Sample Lesson Plans:

Seasons Thematic Unit

1. Students will use library and www. resources to explore the arts and artists.
2. Students will be able to clearly describe through the written word, how a piece of visual art affects them and by what means the artist achieved that affect.
3. Students will view the arts and artists from a geopolitical and historic perspective.

1. By choosing and researching a piece of visual art, students will be able to compare geographical conditions of an artist’s home to our own during this same time of year. In addition, students will compare biographical and geographical web resources against library resources.
2. By evaluating web sites of an artist using a supplied rubric, students will apply critical thinking skills to determine essential data about their artist and the place of interest associated with them.

• Language Arts:

• Writing for different audiences (2.1,) purposes (2.2,) in a variety of forms (2.3)
• Reading to comprehend ideas and details (2.1,) to expand comprehension by analyzing, interpreting, and synthesizing information and ideas (2.2,) to learn new information (3.1,) to perform a task (3.2)

• Social Studies:
• Geography: use and construct maps, charts, and other resources (1.1,) recognize spatial patterns on Earth’s surface and understand the processes that create them (1.2,) describe the natural characteristics of places and regions (2.1,) analyze how the environment and environmental changes affect people (3.2)

• Arts: Use image, sound, action, and movement through the arts to express individual ideas for a specific purpose (3.1,) reflect and respond critically to the use of the arts in all forms of communication (3.2,) use arts skills in other knowledge areas (4.1recognize the influence of the arts in shaping and reflecting cultures and history (4.4)

1. Anticipatory Set: Teacher asks, "What words come to mind when you think of the word ‘autumn?’ As teacher receives suggestions, he or she should write them on the board categorizing them into parts of speech. Then asks, "Do you suppose there are paintings or other visual art that convey these sentiments about autumn without any words at all? How would you know that the painting has something to do with autumn in the first place?
2. Purpose: The teacher explains that this lesson students will learn how artists’ geographical and perhaps, social-political surroundings influence their work. In addition, students will compare an artist’s surroundings to our own. Finally, the teacher explains that students will also learn how to do biographical research on the World Wide Web and check it against library sources for the purposes of ranking the usefulness of the websites.
3. Input: The teacher explains that although there are many art sites on the World Wide Web, not all have downloadable image content because they want you to buy it. "Which, if any, of the words we brainstormed, do you think could be universal statements about the autumn season?" Check to make sure the class understands the concept of "universal agreement." Teacher points out that a certain sense of universality is what makes a piece of artwork popular because it connects with many people. "We will check that today by choosing some visual art work that artists made with this time of year in mind." The goal of this research is first, to find a piece of visual art that relates to this season and that you particularly like. Next, students must find at least one website that he or she could give their top ranking to both in terms of valuable biographical information, where the artist’s life is clearly outlined, as well as artistic considerations, where the evolution of the artist’s work is clearly outlined within a larger historic context.
4. Modeling "Thinking About Art Organizer": Teacher displays a hard copy sample of a visual art piece with an autumn theme and a book or website. Point out how many links there are on the site. Are they all just to on-line commerce sites? Are there timelines links? Does it give enough useful biographical information about the artist or supply links that do? Next, demonstrate how to expand information garnered from the biographical resources by consulting a World Atlas.
5. Check for Understanding:
6. Guided Practice: Teacher mill about asking students what they like or dislike about a certain piece or if they know anything else about that artist. For the descriptor brainstorm part of the organizer, check to see if there are students who need help converting nouns and verbs into adjectives and adverbs.
7. Independent Practice: Students continue as above.

1. Anticipatory Set: Turn on the radio and ask students which is the most popular station. Ask what kinds of music do those stations play and what makes one kind of music different from another.
2. Purpose: Teacher tells students that this lesson will prepare them for creating a kind of music that they have probably never heard before, but will bring them high status within this school and that it starts, with each person’s favorite (or one of their favorite) pop songs.
3. Input: The teacher reviews the parts of a song commonly known as the verse, the refrain, perhaps the bridge, and asks students to write an outline of their song in such a manner.
4. Modeling: Teacher picks a radio station and a song, pointing out the parts of the verses and refrain in the song, placing an appropriate verse, refrain and bridge "lines" from the following Song Outline Elements sheet in order. When song is over, teacher hums the first line of the verse and says we will call this "A." Next, he or she hums the second line, thinking out loud as whether it is the same or different. Teacher proceeds accordingly, placing As, Bs, whatever is appropriate above verse and refrain lines.
5. Check for Understanding: Teacher asks class, "What would be next in that song?" and discusses why and why not the outline would look that way.
6. Guided Practice: Teacher suggests everyone start cutting out the verse/refrain lines suggesting that they may listen to their favorite song as they do, Teacher mills about, looking at how students are piecing their outlines together and occasionally asking to listen to part of the student’s favorite pop song.
7. Independent Practice: Students finish up on their own and file both the outline and their favorite pop songs, rewound and cued up if necessary, in their in-class work folders.

1. Anticipatory Set: Teacher plays a personally favorite pop song and distributes slightly flawed outlines to all but one of the small (4-5 students) song sharing groups.
2. Purpose: Teacher reminds students that these lessons will teach them how to create a kind of music that they have probably never heard before but is quite fun. Today’s lesson is in the form of a guessing game that each small group plays.
3. Input: The teacher reviews the parts of a song commonly known as the verse, the refrain, perhaps the bridge, and asks students what the "A – B – A…" stuff is on those outlines.
4. Modeling: Teacher plays his or her favorite song again, asking each group to follow the parts of the verses and refrain in the song on the outline just passed out to each group. Teacher says, "Only one of the groups has the correct outline for my song. The rest are very close but something is different in each outline." After the teacher plays the song, he or she facilitates a discussion around why each outline is incorrect or in one case, correct. Teacher continues, "When your groups play this game, your outlines need to be shuffled and given to another group along with the songs. Listen to each of your favorite songs
5. Check for Understanding: Teacher asks class, "What would be next in that song?" and discusses why and why not the outline would look that way.
6. Guided Practice: Teacher suggests everyone start cutting out the verse/refrain lines. Suggest that if brought their own player, they may listen to that favorite song as they cut apart the pieces. Teacher mills about, looking at how students are piecing their outlines together and occasionally asking to listen to part of the student’s favorite pop song.
7. Independent Practice: Students finish up on their own and file both the outline and their favorite pop song in their in-class work folders.

• Geography: use and construct maps, charts, and other resources (1.1,) recognize spatial patterns on Earth’s surface and understand the processes that create them (1.2,) describe the natural characteristics of places and regions (2.1,) analyze how the environment and environmental changes affect people (3.2)

1. Anticipatory Set: Teacher asks, "Did you ever see a map that says, ‘You are here.’ Ok, so here is a riddle for you. How could one of those maps be made if we are all working primarily on presenting information about each place of interest from their artist research?
2. Purpose: The purpose here is to learn how to make a large scale map, display our research findings in unique and creative way, and to decorate the hallway for those coming to see the Found Sound Performance.
3. Input: Teacher explains that students will working in pairs with each organizing the information and hard copy of their chosen art piece on a different corner of the triangular poster. The third corner of the poster will represent our own geographic location on the map.
4. Modeling: Teacher demonstrates that if their art was from Kenya and their partner’s was from Iceland, how an atlas, and other map resources would help in finding the distances between them as well as each of them and "this class." Next, a discussion of scale modeling might need to happen to demonstrate how to make a similar triangle.
5. Check for Understanding: Make sure everyone knows the term "similar" with respect to triangles.
6. Guided Practice: Teacher mills about
7. Independent Practice: