ART BOTS 6-8

ART BOTS

ART BOTS

Learning Description

In this hands-on STEAM lesson, students will explore the relationship between electricity, motion, and unbalanced forces by designing and building their own wobbling art bots. Using hobby motors, battery packs, pool noodles, and markers, students will follow the engineering design process (Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create, Improve) to construct a bot that moves and draws in unpredictable patterns.

Through experimentation, students will discover how unbalanced forces affect motion, how simple circuits power their bots, and how small design changes can alter movement. They will analyze their bots' performance, make modifications, and reflect on their design choices. By combining science, engineering, and art, this lesson fosters creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking while reinforcing foundational physical science concepts.

 

Learning Targets

GRADE BAND: 6-8
CONTENT FOCUS: STEAM
LESSON DOWNLOADS:

Download PDF of this Lesson

"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

  • I can build and test a simple circuit to power a motor.
  • I can explain how unbalanced forces influence motion.
  • I can describe how energy is transformed in my Art Bot.
  • I can use the engineering design process to test and improve my design.

Essential Questions

  • How do unbalanced forces affect the motion of an object?
  • How does a motor convert electrical energy into motion?
  • What design choices impact the movement and artistic output of an Art Bot?
  • How can the engineering design process help improve a design?

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 6:

S6P2: Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the relationship between force, mass, and the motion of objects.

S6P3: Construct an explanation of the relationships among electric force, magnetic force, and motion.

Grade 7:

S7P2: Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to explain the effects of forces on the motion of an object.

Grade 8:

S8P2: Develop models to illustrate the relationship between potential and kinetic energy.

Arts Standards

VA.CR.1 Visualize and generate ideas for creating works of art.

VA.CR.2 Choose from a range of materials and/or methods of traditional and contemporary artistic practices to plan and create works of art.

VA.CR.2.b Produce three-dimensional artworks using a variety of media/materials (e.g. clay, papier-mâché, cardboard, paper, plaster, wood, wire, found objects, fiber).

VA.CR.3 Engage in an array of processes, media, techniques, and/or technology through experimentation, practice, and persistence.

 

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 6:

6-PS3-4. Plan an investigation to determine the relationships among the energy transferred, the type of matter, the mass, and the change in the average kinetic energy of the particles as measured by the temperature of the sample.

Grade 7:

7-PS3-2. Develop a model to describe that when the arrangement of objects interacting at a distance changes, different amounts of potential energy are stored in the system.

7-PS3-5. Construct, use, and present arguments to support the claim that when the kinetic energy of an object changes, energy is transferred to or from the object.

Grade 8:

8-PS2-3. Analyze and interpret data to determine the factors that affect the strength of electric and magnetic forces.

8-PS2-5. Conduct an investigation and evaluate the experimental design to provide evidence that fields exist between objects exerting forces on each other even though the objects are not in contact.

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

  • Unbalanced force – A force that changes the motion of an object
  • Friction – A force that opposes motion
  • Circuit – A closed path through which electricity flows
  • Kinetic energy – Energy of motion
  • Potential energy – Stored energy that can be converted into motion
  • Energy transformation – The process of changing one form of energy into another

Arts Vocabulary

  • Movement – This principle of design is associated with rhythm and refers to the arrangement of parts in an artwork that creates a sense of motion to the viewer's eye through the work.
  • Balance – This is a sense of stability in the body of work. Balance can be created by repeating the same shapes and by creating a feeling of equal visual weight.
  • Form – An object that is three-dimensional and encloses volume (cubes, spheres, and cylinders are examples of various forms)
  • Kinetic art – Art that incorporates real motion
  • Contrast – The arrangement of opposite elements in a composition (light vs. dark, rough vs. smooth, etc.) Similar to variety, which refers to the differences in a work, achieved by using different shapes, textures, colors and values.
  • Mark-making – The lines, textures, and marks made by tools or gestures
  • Negative space – The space around and between subjects in an artwork
  • Engineering Design Process – A problem-solving approach that involves identifying a need, researching, brainstorming possible solutions, developing and testing prototypes, and improving the design until the optimal solution is achieved; the steps are Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create, Improve

 

Materials

  • Hobby motors
  • Battery packs (with AA batteries)
  • Pool noodles (cut into sections)
  • Thin markers
  • Electrical tape or masking tape
  • Small weights (washers, paperclips, clay, etc.)
  • Switches (optional for advanced circuits)
  • Scissors
  • Image of the Engineering Design Process

 

 

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

  • Engage:
    • Hook: Show a short video of a scribble bot or demonstrate a pre-made art bot.
    • Discussion–Ask students:
      • What do you notice about how it moves?
      • What forces might be acting on it?
      • How does the energy from the battery turn into movement?

Work Session

Explore – Building the Art Bots

  • Ask:
    • How can we design an art bot that moves unpredictably?
    • How do we make sure our bot stays powered and balanced?
  • Imagine:
    • Students will brainstorm ideas and sketch potential designs for their bots.
  • Plan:
    • Show students a list of materials that they have available to them to build their bots.
    • Students will create a sketch of their bot with materials labeled before beginning to build their bots.
  • Create:
    • Show students how to create their bots.
      • Connect the battery pack to the motor, ensuring a working circuit.
      • Insert the motor into the pool noodle.
      • Attach markers as "legs" using tape.
      • Add weights off-center on the motor shaft to create an unbalanced force.
    • Have students place the bot on plain white paper and turn it on to observe its movement.
    • Improve: Elaborate – Improving the Design
      • Students will analyze their bot’s movement and adjust:
        • Marker placement for different drawing effects.
        • Weight distribution to change speed and wobbling direction.
        • Motor positioning to alter how much it vibrates.
      • Students will compare designs and discuss how small modifications affect motion.
      • Optional: Students can add to their designs with markers.

