ARTISTIC THINKING UNIT INSTRUCTION PLAN

utilizing the
MU Art Education Lesson Plan Format
Developed by Dr. Kathy Unrath

NAME : GINIA GOWIN

TITLE OF UNIT: Mixed Media Personal Narrative Collages
GRADE LEVEL(S): 6-8
STANDARDS:
NATIONAL VISUAL ARTS STANDARDS:
SHOWME VISUAL ARTS STANDARDS:
Missouri Fine Arts GRADE LEVEL EXPECTATIONS (GLEs):
ISTE-S Standards / 21st Century Learning and Innovation
Skills (4Cs)
RATIONALE and GOALS FOR THIS LESSON:
The stories people tell themselves and others shapes
personal identity and affects perceptions. Through art, students can
explore their personal stories and affect their developing identities.
ENDURING BIG IDEA: STORIES/IDENTITY
Students will communicate a personal story/narrative
through art and poetry.
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
What stories are you telling about you?
How have these stories shaped your personal identity?
How can you communicate your personal story through art?
KNOWLEDGE BASE AND KEY CONCEPTS:
narrative art
narrative poetry
mixed media
collage
OBJECTIVES:
o Students will know...narrative elements
used in writing and art.
o Students will understandhow collage
media are used to convey messages and create meaning.

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o Students will be able to engage in
making an work that communicates a personal narrative.
VOCABULARY:
Narrative- communication of a story
Setting- when and where the narrative occurs
Subject- who or what the work is about
Elements of art- color, line, shape, form, space,
value, and texture

LESSON SEQUENCE - LESSON VIGNETTES:

Standards

VA:Cr2.2.7a
VA:Re7.2.7a
VA:Cn10.1.7a
VA:Cn11.1.7a
VA:Cn11.1.7a

Major Learning Activities:

21st C Skill

1. Introduce Big Idea and Essential Question

Collaboration

Activity: Reading Art (1 class period)

Critical Thinking

Objective: Students will interpret an artwork and

read its possible meaning/ narrative.
Student will use Visual
Thinking Strategies to discuss an
artwork such as The Young Lady
with the Shiner (Girl with Black Eye)
by Norman Rockwell using the VTS
questions:
- What is going on in this image?
- What do you see that makes you say that?
- What more can we find?

Discussion: What are

your personal stories? How do
you tell these stories? Do the
stories you tell yourself and
others about you shape your

Communication

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identity? Students will then
discuss what creates and
makes up our identity. Students
will write/sketch personal
narrative possibilities in their
artists journals. The teacher will
then connect this VTS
experience to the unit by
introducing the essential
questions:
What stories
are you telling about you?
How have
these stories shaped your
personal identity?
How can you
communicate your personal
story through art?

Extension: Students
can use social media or class
blogs to further discuss the
communication of personal
narrative. They can post
images of their sketchbooks or
other examples of narrative art
on social media (class
Instagram, website, blogs,
Twitter, etc.)
Resources:
- Visual Thinking Strategies website
- The Norman Rockwell Museum Store
CCSS.ELALITERACY.W.
7.3

2. Exploring the Big Idea

Activity: WHERE IM FROM Poems (1

Creativity
Critical Thinking

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CCSS.ELALITERACY.RL.
7.10
ISTE3c

class period)
Communication
Objective: Students will write a narrative
poem.

Read and discuss

George Ella Lyons poem,
Where Im From.

Students can view

Lyons website to view other
examples and brainstorm ideas
for their poems.

Students will write

autobiographical poems using
the template here.

Students may share

their poems using VoiceThread,
PowerPoint, Canva,or on their
student blogs, etc.
Resources:
http://www.georgeellalyon.com/where.html

VA:Cr2.2.7a
VA:Cn10.1.7a
ISTE 5a, b, d

3. Exploring Artists Craft

Activity: The ART of Telling a Story (1-2
class periods)
Objective: Students will explore narrative
works and the craft of other artists.

Read the Huffington Post

article, The Stories That Only Artists
Can Tell by Daniel Grant
Explore works at Artists Tell
Their Stories

Critical Thinking

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Extension: Students may complete the
Every Picture Tells A Story activity.

Resources:
http://artiststelltheirstories.blogspot.com/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arts/
www.metmuseum.org

VA:Cr2.2.7a
VA:Cr2.2.7a
VA:Pr5.1.7a
VA:Re7.2.7la
VA:Cn10.17la
VA:Cn11.1.7a
VA:Cn11.1.7a

4. Experimenting with Technique

Activity: Artists Journal-Silhouette Collage
(1-2 class periods)

Creativity
Critical Thinking
Problem Solving

Objective: Students will experiment with

collage techniques and a variety of materials.
Students will trace their silhouette
to use as the subject of their work.
They will collect a variety of images
from magazines and other print to
represent their histories.
Experimenting with collage
techniques, students will apply the images
to the silhouette
Experimenting with mixed media,
students will use a variety of materials,
such as watercolor, crayon, and ink, to
create the background of their piece.
Extension: Students may also use photo
manipulation tools, such as FotoFlexer,
PhotoCandy, and PicsArt to experiment with
digital collaging.

