When a line becomes a shape K-1

WHEN A LINE BECOMES A SHAPE

WHEN A LINE BECOMES A SHAPE

Learning Description

In this lesson, students will learn about lines and shapes through the book, When a Line Bends…A Shape Begins. Students will be able to name and describe shapes, identify them in their environment, create a character out of shapes, and write a sentence summary about the defining attributes of their shape.

 

Learning Targets

GRADE BAND: K-1
CONTENT FOCUS: VISUAL ARTS & MATH
LESSON DOWNLOADS:

Download PDF of this Lesson

"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

  • I can identify different kinds of geometric shapes.
  • I can draw geometric shapes.
  • I can create a character out of a geometric shape.
  • I can write about the attributes of geometric shapes.

Essential Questions

  • What are the different types of geometric shapes?

  • How can I draw geometric shapes?

  • How can I create a character out of a geometric shape?

  • How can I describe the attributes of a shape in written form?

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Kindergarten:

K.GSR.8: Identify, describe, and compare basic shapes encountered in the environment, and form two-dimensional shapes and three-dimensional figures.

 

Grade 1:

1.GSR.4: Compose shapes, analyze the attributes of shapes, and relate their parts to the whole.

 

Arts Standards

Kindergarten

VAK.CR.1 Engage in the creative process to generate and visualize ideas by using subject matter and symbols to communicate meaning.

VAK.CR.2 Create works of art based on selected themes.

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

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

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

 

Grade 1

VA1.CR.1 Engage in the creative process to generate and visualize ideas by using subject matter and symbols to communicate meaning.

VA1.CR.2 Create works of art based on selected themes. 

VA1.CR.3 Understand and apply media, techniques, and processes of two-dimensional art.

VA1.RE.1 Discuss personal works of art and the artwork of others to enhance visual literacy.

VA1.CN.3 Develop life skills through the study and production of art (e.g. collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, communication).

 

 

 

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

Kindergarten

K.G.2 Identify and describe a given shape and shapes of objects in everyday situations to include two-dimensional shapes (i.e., triangle, square, rectangle, hexagon, and circle) and three-dimensional shapes (i.e., cone, cube, cylinder, and sphere). 

 

K.G.5 Draw two-dimensional shapes (i.e., square, rectangle, triangle, hexagon, and circle) and create models of three-dimensional shapes (i.e., cone, cube, cylinder, and sphere).

 

Grade 1

1.G.1 Distinguish between a two-dimensional shape’s defining (e.g., number of sides) and non-defining attributes (e.g., color). 

 

1.G.4 Identify and name two-dimensional shapes (i.e., square, rectangle, triangle, hexagon, rhombus, trapezoid, and circle).

 

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 3: I can improve and complete artistic work using elements and principles.

Anchor Standard 4: I can organize work for presentation and documentation to reflect specific content, ideas, skills, and or media.

 

 

Key Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary

  • Capital/uppercase letter - The first letter of a sentence or a proper noun
  • Period - A punctuation mark that indicates the end of a sentence
  • Geometric shape - A flat, two-dimensional figure that has specific characteristics and can be identified by its attributes 
  • Edge - The side of a shape
  • Vertices - Angles

 

Arts Vocabulary

  • Line - One of the seven elements of art; the path of a moving point
  • Shape - One of the seven elements of art; an enclosed line; two-dimensional object

 

 

Materials

  • Pieces of yarn (some long, some medium, and some short)
  • Types of Shapes handout - one per student
  • White paper
  • Crayons or markers
  • Construction paper
  • Glue sticks
  • When a Line Bends…A Shape Begins

 

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

  • Give students several pieces of yarn of different lengths and the Types of Shapes handout. Tell students that shapes are made from connected lines. Have students practice outlining the shapes using yarn as lines.