 

Closing Reflection

  • Explain: Facilitate a discussion on the science behind the bots.
    • Discuss how unbalanced forces create movement.
    • Explain energy transformations (chemical → electrical → kinetic).
    • Relate movement patterns to force, friction, and weight distribution.
  • Have students complete the following exit ticket:
    • What forces acted on your bot?
    • How did changes to your design affect motion?
    • How did energy transform from the battery to movement?
    • What worked well in your bot, and what would you improve if you could do it again?

 

Assessments

Formative

  • Assess students’ learning through observations of student engagement, problem-solving, and questioning during discussions.

Summative

  • Assess students’ learning through the exit ticket questions and closing discussion.

 

Differentiation

Accelerated: 

  • Introduce data collection by having students measure and compare drawing patterns.
  • Use Micro:bit or Arduino to program bots to change motion patterns.

 

Remedial:

  • Provide pre-made circuits.
  • Provide extended time for building and reflecting.
  • Offer verbal instructions paired with written guides.
  • Allow for alternative methods of documentation (photos, audio).

 

 

Credits

Ideas contributed by: Shannon Green

*This integrated lesson provides differentiated ideas and activities for educators that are aligned to a sampling of standards. Standards referenced at the time of publishing may differ based on each state’s adoption of new standards.

Revised and copyright:  May 2025 @ ArtsNOW

 

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ART BOTS ELA 6-8

ART BOTS

ART BOTS

Learning Description

Students take on the role of designer-engineers and artists by constructing “drawing robots” that demonstrate how energy transforms into motion. Using motors, batteries, and weighted components to intentionally create imbalance, students will explore concepts like kinetic energy, unbalanced forces, and vibration.

After testing and refining their bots, students will respond to the prompt: “Write an explanation of how your Art Bot transforms electrical energy into motion and artwork. Reflect on your design process and explain how art and engineering work together”.

This writing task reinforces content vocabulary and scientific reasoning while inviting students to make connections between disciplines. The lesson culminates with students presenting their bot’s visual output and reading their explanatory writing aloud in a collaborative critique session.

 

Learning Targets

GRADE BAND: 6-8
CONTENT FOCUS: STEAM & ELA
LESSON DOWNLOADS:

Download PDF of this Lesson

"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

  • I can build and test a simple circuit to power a motor.
  • I can explain how unbalanced forces influence motion.
  • I can describe how energy is transformed in my Art Bot.
  • I can use the engineering design process to test and improve my design.

Essential Questions

  • How do unbalanced forces affect the motion of an object?
  • How does a motor convert electrical energy into motion?
  • What design choices impact the movement and artistic output of an Art Bot?
  • How can the engineering design process help improve a design?

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

SCIENCE

Grade 6:

S6P2: Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the relationship between force, mass, and the motion of objects.

S6P3: Construct an explanation of the relationships among electric force, magnetic force, and motion.

Grade 7:

S7P2: Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to explain the effects of forces on the motion of an object.

Grade 8:

S8P2: Develop models to illustrate the relationship between potential and kinetic energy.

ELA

Grade 6:

6.T.T.1.e Apply narrative techniques to enhance writing, engage audiences, and achieve specific purposes.

Grade 7:

7.T.T.1.e Apply narrative techniques to enhance writing, engage audiences, and achieve specific purposes.

Grade 8:

8.T.T.1.e Apply narrative techniques to enhance writing, engage audiences, and achieve specific purposes.

Arts Standards

VA.CR.1 Visualize and generate ideas for creating works of art.

VA.CR.2 Choose from a range of materials and/or methods of traditional and contemporary artistic practices to plan and create works of art.

VA.CR.2.b Produce three-dimensional artworks using a variety of media/materials (e.g. clay, papier-mâché, cardboard, paper, plaster, wood, wire, found objects, fiber).

VA.CR.3 Engage in an array of processes, media, techniques, and/or technology through experimentation, practice, and persistence.

 

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

SCIENCE

Grade 6:

6-PS3-4. Plan an investigation to determine the relationships among the energy transferred, the type of matter, the mass, and the change in the average kinetic energy of the particles as measured by the temperature of the sample.

Grade 7:

7-PS3-2. Develop a model to describe that when the arrangement of objects interacting at a distance changes, different amounts of potential energy are stored in the system.

7-PS3-5. Construct, use, and present arguments to support the claim that when the kinetic energy of an object changes, energy is transferred to or from the object.

Grade 8:

8-PS2-3. Analyze and interpret data to determine the factors that affect the strength of electric and magnetic forces.

8-PS2-5. Conduct an investigation and evaluate the experimental design to provide evidence that fields exist between objects exerting forces on each other even though the objects are not in contact.

ELA

Grade 6:

ELA.6.C.2.1 Write informative texts to examine a topic and analyze information from one or more sources. When writing:a. introduce a topic clearly and organize information logically; b. develop the topic with relevant facts, definitions, details, quotes, or other information and examples; c. use appropriate transitions to clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts; d. use precise language and vocabulary to inform or to explain the topic; and e. provide a concluding statement or section.

Grade 7:

ELA.7.C.2.1 Write informative texts to examine a topic and analyze information from one or more sources. When writing:a. introduce a topic and organize ideas, concepts, and information using structures such as definition, compare and contrast, and/or cause and effect; b. develop the topic with relevant facts, definitions, details, and/or quotes; c. use appropriate transitions to clarify the relationships between ideas and concepts; d. use precise language and thoughtful elaboration to inform or to explain the topic; e. establish a tone appropriate to the task and audience; and f. provide a concluding statement or section that supports the information presented.

Grade 8:

ELA.8.C.2.1 Write informative texts to examine a topic and analyze information from multiple sources. When writing:a. introduce a topic clearly and organize ideas, concepts, and information, using a structure such as definition, compare and contrast, and/or cause and effect; b. develop the topic with relevant facts, definitions, details, and/or quotes; c. use varied transitions to clarify the relationships between ideas and concepts; d. use precise language and thoughtful elaboration to inform or to explain the topic; e. establish a tone appropriate to the task and audience; and f. provide a concluding statement or section that supports the information presented.

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

  • Unbalanced force – A force that changes the motion of an object
  • Friction – A force that opposes motion
  • Circuit – A closed path through which electricity flows
  • Kinetic energy – Energy of motion
  • Potential energy – Stored energy that can be converted into motion
  • Energy transformation – The process of changing one form of energy into another

Arts Vocabulary

  • Movement – This principle of design is associated with rhythm and refers to the arrangement of parts in an artwork that creates a sense of motion to the viewer's eye through the work.
  • Balance – This is a sense of stability in the body of work. Balance can be created by repeating the same shapes and by creating a feeling of equal visual weight.
  • Form – An object that is three-dimensional and encloses volume (cubes, spheres, and cylinders are examples of various forms)
  • Kinetic art – Art that incorporates real motion
  • Contrast – The arrangement of opposite elements in a composition (light vs. dark, rough vs. smooth, etc.) Similar to variety, which refers to the differences in a work, achieved by using different shapes, textures, colors and values.
  • Mark-making – The lines, textures, and marks made by tools or gestures
  • Negative space – The space around and between subjects in an artwork
  • Engineering Design Process – A problem-solving approach that involves identifying a need, researching, brainstorming possible solutions, developing and testing prototypes, and improving the design until the optimal solution is achieved; the steps are Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create, Improve

 

Materials

  • Hobby motors
  • Battery packs (with AA batteries)
  • Pool noodles (cut into sections)
  • Thin markers
  • Electrical tape or masking tape
  • Small weights (washers, paperclips, clay, etc.)
  • Switches (optional for advanced circuits)
  • Scissors
  • Image of the Engineering Design Process

 

 

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

  • Engage:
    • Hook: Show a short video of a scribble bot or demonstrate a pre-made Art Bot.
    • Discussion–Ask students:
      • What do you notice about how it moves?
      • What forces might be acting on it?
      • How does the energy from the battery turn into movement?

Work Session

Explore – Building the Art Bots

  • Ask:
    • How can we design an Art Bot that moves unpredictably?
    • How do we make sure our bot stays powered and balanced?
  • Imagine:
    • Students will brainstorm ideas and sketch potential designs for their bots.
  • Plan:
    • Show students a list of materials that they have available to them to build their bots.
    • Students will create a sketch of their bot with materials labeled before beginning to build their bots.
  • Create:
    • Show students how to create their bots.
      • Connect the battery pack to the motor, ensuring a working circuit.
      • Insert the motor into the pool noodle.
      • Attach markers as "legs" using tape.
      • Add weights off-center on the motor shaft to create an unbalanced force.
    • Have students place the bot on plain white paper and turn it on to observe its movement.
    • Improve: Elaborate – Improving the Design
      • Students will analyze their bot’s movement and adjust:
        • Marker placement for different drawing effects.
        • Weight distribution to change speed and wobbling direction.
        • Motor positioning to alter how much it vibrates.
      • Students will compare designs and discuss how small modifications affect motion.
      • Students will respond to the following writing prompt: Write an explanation of how your Art Bot transforms electrical energy into motion and artwork. Reflect on your design process and explain how art and engineering work together. Use specific vocabulary and examples from your experience.
        • Writing Criteria:
          • Introduce the topic clearly: “My Art Bot transforms energy into motion through a simple electric circuit”.
          • Use content-specific vocabulary, such as: circuit, energy transformation, kinetic energy, friction, unbalanced force, vibration.
          • Describe the sequence of events in the engineering design process: Ask → plan → create → test → improve.
          • Explain connections between scientific concepts and artistic outcomes.
          • Use transitions, such as first, next, as a result, finally, to clarify progression.
          • Conclude with insights about what was learned or how the design evolved.

 

Closing Reflection

  • Turn your classroom into a gallery!
    • Lay artworks on desks or hang them around the room.
    • Have students walk through the gallery, viewing each other’s bot collaborations.

 

Assessments

Formative

  • Observations of student engagement and problem-solving
  • Questioning during discussions
  • Peer feedback on bot performance

Summative

  • Students’ written responses to the writing prompt.

 

Differentiation

Accelerated: 

  • Introduce data collection by having students measure and compare drawing patterns.
  • Additional writing prompts:
    • Compare how the energy transformation in your Art Bot is like what happens in a real machine or natural system.
    • How would you redesign your Art Bot to make it draw letters or words? Justify your choices using science vocabulary.
  • Use Micro:bit or Arduino to program bots to change motion patterns.

 

Remedial:

  • Provide pre-made circuits.
  • Provide extended time for building and reflecting.
  • Offer verbal instructions paired with written guides.
  • Allow for alternative methods of documentation (photos, audio).
  • Additional writing prompts:
    • Draw and label how your Art Bot moves.
    • Write three to five sentences explaining how the battery made your Art Bot move.
    • List three problems you solved while building your bot.

 

 

Credits

Ideas contributed by: Shannon Green

*This integrated lesson provides differentiated ideas and activities for educators that are aligned to a sampling of standards. Standards referenced at the time of publishing may differ based on each state’s adoption of new standards.

Revised and copyright:  May 2025 @ ArtsNOW

 

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YOUR VIEW MATTERS–FLASHBACK/FORESHADOWING 6-8

YOUR VIEW MATTERS–FLASHBACK/FORESHADOWING

YOUR VIEW MATTERS–FLASHBACK/FORESHADOWING

Learning Description

Students will be engaged throughout this lesson as they take improvisation to a new level. They will create stories on their feet without a script bringing laughter and energy into the classroom as they put flashbacks and foreshadowing into their bodies. They will work individually and in groups to bring prophecies to life. Students will learn about and put into practice literary techniques without even realizing it because they will be having so much fun with their friends and classmates!

 

Learning Targets

GRADE BAND: 6-8
CONTENT FOCUS: THEATRE & ELA
LESSON DOWNLOADS:

Download PDF of this Lesson

"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

  • I can act out memories from my own life using my body and voice.
  • I can use improvisation to create stories.
  • I can work with others to create a story.
  • I can be intentional about creating positive memories in my life.

Essential Questions

  • How can improvisation help me be flexible in my world?
  • When have I had foreshadowing and flashback moments in my life?
  • How can memories enhance my life and stories?
  • How can I be in tune to hear the foreshadowing voices around me?

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 6:

ELAGSE6RL5 Analyze how a particular sentence, chapter, scene, or stanza fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the theme, setting, or plot.

 

Grade 7:

ELAGSE7RL5 Analyze how a drama's or poem's form or structure (e.g., soliloquy, sonnet) contributes to its meaning.

 

Grade 8:

ELAGSE8RL5 Compare and contrast the structure of two or more texts and analyze how the differing structure of each text contributes to its meaning and style.

Arts Standards

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

a. Demonstrate effective verbal and non-verbal communication skills (e.g. rate, pitch, volume, inflection, posture, facial expression, physical movement).

c. Demonstrate a variety of types of theatre performances.

 

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

ELA.AOR.5: Evaluate and critique how an author uses words, phrases, and text structures to craft text.

Grade 6:

ELA.6.AOR.5.1 Analyze how a particular sentence, paragraph, chapter, scene, or stanza fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of theme, setting, or plot.

 

Grade 7:

ELA.7.AOR.5.1 Analyze how the structure of a literary text (e.g., narrative, drama, poem) contributes to its meaning.

 

Grade 8:

ELA.8.AOR.5.1 Determine and explain how an author’s choices in structuring a text, including the manipulation of time (e.g., flashback and foreshadowing), create effects such as mystery or suspense.

Arts Standards

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

Benchmark T.CR NH.1: I can work with others to add dialogue to a story.

Indicator T.CR NH1.2: I can collaborate with peers to improvise multiple dialogue choices.

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

Benchmark T.P IM.3: I can use acting techniques to develop characters and create meaning in a simple theatrical work.

Indicator T.P IM.3.1: I can use acting techniques to develop characters and create meaning in a simple theatrical work.

 

Key Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary

  • Character – A person, animal, or being in a story that takes part in the action; characters have traits, emotions, and motivations that shape the story.
  • Story – A connected series of events that includes a beginning, middle, and end; a story usually has characters, a problem, and a resolution.
  • Foreshadow – A hint or clue about something that will happen later in the story. Example: Dark clouds gathering in the sky may foreshadow a storm.
  • Flashback – A scene that takes the story back in time to show something from the past. Example: A character remembers their first day of school while getting ready for graduation.
  • Tone – The author's attitude toward the subject, shown through word choice and style
  • Mood – The feeling or atmosphere a reader gets from a story

Arts Vocabulary

  • Memory – The process of taking in information from the world around us, processing it, storing it and later recalling that information, sometimes many years later. Actors have to memorize lines for a performance.
  • Improvisation – A moment in a play that is not rehearsed or "scripted", or acting without a script
  • Dialogue – Conversation between two or more persons
  • Scene – A single situation or unit of dialogue in a play
  • Visualization – Creating vivid mental images and scenarios to enhance the understanding of characters, scenes, and the overall narrative, ultimately leading to more authentic and engaging performances

 

Materials

 

 

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

MEMORY WALK TIME MACHINE - FLASHBACK THEATRE

  • Ask students what happened right before they arrived today.
    • That was a memory.
    • Ask: Is a memory from the past or future? (Past)
      • Memory is the process of taking in information from the world around us, processing it, storing it, and later recalling that information.
      • Memories can be positive or negative.
      • Ask:
        • What is the first memory that pops into your head when I say…chocolate?
        • What about when I say…homework?
      • Explain that they are about to enter a Memory Machine Walk.
        • Invite students to close their eyes, if they feel safe to do so, and visualize a particular memory from their lives.
          • Actors visualize their characters, playing out the story in their mind's eye.
        • Tell students to think of events that have happened in their lives up to this point.
          • For example, when they were a baby, a toddler, an elementary schooler, activities or accolades, family milestones, the first day of school, birthday, embarrassing moments, etc.)
          • Tell students to choose one memory.
        • Explain how the Memory Machine Walk will work.
          • Students walk around the room.
          • Teacher calls, "1, 2, 3 …. FLASHBACK".
          • Students freeze.
          • Students act out their past event/memory from their life using body and voice.
          • Teacher calls, "1, 2, 3 …WALK".
          • Students visualize another memory and repeat the process.
        • Continue until through several rounds.
      • Memory Walk Group Improv:
        • Ask students to get into groups of three.
        • Tell them that they will improvise a scene (make it up on their feet).
        • Have them choose a simple scenario.
        • Give groups two minutes to decide on their scenario and who will play what characters.
        • Explain how the Memory Walk Improv will work.
          • Teacher calls, "1, 2, 3…ACTION".
          • Students start improvising the scene.
          • At some point during the improv, the teacher will call out "1, 2, 3…Flashback!".
          • Students must immediately improvise an earlier event that gives details to the scene.
        • Give students a moment to think about possible flashbacks that fit within their scenario.
        • Start the exercise.
        • Let students improvise for about 45 seconds before calling, "1, 2, 3…Flashback!".
        • Ask for any volunteers who would like to share their scene.
        • Reflect with students by asking what they noticed about the exercise. Use the following questions to facilitate discussion.
          • How did the flashback change the way they saw the story?
          • What emotions or surprises did it create?