VA:Cr2.2.7a
VA:Re7.2.7a
VA:Cn10.1.7a

5. Pre-Thinking

Critical Thinking

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VA:Cn11.1.7a
VA:Cn11.1.7a

Activity: Word Cloud(1-2 class periods)

Collaboration

Objective(s):Students will document the process

of developing ideas. Students will be able to
describe how their personal inventories,
histories, and narratives influence their identities/
perceptions of self.

Teacher asks
Essential Questions using Poll
Everywhere.com.

Students write a
response to the essential
questions.

Responses are
compiled into a word cloud via
Poll Everywhere.

Word Cloud is
displayed in the classroom.

As the unit
progresses, the class may
revisit the poll and respond to
the EQ again. Each additional
Word Cloud would be displayed
with the initial cloud to show
visual progression.
Resource: Poll Everywhere
VA:Cr2.2.7a
VA:Cr2.2.7a
VA:Re7.2.7a
VA:Cn10.1.7a
VA:Cn11.1.7a
VA:Cn11.1.7a

6. Planning
Creativity
Activity: Planning work for the independent
project (1-2 class periods)
Objective: Students will describe how personal
inventories, histories, and narratives influence
their identities/ perceptions of self.

Students will be given

Collaboration

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time to read narrative essays
and poetry, view narrative
works, gather photos, do
research, experiment with
media, create studies, sketch,
and write in preparation for
beginning their personal project.
This planning should be
documented in journals or by
using a visual platform, such as
Pinterest, Canva, student blogs,
Instagram, etc. Students may
collaborate during this stage to
brainstorm, gather materials,
and solicit feedback.

VA:Re7.2.7a
VA:Pr5.1.7a

7. Proposal

Creativity

Activity: Presenting independent artwork

proposal (1-2 class periods)

Critical Thinking

Objective(s): Students will demonstrate

awareness of ethical implications of making and
distributing creative work.

Students are expected

to create an original mixed
media work of art that
communicates their personal
narratives from the units class
discussions, activities,
research, and media
experimentation.

Students will be
encouraged to gather additional
personal photos & materials,
continue to write and research,

Communication

8
and document progress in
journals or on blogs.

Students will be
expected to present project plan
to class and submit written
proposal to teacher before
beginning final project.
VA:Cn10.1.7a

8. Documentation
Communication
Activity: Documenting Process and Reflection
(During previous activities & 1 class period)
Objective: Students will document their process
and reflect on their progress throughout the unit,
addressing the following:

Planning

Research

Journal/Blog
reflections while in progress

Revisions

Critique & Feedback

notes while in progress

Daily Reflections

VA:Cr1.1.7a
VA:Cr2.1.7a
VA:Pr5.1.7a
VA:Re7.2.7a
VA:Cn10.1.7a
VA:Cn11.1.7a
VA:Cn11.1.7a
CCSS.W2
CCSS.W7
ISTE 1b
ISTE 2a
ISTE 2b
ISTE 4a

9. Production

Creativity

Activity: Create an independent artwork (5-8

class periods)

Critical Thinking

Objective(s): Students will demonstrate

learning and creative expression through the
experience of creating a personal narrative
artwork using mixed media.
Students will design and create an
individual narrative artwork using the

Communication

Problem Solving

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ISTE 6a

inspiration and knowledge gained

throughout the unit. The piece will
communicate a personal story/ narrative,
addressing these Big Ideas and answering
the following Essential Questions:
What stories are you telling about
you?
How have these stories shaped
your personal identity?
How can you communicate your
personal story through art?
Concepts for this project are
independently and collaboratively
reached by addressing the artistic
question and formulating responses in a
word cloud. Students should document
the development of their ideas in their
journals and/or on their blogs as they
work. The finished work should then be
presented and preserved as part of their
portfolio (either physical or electronic).
When the piece is completed, students
will write an artists statement describing
the conception of their ideas, why they
chose the materials and design, and how
the piece communicates their stories.

ASSESSMENT/RUBRIC: Students will be assessed based on

participation and completion of activities throughout the unit, personal
reflections on growth and learning, and creating a product that
communicates a personal narrative.
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AND ADAPTATIONS FOR SPECIAL
NEEDS:

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Differentiated instruction will be provided based on individual

needs. Some modifications may include extended time to complete
activities, teacher assistance with reading and writing narrative poems,
extension activities, etc.
Student engagement will be addressed and enhanced with
the inquiry-based approach to the lesson. Students will be encouraged
to explore, create, and successes will be celebrated throughout the
process.
Extension activities will be available to challenge students
and encourage them to dig deeper.
If students finish early, they may further explore narrative art
through research and creation.
MATERIALS, TEACHING RESOURCES/REFERENCES: articles,
websites, and materials referenced in Lesson Vignettes
PREPARATION REQUIRED:
A variety of materials such as paint, markers, ink,
watercolors, paper, magazines, etc. will be provided.
Personal narrative stories and poetry will be available to
students throughout the project.
Access to technology should be provided.
Teacher will work alongside students throughout the project.
TEACHER REFLECTION: The following indicators will determine
lesson success:
- student feedback
- student and teacher reflection logs
- student engagement
- learning evidenced through student documentation
and assessment
SAMPLE EXEMPLARS:

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Image Credits:

http://christineadolph.typepad.com/christineadolph/2010/03/more-highschool-art-projects.html
http://hative.com/art-therapy-ideas/

http://www.polyvore.com/pop_art_is_alive_classics/thing?id=33897661