This unit plan is inspired and focused around the book, Camille and the Sunflowers, because inspires individuality while providing an ideal starting point and foundation to explore art and science, together. We will be specifically learning more in depth about what makes each flower unique and what are the essential parts plants need in order to survive. This unit will be implemented over a weekend with my nephew Chasen who will be in first grade this coming school year. I will also try to include other family members if they are available.
During this unit plan the main essential understanding to address throughout is, What makes each flower unique and what parts of a plant is essential for its survival? When you look at different flowers they might look the same or completely different, but what are all these parts flowers have and why do they have it. Flowers are everywhere, and there is a huge variety just here in Hawaii. I feel that plants are almost overlooked by children, so I wanted to integrate visual arts with science to make learning about plant structures interesting and engaging.
I developed this unit plan specifically for my nephew Chasen who will start first grade this school year. My unit plan consists of four lessons that build upon each other to yield a final art piece, and provides students with the opportunity to express their individuality while learning about important parts of a flower. The students (Chasen) will get to explore a various array of art mediums, ranging from oil pastels, watercolor paint, basic paints, pens, and tissue paper. He will be allowed the freedom to express how own ideas and knowledge he took away from my lessons.
In the first lesson students will be introduced to the essential question. We will discuss flowers and I will gage where each students stands before my lesson. This is where I will implement an informal pre-assessment just to get a general idea of students previous knowledge. We will read a book about flowers while I explain and describe the various parts of a flower that is needed for its survival. As a class we will create a diagram of a sunflower together reviewing the important parts of a flower, talking about the importance and the various shapes found on a flower. Students will then have the opportunity to create their own basic diagram of a flower from the provided books.
In the second lesson, I will read the book, Camille and the Sunflowers to the students while engaging them in interactive reading by pausing to ask questions, think out loud, address important information. I will have my students participate in-group discussion talking about the stories message, characters, and flower(s) they noticed in the book and in the paintings. Then in the third and fourth lessons, I will introduce the various art mediums we will be utilizing for the final art piece. Then using these art mediums I will guide students to create their own watercolor sunflower art piece. After creating their art piece, I will hold a art walk where students can admire each others work while displaying their newfound knowledge on different art mediums and/or essential parts of the flower needed for its survival.
I will use formative assessment at the end of every lesson through student reflections/exit cards so students can gather their thoughts, questions, and discoveries. Grading visual arts is subjective in my opinion, so that is why I collaborated with my students to create a rubric together. This will give students a sense of ownership and it will in turn motivate students to do their best work. At the end of the unit plan, students will participate in an art walk where they will display their masterpiece.
Hawaii Teacher Performance Standards
The Hawaii Teacher Performance Standards that are evident in the implementation of this unit are
Standard 7. Planning for Instruction The effective teacher plans instruction that support learning goals through curriculum, learning styles, and scaffolding learning experiences that encourage exploration, participation, and self- reflection.
I will provide a unit that integrates visual arts and science seamlessly for students to actively engage in. I will utilize a variety of instructional activities that allows for multiple learning styles to make concrete connections and show it through the reflection process.
Standard 8. Instructional Strategies The effective teacher consistently uses a variety of active learning strategies to develop students thinking, problem solving and learning skills.
I will actively engage students in activities and energizers that will allow for exploration of the art medium before we begin our final works. I will also include the student(s) to create a rubric together in order to assess the overall understanding of the lessons so that it meets their specific needs.
General Learner Outcomes (GLOs)
The General Learner Outcomes (GLO) is over-arching goals for the standards based learner. These goals encourage students to become lifelong and dedicated learners. The GLOs will also encourage students to become successful among their peers. The following lists the GLOs that students will be displaying throughout this unit plan:
GLO #1: Self-Directed Learner The students will exhibit the ability to be responsible for one's own learning.
GLO #4: Quality Producer The students will exhibit ability to recognize and produce quality performances and quality products.
GLO #5: Effective Communicator The students will exhibit the ability to communicate effectively with the teacher and their peers.
GLO #6: Effective and Ethical Users of Technology The students will exhibit the ability to use a variety of technologies (art tools) effectively and ethically.
Students will be meeting all of these general learner outcomes throughout this unit plan. Art is a personal experience, and in order to complete each task students will need to be self-directed. In doing so, they will create quality pieces of art that is meaningful to them. They will also be communicating ideas about their artwork and the artworks of other and their peers in meaningful and creative ways. GLO Six is included in hopes that students will become confortable using various art mediums, from watercolor to oil pastels.
Hawaii Content & Performance Standard in Visual Arts and Selected Content
The Hawaii Content and Performance Standard, Benchmarks and Performance Assessments in the Language Arts and Fine Arts, III, for 1 st grade that are evident in the implementation of this unit are
Standard 1: VISUAL ARTS: Understand and apply art materials, techniques, and processes in the creation of works of art and understand how the visual arts communicate a variety of ideas, feelings, and experiences. Topic: How the Arts are Organized Benchmark FA.1.1.1: Use various types of art media -The student will use an extensive variety of types of art media ranging from watercolors, to oil pastels, to tissue paper.
Standard 4: Life and Environmental Sciences: STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION IN ORGANISMS: Understand the structures and functions of living organisms and how organisms can be compared scientifically Topic: Classification Benchmark SC.1.4.1: Describe how loving things have structures that help them survive. -The student can identify how the various structures of a plant help it survive.
Additional Objectives Students will be able to: Identify and label the main parts of a flower (stem, roots, pedals, pollen/seeds, fruit) Understand that every flower does not look the same, and that goes for their artwork also. Each flower is unique, and each art piece will be unique.
