Getting To Know Your Fossils 2-3

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR FOSSILS

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR FOSSILS

Learning Description

Explore the world of fossils by bringing them to life through stories. Students will jump from a picture of a fossil into becoming the fossil itself. They will use scientific observation and imagination to create the life and past of their fossil through monologue. Students will share their monologues using voice, body, mind and heart bringing scientific content to life in new and exciting ways.

 

Learning Targets

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

Download PDF of this Lesson

"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

  • I can write and perform a monologue as a prehistoric animal using my voice and body to embody the animal.
  • I can make observations and draw logical conclusions about the animal from which my fossil was formed.

Essential Questions

  • How can theatre techniques help us understand the origins of fossils?
  • How can studying fossils help us understand prehistoric animals?

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 3: 

S3E2. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information on how fossils provide evidence of past organisms.

  1. Construct an argument from observations of fossils (authentic or reproductions) to communicate how they serve as evidence of past organisms and the environments in which they lived.

Arts Standards

Grade 3:

TA3.CR.1 Organize, design, and refine theatrical work.

TA3.CR.2 Develop scripts through theatrical techniques.

TA3.PR.1 Act by communicating and sustaining roles in formal and informal environments.

 

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 3:

3-LS4-1. Analyze and interpret data from fossils to provide evidence of organisms and the environments in which they lived long ago.

Arts Standards

Anchor Standard 1: I can create scenes and write scripts using story elements and structure.

Anchor Standard 3: I can act in improvised scenes and written scripts.

Anchor Standard 8: I can relate theatre to other content areas, arts disciplines, and careers.

 

Key Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary

  • Organism - A living thing
  • Extinct - A group of living things that no longer living
  • Preserved - To maintain something in its original or existing state
  • Fossil - The preserved remains of a plant or animal that lived long ago
  • Paleontologist - A scientist who studies fossils and organisms that lived long ago
  • Sedimentary rocks - Rocks that form close to surface in layers in which most fossils are found
  • Minerals - Material that replaces the remains of animals/ plants, forming a fossil of the hard skeletal body parts
  • Imprint fossils - Formed when an animal's tracks or a decayed plant leaves an impression in clay and silt sediment
  • Cast fossils - Formed when a mold is filled with minerals, sand, or mud which hardens to the shape of the empty mold. It looks exactly like the actual organism
  • Mold fossils - Formed when an organism is buried in mud which hardens to rock; when the organism decays, it leaves its empty shape in the rock
  • Petrified wood - Fossils formed when minerals take the place of rotting wood, creating a rock form of the tree
  • Amber fossils - Formed when small animals, such as insects, are trapped in hardened tree sap

Arts Vocabulary

  • Theater - Dramatic literature or its performance; drama
  • Character - A person, an animal or other figure assuming human qualities, in a story
  • Voice – An actor’s tool, which we shape and change to portray the way a character speaks or sounds
  • Body – An actor’s tool, which we shape and change to portray the way a character looks, walks, or moves
  • Monologue - A speech by a single character in a play, film, or other dramatic work; often used to give the audience deeper insight into the character's motivations and feelings

 

Materials

  • One picture of an animal fossil per student

 

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

  • Start with a general physical warm-up to get the students' bodies ready. Use exercises such as:
    • Stretching: Stretch all major muscle groups.
    • Shaking Out Limbs: Shake out arms, legs, and the whole body to release tension.
    • Energy Passes: Stand in a circle and pass a clap or a simple motion around to build group focus and energy.
  • Explain that students will explore different characters by changing their walk and physicality. Use simple prompts to get students thinking about different ways to move. Call out various types of characters and ask students to walk around the room embodying those characters. Examples include:
    • A hungry T-Rex
    • A butterfly fluttering from flower to flower
    • A squirrel gathering acorns for winter
  • Have students return to their seats.

 

