individually. Students will create a description of their selected painting, reflecting on who the character is and what their life might be like using the Step In. Step Out. Step Back. graphic organizer. Project page two of the graphic organizer while students complete page one.

    Remind students to pay attention to physical elements in the paintings, the facial expressions of the characters, the colors and the value the artists use.

     

    Closing Reflection

    • Allow students to share their analysis in small groups providing visual evidence from the painting for their analysis.
    • Facilitate a class discussion about how students can use the same skills that they practiced to analyze art to empathize with others.

     

    Assessments

    Formative

    Teachers will assess student understanding of empathy by observing students’ answers during class and small group discussion and students’ individual artwork analysis.

     

    Summative

    CHECKLIST

    • Students can express the meaning of empathy and can empathize with others.
    • Students can identify the emotions portrayed in an artwork and use clues from the artwork to justify their answers.

     

    DIFFERENTIATION 

    Accelerated: Students can expand their graphic organizer into a journal entry from the perspective of the character in their painting.

    Remedial: Allow students to complete the analysis and graphic organizer with a partner.

     

     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: Shiela Garth

    Revised and copyright:  May 2024 @ ArtsNOW

     

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    EXPLORING LIFE SCIENCE THROUGH SHADOW PUPPETS 2-3

    EXPLORING LIFE SCIENCE THROUGH SHADOW PUPPETS

    EXPLORING LIFE SCIENCE THROUGH SHADOW PUPPETS

    Learning Description

    In this lesson, students will use the design process to plan, experiment, refine, and create shadow puppets that illustrate a life science concept. The lesson will conclude with a shadow puppet performance that showcases their concept.

     

    Learning Targets

    GRADE BAND: 2-3
    CONTENT FOCUS: VISUAL ARTS & SCIENCE
    LESSON DOWNLOADS:

    Download PDF of this Lesson

    "I Can" Statements

    “I Can…”

    • I can demonstrate a life science concept I am learning about through puppetry

    • I can create a shadow puppet using the materials and design I planned.

    Essential Questions

    • How can shadow puppetry be used to demonstrate concepts in life science?

     

    Georgia Standards

    Curriculum Standards

    Grade 2

    S2L1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the life cycles of different living organisms. 

     

    Grade 3

    S3L1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the similarities and differences between plants, animals, and habitats found within geographic regions (Blue Ridge Mountains, Piedmont, Coastal Plains, Valley and Ridge, and Appalachian Plateau) of Georgia.

     

    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.3 Understand and apply media, techniques, processes, and concepts of two dimensional art. 

     

    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.3 Understand and apply media, techniques, processes, and concepts of two dimensional art.

     

     

    South Carolina Standards

    Curriculum Standards

    Grade 2

    2-LS2-1. Plan and conduct an investigation to determine what plants need to grow.

     

    2-LS2-2. Develop a simple model that mimics the function of an animal in dispersing seeds or pollinating plants.

     

    Grade 3

    3-LS1-1. Develop and use models to describe how organisms change in predictable patterns during their unique and diverse life cycles.

     

    3-LS4-3. Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can thrive, struggle to survive, or fail to survive.

     

    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

    • Shadow - A dark area that forms when an object blocks light

    • Light - A form of energy that travels in waves and can be seen by our eyes
    • Design process - A process of revising work
    • Life cycles - The series of stages that an organism goes through during its lifetime, from birth or germination to death or decay
    • Habitats - Specific places where organisms live and find the resources they need to survive, such as food, water, shelter, and space
    • Pollination - The process by which pollen is transferred from the male part (anther) of a flower to the female part (stigma) of the same or another flower

    Arts Vocabulary

    • Shadow puppet - A shadow puppet is a form of storytelling where cut-out figures are manipulated behind a screen to create shadowy images visible to the audience

    • Shape - One of the seven Elements of Art; a two-dimensional figure

     

    • Silhouette - The outline or shape of an object or person that appears dark against a lighter background

    • Contrast - One of the Principles of Design; the difference between two visual elements put side by side

     

    Materials

    • Overhead projector or flashlight
    • White sheets or large sheet of white paper
    • Cardstock or stiff paper
    • Scissors
    • Tape or glue
    • Variety of translucent, transparent, and opaque materials (e.g., tissue paper, cellophane, cardboard, plastic sheets)
    • Brads
    • Hole punch or awl
    • Bamboo skewers/popsicle sticks
    • Masking tape

     

    Instructional Design

    Opening/Activating Strategy

    • Introduce the concept of shadow puppetry and its history by watching a short video or demonstration of shadow puppet storytelling (Video: Introduction to Shadow Puppetry; Video: The Three Little Pigs).
    • Ask students to make observations on how the puppets looked and how that differs from other puppets they may have seen.
      • Discuss silhouettes and contrast.

     

     

    Work Session

    • Tell students that they will be creating shadow puppets that demonstrate one of the life science concepts they are learning about, such as life cycles.
    • Introduce the design process by showing students the image below.
      • Explain to students that artists use this process to revise and improve their artwork; students will use this process in planning, designing and creating their puppets.
      • Divide students into small groups. Assign each group a life science concept.
      • Remind students that in a shadow puppet performance, there are characters that tell a story. Ask students to identify who the “characters” will be in their life science concept. 
      • Allow students time to brainstorm and sketch out their plans for their shadow puppet characters. Circulate and assist students with their designs.
      • Introduce the materials students will use to create shadow puppets (cardstock, scissors, tape, brads, colored theater gels, bamboo skewers) and demonstrate how to use them safely to create their shadow puppets. 
      • As students begin creating their puppets, remind them of the design process. They may need to revise their designs as they translate their sketch to their puppet.
    • After creating their shadow puppets, students will collaborate with their groups to plan their performances.
      • Remind students that in a shadow puppet performance, there will be a beginning, middle, and an end. Ask students to consider what the beginning, middle, and end should be in their life science concept.
    • Provide time for groups to practice and refine their performances before presenting to the class.

     

    Closing Reflection

    • Groups will present their shadow puppets to the class. Model how to celebrate students' creativity and teamwork in presenting.
    • Facilitate a discussion that focuses on how students demonstrated the life science concept through their shadow puppet performance.
    • At the end of the lesson, have students complete a 3-2-1 ticket out the door–three things they learned, two things they found interesting, and one question that they have. Provide time for students to share with a partner, small group, or the class.

     

    Assessments

    Formative

    Teacher will assess student learning by:

    • Observing students' engagement and participation in the activator.
    • Checking students’ understanding of life science concepts through questioning and discussions.
    • Providing feedback on students' initial puppet designs to guide them in the revision process.
    • Reviewing students’ 3-2-1 tickets out the door.

     

     

    Summative

    CHECKLIST: 

    • Students can demonstrate a concept in life science through a shadow puppet performance.
    • Students can use creativity to design and create shadow puppets that demonstrate a concept in life science.

    DIFFERENTIATION 

    Accelerated: 

    • Students can create a backdrop for their shadow puppet show to enhance their storytelling. 
    • Allow students to explore the history and significance of shadow puppetry in different cultures around the world.
    • Students can write a sequence of events to explain/narrate their performances.

    Remedial: 

    • Provide students with pre-cut materials for students to assemble to create their shadow puppets. 
    • Provide a sequencing guide or graphic organizer for students to plan their performances. 

     

     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: Shannon Green. Updated by Katy Betts.

    Revised and copyright:  July 2024 @ ArtsNOW

     

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