Assignment Strategies
-Assessment Tasks During this unit of study the students will show evidence of learning by Create a print/watercolor of a tsunami using art elements. Communicate knowledge of tsunamis (warning signs and facts). Describing their artwork during the art walk using art vocabulary.
-Assessment Tools During this unit students will be assess through both formative and summative assessments. The student(s) and teacher will collaborate to create a portion of the rubric that will assess their artwork based on their previous experiences, as well as new concepts introduced during the lesson. This allows for a fair and objective look at art in any setting/group of students. I will also have my students demonstrate their understanding of the unit during the art walk when describing their work.
Student Assessment Rubric
(Students Name) Labeling flower parts Media Types Collaboration / Participation Art Walk ______ WB Cannot label any parts of a flower. Does not use all media types. Only uses one. Does not participate in the activities or discussions. Does not describe their artwork. ______
DP Can label only 1 part of a flower Utilizes only 2 of the 4 media types provided. Participates in either the activities or discussion. Describes 1 element of their artwork. ______ MP Can label 2+ parts of a flower Utilizes 3-4 of the media types Actively collaborates and Describes 2 or more elements of accurately. provided. participates in activities and during discussions. their artwork.
Individual Lessons
-Lesson One Energizing Experience What shapes do you see? Game 5 minutes The teacher will Pass out a variety of pictures/silk flowers to students The students will Discuss with their partners what shapes do they see in the flower
Prep Activity Interactive Reading Flowers 15 minutes The teacher will Read 2 flower books to class while pausing to ask questions/point out important facts Explain the important parts of flowers that is needed for their survival Assess student engagement during my interactive reading
Discussion Activity Class diagram/follow-up 10 minutes The teacher will Ask students what they learned from the book What parts of a flower is needed to survive? As students answer, draw the part and label
Focus Activity Explore and Draw 15 minutes The teacher will Provide students with various flowers to choose from (pictures, fake/silk flowers) Circulate to observe students
The students will Choose a flower of their choice to elaborate on Explore their flower and locate the necessary parts Draw with black pen their flower
Closure Exit Pass 5 minutes The students will Turn in their drawings to me
-Lesson Two Energizing Experience Silent Doodling 5 minutes The students will Doodle flowers or their current feelings in their journal log silently
Focus Activity Camille and the Sunflowers 20 minutes The teacher will Read book while engaging students in an interactive reading Ask questions, model thinking out loud, pause to point out important facts
The students will Listen, be engaged, participate
Discussion Activity Heads together 15 minutes The teacher will Write questions on board Group students Ask each question then give students 4 minutes to discuss each question in their groups Ask for a volunteer group to share what they discussed after each question -1 minute
The students will Actively participate and contribute during heads together activity
Closure Exit Pass 5 minutes The students will Write down 1 thing for each of these categories together in their group o Message, character, flower(s)
-Lesson Three Energizing Experience Silent Doodling 5 minutes The students will Doodle about the book we read yesterday or their current feelings in their journal log silently
Prep Activity Introducing art mediums 15 minutes The teacher will Introduce oil pastels and watercolor paints Demo basic techniques
The students will Try it themselves
Focus Activity Watercolor Resist Sunflowers 25 minutes The teacher will Provide instructions written, verbal, and using visuals Circulate around classroom
The students will Create their own sunflower portrait, including necessary parts Outline and color flowers and pot with oil pastels Paint over with watercolor paints
-Lesson Four Energizing Experience Last minute touch-ups 5 minutes The students will Finish up their watercolor resist sunflowers Apply tissue paper pieces
Prep Activity Clean up 10 minutes The teacher and students will Rearrange tables Put away materials Clear off desks Get snack table ready!
Focus Activity Art Walk 20 minutes The teacher will Walk around to each art piece and ask students about it o What did they learn, name necessary parts of their flowers
The students will Walk around to observe their classmates art pieces Ask 1 question/make 1 positive comment on each classmates artwork
Closure Self-reflection 5 minutes The teacher will Gather students in a circle Ask students to share 1 thing they liked about someone elses artwork/which on stood out to them/what do they appreciate about it
Exhibition Idea When students completed their final artwork, I want to laminate their work to display around the classroom. I would also want to engage my students in an art walk along with their family so we can all admire their creativeness and hard work.
Materials Construction Paper (multi-colors) Watercolor Paint Oil Pastels Black Permanent Pen Camille and the Sunflowers book Various books about Flowers
Resources
Mettler, Rene. (1993). Flowers A First Discovery Book. Boston, MA: Scholastic Inc.
Anholt, Laurence. (1995). Camille and the Sunflowers. Portland ME: Reed Business Information, Inc.
Whitehouse, Patricia. (2002). Flowers. Chicago, IL: Reed Educational and Professional Publishing.
Hawaii Content & Performance Standards Database III. (n.d.). . Retrieved July 11, 2014, from http://165.248.30.40/hcpsv3/search_results.jsp?contentarea=Fine+Arts&gradecou rse=2&strand=&showbenchmark=benchmark&showspa=spa&showrubric=rubric& Go%21=Submit
Learner Outcomes. (n.d.). . Retrieved July 11, 2014, from http://www.hawaiipublicschools.org/TeachingAndLearning/StudentLearning/Lear nerOutcomes/Pages/home.aspx
Teacher Performance Standards. (n.d.). . Retrieved July 11, 2014, from http://www.htsb.org/standards/teacher/