Work Session

  • Ask students what comes to mind when they hear the word “paleontologist”?
    • Tell students that a paleontologist is a scientist who studies fossils and organisms that lived long ago.
  • Ask students what fossils are.
    • When most people think of fossils, they think of dinosaurs. It is true that we would not know about the past existence of dinosaurs if it were not for fossils.
    • A fossil is any remnant of a plant or animal that has been preserved in the earth’s crust from a past geologic or prehistoric time.
    • This evidence of past life is most commonly found as bones or teeth, but can also be imprints such as footprints.
    • There are all kinds of fossils of many different plants and animals. Any living thing could potentially one day become a fossil.
    • Fossils may look the same as when the plant or animal was alive but it has changed to stone.
  • Ask students if they know how fossils are made.
    • Fossils are made by replacing the original material with minerals. They are not bones.
    • For a fossil to be formed it must first be covered in sediment.
  • Ask students if they know how old fossils are.
    • The usual time frame for fossilization is anywhere from 10,000 years to 500,000, 000 years. However, some mammoth remains have been found that were only 3,000 years old (they were not completely fossilized).
  • Ask students if they know where fossils can be found.
    • Fossils can be found anywhere, including high on mountains, underwater, in the desert, on the beaches or deep underground. Fossils can be found hidden in rocks.
    • They often become exposed during mining or the construction of roads.
    • Most fossils are found in sedimentary rock.
  • Share other information about fossils with students:
    • Scientists have learned through studying fossils that one of the most common plants on earth were ferns.
    • There are more animal fossils than plant fossils because plants have softer body parts than animals. We can’t tell what many plants looked like because they rotted away before they could be fossilized.
  • Ask students why they think studying fossils could be useful and what paleontologists could learn from studying fossils.
    • Paleontologists can learn many details about extinct organisms by examining fossils, including: What food the animal ate, how long ago the animal was alive, sometimes if it was male or female, the size of the animal, if it walked on two or four legs or had any legs at all, etc. For example, if a fossil has sharp teeth, scientists can infer that the animal ate meat.

 

FOSSILS IN ACTION  

  • Tell students that today, they will be paleontologists. Pass out photo pages of fossils. Have students write their name on the top right hand corner of the visual.
  • Ask students to closely observe the fossil pictured as a paleontologist. Ask students what type of fossil is pictured.
  • Ask students to sit or stand like they imagine the animal would have sat or stood, make the sound of the animal, and then make sounds that existed in this animal's habitat.
  • Ask students to become the animal that this fossil was from and walk or move like the animal. Ask students to eat like the animal.
  • Now, using a voice different from their own, ask students to share what they had for breakfast in the animal’s voice. Students can do this simultaneously by sharing with a partner.
  • Have students sit down as their animals.
  • Ask students to list the following on the left hand side of the photo:
    • What type of animal are you?
    • What do you eat?
    • Where did you live? (water, land,etc.)
    • When were you alive?
    • What is your animal’s name? Age? What did you, as your animal, like best about living when you did?
    • How did you die?

 

PREHISTORIC FOSSILS TALK IT UP

  • Ask students if anyone knows what the word “monologue” means?
  • Tell students that a monologue is a long uninterrupted speech by one actor. It tells about their life, feelings and helps the audience get to know the character.
    • Show students a clip of a monologue or have students read a monologue from a play or other work. Example: The Lion King (1994) - Simba’s Monologue:
      • Context: Simba has grown up away from his kingdom but is reminded of his responsibility and legacy by Rafiki and Mufasa’s spirit.
      • Monologue: "I know what I have to do. But going back means I’ll have to face my past. I’ve been running from it for so long. It’s just, my father’s death is so hard to talk about. I thought I couldn’t live up to his expectations. But now I understand. The past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it. I’m ready to take my place in the circle of life."
  • Hand out lined paper or index cards and ask students to help us get to know their animals through writing a monologue in first person that introduces themselves as the animal and includes the information they recorded on their fossil sheet from “Fossils in Action”.
  • Play music to set the mood while students write their monologues.
  • When they are finished, ask students to sit like their animal and read their monologue out loud, to their partner, simultaneously. Remind students to embody their animals through their voices and bodies.
  • Next, ask for several students to volunteer to share their monologues with the class. Students should walk to the front of the class as that animal would walk/move.  The student will introduce themselves with their chosen name, then read their monologue aloud using their animal’s voice.
  • If time permits, open the floor up for questions so that the other students can interview the animal. Let the class know that they can help the character answer questions that they might know answers to.

 

Closing Reflection

  • Close the lesson with a 3-2-1 ticket out the door. Ask students to write down three things they learned, two things they found interesting about embodying a prehistoric animal, and one question they have.
  • Students should share their ticket out the door with their partner.

 

Assessments

Formative

Teachers will assess students’ understanding of the content throughout the lesson by observing students’ participation in the activator, discussion of fossils, observations and inferences about fossil visuals, and conferencing with students during the writing process.

 

Summative

CHECKLIST

  • Students can write and perform a monologue as a prehistoric animal using their voices and bodies to embody the animal.
  • Students can make observations and draw logical conclusions about the animal from which their fossils were formed.

 

DIFFERENTIATION 

Acceleration: 

  • Students can write a scene between two prehistoric animals that includes dialogue in which the animals introduce themselves and tell their stories to each other.
  • Students can write a scene or a narrative that establishes a prehistoric setting for their animal, characters, a conflict (such as extinction) and resolution.

