Learning Activity

Character Word Cloud Art

Subject Area

Arts Education
English Language Arts

Grade(s)

8, 9

Overview

After studying a character, students will create a Word Art design to show how a particular character develops over the course of a text.

This activity results from the ALEX Resource Development Summit.

English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 9

ELA21.9.4

Analyze how authors use characterization, connotation, denotation, figurative language, literary elements, and point of view to create and convey meaning in a variety of texts.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.9.4

Vocabulary

  • Characterization
  • Connotation
  • Denotation
  • Figurative language
  • Literary elements
  • Point of view

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Authors choose to write from a particular point of view and use specific literary elements and vocabulary words to convey their intended meaning.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Identify characterization, connotation, denotation, figurative language, literary elements, and point of view in a variety of texts.
  • Analyze how characterization, connotation, denotation, figurative language, literary elements, and point of view creates and conveys meaning in a variety of texts.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Authors select particular literary elements and devices to create and convey meaning within their written work.
Arts Education (2017) Grade(s): 8 - Visual Arts

AE17.VA.8.5

Plan select, organize, and design images and words to make visually clear works of art using traditional and/or digital methods.

Unpacked Content

UP:AE17.VA.8.5

Vocabulary

  • Creative Processes
  • Organize and develop ideas
  • Traditional Media
  • Contemporary Media
  • Fair Use
  • Open Source
  • Creative Commons
  • Develop artistic ideas
  • Plagiarizing
  • Graffiti
  • Defacing
  • Criteria
  • Refine and complete artistic work
  • Archival
  • Criteria
  • Cultural Context
  • Body of Artwork
  • Collaborate
  • Medium/ Media
  • Genre

Essential Questions

EU: People create and interact with objects, places, and design that define, shape, enhance, and empower their lives.
EQ: How do objects, places, and design shape lives and communities? How do artists and designers determine goals for designing or redesigning objects, places, or systems? How do artists and designers create works of art or design that effectively communicate?

Skills Examples

  • Create a pre-drawing self-portrait at the beginning of a drawing unit and compare it to a finished self-portrait at the end of the unit.
  • Write a survey at the beginning of a course to communicate prior knowledge and apprehensions of creating artwork and skill levels. At the end of the course review the survey to reflect on progress.
  • Collaborate with other students to create a legacy project, communication-based posters or a mural.
  • Collaboratively or individually compare, contrast and investigate self -portraits and social media selfies.
  • Create an artwork that explores new techniques, with the understanding that the artwork is experimental.
  • After exploring Tibetan sand mandalas, write a reflection, that highlights the importance of the process over product.
  • Discuss, examine and describe the use and misuses of appropriating (plagiarizing) copyrighted artworks and designs.
  • Describe the difference between the intent of graffiti vandalism and urban street art and the effects on various communities- compare defacing with creating.
  • Create an artwork implementing ideas, organizational elements, foundations, skills, and techniques of visual art in a traditional and/or digital method.
  • Engage - for the purposes of personal reflection and on-going improvement, group critiques.
  • Create a rubric with teacher input to be used for evaluation purposes.

Anchor Standards

Anchor Standard 2: Organize and develop artistic ideas and work.

Phase

After/Explain/Elaborate
Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives

I can show how a complex character develops over the course of a text by creating symbolic word cloud art to represent that character. 

Activity Details

After reading a novel, short story, etc., students will create a Word Art design to show how their chosen character has developed over the course of the text. 

Students should go to https://wordart.com/.  Students should click "Create." (There is NO need for students to create an account, log in, or sign up.)  Students will be able  to edit their word art in the following ways:

  • adding words
  • choosing font
  • selecting font colors
  • changing the art shape
  • changing the layout
  • choosing the style of the words

Students will create a WordArt design to represent their character and reflect how their character has changed over the course of the text. Everything about the WordArt should be symbolic and represent the character. (Examples: Change the font colors to represent positive and negative connotations associated with the character; choose a shape to represent the character; choose a font that would help depict the character; etc).  After students complete their WordArt, they will click SHARE (Do not click save. Clicking Save will prompt students to sign up for an account). After clicking share, they will get the link that can be shared with the teacher.  Students can also take a screenshot of their design to paste into a word document. 

After students complete their word art, students should write a paragraph explaining the choices for their design and how it reflects how the character has developed over the course of the text.

Assessment Strategies

Assessment Strategies

Through the paragraph explanation and the word cloud art, teachers will be able to see whether a student understands how the character has developed over the course of the text. 

i.e., Does the shape of the word art symbolically represent the character? Do the words of the word art represent the character? Were colors strategically chosen to represent the character? Does the student explain his/her choices clearly in the paragraph?

Background and Preparation

Background / Preparation

Students need to read a text (novel, short story, etc). 

Students will need access to a digital tool in order to complete WordArt.com

The teacher should be familiar with WordArt.  If the teacher is unfamiliar with WordArt, the following tutorial can be used to learn how to use WordArt.

Digital Tools / Resources

WordArt
https://wordart.com/

Approved Date

Owner (Author)

leannbryan
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