Title: Oh Say, Can You See?
Grade Level: 5th
Time Needed: one class period
Essential Standards:
Social Studies
5.C&G.1 Understand the development, structure and function of government in the United States.
Integrated Curriculum Standards:
English Language Arts
5.W.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
5.SL.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
5.SL.1.3 Pose and respond to specific questions by making comments that contribute to the discussion and elaborate on the remarks of others.
5.SL.1.4 Review the key ideas expressed and draw conclusions in light of information and knowledge gained from the discussions.
Visual Arts
5.V.2 Apply creative and critical thinking skills to artistic expression..
5.V.3 Create art using a variety of tools, media, and processes, safely and appropriately.
5.CX.1 Understand the global, historical, societal, and cultural contexts of the visual arts.
Lesson Objectives: Students will:
Materials: copy of “Scene at the Signing of the Constitution” by Howard Chandler Christy, notebook paper, pencils, drawing paper (cut into small squares, about 4”x4”), colored pencils, copy of same painting, divided into a grid and numbered (1 per student), projector/document camera/interactive whiteboard to view painting
Procedure:
Assessment: This activity will serve as a pre-assessment for the unit. Students will turn in their T-charts and will have the collaborative artwork to refer back to as the unit progresses. Students who cannot complete the chart will have an opportunity to discuss their answers with a teacher.
Differentiation:
Resources
http://americanart.si.edu/education/pdf/learning_to_look.pdf
http://teachingamericanhistory.org/convention/christy/
Grade Level: 5th
Time Needed: one class period
Essential Standards:
Social Studies
5.C&G.1 Understand the development, structure and function of government in the United States.
Integrated Curriculum Standards:
English Language Arts
5.W.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
5.SL.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
5.SL.1.3 Pose and respond to specific questions by making comments that contribute to the discussion and elaborate on the remarks of others.
5.SL.1.4 Review the key ideas expressed and draw conclusions in light of information and knowledge gained from the discussions.
Visual Arts
5.V.2 Apply creative and critical thinking skills to artistic expression..
5.V.3 Create art using a variety of tools, media, and processes, safely and appropriately.
5.CX.1 Understand the global, historical, societal, and cultural contexts of the visual arts.
Lesson Objectives: Students will:
- analyze a painting for details
- work in pairs to interpret the events and meaning in the painting
- participate in a small classroom vote
- create an artistic interpretation of the original painting
Materials: copy of “Scene at the Signing of the Constitution” by Howard Chandler Christy, notebook paper, pencils, drawing paper (cut into small squares, about 4”x4”), colored pencils, copy of same painting, divided into a grid and numbered (1 per student), projector/document camera/interactive whiteboard to view painting
Procedure:
- Begin the lesson by telling the students that you are about to begin a new unit in Social Studies, but that you're not going to tell them what it's about yet, that you want to see what they know first. Put the picture up on the projector or document camera so everyone can see it.
- Have students create a T-chart on their paper. The left side should say "What I see" and the right side should say "What That Might Mean". Ask students to look at the picture for a few minutes, study what's going on, and write down what they see on the left side of the chart.
- After about 5 minutes, have the students turn and talk to their partner about what each of them wrote. Then have them work together to fill out the right side of the chart. What might be happening in this picture? Who are some of the people? What time in history might this be? Give students about 5 minutes to work on this activity.
- Ask students to raise their hands and share some of the things they saw in the picture, writing down their answers on the board. Then ask some of the groups to share what they came up with for the right column, writing these answers down too.
- Go through the "What That Might Mean" list, asking students whether they agree or disagree with the items, making sure that they give a rationale for their decision. Cross out possible explanations until there are only 2 or 3 remaining, then have the students vote on which one they think is more likely.
- Tell students that they just participated in a vote, one of the foundations of the US government. Reveal to students that over the next few weeks they will be learning about the structure of the US government, which was set up in the Constitution. Reveal the title and the artist of the painting at this time and discuss the scene.
- Now pass out the numbered copies of the painting, assigning each student a number. Pass out the drawing paper and colored pencils. Remind the students that there is a lot going on in this painting- it's hard to look at everything! Explain that they will be responsible for one drawing section of the painting and really paying attention to the details.
- Once everyone completes their square, put them all together to create a class version of the Scene at the Signing of the Constitution to refer to throughout the unit.
Assessment: This activity will serve as a pre-assessment for the unit. Students will turn in their T-charts and will have the collaborative artwork to refer back to as the unit progresses. Students who cannot complete the chart will have an opportunity to discuss their answers with a teacher.
Differentiation:
- Students with Disabilities: This lesson will be appropriate for students with learning disabilities as it is active, collaborative, and compact. There will not be much actual content taught, but the students will have an opportunity to show what they know. Students with physical disabilities can use any modifications necessary to complete the tasks, such as giving their answers orally or using a computer program to draw.
- ELLs: Students who are learning English may not have background knowledge of the content presented. They will be encouraged to listen, talk with their peers, and participate in the art activity. They will have an opportunity to work with a teacher or peer to create a picture dictionary of unfamiliar terms, people, and events. These students should also be encouraged to discuss what they know about their country's founding for comparison.
- Enrichment and Extension: As this is a pre-assessment activity, academically gifted students will be asked to participate in the same capacity as the rest of the class.
Resources
http://americanart.si.edu/education/pdf/learning_to_look.pdf
http://teachingamericanhistory.org/convention/christy/