Remediation: 

  • Allow students to work with a partner to study their fossils and write their monologues.
  • Provide sentence starters and/or graphic organizers to help students structure their writing.
  • Provide guiding questions, such as does the animal have feet or claws? If yes, it was most likely a land animal. If not, it was most likely a water animal. Does the animal have sharp teeth? If yes, it was most likely a carnivore. If not, it was most likely an herbivore.

*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: Susie Spear Purcell. Updated by Katy Betts.

Revised and copyright: July 2024 @ ArtsNOW

 

Back to Modules

Guess What 2-3

GUESS WHAT

GUESS WHAT

Learning Description

Students will explore the life cycle of plants and animals by assuming the roles of various plants and animals in the cycle. Students will use tableau to dramatize their place in the life cycle. After the students share their tableaus, they will write a monologue from the point of view of their plant/animal.

 

Learning Targets

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

Download PDF of this Lesson

"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

  • I can use tableau to explore the life cycle of an animal or plant.
  • I can demonstrate the life cycle of animals or plants through tableau.

Essential Questions

  • How can tableau be used to explore the life cycle of an animal or plant?
  • How can I demonstrate the life cycle of animals or plants through tableau?

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 2:

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

 

Arts Standards

Grade 2

TA2.CR.1 Organize, design, and refine theatrical work. a. Use imagination to create characters. b. Contribute and collaborate in planning a theatre experience.

TA2.CR.2 Develop scripts through theatrical techniques.

TA2.PR.1 Act by communicating and sustaining roles in formal and informal environments.

 

 

 

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 3

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

 

Arts Standards

T.CR NL.1 I can identify basic story elements in simple stories, plays and scripts (e.g. plot, character, setting, theme, etc.).

T.CR NL.1.2 I can identify basic character qualities from a prompt.

T.P NL.3 I can use body and voice to communicate character traits and emotions in a guided drama experience.

T.P NL.3.3 I can participate collaboratively in guided drama experiences.

 

 

Key Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary

  • Life cycle - The sequential stages of the development and growth that an organism undergoes throughout its existence 
  • Sequence - A series of steps or events that follows a specific order
  • Mammal -  An animal that is warm-blooded, has hair or fur, and gives birth to live offspring 
  • Amphibian - A cold-blooded animal that can live both in and out of water. It usually starts as an egg in the water, hatches into a tadpole with a tail, and transforms into an adult with legs.
  • Insect - A class of invertebrate animals characterized by having a segmented body divided into three distinct regions: head, thorax, and abdomen 
  • Organisms - A living thing, such as a plant or animal
  • Plant - An organism that makes its own food using sunlight, a process called photosynthesis. It usually has roots, stems, and leaves.

Arts Vocabulary

  • Tableau - A form of visual representation and artistic expression where individuals or objects are carefully arranged and posed to convey a specific scene, narrative, or concept
  • Character - A fictional person or creature in a story that has their own personality, feelings, and actions
  • Monologue - An uninterrupted speech delivered by a single character. It is a dramatic form of expression where the character expresses their thoughts, emotions, or experiences to the audience.

 

Materials

    • Sticky notes
    • The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle or a similar book that identifies the stages of the life cycle of a plant or animal

     

     

    Instructional Design

    Opening/Activating Strategy

    • Read the book The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle or a similar book that demonstrates the stages of the life cycle of a plant or animal.
    • Ask students to identify the stages of the life cycle as you read the book. 
    • Ask students to think about what body positions and facial expressions they would use to represent different stages. Model what this would look like for the beginning of the life cycle. Ask students to take turns sharing their ideas throughout the reading of the book.

     

    Work Session

      • Show students an example of a tableau. Tell students that they will be creating a tableau in small groups that demonstrates the life cycle of a plant or animal.
      • Place students in small groups. Assign each group a life cycle of a plant or animal.
      • Working in their groups, students should create a tableau that represents the different stages of the life cycle of their assigned animal or plant.
      • Each member of the group should represent one stage so that all stages of the life cycle are represented. 
        • Explain that in the tableau, each student should create a character out of his or her assigned stage.
        • Encourage students to focus on the positioning of their body and their facial expression to demonstrate their stages.
      • Students will take turns presenting their tableaus without identifying their plant or animal to the audience. 
        • While each group is presenting, ask the students in the audience: 
          • Which animal or plant do they think their classmates are portraying?
          • How do the expressions and body language of the tableau support their conclusion? 
          • How did the animal or plant change from the beginning of the sequence to the end?
          • What happened between each stage?
          • What happens when the cycle gets to the end?

       

      Closing Reflection

      • Students should create a monologue taking on the point of view of their animal or plant in the stage of the cycle assigned to them. Allow students who wish to share, time to share.

      Assessments

      Formative

      Teacher will assess understanding through class discussion, group discussion, reflection questions, observation, class reflections/discussions, and tableaus.