Work Session

  • Ask students what they thought about the improvised scenes.
    • What worked and didn't work?
    • Did all of the partners accept suggestions given by their scene partner?
  • Tell students that improvisation is making up a story as you go along without using a script.
    • It can be tough and often ends flat with the characters arguing.
    • Improvisation takes practice, and there are some important rules that help actors make it successful.
    • Discuss Rules of Improvisation.
    • Watch the video Minute Improv Yes And.
    • Tell students that improvisation is radical acceptance and cooperation in action.
    • Tell students, “Now, let's put these rules into practice and sharpen our improvisation skills”.

 

CIRCLE OF PROPHECIES–FORESHADOW THEATRE

  • Ask students what a prophecy is.
    • A prophecy is a vague or dramatic prediction.
      • It adds tone and mood to a story–usually suspense and mystery!
    • Ask students if they can think of any movies or TV shows that they have seen or books they have read that contained prophecies.
    • Share an example of a prophecy: "The sky will weep silver tears, and a path of glowing moss will appear. Choose the path, or face the silence".
    • Ask them to think of a prophecy that they have heard or make one up.
      • Have them turn and share with the person sitting next to them.
    • Invite students to sit or stand in a circle.
    • Tell them that you have slips of paper with prophecies listed on them in a hat.
    • Have one student pull a prophecy out of the hat and read it.
      • Work as a class to come up with three foreshadowing clues that go with the prophecy.
        • Example: "The lights flicker, a character makes a cryptic comment, a storm begins outside".
      • Work as a class to come up with a fast-forward idea to reveal what happens next.
        • Example: "A ghost appears!"
      • Encourage dramatic foreshadowing, over-the-top reactions, and creative problem-solving!
    • Invite some students to the center of the circle to act out a short improv scene leading up to the prophecy coming true (or hilariously failing to).
      • The scene must include the following:
        • The prophecy
        • The three foreshadowing clues
        • The one fast-forward idea
      • Encourage students to have fun and take risks.
    • Ask students to get into groups of three or four.
    • Have them choose one scene idea from Scene Ideas for "Circle of Prophecies"- Foreshadowing.
      • Example: "The Missing Homework Will Decide the Future"
        • Prophecy: "Beware! If the sacred scroll (a.k.a. the missing homework) is not returned by sundown, disaster will strike!"
        • Scene: A group of students frantically searches for the missing assignment, convinced it holds magical powers. The teacher (or "guardian of knowledge") gets more suspicious by the minute.
      • Have students start on the spot or give groups five to ten minutes to decide the following:
        • Setting
        • Characters
        • Three foreshadowing clues that go with the prophecy
        • One fast forward idea
      • Have students share improvised scenes with the class.
      • Reflect with students by asking them what they noticed about the exercise. Use the following questions to facilitate discussion.
        • What made foreshadowing effective?
        • How does foreshadowing add suspense or mystery?

 

Closing Reflection

  • Facilitate a discussion using the following questions:
    • What did you like or dislike about this lesson?
    • Do you have a better understanding of foreshadowing and flashbacks?
  • Tell students to get with their groups and share one memory they have from their improvised scenes.
  • Tell students that memories make life interesting and can make relationships stronger. Ask them to think of an intentional way to create a positive, fun memory with a friend or family member that might last a lifetime.

 

Assessments

Formative

  • The teacher can discern if the students understand the meaning of flashbacks and foreshadowings by the dialogue they include in their improvisations.

Summative

  • Create a checklist of the elements that need to be included in the scene.
  • Create a checklist for the rules of improvisation and have audience members check off the rules that were followed in each scene.

 

 

Differentiation

Accelerated: 

  • Have advanced students write a complete story containing both foreshadowing and flashbacks using the Simple Scene prompts.

 

Remedial:

  • Create one scene as a class or allow students to contribute to the story without acting in the scenes. Or, allow remedial students to pantomime without using words while the teacher reads the improvised text.

 

Additional Resources

Improvisation Video - A Lesson on Improv Technique, with Chris Gethard | Big Think

 

Credits

Ideas contributed by: Susie Spear Purcell

*This integrated lesson provides differentiated ideas and activities for educators that are aligned to a sampling of standards. Standards referenced at the time of publishing may differ based on each state’s adoption of new standards.

Revised and copyright:  May 2025 @ ArtsNOW

 

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THE BLUES (OR NOT-SO-BLUE BLUES) 6-8

THE BLUES (OR NOT-SO-BLUE BLUES)

THE BLUES (OR NOT-SO-BLUE BLUES)

Learning Description

Using a twelve-bar blues form, students will create music expressing the blues (or “not the blue blues”) about selected subject content.

 

Learning Targets

GRADE BAND: 6-8
CONTENT FOCUS: MUSIC & SCIENCE
LESSON DOWNLOADS:

Download PDF of this Lesson

"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

  • I can write lyrics about assigned content using a prescribed form.
  • I can play blues harmony.
  • I can combine music and language to express feelings and ideas.

Essential Questions

  • How can music express feelings and ideas?
  • How can music and language be combined to express feelings and ideas?

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Non-ELA Standards will vary depending on selected content for blues compositions; thus, standards below are offered as ideas only and are not exclusive.

Grade 6:

S6E2. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the effects of the relative positions of the sun, Earth, and moon.

 

Grade 7:

S7L2. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to describe how cell structures, cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems interact to maintain the basic needs of organisms.

 

Grade 8:

S8P5. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about gravity, electricity, and magnetism as major forces acting in nature.

Arts Standards

MSGM6.CR.2 Compose and arrange music within specified guidelines.

MSGM6.PR.2 Perform a varied repertoire of music on instruments, alone and with others.

MSGM6.RE.1 Listen to, analyze, and describe music.

MSGM6.RE.2 Evaluate music and music performances.