 

Work Session

  • Show students the cover of the book, When a Line Bends, A Shape Begins. Ask students to help identify the title, author, and illustrator.
  • Tell students that today they are going to learn about different kinds of shapes through the book, When a Line Bends…A Shape Begins. As you read the book to students, have students practice making the shape discussed by manipulating their yarn. Ask students how many pieces of yarn they need to make the shape to help them understand the number of sides/edges and vertices each shape has.
  • After reading the book, ask students what the book was about to check for understanding. Ask them about the different kinds of shapes they learned about and where they can see examples of these shapes in the classroom. 
  • Tell students that they are going to be making shape characters. Assign each student a shape (square, circle, rectangle, triangle, etc). Tell students that their shape will become a character–it needs to have the correct number of vertices and sides/edges as well as arms, legs, hair, and a face. 
  • Students should first draw their shape large on construction paper. 
  • Then, students should cut it out and glue it on a white piece of paper. 
  • Finally, students can add a face, arms, legs, hair, etc. using crayons or markers.
  • Once students create their shape characters, they will write a sentence about their character. Their sentence should say what type of shape it is, how many lines are used to make it (how many sides), and what they choose to name their shape. Students should focus on using correct punctuation in their sentences (beginning with a capital letter and ending with a period).

 

Closing Reflection

Have students get in groups of four so that each member of the group has a different shape. Students should take turns presenting their shape character and reading their sentence to the group.

 

Assessments

Formative

  • Teachers will assess understanding through:

    • Students’ yarn shapes that they make as they read the book
    • Class discussion after reading the book to see if students understood the book and can identify types of shapes in the classroom

 

Summative

CHECKLIST

    • Students’ shape characters should have the correct number of vertices and sides/edges.
    • Students’ sentences about their shape character should begin with an uppercase letter and end with a period. They should include the attributes of their shape.

 

 

Differentiation

Acceleration: 

  • Have students work together to create a story in which their shape characters interact. Have students develop a beginning, middle, and end to their story. Students can either draw or write the beginning, middle, and end of the story depending on the student’s abilities.

Remediation: 

  • Instead of having students use yarn to make the shapes, have them trace the shapes with their pencils or a colored crayon. 
  • Have students answer verbally or in non-sentence written form the type of shape character they created and the number of sides/lines used to create the shape.

 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Types of Shapes handout

When a Line Bends…A Shape Begins read aloud

*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:  Katy Betts

 

Revised and copyright:  September 2023 @ ArtsNOW

 

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DANCING THROUGH SENTENCE STRUCTURE K-1

DANCING THROUGH SENTENCE STRUCTURE

DANCING THROUGH SENTENCE STRUCTURE

Learning Description

This lesson allows students to explore sentence structure through movement and choreographicsequences. Discover how to integrate dance into your language arts curriculum and engage yourstudents in a brand-new way!

 

Learning Targets

GRADE BAND: K-1
CONTENT FOCUS: DANCE & ELA
LESSON DOWNLOADS:

Download PDF of this Lesson

"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

  • I can identify types of sentences.

  • I can identify parts of speech.

  • I can use movement to express the intent of a sentence, i.e., strong emotion, a question, or a command.

  • I can choreograph a dance based on a given structure.

Essential Questions

  • How can movement help us identify parts of speech and sentence type? 

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Kindergarten:

ELAGSEKL1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. 

ELAGSEKL2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

 

 

Grade 1:

ELAGSE1L1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

ELAGSE1L2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

 

 

Arts Standards

Kindergarten:

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

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

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

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

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

 

Grade 1:

ESD1.CR.1 Demonstrate an understanding of the choreographic process. 

ESD1.CR.2 Demonstrate an understanding of dance as a form of communication

ESD1.PR.1 Identify and demonstrate movement elements, skills, and terminology in dance.

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

 

 

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

Kindergarten:

K.W.MCC.4.1 With guidance and support, use nouns.

K.W.MCC.4.3 With guidance and support, understand and use interrogatives. 

K.W.MCC.4.4 With guidance and support, use verbs.

K.C.MC.1.4 Participate in conversations with varied partners about focused grade level topics and texts in small and large groups. 

 

Grade 1:

1.W.MCC.4.1 Use common, proper, and possessive nouns. 

1.W.MC.4.2 Use singular and plural nouns with matching verbs in basic sentences. 

1.W.MC.4.8 Produce and expand complete simple and compound declarative, interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory sentences. 

 

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 5: I can describe, analyze, and evaluate a dance.

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

 

 

 

Key Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary

Sentence Types

  • Interrogative - A sentence that asks a question and ends with a question mark.
  • Imperative - A sentence that gives a command or makes a request. 
  • Exclamatory - A sentence that shows strong emotion and ends with an exclamation mark. 
  • Declarative - A sentence that makes a statement and ends with a period.
  • Punctuation - Marks used in writing to separate words and numerals.

Arts Vocabulary

  • Locomotor - Movement that travels from one location to another in a pathway through space

  • Non locomotor - Movement that occurs without the body traveling from one point to another point.

Energy Qualities 

  • Percussive - A quality of movement characterized by sharp starts and stops, staccato jabs of energy.  
  • Suspended - A quality of movement that occurs in a moment of resistance to gravity, such as the instant in which a dancer hangs in space at the top of a leap.  
  • Sustained - A quality of movement that is smooth and unaccented. There is no apparent start or stop, only a continuity of energy.  
  • Swinging - A quality of movement established by a fall with gravity, a gain in momentum, a loss of momentum, and the repeated cycle of fall and recovery, like that of a pendulum.  
  • Vibratory - A quality of movement characterized by rapidly repeated bursts of percussive movements, like a jitter. 

 

 

Materials

  • Sound source (CD player, iPod) and speaker  
  • Audio recording 
  • Cards with printed sentences 

 

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

  • As a group, lead students in a warm up that includes these dance elements:

    • Movement energy qualities, including percussive, suspended, sustained, swinging, and vibratory. 
    • Locomotor and non-locomotor movements.
    • Identify these dance elements so that students learn dance vocabulary.

 

Work Session

ELA Discussion

  • Ask students to identify different sentence types (declarative, interrogative, exclamatory, and imperative). 
  • Ask students to match a movement quality of their choice to each sentence type. 
  • Ask students to identify the following parts of speech: verb, noun, pronoun, adjective, and adverb. 

Small group choreography 

  • Divide students into groups and ask each group to create a movement/shape for each part of speech. Each group will create five movements. 
  • Now, give each group a card with a sentence on it. The members will need to identify the underlined parts of speech and the sentence type. 
  • Group members choreograph a short movement phrase that demonstrates the correct order of the underlined parts of speech as they appear, as well as the movement quality that matches the overall sentence type. 

Presentation

Once students have completed their choreographies, each group will present its sentence, identify the parts of speech, and present their choreography to the class. Option to choose music for each dance.

 

Closing Reflection

Ask students to explain, using dance vocabulary, how a movement of a peer group expresses a certain part of speech.

 

Ask students to explain why they chose certain movements to express certain parts of speech.

 

 

 

Assessments

Formative

  • Students engage in collaborative discussion about movement choices and parts of speech.

  • Students correctly use dance vocabulary during discussion.

 

Summative

  • Students correctly identify parts of speech and sentence types. 

  • The form and sequence of a group choreography correctly matched the sequence of the assigned sentence. 

  • Movements were correctly performed.

 

 

Differentiation

Acceleration: 

Add layers to the choreographic process to:

  • Include transitions
  • Vary movements to show a clear beginning, middle, and end expressed in terms of movement (as opposed to simply following the order given by the sentence).

Remediation:

As a class, identify the underlined parts of speech and the sentence type and then assign groups to match movements with parts of speech.

 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

As part of the standards discussion but not standards themselves, the statements below reflect the connection between the choreographic process and the writing process and are interesting to consider while implementing this lesson. 

Fundamentals of Writing  

Employ a recursive writing process that includes planning, drafting, revising, editing, rewriting, publishing, and reflecting.  

Interact and collaborate with peers and adults to develop and strengthen writing.  

Produce writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, discipline, and audience. 

Fundamentals of Communication  

Employ a reciprocal communication process that includes planning, drafting, revising, editing, reviewing, presenting, and reflecting.  

Communicate using style, language, and nonverbal cues appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.  

Use active and attentive communication skills, building on other’s ideas to explore, learn, enjoy, argue, and exchange information.  

Monitor delivery and reception throughout the communication process and adjust approach and strategies as needed.