       

       

      Summative

      CHECKLIST

      • Students can explain and identify a tableau.
      • Students can use their bodies and facial expressions to create a character that accurately represents the stage of their life cycle.
      • Students can correctly order themselves in the sequence of their life cycle.
      • Students can write a monologue from the point of view of their stage of the life cycle.

       

       

       

      Differentiation

       

      Acceleration:

      • Each student in the group will write the stage of their life cycle on a sticky note. They will then write a list of clues about their life cycle that when examined correctly should inform the reader about what life cycle is on the sticky note. 
      • The sticky note should be placed on the backs of students in a new group.
      • Students can ask the original group questions about their life cycle.
      • Once the students have an idea of which animal or plant and which stage in the life cycle, students should get in line where they think they will go in the life cycle.

      For example, the students with the life cycle of a butterfly should be in this order: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and butterfly. 

       

      Remediation: Pair students who represent the same stage of the same type of life cycle together to create a character that represents their stage of the life cycle.

       

       ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

      Resources/Other Sources

      *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: Author unknown. Updated by Ashley Bailey Katy Betts.

      Revised and copyright:  August 2024 @ ArtsNOW

       
      Back to Modules

      Heat Dance 2-3

      HEAT DANCE

      HEAT DANCE

      Learning Description

      In this lesson, students will choreograph and perform dances to demonstrate their understanding of the different ways that heat energy can be transferred. Students will be able to explain which changes can be reversed and which cannot and why.

       

      Learning Targets

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

      Download PDF of this Lesson

      "I Can" Statements

      “I Can…”

      • I can create choreography that demonstrates examples of heat transfer using the Elements of Dance.
      • I can explain the sources of heat energy.
      • I can explain why some changes caused by heat transfer can be reversed and why some cannot.

      Essential Questions

      • How can choreography be used to demonstrate heat transfer?
      • How is heat transferred?
      • Which changes due to heat transfer can be reversed and which cannot?

       

      Georgia Standards

      Curriculum Standards

      Grade 3:

      S3P1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the ways heat energy is transferred and measured.

      1. Ask questions to identify sources of heat energy. (Clarification statement: Examples could include sunlight, friction, and burning.)

      Arts Standards

      Grade 3:

      ESD3.CR.1 Demonstrate an understanding of the choreographic process.

       

      ESD3.CR.2 Demonstrate an understanding of dance as a form of communication.

       

      ESD3.PR.1 Identify and demonstrate movement elements, skills, and terminology in dance

       

      ESD3.RE.1 Demonstrate critical and creative thinking in dance.

       

      South Carolina Standards

      Curriculum Standards

      Grade 2:

      2-PS1-4. Construct an argument with evidence that some changes caused by heating or cooling can be reversed and some cannot.

      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

      • Heat transfer - The movement of thermal energy from one object or substance to another due to a temperature difference
      • Friction - A force that opposes the relative motion or tendency of such motion of two surfaces in contact
      • Burning - A chemical process that produces heat and light

      Arts Vocabulary

      • Energy/Force - Force propels or initiates movement, or causes changes in movement of body position
      • Space - An element of movement involving direction, level, size, focus, and pathway
      • Movement phrase - A series of movements linked together to make a distinctive pattern
      • Choreography - The art of composing dances and planning and arranging the movements, steps, and patterns of dancers
      • Choreographer - A person who creates dances
      • Elements of Dance - Body, action, space, time and energy

       

      Materials

      • Sound source and music with a steady beat
      • Anchor chart/poster paper
      • Markers

       

      Instructional Design

      Opening/Activating Strategy

      Classroom Tips: Set up chairs and tables in a circular format to maximize students’ engagement and ability to see their peers during the activity and performance. Also establish parameters for acceptable movement choices and discuss audience behavior/etiquette with students.

       

      • Begin with teacher-led mirror exercises to get students focused and warm-up for dance activities.
      • Explain to students that as you perform a movement, they should “mirror” the movement as though they were looking at their reflection in a mirror.
      • These exercises may lead into the “Name Game” or “Pass the Movement”. Or, move directly into the lesson teaching students about the Elements of Dance.
      • Name Game:
        • Have students stand in a circle.
        • Demonstrate the Name Game by stating your name while making a movement or gesture to accompany your name.
        • The circle then collectively repeats your name and gesture. Continue with the next person stating his/her name and making a gesture. The circle repeats the new person's name and gesture. Then, starting with the person of origin, repeat all the names and gestures shared to that point. Continue until everyone in the circle is included.
      • Pass the Movement:
        • Begin by having students stand in a circle.
        • The objective of the game is to create a sequence of movements by passing a dance move around the circle or group, with each student adding their unique twist.
        • Each student will create a simple movement and "pass" it to the next student, who will then repeat the movement and add their own.
        • Choose one student to start the game. This student will perform a simple movement, such as a clap, a jump, a spin, or a wave. Encourage students to focus on creating shapes and angles with their bodies.
        • The starting student then "passes" this movement to the next student by making eye contact and gesturing towards them.
        • The next student repeats the initial movement and then adds their own unique movement.
        • This student then "passes" the combined movements to the next student.
        • Each subsequent student repeats the previous movements in the correct order and adds their own new movement.
        • Continue passing the movement around the circle or along the line until all students have had a turn.
        • Once the movement has gone all the way around, have the group perform the entire sequence together from start to finish.