MSGM6.CN.2.d Demonstrate performance etiquette (e.g. stage presence, attire, and behavior) and audience etiquette appropriate for venue, purpose, context, and style.

 

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

Non-ELA Standards will vary depending on selected content for blues compositions; thus, standards below are offered as ideas only and are not exclusive.

Grade 6:

6-LS1-1. Conduct an investigation to provide evidence that living things are made of cells; either one cell or many different numbers and types of cells.

 

Grade 7:

7-LS1-6. Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for the role of photosynthesis in the cycling of matter and flow of energy into and out of organisms.

 

Grade 8:

8-LS1-5. Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how environmental and genetic factors influence the growth of organisms.

Arts Standards

Anchor Standard 1: I can arrange and compose music.

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

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

 

Key Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary

Non-ELA vocabulary will vary depending on selected content for blues compositions.

Arts Vocabulary

  • Beat - The pulse underlying music
  • Blues music - A genre that evolved from folk music of African Americans in the American South (work songs, field hollers, and spirituals) during the late 1800s
  • Body percussion - Using the body as an instrument; includes patting, clapping, stamping, and snapping
  • Chord - A combination of three or more pitches played at the same time
  • Chord progression - A sequence of chords
  • Form - The organization of a piece (how the music is put together)
  • Harmony - Two or more pitches sounding simultaneously
  • Key - The group of pitches (scale) around which a piece of music revolves
  • Measure - The space between two bar lines
  • Phrase - Musical sentence

 

Materials

  • Boomwhackers (or other pitched instruments)
  • Writing materials (e.g., pencil and paper)
  • Recording of blues music (see suggestions below)
  • Sound production resources (e.g., speaker and phone)

 

 

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

  • Using found sound or body percussion, perform a rhythm (or steady beat) for eight beats. Have students echo. Label this rhythm A.
  • Using a different found sound or body percussion, perform a different rhythm for eight beats. Have students echo. Compare and contrast with A. Label this rhythm B.
  • Tell students they will be creating musical compositions with same and different patterns (A and B).

Work Session

  • Play a blues recording and ask students about the mood of the music. Lead them to understand that blues music is often about hardship. Suggested blues pieces are “The Thrill is Gone” (BB King), “One Shoe Blues” (BB King), and “Sweet Home Chicago” (Eric Clapton).
  • While many different blues forms exist, this lesson will focus on the twelve-bar blues.
  • The twelve-bar blues includes three phrases (lines), each with four measures and chords, thereby yielding twelve bars (measures). Twelve-bar blues uses three chords (I, IV, and V) in the following sequence:

I    I   I   I

IV IV I   I

V  IV I   I

  • Display visual of twelve-bar blues (this is one example of twelve-bar blues; other versions also exist). The numbers on the top indicate beats; the roman numerals on the bottom indicate chords.

 

           beats   1-2-3-4     1-2-3-4     1-2-3-4    1-2-3-4

           chord    I               I                I               I

           beats   1-2-3-4     1-2-3-4     1-2-3-4    1-2-3-4

           chord   IV              IV             I               I

           beats   1-2-3-4     1-2-3-4     1-2-3-4    1-2-3-4

           chord   V               IV             I               I

 

  • Have students keep the steady beat using different body percussion for each chord.
    • For example, students pat the steady beat for the I chord, clap for the IV chord, and snap for the V chord.
  • Play the recording and have students perform body percussion to show the chord progression.
  • Display visual showing pitches in the I, IV, and V chords.

 

G       C        D

E        A        B

C        F        G

 

I         IV        V

 

  • Give each student a boomwhacker and practice playing each chord. Then play the twelve-bar blues, playing four beats for each chord.
    • For example, students playing C, E, and G will play sixteen beats in the first phrase (bar) since there are four I chords in the first phrase.
  • Have students listen to the recording to determine the form of the lyrics. (This may take repeated listening.) Lead students to understand the form as A A B (A = first four bars, A is repeated, B = last four bars).
  • Listen to the recording to determine the specific content of the lyrics in A and B phrases (bars). Lead students to understand that A presents a problem, followed by A that repeats the problem (sometimes with a slight variation), and B offers a comment on or twist to what has been presented. All bars end with rhyming words.
  • Divide students into groups and have them write lyrics for their twelve-bar blues. (If students choose, they may write a “not-so-blue blues”, a celebration rather than a commiseration!)
    • Since each phrase (bar) is sixteen beats long, the lyrics should present the problem (A) and reflection (B) succinctly and include rhyming words at the end of each bar!
  • Lyrics content can be aligned with subject matter content (see sample standards). For example, groups could write blues (or not-so-blue blues) about gravity, electricity, and magnetism as major forces acting in nature.
  • Have groups share their blues (or not-so-blues) compositions (speaking or singing) while other students play the chord progression. Other students listen and assess the group’s adherence to the prescribed musical and lyrical form.
  • For example, were the lyrics in A A B form? Did A present the problem and B respond to it? Did each bar end with rhyming words? Was the chord progression a twelve-bar blues?

 

Closing Reflection

  • Question students about lesson content, including music and content area vocabulary and understanding.
  • Have students compare and contrast blues with the music to which they typically listen.

 

Assessments

Formative

  • Through observing and questioning, assess students’ understanding of the twelve-bar blues harmony and lyrics.
  • Through observing, assess students’ ability to play a steady beat using body percussion and boomwhackers.
  • Through observing, assess students’ understanding of academic content while writing lyrics.

Summative

  • Students write and share lyrics reflecting assigned content in prescribed form.
  • Students play the twelve-bar blues.

 

 

Differentiation

Accelerated: 

  • Students explore a different blues form.
  • Students write additional blues lyrics using the same form.
  • Students play two boomwhackers.
  • Create a rhythm for the chord progression (rather than playing the steady beat).

