​rethink.

Art Ed Unit Lesson Plan

 

Lesson 2: Engage, support, and challenge

 

Lesson Overview-The basic intent of this lesson is to allow students to learn about an artist during the time of the Harlem Renaissance. They will learn about this artist, through a book, while also learning about the time period and what it is all about. My hope is that the students will see one perspective of the Harlem Renaissance, through the eyes of an artist. After reading the book, the students will look at one of the artist’s works. After learning basics of the Harlem Renaissance and the artists life, I would want the students to analyze the work of art with their new background knowledge. I would also want them to make assumptions.

 

Preparation- The students will need to have some background knowledge of slavery and African American oppression (which they will know from previous social studies units) and they will also know basics of the Harlem Renaissance based on the lesson for the Hook.  For the analysis of the work of art, I would want to have a large group discussion; therefore I would want the desks to be formed in some sort of U-shape to create an open forum. The artwork would also be blown up on a projector so that all students could see it.

 

 

 

Materials:

• The Story Painter  (couple of copies)

• Jacob Lawrence, Brownstones, 1958 (individual prints and blown up on projector)

• Paper

• Paints

• Pencils

• Oil Pastels

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Instruction Steps-

1.Students will sit on a rug or circle on the floor after the Hook lesson and the teacher will introduce the many perspectives one could see in the Harlem Renaissance.

 

2. He/she will explain that this was a time where African American people were beginning to identify themselves; doing so through poetry, literature, music, artwork, etc., and that these things were strong and powerful and made the Harlem Renaissance what it is.

 

3. We would then shift gears into telling the students that we will first be focusing on the art aspect of the Harlem Renaissance.

 

4.Introduce Jacob Lawrence, a famous artist of that time, and introduce the book about his childhood and art, The Story Painter.

 

5.Read the book to the students. It is long, so do this in parts (maybe over 2 days).

6.After finishing the book, I would want students to discuss a little, but not too much just yet.

 

7.Next, I would split them into small groups and give each group a print of Jacob Lawrence’s painting. As a small group (3-4 students) I would want them to discuss what they see.

 

8.After discussing as a small group, I would like to move to a large group discussion. We would move the desks into a U-shape formation for an open discussion setting and the work of art would be blown up on a projector for everyone to see. I would ask students to share their initial ideas, then incorporate their knowledge of the Harlem Renaissance up to this point and the life of Jacob Lawrence in order to further analyze his work of art.

 

9.During this discussion, I would use the Visual Thinking Strategy with my students and just guide them and build questions based on their assumptions.

 

10. After the discussion fizzled down, the students would go back into small groups and use any background knowledge, information from the book, information from the discussion, and any materials to create their own depiction of the Harlem Renaissance through art.

 

Standards-

• R4.A.1.3.1: Make inferences and/or draw conclusions based on information from text.

• R4.A.1.4.1: Identify and/or explain stated or implied main ideas and relevant supporting details from text. Note: Items may target specific paragraphs. Items might ask about information in the text that is most important or helpful for understanding a particular fact or idea. Items may require recalling key information stated in text.

• R4.A.2.6.1: Identify the author’s intended purpose of text. Note: informational, biographical, and instructional (practical/howto/ advertisement) text

• 1.6.4.A: Listen critically and respond to others in small and large group situations. Respond with grade level appropriate questions, ideas, information, or opinions.

• 8.3.4.D: Distinguish between conflict and cooperation among groups and organization that impacted the history and development of the United States.

  • Ethnicity and race