       

      Work Session

      • Begin by engaging students in movement that introduces students to the Elements of Dance: Body, action, space, time and energy.
        • Have students arrange themselves in the classroom with enough personal space to move freely without touching a neighbor.
        • Turn on instrumental music with a steady beat.
        • Element of Body: First, have students bring awareness to their bodies by leading them through gentle stretches starting from the head and moving to the toes (e.g., head circles, shoulder shrugs, toe touches, etc.). Then, ask them to make different shapes with their bodies.
        • Element of Time: Next, bring students’ awareness to the rhythm of the music by having them march in place to the beat, gently swinging their arms by their sides.
        • Element of Energy: Now, direct students to explore energy variations with different movement qualities such as sharp movements–quick, precise actions like punches or snaps, and smooth movements–slow, flowing actions like waves or circles with arms.
        • Element of Space - Levels: Bring students’ attention to levels (high, middle, low) with movements such as stretching up high and moving on tiptoes, crouching in a small ball close to the floor, and bouncing in place at a middle level.
        • Element of Action - Locomotor/non-locomotor: Tell students that these movements they just performed were non-locomotor, meaning that they didn’t move to a new location. Direct students to perform a movement that requires moving from one place to another, such as step-together, step-together moving side to side.
        • Have students practice what they just learned by saying words such as “locomotor” and have students create a spontaneous locomotor movement.
        • Have students return to their seats.
      • Tell students that they will be using movement to explore some of the ways that heat energy is transferred: Burning, friction, sunlight and any others you would like to include.
      • Divide students into small groups. Pass out large chart paper or poster paper and markers.
      • Have students divide paper (or pre-divide paper for students) into three sections. Students should label each section burning, friction, and sunlight.
      • Assign each group one type of heat transfer. Students will complete their section of their chart describing the type of heat transfer using words and drawings. Students should add examples of each type of heat transfer.
      • Allow groups to share. If you have a document camera, this is a great way for students to share their work.
      • Groups should add responses to the two types of heat transfer that they did not include to their charts.
        • After each group shares, discuss which changes can be reversed and which cannot. For example, sunlight causing water to evaporate can be reversed but a forest fire burning down trees cannot.
      • Tell groups that they will receive an example of heat transfer, such as a forest fire or evaporation. In their groups, students will create a “Heat Dance” to demonstrate the way heat energy is transferred in their example.
        • Students will need to be able to determine which form of heat energy transfer is used and whether the change can be reversed.
        • Set requirements for choreography, such as it must have at least four movements and use at least two of the following elements of dance: Energy, space, body and action.
        • Turn on music in the background.
        • Allow time for students to choreograph and practice their dances. Circulate to assist groups during this process.

       

      Closing Reflection

      • Students will perform their dances for their classmates. Discuss appropriate audience participation and etiquette prior to performances.
      • Turn up the volume of the music and help students find the steady beat by tapping their toes on the floor.
      • After each performance, the audience will identify which type of heat transfer was demonstrated, whether the change can be reversed, and which elements of dance were used.

       

      Assessments

      Formative

      Teachers will assess students’ understanding of the content throughout the lesson by observing students’ participation in the activator, ability to identify and perform the elements of dance, responses to discussion of each type of heat transfer, small group discussion of examples of heat transfer, and collaboration with groups to choreograph a dance demonstrating their example.

       

      Summative

      CHECKLIST

      • Students can identify and explain the different types of heat transfer, which can be reversed and which cannot, and why.
      • Students can create choreography using the Elements of Dance to accurately demonstrate their example of heat transfer.
      • Students can identify and perform using the Elements of Dance.

       

      DIFFERENTIATION 

      Acceleration: Challenge students to create their own examples of heat transfer and choreograph a dance to demonstrate their examples.

      Remediation: 

      • Reduce the number of movements students are required to include in their choreography.
      • Scaffold the lesson by choreographing an example of heat transfer as a class. Then, allow groups to create their own choreography using their own example.

      *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: Melissa Dittmar-Joy. Updated by Katy Betts.

