Learning Activity

Poetry Fun with Fishy Animations

Subject Area

English Language Arts
Arts Education

Grade(s)

1

Overview

In this learning activity, the students will write a simple poem about a fish.  They will use their creativity to design a fish drawing.  They will combine their drawing and poem into an animated movie using the Fishypaint app.  

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

English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 1

ELA21.1.R5

Utilize the writing process to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish writings in various genres.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.1.R5

Vocabulary

  • Writing process
  • Plan
  • Draft
  • Revise
  • Edit
  • Publish
  • Genres

Knowledge

Students know:
  • The writing process steps are to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish.
  • Various genres of writing.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Plan writings in various genres.
  • Draft writings in various genres.
  • Revise writings in various genres.
  • Edit writings in various genres.
  • Publish writings in various genres.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • The writing process is a set of steps that make writing easier.
  • There are different categories, or genres, of writing that can be used for different purposes.
Arts Education (2017) Grade(s): 1 - Media Arts

AE17.MED.1.5

Combine varied academic and arts content to form media arts products.

Unpacked Content

UP:AE17.MED.1.5

Vocabulary

Theme
  • big ideas
  • parts to whole
Artistic Skills
  • drawing/ painting
  • dancing/ creative movement
  • vocal music
  • instrumental music
  • acting/ dramatic interpretation
  • digital art or music
Media Arts Products
  • video
  • audio recording
  • digital art
Collaborating
  • active listening
  • combining ideas
  • questioning for understanding
  • cooperating
Creative Skills
  • productive thinking
  • collaboration
  • redesign
  • feedback

Essential Questions

EU: Media artists integrate various forms and contents to develop complex, unified artworks.
EQ: How are complex media arts experiences constructed?

Skills Examples

  • With help, make a video that uses music and dance to teach the parts of a story.
  • With a group, complete planning sheets with words or pictures to show the steps to make a video that teaches a friend how to determine if equations involving addition and subtraction are true or false. With help, follow through on the plan.
  • With help, make a sound recording that explains many and varied media arts techniques and products.
  • With help, tell a single story from class through three different media arts applications. Share with the class.
  • With help, present a video to your class in the classroom and, then, again in the library or another location.
  • With help, present a video to your class in the classroom and, then, again in the library or another location. With help, tell about your experience in a "vlog."

Anchor Standards

Anchor Standard 4: Select, analyze, and interpret artistic work for presentation.

Phase

During/Explore/Explain
Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives

The students will: 

  • Write a simple poem about a fish using descriptive words or rhyming words. 
  • Draw and color a fish.   
  • Use technology tools to capture the image of the fish into the FishyPaint app.   
  • Practice and record the narration of their poem into the animation. 
  • Share the finished media product with an audience.  

Activity Details

  1. The teacher will begin the activity by sharing the book Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister.  
  2. After the reading and discussion of the book, students will brainstorm a list of descriptive words and rhyming words associated with fish.  
  3. Using these words, students will write a simple poem.  
  4. The students will draw and color their own unique fish (a fish template can be used if needed).
  5. Students will create their own media art project by combining their poem and their drawing into the app Fishypaint, which will animate their fish.  
  6. The students will use the tablet camera and the FishyPaint app to capture their fish image into the app.  
  7. They will take a digital photo of themselves and add this to the app.
  8. They will then record themselves reading their original poem. They will save their completed animation and then share their finished movie.  
Assessment Strategies

Assessment Strategies

The teacher should read student poems to see if the students are using descriptive and rhyming words.  The teacher should evaluate the student project to determine if the students created a media project that combined writing the poem with their drawing and narration.  The students should reflect on their work with the self-evaluation tool.

Poetry Fun with Fish Animation Self Evaluation for Students 

Variation Tips

Variations on this lesson include using various art techniques to create the fish like stamping, printing, collage, etc.  

The type of narration can be varied to fit multiple English Language Arts curriculum content.  For example, the students could write and then record a sentence about a fish, a dialogue said by the fish, or a personal narrative from the fish.  Please check to see how long the student may record before selecting other options. 

Students could also work with partners to complete this assignment.  

Teacher guided instruction might be needed to help students use the app and record their poems.

Background and Preparation

Background / Preparation

The teacher will need access to the book Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister.

The app FishyPaint needs to be downloaded on student iPads. Markers and crayons for each student should be used to draw and color the fish.  A fish template may be used to assist students.  A sample of a completed fish would be helpful for students. Prior to this lesson, the teacher should read aloud several simple poems for kids. The students should already be familiar with taking pictures with an iPad.  

Digital Tools / Resources

FishyPaint app
http://www.shmonster.com/fishypaint/

Approved Date

Owner (Author)

dschnuelle
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