*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: Melissa Dittmar-Joy and Julie Galle Baggenstoss

 Revised and copyright:  August 2022 @ ArtsNOW

 

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Dancing Differences K-1

DANCING DIFFERENCES

DANCING DIFFERENCES

Learning Description

In this lesson, students will compare and contrast choreographed movement sequences as a precursor to comparing texts. Next, students will apply this strategy to compare two texts.

 

Learning Targets

GRADE BAND: K-1
CONTENT FOCUS: DANCE & ELA
LESSON DOWNLOADS:

Download PDF of this Lesson

"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

  • I can identify similarities and differences between texts, whether they are dances or written literary works.

  • I can graphically document my observations about similarities and differences between two subjects.

  • I can express in complete sentences my analysis of similarities and differences between two subjects. 

Essential Questions

  • How can movement and dance help your students compare and contrast literature?

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Kindergarten:

ELAGSEKRL9 With prompting and support, compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in familiar stories.

ELAGSEKRI1 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text. 

ELAGSEKRI9 With prompting and support, identify basic similarities in and differences between two texts on the same topic (e.g., in illustrations, descriptions, or procedures)

ELAGSEKW7 With guidance and support, participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., explore a number of books by a favorite author and express opinions about them).

ELAGSEKSL1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

 

Grade 1:

ELAGSE1RL9 Compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in stories.

ELAGSE1RI1 Ask and answer questions about key details in a text. 

ELAGSE1RI9 Identify basic similarities in and differences between two texts on the same topic (e.g., in illustrations, descriptions, or procedures). 

ELAGSE1SL1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

 

Arts Standards

Kindergarten:

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

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

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

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

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

Grade 1:

ESD1.CR.1 Demonstrate an understanding of the choreographic process. 

ESD1.CR.2 Demonstrate an understanding of dance as a form of communication

ESD1.PR.1 Identify and demonstrate movement elements, skills, and terminology in dance.

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

 

 

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

Kindergarten:

K.RL.7.1 With guidance and support, retell a familiar text; identify beginning, middle, and end in a text heard or read. 

K.RL.7.2 Read or listen closely to compare familiar texts

K.RI.7.1 With guidance and support, compare topics or ideas within a thematic or author study heard, read, or viewed.

K.C.1.4 Participate in conversations with varied partners about focused grade level topics and texts in small and large groups

K.C.3.1 Explore how ideas and topics are depicted in a variety of media and formats.

Grade 1: 

1.RL.7.1 Retell text, including beginning, middle, and end; use key details to determine the theme in a text heard or read. 

1.RL.7.2 Read or listen closely to compare and contrast familiar texts and texts in author and genre studies.

1.RI.7.1 Compare and contrast topics or ideas within a thematic or author study heard, read, or viewed. 

1.C.1.1 Explore and create meaning through conversation, drama, questioning, and story-telling.

1.C.3.1 Explore and compare how ideas and topics are depicted in a variety of media and formats.

 

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 5: I can describe, analyze, and evaluate a dance.

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

 

 

Key Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary

Compare - Search for similarities between two or more subjects

Contrast - Search for differences between two or more subjects

Arts Vocabulary

  • Choreography - The art of composing dances and planning and arranging the movements, steps, and patterns of dancers.
  • Choreographer - A person who creates dances. 
  • Tempo - The speed of the movement or music.
  • Level - The vertical distance from the floor that a dancer occupies during a movement 
  • Pathway - The trail a dancer takes in a locomotor movement.
  • Locomotor - Movement that travels from one location to another in a pathway through space
  • Non-locomotor - Movement that occurs without the body traveling from one point to another point.

 

 

Materials

  • Sound source (CD player, iPod) and speakers
  • Audio recording 
  • Stories or literary excerpts 
  • Venn diagram to project for class-wide viewing
  • Printed copies of Venn diagram to distribute for small group work

 

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

  • Lead students in a brief warm-up.  As you move, point out what body parts are moving, the tempo (fast/slow), levels (high, medium, low), and pathways (on the ground or in the air). 

 

Work Session

  • Analyzing movement 

    • Students discuss similarities and/or differences in the learned movements while incorporating dance vocabulary in descriptions.
    • Divide class into small groups. 
    • Each group creates a short movement phrase using 3-4 of the movements learned in the warm up. Without other groups knowing, assign each group a quality that they must use when performing their dance, i.e., fast, slow, etc. 
    • Each group performs its dance for peers.
    • As one group performs, peers identify the similarities and differences between the different group dances. These are documented on a Venn diagram. 

    ELA connection

    • Next, present two versions of the same written text to the class and ask them to work in small groups to complete a Venn diagram to document similarities and differences between the texts. 
    • Individually, students write sentences, draw a picture, or prepare an oral presentation to express their findings.
    • Select a few students to present their work and engage classroom discussion by those who support and dissent.

 

Closing Reflection

Ask students to recall creating the Venn diagrams in dance. Ask them what got their attention when they looked for similarities and differences in movement phrases.

 

Ask students to think about creating the Venn diagrams for the written texts. Ask them what got their attention when they looked for similarities and differences in those works.

 

Ask students to compare and contrast the processes of the work they just did, analyzing dances vs. written texts. Is one similar to the other? Is one different from the other?

 

 

Assessments

Formative

  • Students use dance vocabulary while creating dance phrases.
  • Students recorded data using a Venn diagram.
  • Students worked collaboratively.

 

Summative

  • Students created dance sequences according to the aforementioned criteria. 
  • Students identified similarities and differences in the performed choreographic sequences. 
  • Students successfully compared and contrasted the presented written texts.

 

 

Differentiation

Acceleration:

Ask students to partner when creating their dances, taking into consideration the choice to mirror or not to mirror. 

 

Use three texts instead of two.

 

Remediation:

Rather than working in small groups, work as an entire class to create the compare and contrast piece about two dances.

 

Rather than working individually, work in small groups to create the compare and contrast piece about two written texts.

 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Classroom Tips:

  • Clear desks to have an open space. 
  • Be tolerant of noise and excitement but set limits. 
  • Review rules for appropriate audience behavior.   

*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: Melissa Dittmar-Joy

 

Revised and copyright:  August 2022 @ ArtsNOW

 

Back to Modules

Mobiles & Story Elements

Mobiles & Story Elements

MOBILES AND STORY ELEMENTS

Learning Description

In this lesson, students will create a mobile sculpture inspired by the artist, Alexander Calder, to show the elements of a story.

 

Learning Targets

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

Download PDF of this Lesson

"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

  • I can create a mobile sculpture inspired by the artist, Alexander Calder, that illustrates the elements of a story.

Essential Questions

  • How can I demonstrate my understanding of the elements of a story through a mobile sculpture?

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 2:

ELAGSE2RL1 Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.

ELAGSE2RL5 Describe the overall structure of a story including describing how the beginning introduces the story, the middle provides major events and challenges, and the ending concludes the action.

ELAGSE2RL7 Use information gained from the illustrations and words in a print or digital text to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting, or plot.

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

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

Grade 3:

ELAGSE3RL1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers. 

ELAGSE3RL7 Explain how specific aspects of a text’s illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story (e.g., create mood, emphasize aspects of a character or setting).

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.

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

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.

VA2.CN.3 Develop life skills through the study and production of art (e.g. collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, communication).

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.

VA3.CN.1 Investigate and discover the personal relationships of artists to community, culture, and the world through making and studying art.

 

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 2:

2.I.1.1 Ask self-generated questions that lead to group conversations, explorations, and investigations. 

2.RL.MC.6.1 Use information gained from illustrations and words in a print or multimedia text to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting, or plot. 

2.C.MC.1.4 Participate in shared conversations with varied partners about focused grade level topics and texts in small and large groups. 

2.C.MC.1.5 Explain personal ideas and build on the ideas of others by responding and relating to comments made in multiple exchanges. 

2.W.RC.6.1 Write routinely and persevere in writing tasks over short and extended time frames, for a range of domain-specific tasks, and for a variety of purposes and audiences.

Grade 3:

3.I.1.1 Formulate questions to focus thinking on an idea to narrow and direct further inquiry. 