      Revised and copyright: June 2024 @ ArtsNOW

       

      Back to Modules

      Lively Limericks 2-3

      LIVELY LIMERICKS

      LIVELY LIMERICKS

      Learning Description

      In this lesson, students will use limericks to explore both language arts and music skills at the same time, focusing on rhythm and rhyme to delve into poetry!

       

      Learning Targets

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

      Download PDF of this Lesson

      "I Can" Statements

      “I Can…”

      • I can speak limerick texts rhythmically.

      • I can create an original limerick text using appropriate form and rhyme scheme. 

      • I can add musical elements to my limerick.

      • I can identify and create rhyme schemes.

      Essential Questions

      • How can limericks enhance musical literacy as well as creative writing skills?

       

      Georgia Standards

      Curriculum Standards

      Grade 2: 

      ELAGSE2RL4 Describe how words and phrases (e.g., regular beats, alliteration, rhymes, repeated lines) supply rhythm and meaning in a story, poem, or song.

       

      ELAGSE2RL10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories and poetry, in the grades 2-3 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

       

      ELAGSE2RF4 Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension. 

      1. Read on-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings.

       

      Grade 3: 

      ELAGSE3RL4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases both literal and nonliteral language as they are used in the text.

       

      ELAGSE3RL10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, at the high end of the grades 2-3 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

       

      ELAGSE3RF4 Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension. 

      1. Read on-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings.

      Arts Standards

      Grade 2:

      ESGM2.CR.1 Improvise melodies, variations, and accompaniments.

       

      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.1 Improvise melodies, variations, and accompaniments.

       

      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.F.4.2 Read texts orally and silently with accuracy, appropriate rate, expression, and intonation. 

       

      ELA.2.AOR.5.1 Describe the basic structure of a literary text (e.g., narrative, drama, and poem). 

       

      Grade 3: 

      ELA.3.F.4.2 Read a variety of texts orally and silently with accuracy, appropriate rate, expression, and intonation. 

       

      ELA.3.AOR.8.1 Determine an author’s use of words and phrases in grade-level literary, informational, and multimedia texts: 

      1. distinguish between literal and nonliteral meanings of words and phrases (e.g., take steps)

      Arts Standards

      Anchor Standard 2: I can improvise 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

      • Limerick - A five-line poem with a strict form and humorous content 

       

      • Rhyme - The repetition of similar sounds

      • Rhythm - The pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line or verse, creating a flow or beat
      • Rhyme scheme - The pattern of rhymes at the end of lines in a poem

      Arts Vocabulary

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

      • Choral reading - Voices read together, using same rhythm, tempo, and expressive elements (as opposed to individual or small group reading)
      • Form - The structure of a composition; based on repetition, contrast, and variation
      • Found sound - Non-typical sound producers used as instruments (e.g., striking a desk with a pencil)
      • Unpitched percussion - Percussion instrument whose sound is typically produced by shaking, striking, or scraping and does not produce a specific pitch; includes shakers (maracas), drums (bongos, hand drums, congas), woods (claves, rhythm sticks, woodblocks, etc.), and metals (triangle, cowbell, finger cymbals)
      • Ostinato - A repeated pattern
      • Timbre - The quality of sound; component of a sound that causes different instruments to sound different from each other
      • Texture - Thickness or thinness of sound; impacted by the number and relationship of parts

       

      Materials

      • Examples of limericks 
      • Various unpitched percussion instruments (can be found sound objects)
      • Pencil and paper

       

      Instructional Design

      Opening/Activating Strategy

      • Display the following limerick and invite individual students to read it. 
      • Explore rhythmic and non-rhythmic options for reading the limerick.

      There was an old man of Peru [a] 

      Who dreamed he was eating his shoe. [a] 

      He awoke in the night in a terrible fright,  [b] 

      And found it was perfectly true. [a]

       

      Work Session

      • Lead students to understanding of limericks’ salient features: Rhythmic text (words can be read in rhythm), form (four 4-beat phrases = 16 beats), rhyme scheme (a a b a; “b” section also includes an internal rhyme scheme), and nonsensical text. 
      • Explore various ways of keeping the beat while speaking the poem. 
      • Explore various ways of performing the limerick, such as solo versus choral reading, putting the rhythm of the words in body percussion, using different body percussion or voices for rhyming words, using unpitched percussion instruments or found sound to play the poem, etc.
        • Discuss how the texture and timbre changes in each version.
      • Try different variations on the limerick, such as:
        • Transfer speech to unpitched percussion or found sound.
        • Using words from the limerick, challenge students to create speech ostinato (e.g., shoe, shoe, the man ate his shoe).
      • Divide students into groups and challenge students to create original limericks.
        • Students should decide on a means of performing their original compositions incorporating speech, body percussion, and/or unpitched percussion.