 

Remedial:

  • For a student having difficulty playing a steady beat, another student with beat proficiency could model the steady beat in front of or beside the student.
  • For a student having difficulty playing the boomwhacker at the right time, track the chords on a visual, point to the student (or have another student point to the student) to cue playing the boomwhacker, or pair the student with another student playing the same boomwhacker pitch.

 

Additional Resources

Websites for information on blues:

 

Credits

Ideas contributed by: Dr. Maribeth Yoder-White

*This integrated lesson provides differentiated ideas and activities for educators that are aligned to a sampling of standards. Standards referenced at the time of publishing may differ based on each state’s adoption of new standards.

Revised and copyright:  May 2025 @ ArtsNOW

 

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SING ME A POEM 6-8

SING ME A POEM

SING ME A POEM

Learning Description

In this lesson, students will explore how different multimedia formats of a ballad impact audience perception.

 

Learning Targets

GRADE BAND: 6-8
CONTENT FOCUS: MUSIC & ELA
LESSON DOWNLOADS:

Download PDF of this Lesson

"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

  • I can analyze and evaluate texts through multimedia formats.
  • I can explain and analyze how the media's portrayal of the text impacts the audience.
  • I can use musical vocabulary to explain what I hear in a ballad.
  • I can use good posture, breath support, and accurate pitch while singing.

Essential Questions

  • How does the emotional impact and audience engagement differ between reading a ballad’s text and listening to it being sung?
  • How does a text's portrayal change across its written and musical formats, and how do these differences shape audience perception?
  • How can I use my voice to express emotions and communicate a message?

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 6:

ELAGSE6SL2 Interpret information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how it contributes to a topic, text, or issue under study.

 

Grade 7:

ELAGSE7SL2 Analyze the main ideas and supporting details presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how the ideas clarify a topic, text, or issue under study.

 

Grade 8:

ELAGSE8SL2 Analyze the purpose of information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and evaluate the motives (e.g., social, commercial, political) behind its presentation.

Arts Standards

MSGM6.PR.2 Perform a varied repertoire of music on instruments, alone and with others.

MSGM6.RE.1 Listen to, analyze, and describe music.

MSGM6.RE.2 Evaluate music and music performances.

MSGM6.CN.2.d Demonstrate performance etiquette (e.g. stage presence, attire, and behavior) and audience etiquette appropriate for venue, purpose, context, and style.

 

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 6:

ELA.6.AOR.10.1 Analyze a text or subject presented through multimedia formats and explain how each media’s portrayal of the text or subject impacts the audience.

 

Grade 7:

7.AOR.10.1 Evaluate a text or subject presented through multimedia formats and analyze how each media’s portrayal of the text or subject impacts the audience.

 

Grade 8:

8.AOR.10.1 Evaluate a text or subject presented through multimedia formats and analyze how each media’s portrayal of the text or subject impacts the audience.

Arts Standards

Anchor Standard 3: I can sing alone and with others.

Anchor Standard 6: I can analyze music.

Anchor Standard 7: I can evaluate music.

 

Key Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary

  • Ballad – A poem that tells a story of adventure, of romance, or of a hero, that is suitable for singing, and that usually has stanzas of four lines with a rhyme on the second and fourth lines
  • Text - Can include, but is not limited to, materials such as books, magazines, newspapers, movies, paintings, television shows, songs, political cartoons, online materials, advertisements, maps, digital media, infographics, podcasts, charts, graphs, diagrams, notes, captions, lab reports, scenarios, and works of art
  • Analyze - To study something closely and carefully
  • Evaluate - To study carefully and make a judgement
  • Multimedia - Using different types of media, like pictures, videos, sounds, and words, all together to tell a story or share information

Arts Vocabulary

  • Ballad – A poem that tells a story of adventure, of romance, or of a hero, that is suitable for singing, and that usually has stanzas of four lines with a rhyme on the second and fourth lines
  • Pitch - The highness or lowness of sound
  • Rhythm - Long and short sounds and silences
  • Dynamics - Loud and soft sounds; volume
  • Tempo - The speed of the beat
  • Timbre - The distinctive quality of sounds; the tone color or special sound that makes one instrument or voice sound different from another
  • Form - The organization of a piece (how the music is put together)
  • Articulation - How a performer moves from one note to the next; how notes are connected or not

 

Materials

  • Projection board with internet access
  • Implements for completing writing assignments
  • Graphic organizers (optional)
  • Printed song lyrics
  • Audio recordings
  • Music video (if available)
  • Harvard Project Zero Thinking Routines

 

 

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

See, Think, Wonder (See, Think, Wonder Harvard Project Zero Thinking Routine)

  • Prepare students for a “See, Think, Wonder” reading activity by telling students they are going to read a ballad poem excerpt and answer three prompts. (**Ballad suggestions are in the Additional Resources section of the lesson plan.) Students will need implements for documenting their responses.
    • “I see”: What do you see? What stands out to you?
    • “I think”: What do you think about while reading the ballad poem?
    • “I wonder”: What does the poem make you wonder? What questions do you have?
  • Students are each given copies of the ballad poem to read individually or as a group and answer the first prompt (I see) using words or images.
    • Tell students to “Turn and Talk” about their response with a neighbor.
    • Call on students to share their responses with the class.
      • Restate students’ responses. All responses are acceptable.
    • Students will read the ballad poem a second time and answer the second prompt (I think) using words or images.
      • Tell students to “Turn and Talk” about their responses with a neighbor.
      • Call on students to share their responses with the class.
        • Restate students’ responses. All responses are acceptable.
        • Ask “What did you read in the ballad poem to make you think about …?” to encourage deeper connections to the written text.
      • Students will read the ballad poem a third time and answer the third prompt (I wonder) using words or images.
        • Tell students to “Turn and Talk” about their responses with a neighbor.
        • Call on students to share their responses with the class.
          • Restate students’ responses. All responses are acceptable.
          • Tell students they are going to be examining two different formats of the ballad: the ballad written as a poem and the ballad sung as a song. Students will evaluate how each format impacts them.