3.RL.MC.1 Use text evidence to: a. describe characters’ traits, motivations, and feelings and explain how their actions contribute to the development of the plot; and  b. explain the influence of cultural and historical context on characters, setting, and plot development.

3.C.MC.1.1 Explore and create meaning through conversation and interaction with peers and adults. 

3.C.MC.1.2 Participate in discussions; ask questions to acquire information concerning a topic, text, or issue.

3.W.RC.6.1 Write routinely and persevere in writing tasks

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 3: I can improve and complete artistic work using elements and principles.

Anchor Standard 4: I can organize work for presentation and documentation to reflect specific content, ideas, skills, and or media.

 

Key Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary

Character - A person, figure, or animal depicted in literature.

Setting - When and where a story takes place.

Plot - The main events of the story.

Summary - A brief description of a passage that captures the main idea.

Main idea - The central idea or theme of a story.

Detail - Information from the passage that supports the main idea.

Arts Vocabulary

Shape - One of the seven elements of art; a two-dimensional object that can be geometric, organic, or free-form.

Form - One of the seven elements of art; a three-dimensional object that can be geometric, organic, or free-form.

Sculpture - An art form that shows the element of form.

Mobile - A hanging sculpture that has moving parts.

 

Materials

  • Paper plates
  • Markers/colored pencils
  • Plain white paper
  • Yarn/string
  • Paper clips
  • Scissors

 

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

  • Show the students Alexander Calder’s sculpture, Mariposa (Butterfly), on a screen. Do not show them the title of the artwork. Have students go through the See, Think, Wonder strategy to engage with the image.
  • Tell students that the name of the sculpture is Mariposa (Butterfly). Ask students if they can see the butterfly in the sculpture.

 

Work Session

  • Explain to the students that this sculpture shows the following elements of art: shape, line, and form. Explain that sculpture is three-dimensional art. The pieces of the sculpture are made up of free-form shapes and lines. Show students the different types of shapes in art: organic, free-form, and geometric.
  • Tell students that you are going to read them a story. Students should listen for details that tell about the character(s) and setting of the story. As you read, students should raise their hands whenever they hear a detail about the character(s) or setting. Pause as you read to allow students to share their details. Create a list of details on the board. 
  • At the end of the story, ask students to summarize the story. Students should identify the beginning, middle, and end of the story. 
  • Explain to students that they are going to create a sculpture like the one they looked at at the beginning of class, Mariposa, by Alexander Calder. 
  • Students should draw the setting of the story on their paper plate. 
  • Then, demonstrate to students how to draw a spiral on their paper plate, starting at the middle and spiraling outward. Students will then cut along the spiral.
  • Next, students will draw images/symbols on plain white paper to represent the character(s) and the beginning, middle, and end of the story. Students should cut these out.
  • Students will tie yarn or string to the spiral that they cut out of the paper plate and attach the symbols for the beginning, middle, and end of the story to the yarn or string. Students should place the symbols in sequential order. On the back of the symbols, students should summarize the beginning, middle, and end of the story. 
  • Students will attach a paper clip to the center of the spiral to hang the sculpture.

Closing Reflection

  • In small groups, have students compare and contrast their artwork to the illustrations in the book. What are the similarities and differences between the way the illustrator communicated meaning and the way students communicated meaning? 
  • Students should conclude by writing an artist statement that says what they are most proud of in their artwork, their names as artists, and what symbols they chose to show in their artwork.

 

Assessments

Formative

  • See, Think, Wonder strategy analyzing Calder’s, Mariposa (Butterfly) - students should be able to use visual evidence to support reasoning
  • Students’ identification of the character(s)
  • Students’ identification of the setting
  • Students’ identification of the beginning, middle, and end of the story

 

Summative

  • Students’ mobiles that show the character(s), setting, and beginning, middle, and end of the story
  • Students’ summaries of the beginning, middle, and end of the story

 

Differentiation

Acceleration: Have students retell the story to each other using their mobiles as a visual aid. Students should then compare and contrast their use of symbols to communicate meaning.

