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Learning Resource Type

Learning Activity

Subject Area

English Language Arts
Arts Education

Grade(s)

3

Overview

Students will respond to a work of art by writing a narrative. Teachers will need a way to display the work of art to the entire class--either through digital resources or a printed version. 

This activity was created as a result of the Arts COS Resource Development Summit.

Phase

Before/Engage
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 3

ELA21.3.33

Write personal or fictional narratives with a logical plot (sequence of events), characters, transitions, and a sense of closure.

UP:ELA21.3.33

Vocabulary

  • Personal narrative
  • Fictional narrative
  • Logical plot
  • Sequence of events
  • Characters
  • Transitions
  • Closure

Knowledge

Students know:
  • A narrative is a piece of writing that tells a story.
  • A personal narrative tells about an event that was personally experienced by the author, while a fictional narrative tells a made up story.
  • A narrative story describes a sequence of events in a logical order (beginning, middle, end) and provides a sense of closure as an ending.
  • A narrative story describes the actions, thoughts, and feelings of the characters.
  • Narrative transitions indicate when and where the story is occurring.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Write a personal narrative that recalls a personal experience or a fictional narrative with a made-up story.
  • Write a narrative with a logical sequence of events and details that describe how the characters feels, acts, and thinks.
  • Use appropriate transitions in narrative writing.
  • Write a narrative that ends with a sense of closure.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Narrative writing includes predictable elements, like a logical sequence of events and an ending that provides the reader with a sense of closure.
  • Because narrative writing describes a chronological sequence of events, it includes transitions that indicate the time and place in which the story is occurring.
  • Narrative writing can be used to tell about something that happened to them personally or it can tell a story they made up.
Arts Education (2017) Grade(s): 3 - Visual Arts

AE17.VA.3.11

Discuss the meanings and messages communicated by visual imagery.

UP:AE17.VA.3.11

Vocabulary

  • Creativity
  • Criteria
  • Critique
  • Design
  • Media
  • Mixed media
  • Monochromatic
  • Principles of design
    • Rhythm
  • Technology
  • Visual image

Essential Questions

EU: Visual imagery influences understanding of and responses to the world.
EQ: What is an image? Where and how do we encounter images in our world? How do images influence our views of the world?

Skills Examples

  • Identify the basic elements of art in a work of art through discussion and writing.
  • Observe and compare similar themes in artwork from historical and contemporary eras.
  • Theorize how individuals can have different opinions about works of art.
  • Demonstrate and apply critiques of personal work and the work of others in a positive way.
  • Select an art object and explain reasons why it is a work of art.
  • Use feedback and self-assessment to improve the quality of personal artwork.
  • Discuss the difference between Meret Oppenheim's Object and an everyday cup.
  • Discuss how art can be related to other subject areas.

Anchor Standards

Anchor Standard 7: Perceive and analyze artistic work.

Learning Objectives

I can determine the message communicated by an image. 

I can write a narrative story with descriptive details. 

Activity Details

Display a piece of artwork such as Van Gogh's Starry Night, Picasso's Science and Charity, Seurat's A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, or any piece of the teacher's choosing.

Students will record what details they notice on sticky notes with guidance from the teacher to pay attention to details. 

Students will share their details. The teacher will ask the students what story the painting is trying to communicate. Record answers for students to view. 

Students will turn what they have noticed into a newspaper headline that grabs a reader's attention and makes them want to view the artwork. The headline should capture the meaning of the artwork. 

Students will then use their headline to guide the writing of a narrative story about what events they see happening in the art. Students will focus on descriptive details that they notice in the painting. 

For Example: If you used the painting The Scream by Edvard Munch, the details recorded could be "dark colors, scared face, boardwalk..etc.." The students could say the artist is trying to communicate the feeling of being panicked. The painting looks like it is painted outside--maybe they are on vacation.

Sample Headlines could be:

"Vacation Takes a Scary Turn"

"Man Sees Terrifying Figure"

Students would then take that headline and create the story that would be attached to it. 

Assessment Strategies

The teacher will grade the writings to ensure students:

-included descriptive details in their narrative writing piece.

-are able to explicitly refer to the painting for their details. 

-included a headline that captured the meaning of the artwork.

Background / Preparation

The teacher will need to access a work of art and have a way to display the work to the students. The teacher will need chart paper or white board to record student thoughts. 

Students will need sticky notes and writing paper. 

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