Learning Activity

Creating a House: Integrating Language Arts With Visual Arts

Subject Area

English Language Arts
Arts Education

Grade(s)

2

Overview

The teacher will begin the activity with a read-aloud of A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle. Next, the teacher will allow students to use the text features, specifically illustrations, in the picture book to describe the plot of the story. Then, the teacher will lead students on a "nature walk" around the school to collect items to create an imaginary house. Lastly, the students will design an imaginary home using the natural objects found on their walk while individually following sequential steps.

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

English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 2

ELA21.2.23

Identify the main story elements in a literary text.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.2.23

Vocabulary

  • Story elements
  • Literary text

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Literary text is a story that contains story elements, like a plot and characters.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Identify the main story elements in a literary text, such as characters, settings, and plot.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Literary texts include story elements, and they can identify the various elements to better understand the text.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 2

ELA21.2.25

Identify and use various text features to locate ideas, facts, or supporting details in both written and digital formats.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.2.25

Vocabulary

  • Identify
  • Text features
  • Ideas
  • Facts
  • Supporting details
  • Written formats
  • Digital formats

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Text features can be used to locate information in printed and digital text.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Identify text features in printed and digital text.
  • Use text features to locate ideas, facts, and supporting details.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Printed and digital text has predictable features that can be used to locate important ideas, facts, and supporting details.
  • Using text features helps support their overall comprehension.
Arts Education (2017) Grade(s): 2 - Visual Arts

AE17.VA.2.3

Extend skills by individually following sequential steps to create works of art on subjects that are real or imaginary.

Unpacked Content

UP:AE17.VA.2.3

Vocabulary

  • Principles of design
    • Balance
  • Brainstorming
  • Composition
  • Concepts
  • Characteristic
  • Elements of art
    • Space
    • Value
  • Expressive properties
  • Foreground
  • Middle ground
  • Neutral colors
  • Resist

Essential Questions

EU: Artists and designers experiment with forms, structures, materials, concepts, media, and artmaking approaches.
EQ: How do artists work? How do artists and designers determine whether a particular direction in their work is effective? How do artists and designers learn from trial and error?

Skills Examples

  • Create two-dimensional artworks such as drawing or painting by using a variety of media.
  • Use the book, The Goat in the Rug by Charles L.
    • Blood & Martin Link to learn about weaving.
  • Use clay or pipe cleaners to create small animal sculptures.
  • Work in groups to brainstorm ideas for a collaborative art project.
  • Use a book about clay, When Clay Sings by Byrd Baylor to study Native Americans and their traditions.
  • Use the book A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle to explore collage techniques.
  • Create a real or imagined home using two-and-three-dimensional media.
  • Learn how to properly use and store brushes, close glue bottles and marker tops.
  • Use found objects such as leaves, rocks, paper tubes, egg cartons, etc.
    • to create artworks.
  • Use the book A Day with No Crayons by Elizabeth Rusch to explore different colors and values.
  • Create a landscape showing depth by placing the foreground, middle ground and background in their correct positions.

Anchor Standards

Anchor Standard 2: Organize and develop artistic ideas and work.
Arts Education (2017) Grade(s): 2 - Visual Arts

AE17.VA.2.5

Create an artwork using found and/or recycled objects.

Unpacked Content

UP:AE17.VA.2.5

Vocabulary

  • Principles of design
    • Balance
  • Brainstorming
  • Composition
  • Concepts
  • Characteristic
  • Elements of art
    • Space
    • Value
  • Expressive properties
  • Foreground
  • Middle ground
  • Neutral colors
  • Resist

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 two-dimensional artworks such as drawing or painting by using a variety of media.
  • Use the book, The Goat in the Rug by Charles L.
    • Blood & Martin Link to learn about weaving.
  • Use clay or pipe cleaners to create small animal sculptures.
  • Work in groups to brainstorm ideas for a collaborative art project.
  • Use a book about clay, When Clay Sings by Byrd Baylor to study Native Americans and their traditions.
  • Use the book A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle to explore collage techniques.
  • Create a real or imagined home using two-and-three-dimensional media.
  • Learn how to properly use and store brushes, close glue bottles and marker tops.
  • Use found objects such as leaves, rocks, paper tubes, egg cartons, etc.
    • to create artworks.
  • Use the book A Day with No Crayons by Elizabeth Rusch to explore different colors and values.
  • Create a landscape showing depth by placing the foreground, middle ground and background in their correct positions.

Anchor Standards

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

Phase

During/Explore/Explain
Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives

The students will identify text features (illustrations) in a picture book.

Students will use text features (illustrations) to locate details about the plot of the story.

The students will follow sequential steps to create works of art to create an imaginary home. 

The students will create artwork using found objects. 

Activity Details

1. The teacher should perform a read-aloud of A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle. The teacher can also use an online read-aloud, such as the digital tool provided. 

2. After reading the story one time, the teacher should read the story again, stopping after each page to create a sequential list of objects Hermit Crab added to his home. The teacher should ask for student volunteers to help create the list. For example: First, Hermit Crab added a sea anemone to his house. Second, Hermit Crab added a sea star to his house. 

3. After creating the list, the teacher should group students into pairs. The partners should take turns retelling the plot of the story to their partner using the teacher's chart to help guide their retelling. 

4. The teacher should explain to students that they will be creating an imaginary home using objects they find around their school. The teacher should take the students on a "nature walk" around the school grounds to collect objects. Note: The teacher should set behavior expectations for the nature walk prior to beginning the activity. The teacher may wish to arrange for additional adults to supervise during the nature walk. The teacher could set parameters for the objects students are allowed to collect, such as "You may only collect objects that are smaller than your hand" and "You may only collect five items".  

5. After returning from the nature walk, the students should create a sequential list of the items they will add to their imaginary home artwork using the Creating a House Guide Sheet. This sheet will require students to make a list of the items they will use to create their imaginary home.

6. The students should then create their imaginary home using the objects found on the nature walk. 

Assessment Strategies

Assessment Strategies

To ensure students have met the stated learning objectives the teacher should:

  • listen to student conversations while retelling the story to ensure students comprehended the details of the plot of A House for Hermit Crab and referred to illustrations in the text to support their explanations.
  • review each student's Creating a House Guide Sheet to check for student understanding of sequential steps. 
  • examine each student's imaginary house created from the materials found on the nature walk. 

Background and Preparation

Background / Preparation

The teacher will need access to the picture book A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle (available on Amazon or at other retailers). Alternatively, the teacher can use an online read-aloud, like the digital tool provided.

The teacher will need access to an interactive whiteboard, a traditional whiteboard, or chart paper. The teacher should make a copy of the Creating a House Guide Sheet for each student.

The teacher should ensure there is an area close to the school grounds for a nature walk. 

Digital Tools / Resources

A House for Hermit Crab Read Aloud
https://youtu.be/Xa2gLW3odzE

Approved Date

Owner (Author)

habradley
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