Remediation: Have students work in groups. Each member is assigned one part of the story to illustrate for their group’s mobile–beginning, middle, or end. Students will combine their work to create one piece of art. Students will work together to retell the story using their mobile.

Additional Resources

Mobiles and Story Elements

Types of Shapes

*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: Katy Betts

Revised and copyright: September 2023 @ ArtsNOW

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The Shades of Monster Emotions

THE SHADES OF MONSTER EMOTIONS

THE SHADES OF MONSTER EMOTIONS

Learning Description

Using the book The Color Monster: A Story About Emotions, by Anna Llenas, students will investigate story elements and dive into the world of emotions and colors. They will actively explore emotions using their faces, bodies, and voices.

 

Learning Targets

GRADE BAND: 2
CONTENT FOCUS: THEATRE & ELA
LESSON DOWNLOADS:

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"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

  • I can make connections between emotions and colors.
  • I can use my body, face, and voice to convey emotions and colors.

Essential Questions

  • How are emotions like colors, and how can colors represent emotions?
  • How does talking about and exploring our emotions help us?

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 2:

ELAGSE2RL1 Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text. 

ELAGSE2RL7 Use information gained from the illustrations and words in a print or digital text to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting, or plot.

Arts Standards

Grade 2:

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

  1. Use imagination and vocal elements (e.g. inflection, pitch, volume, articulation) to communicate a character’s thoughts, emotions, and actions. 
  2. Use imagination and physical choices to communicate a character’s thoughts and emotions. 
  3. Collaborate and perform with an ensemble to share theatre with an audience. 
  4. Explore character choices and relationships in a variety of dramatic forms (e.g. narrated story, pantomime, puppetry, dramatic play).

 

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

Grade 2:

2.RL.MC.5.1 Ask and answer literal and inferential questions to demonstrate understanding of a text; use specific details to make inferences and draw conclusions in texts heard or read. 

2.RL.MC.5.2 Make predictions before and during reading; confirm or modify thinking.

Arts Standards

THEATRE

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

VISUAL ARTS

Anchor Standard 5: I can interpret and evaluate the meaning of an artwork.

 

Key Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary

Emotion – A state of feeling such as: angry; sad; excited; nervous; happy. 

Theme – the lesson of the story

Arts Vocabulary

Color - a component of light which is separated when it is reflected off of an object.

Actor – This is a person who performs a role in a play, work of theatre, or movie. 

Facial Expression – how an actor uses his or her face (eyes, cheeks, mouth, chin, nose) to convey meaning. 

Gestures –any movement of the actor’s head, shoulder, arm, hand, leg, or foot to convey meaning.

 

Materials

  • The Color Monster. A Story About Emotions, by Anna Llenas. 
  • Color list (below, or comparable by teacher choice)
  • Emotion list (below, or comparable by teacher choice)

 

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

Colors

  • Lead a discussion about colors.  What are colors?  Discuss how light reflects off of things in different ways, and that’s how our eyes see colors.  How do colors make you feel? What do they make you think of?  What is your favorite color, and why?  Option: show the list of colors attached below, discuss any that are unfamiliar, and compare different colors that are similar, e.g., silver and gray.  Ask what other colors they can think of that are not on the list.

Emotions

  • Lead a discussion about emotions.  “What are emotions?  How do different experiences make us feel different emotions?  How do our emotions change?  How do we express emotions?” Show the list of emotions attached below, discuss any that are unfamiliar, and compare different emotions that are similar, e.g., sad and lonely.  Ask what other emotions they can think of that are not on the list.

Connecting Colors and Emotions

  • Lead a discussion about the connection between colors and emotions.  “Can you think of any phrases that connect colors with emotions?(e.g., ‘green with envy,’ ‘seeing red,’ or ‘feeling blue,’ or ‘rose-colored glasses.’)”  Do certain emotions make you think of certain colors?  Or do you associate different colors with different emotions?  If so, why?”  Honor whatever connections the students might make, even if they seem unconventional.

 

Work Session

The Color Monster

Explain that the class will read a book that connects colors with emotions.  Discuss this connection as the theme of the book – it is the main idea or concept.  Show The Color Monster.  Explain that the author, Anna Llenas, has thought a lot about this question, and she connects certain colors with certain emotions.