Work Session

Ballad Poem Analysis

  • Prepare students to analyze the entire ballad poem by considering and discussing the following questions:
    • Title: What clues do the title give about the poem's subject matter?
    • Speaker: Who is "speaking" in the poem?
    • Words and phrases: What words stand out? Are there any unfamiliar words? Is there a consistent rhyme or pattern?
    • Imagery: What pictures or sensory details does the poet create using language?
    • Tone/mood: How does the poem make you feel?
    • Theme: What is the message?
    • Include additional relevant questions to help guide students’ poetry analysis.
  • Students collaborate with a partner to read, analyze and annotate the entire ballad poem.
    • Tell partners to “Turn and Talk” about their responses with another pair of partners.
  • Read the poem aloud with the whole class and engage the students in a class discussion about their answers to the questions.

 

Music Analysis: Hear, Think, Wonder

  • Prepare students for a “Hear, Think, Wonder” listening activity. This is a modification of the Project Zero “See, Think, Wonder” Thinking Routine activating strategy.
  • Tell students they are going to listen to the ballad as a song and answer three prompts:
    • “I hear”: What sounds do they hear? Musical sounds can include pitch (high/low sounds), rhythm (long/short), dynamics (loud/soft), tempo (fast/slow), timbre (instruments), form (same [repetition], different [contrasting]), articulation (smooth/detached).
    • “I think”: What does the music make you think about?
    • “I wonder”: What “wonderings” do you have? Wonderings are generally
  • Students listen without talking the first time and answer the first prompt (I hear) using words or images.
    • Tell students to “Turn and Talk” about their response with a neighbor.
    • Call on students to share their responses with the class.
      • Restate students’ responses. All responses are acceptable.
    • Students listen without talking a second time and answer the second prompt (I think) using words or images.
      • Tell students to “Turn and Talk” about their responses with a neighbor.
      • Call on students to share their responses with the class.
        • Restate students’ responses. All responses are acceptable. Ask students, “What did you hear in the music to make you think about …?” to encourage deeper connections to the music.
      • Students listen without talking a third time and answer the third prompt (I wonder) using words or images. **The “I think” and I wonder” prompts can be combined into one listening event instead of two separate events.
        • Tell students to “Turn and Talk” about their responses with a neighbor.
        • Call on students to share their responses with the class.
          • Restate students’ responses. All responses are acceptable.
        • The teacher will play the song again while students sing along with the recording. The teacher will remind students to demonstrate good posture, breath support, and accurate pitch while singing.
        • The teacher will lead a discussion with the class about how the musical sounds from the song help contribute to the message of the written text. (Focus on the vocabulary from the “I Hear” prompt.)
          • Ask students whether the music makes the narrative more or less engaging and why.

 

6th grade: Focus more on analyzing the text and explaining the impact on the audience.

  • For example:
    • What is the overarching message of the text?
    • What emotions do they make you feel?
    • Does certain text or sections of text repeat?
    • What is your overall impression of the poem/song?

 

7th and 8th grade: Focus more on evaluating the text and analyzing the impact on the audience.

  • For example:
    • What are the ballad’s strengths and weaknesses?
    • Does the ballad leave a lasting impression or make you want to read/listen to it again?
    • How does the ballad compare to other ballads in the same genre or style?
    • What is your overall impression of the ballad?

 

Closing Reflection

Wrap It Up

  • Remind students that they have explored text presented as a ballad poem and a ballad song.
  • Present students with the following:
    • 6th grade:
      • (a) How does the emotional impact and audience engagement differ between reading a ballad’s text and listening to it being sung?
      • (b) Which format do you prefer and why?
    • 7th and 8th grade:
      • (a) How does a text's portrayal change across its written and musical formats?
      • (b) How do these differences shape audience perception?
      • (c) Which format do you prefer and why?
    • Remind students to keep the question(s) in mind as the class reviews each format.
      • Review both formats of the ballad.
      • After the review, allow students time to think about and thoughtfully answer the questions making sure they use content and music vocabulary in their responses.
        • Students should annotate the content and music vocabulary in their responses using a highlighter, underlining, or circling the vocabulary words.
      • Students will “Turn and Talk” with their neighbor discussing their response to the questions.
      • Call on students to share their responses with the class.

 

Assessments

Formative

  • Evaluate students’ responses to See, Think, Wonder and Hear, Think, Wonder.
  • Observe partner and whole class discussions.

Summative

  • The teacher will evaluate students’ learning through students’ responses (written or oral) to the essential question that includes content and music vocabulary. Using a rubric or checklist may help provide assessment guidance for students.

 

 

Differentiation

Accelerated: 

  • Research and compare additional poem and song ballads.
  • Discuss historical context such as, “How do ballads reflect the time period they were written in?”.

 

Remedial:

  • Use excerpts of the poem and song when completing the analysis.
  • Use graphic organizers.
  • Provide guided notes or sentence starters for discussion.
  • Use partner reading or small group support for comprehension.

 

Additional Resources

Suggested Ballad Titles:

  • “Ballad of John Henry” (poem)
  • “Ballad of John Henry” sung by Wee Sing
  • “Promised Land” sung by Chuck Berry
  • “Puff the Magic Dragon” sung by Peter, Paul, and Mary

 

Credits

Ideas contributed by: Dr. Rue S. Lee-Holmes

*This integrated lesson provides differentiated ideas and activities for educators that are aligned to a sampling of standards. Standards referenced at the time of publishing may differ based on each state’s adoption of new standards.

Revised and copyright:  May 2025 @ ArtsNOW

 

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