       

      Closing Reflection

      • Students will perform their limericks for the class. Discuss appropriate audience participation and etiquette prior to performances.
      • Audience should identify the rhyming words and rhyme scheme in the performances.

       

      Assessments

      Formative

      Teachers will assess students’ understanding of the content throughout the lesson by observing students’ participation in the activator, ability to identify elements of a limerick, ability to read a limerick rhythmically, ability to incorporate body percussion and unpitched instruments into reading performances, and collaboration with group members to create an original limerick.

       

      Summative

      CHECKLIST

      • Students can speak limerick text together rhythmically. 
      • Students can create original limerick texts using appropriate form and rhyme scheme. 
      • Students can add musical elements to their limericks (e.g., speech ostinato, body percussion ostinato, delineation of rhyming words, etc.).
      • Students can identify and create rhyme schemes.

       

      DIFFERENTIATION 

      Acceleration: 

      • Students create limericks incorporating other criteria, such as homophones or writing about a given topic, etc.
      • Students can write about compositional and performance experience. 
      • Students can create movement compositions illustrating the same form (for example, A A B A).

      Remediation: 

      • Create a collaborative class limerick together rather than having students work in groups to create their own.
      • Create a class list of rhyming words for students to choose from when creating their limericks.
      • Rather than having students write a limerick, have individual groups perform prewritten limericks. Students should identify the rhyming words and rhyme scheme in the text.
      • During the performances, have the audience use body percussion to set the steady beat and have the performing group speak their limerick rhythmically giving them the option to participate with the body percussion the class has set.

       

      *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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      Mona Mesa What is Your Opinion 2-3

      MONA MESA: WHAT IS YOUR OPINION?

      MONA MESA: WHAT IS YOUR OPINION?

      Learning Description

      Students will look at the painting, the Mona Lisa, by Leonardo DaVinci and talk about what they see, think and wonder. Students will identify visual clues to help them form an opinion about what they think the painting is about, and will write an opinion paragraph on the Mona Lisa using evidence to support their opinions. Students will then take what they learned about portraiture and create their own Mona MEsa self portrait!

       

      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 describe what a portrait is.
      • I can create a self-portrait inspired by the Mona Lisa.
      • I can write an opinion paragraph using evidence to support my reasoning.

      Essential Questions

      • How can I describe a piece of art by forming opinions?
      • How can I use visual evidence to support my opinion?
      • How can art stimulate my imagination and help me understand the process of portraiture?

       

      Georgia Standards

      Curriculum Standards

      Grade 2: 

      ELAGSE2W1: Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply reasons that support the opinion, use linking words (e.g., because, and, also) to connect opinion and reasons, and provide a concluding statement or section.

       

      ELAGSE2SL1: Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 2 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

       

      Grade 3: 

      ELAGSE3W1: Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons.

       

      ELAGSE3SL1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 3 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

       

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

      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 - Meaning, Context, and Craft 

      Standard 1: Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.

      1.1 Explore print and multimedia sources to write opinion pieces that introduce the topic, state an opinion and supply reasons that support the opinion, use transitional words to connect opinions and reasons, and provide a concluding statement or section.

       

      COMMUNICATION - Meaning and Context

      Standard 1: Interact with others to explore ideas and concepts, communicate meaning, and develop logical interpretations through collaborative conversations; build upon the ideas of others to clearly express one’s own views while respecting diverse perspectives.

       

      Grade 3

      WRITING - Meaning, Context, and Craft 

      Standard 1: Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.

      1.1 Write opinion pieces that: a. introduce the topic or text, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure that includes reasons; c. organize supporting reasons logically; d. use transitional words or phrases to connect opinions and reasons; and g. provide a concluding statement or section.

       

      COMMUNICATION - Meaning and Context

      Standard 1: Interact with others to explore ideas and concepts, communicate meaning, and develop logical interpretations through collaborative conversations; build upon the ideas of others to clearly express one’s own views while respecting diverse perspectives.

       

       

      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.

       

       

      Key Vocabulary

      Content Vocabulary

      • Topic sentence - The sentence of a paragraph that states the subject of the paragraph
      • Closure - The summary ending of a paragraph
      • Opinion - The creator’s point of view on a topic
      • Evidence/reason - Information from the source to support a claim

      Arts Vocabulary

      • Portrait - A depiction of a person
      • Self-Portrait - A depiction of the artist, by the artist
      • Proportion - Relative size and scale of the various elements in the portrait. How one thing relates to another thing in terms of size
      • Background - The part of a picture or scene that appears to be farthest away from the viewer, usually nearest the horizon
      • Foreground - The area of a picture or field of vision, often at the bottom, that appears to be closest to the viewer
      • Shape - Shape is one of the seven Elements of Art and is a flat enclosed area that has two dimensions, length and width. Artists use both geometric and organic shapes.
      • Horizon line - An implied line that separates the earth and the sky

           

          Materials

            • 8.5” x 11” tracing paper (1 per student)
            • Digital Mona Lisa painting to project on board
            • Digital image of a pre-Renaissance portrait (profile)–see “Additional Resources” 
            • Copy of Mona Lisa painting for each student
            • Pencil with eraser
            • Sharpie or other black marker 
            • White drawing paper
            • Multicultural crayons, markers, or colored pencils
            • Regular colors of crayons, markers, or colored pencils.

             

             

            Instructional Design

            Opening/Activating Strategy

            • Project the Mona Lisa and a landscape painting. 
            • Ask students to explain the difference between what they see in each of the paintings. 
              • Students should notice that the subject/topic of the painting in the Mona Lisa is the figure and the subject of the painting in the landscape is the scenery. 
              • Explain that the Mona Lisa is an example of artwork called a portrait because the subject of the painting is a person. Teacher will explain that when an artist makes an artwork of themselves, it is called a “self-portrait”.
            • Engage students in the See, Think, Wonder Artful Thinking Routine. 
              • First, with a partner, students will identify what they see in the painting. 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 painting. 
              • Finally, ask students what they wonder about the image. 
              • Facilitate a class-wide discussion around students’ observations, inferences, and questions.

             

            Work Session

              • Explain that the artwork students are looking at is an example of a landscape painting. Landscape paintings show a wide expanse of land–usually a countryside–and show depth through a background, middle ground, and foreground. 
              • Show students the diagram of a landscape. Explain that the background is what is farthest away from the viewer, the foreground is directly in front of the viewer, and the middle ground everything in the middle. 
              • Ask students to try to identify the background, middle ground, and foreground in Landscape from Saint Remy by Vincent Van Gogh.
              • Explain to students that texture in art is how something feels or looks like it feels. Ask students to identify textures in the landscape painting.
              • Tell students that they will be creating their own landscape artwork based off of an informational text. Provide each student with a copy of the informational text that connects to a region students are studying in Social Studies (if applicable). 
              • With partners, have students annotate the text as they read, looking for details that describe how the region looks such as landforms, colors, etc. 
              • Facilitate a discussion with students around what details they might include in the background, what details they might include in the middle ground, and what details they might include in the foreground. 
              • Instruct students to locate and research an additional informational text on the same region. 
                • Students should use their knowledge of research practices to identify a reliable source. Students should annotate the text as they did previously. 
                • Students will synthesize the details that they found in the two sources to create their landscape artwork. 
              • Introduce students to the term Collagraph Printmaking. 
                • Printmaking is a process by which the artist creates an image that has texture and transfers that image repeatedly onto another surface like paper. 
                • Tell students that the printing press is an early example of printmaking. 
              • Explain the process of creating their artwork. 
                • Students should glue the landforms down to a piece of cardstock or cardboard starting with the background and moving to the foreground. 
                • Students should use overlapping as they glue each layer down.
                • Students will draw a rough draft of their landscape on blank paper using evidence from both texts. Students’ rough drafts should have a background, middle ground, and foreground.
                • Out of cardstock, students will cut out landforms like mountains and physical features like forests that they included in their rough draft. 
                • Once they have created their landscapes, students will create a rubbing by placing a piece of computer paper over their landscape. Using a crayon or oil pastel, they will rub across the surface to pick up the texture of the landscape.
              • Students can then add in details and additional texture using colored pencil, crayon, or oil pastel.

               

              Closing Reflection

              • In small groups, students will present their portraits to their groups. In their presentation, they will share the background images they drew as well as their attention to detail in creating their self-portrait.

              Assessments

              Formative

              Teachers will assess student understanding by observing students’ responses in class and small group discussion and students’ ability to explain what a portrait is and what their portrait shows.

               

               

              Summative

              CHECKLIST

              • Students can create a self-portrait inspired by the Mona Lisa.
              • Students can write an opinion paragraph on the Mona Lisa explaining what they think the painting is about, why they think that (cite evidence). Students should include a topic sentence, body sentences with specific evidence, and closure.

               

               

               

              Differentiation

              Acceleration: Students will write an artist statement about their Mona MEsa portrait (see additional resources below).

               

              Remediation: 

              • Instead of writing a traditional opinion paragraph, students will be provided with a graphic organizer with sentence starters to help them write an opinion paragraph (see in additional resources below).
              • Provide students with a Mona Lisa outline of the head with the face removed to use as a template for their Mona MEsa portraits.

               

               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 and updated by: Debi West; updated by Katy Betts

              Revised and copyright:  May 2024 @ ArtsNOW

               

               
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