  • Read the book aloud.  During the read aloud, have students add sound and body to express the characters and repeat key lines or phrases after you read them. Encourage them to become the characters with their face, body and voice.
  • After reading aloud, review the colors and emotions in the book (yellow = happy; blue = sad; red = anger; black = fear; green= calm; pink=love).  Discuss if those connections make sense to students.  Ask, “What other colors and emotions would you connect?”
  • Discuss the concept expressed in the book about feeling mixed emotions, and putting emotions into separate containers.  Ask, “What does this mean in real life?  How can we put emotions into different containers?”

Coloring Our Emotions

  • Tell the students that you will call out an emotion and they will use their bodies and faces to convey that emotion.  Start with a simple emotion like happy, sad, or scared.  Tell them they can use facial expression, body position, and gestures to convey the emotion.
  • Ask them to express what color they connect with that emotion.  (e.g., “I’m scared and it feels pink” or “I’m bored and it feels gray.”)
  • Ask them to add sound to their faces and bodies.  Ask, “Does this emotion make you use a loud or soft voice?  High or low?  How would you pronounce your words with this emotion?”  Allow different students to have different interpretations, and acknowledge that sometimes when someone is angry they could be loud or quiet, or that when someone is happy, their voice could get very high or very low.
  • Call out several more emotions from the list, and have the students repeat the process.
  • Give volunteers the opportunity, when conveying an emotion with body, face and voice, to articulate why someone might feel that emotion (e.g., “I’m angry that my sister won’t play with me, and it feels bright red,” or “I’m happy that we’re going to have ice cream, and it feels light green.”)

Finding Emotions from Our Colors (Optional)

  • Explain that now the process will be reversed.  A color will be called out, and students can respond with a connected emotion.  Tell students that they may connect the emotion directly with a color, or they may think of something the color reminds them of and find the emotional connection that way.  E.g., blue might make a student think of a swimming pool, invoking excitement; red may make a student think of a stop sign/caution; or orange may make them think of fire, invoking fear.
  • After calling out a color, allow students to use their bodies and faces to show the emotion; then ask volunteers to use their emotional voice to name the emotion they are thinking of and explain the connection, if any.

Extension

  • Have students draw a picture connecting a color with an emotion.  Have them start from either an emotion or a color.  If they start from an emotion, have them choose the color that they think goes with it.  If they choose a color, have them decide which emotion they connect with it.  Using a single color, have them write the emotion word (with guidance as needed) and draw images, lines, and shapes that convey the emotion (e.g., The drawing could include squiggles, zigzags, curves and solid shapes, as well as representational images such as a football player, two friends arguing, a piece of jewelry, or a butterfly).
  • Then have them write a paragraph describing the emotion in terms of the color and the elements they included in their illustration.  The paragraph can begin, “When I feel ______ (emotion), everything looks ________ (color) because . . .”

 

Closing Reflection

Ask, “What is the connection between emotions and colors?  How can colors help us think about emotions?  How do colors make us feel?  How did we express emotions using our bodies, facial expressions, and voices?“

 

Assessments

Formative

  • Students demonstrate understanding by using their bodies, faces, and voices. 
  • Students use emotion and color words to describe what they are enacting.
  • Students articulate situations or scenarios that make sense for the emotion they are conveying.

 

Summative

Students’ illustrations and paragraphs convey their understanding of the connection between emotions and color.

 

Differentiation

Acceleration: 

Explore the concept of mixed emotions implied in the book.  Have students choose two different, seemingly conflicting emotions connected with  two different colors, and have them enact them together.  Have them articulate a scenario that might lead to conflicting emotions (e.g., getting together with a close friend who is moving away).

Remediation: 

Work through the emotions according to how they are portrayed in the book, maintaining a one-to-one correspondence to avoid confusion.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Books with a similar theme:

     My Many-Colored Days, by Dr. Seuss

     What Color Is Your Day?, by Camryn Wells

*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 Purcell and Barry Stewart Mann

Revised and copyright:  June 2023 @ ArtsNOW

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