Assignment #2- Learning Evaluation Situation

Anastasia Carachiarlidis
Isabella Terrasi
Samantha Savegnago
Jessica Koltz
Shu Zhang
McGill University
EDEE 223- 002- Language Arts
Lesley Pasquin and Beverly May
March 14, 2016

Table of Contents
Introduction
Lesson 1 - Surrealism.
Lesson 2 - Digital Media....
Lesson 3 - Nature & Pastels..
Lesson 4 - Photography & the Environment...
Lesson 5 - Theatre & Drama...
Final Task.

Introduction
Inquiry: Why Do We Make Art?
Grade level: 6th Grade
Cycle: 3
Why do we make art? Why do people look at the different components of an artistic work? What
is it that we are trying to learn? In this Learning and Evaluation Situation, we will look at five
different types of art and discuss why these are important and how children can express
themselves in these forms. The lesson will aim to show how students can answer the question
Why do we make art through the use of the five forms of art, discussed below, that we will be
teaching them. Each form of art will build on the next to give students a complete picture of how
and why art can be used and why it can be important to understand the beauty in something as
simple as a picture on the wall or a story or a dance or theatre performance, all of which they will
experience throughout this lesson. The main goal of the lesson will be to get students to
understand the value of art and how it can open up many doors that many children did not know
were there.
Five forms of art inquiries that will be explored through our lesson plan:
-

Surrealism exploration through Literature

Digital Photoshop
Colored Art with Pastels
Photography
Theatre/Drama

Anastasia Carachisarlidis
Inquiry: Why Do We Make Art?
Lesson 1
Theme: Engaging in self-discovery and creativity through exploring Surrealism
Goal:
-Students will engage in critical thought
-Students will be able to engage in self discovery and explore their creativity
-Students will learn to and be able to express themselves in various ways
-Students will be able to enhance their language and writing skills/development
-Students will be able to enhance their comprehension and communication skills
Intent: Surrealism is an art movement created in the 20th century, and I believe it represents
creativity and originality, which is what inspired me to want to use it in my future classroom. The
works of this art movement are not supposed to be realistic, but rather can be things you can
dream of or imagine in fantasies. In this art form you could create whatever you want, even if it
made no sense, and it would be a valued and appreciated piece of work. I believe this is an
important aspect to emphasize in a classroom. Students should be able to let themselves be
inspired by things and express themselves in different ways, while not feeling judged or
embarrassed. Students should feel that their work is always valued, even if their what they write
about or create is not typical. Many other art movements require a certain format or technique to
create an art piece, but surrealism gives an artist the freedom and independence to go crazy with
their work and make anything regardless or how strange or bizarre. I believe creativity is an
important aspect that children and all people should engage with in their life. When people feel
they have freedom over their tasks and are not limited, they can explore many possibilities,
allowing them to be more interested and motivated in their work. So I will be emphasizing the
importance of creativity in this lesson, and allowing the students the freedom of expressing
themselves in different ways, making sure they all feel comfortable and not judged.

Materials: Projector/smartboard, PowerPoint presentation, images of Salvador Dalis work,

paper/journal for students, pen/pencil, iPad (optional)
Culminating Task:
Part 1: Introduction
I will begin the class by asking students questions that may come off as random or silly. These
questions could be like:
-What is your favorite food?
-What is your favorite animal?
-What do you like to do for fun?
-What is a place you like going to or always wished you could go to?
After I ask the students these questions, they will probably be wondering why I would be asking
them these things. Then I would ask them something like what if we could create an artwork
where we expressed all of these things in creative and silly ways? I would then introduce them
to the subject of our lesson which will be Surrealism. I will also give students background
information on Surrealism and showing pictures of what it looks like. The info will include
-What it is
- Its origin/history. How/why/where it was created
-Where the art was practiced in the world
Because there is a vast amount of surrealism artists, I will focus on Salvador Dali, one of the
most famous and influential surrealist artists of all time. I will give a brief overview of him to the
class, including his lifespan, where he was born and created his art, the history of his successful
art, etc.
Part 2: Showing Pictures and Class Discussion
I will show examples of Salvador Dalis work either on a smartboard/projector through a
PowerPoint presentation and/or I will have copies to pass around to students. I will then ask
students to discuss as a class what they see in the images. I will ask probing questions like:
-What do you see?
-What do you like/dislike from the images?
-How do these images make you feel?

Salvador Dalis work has often been said to evoke strong emotions from people, so I would want
students to be able to feel some sort of emotion or have a reaction to the images. I feel like this
would be a good ice breaker to the upcoming writing exercise that will be conducted in class.
Students often feel more inspired to write when they connect their writing to an emotion.
Part 3: Writing Exercise
As a fun and engaging activity, I will instruct the students to create a short story based on one or
a combination of the Salvador Dali works I showed to the class. Surrealism allows the artist
freedom of expression, so this assigned activity will allow students freedom of expression as
well. Students would be able to write whatever they want and be as creative as they want. The
activity would be to see students writing and for them to express themselves in whatever way
they want. This exercise would also be a good writing tool for the students. If students write
about something they enjoy or something personal, it often encourages them to write more or to
write a better piece of work. I believe students would put more effort into their piece and
students would value it more as well. I would want the students to write as much as possible, or
as much as they feel comfortable with. By students practicing their writing, it allows them to not
only express themselves, but explore and expand on their vocabulary and language development.
So this writing exercise would be fun but also educational and would benefit students learning
experience.
ELA Subject Competencies:
Competency 2: TO WRITE SELF-EXPRESSIVE, NARRATIVE AND INFORMATION-BASED
TEXTS: After having discussed as a class about Surrealism and explored the different artworks of
Salvador Dali, students will be writing a creative short story based/influenced by one or a
combination of the artworks presented in class. I will inform students to use as much creativity
as possible and that there will be no write or wrong short story. The content will not be marked
or judged. Hence, students will be writing a self expressive text as they will be representing
themselves through their ideas and creativity.
Competency 4: TO USE LANGUAGE TO COMMUNICATE AND LEARN: My students will be
using their language and communication skills in several areas of the lesson. They will be

communicating with each other, myself, and the whole class during discussion time. There may
be small group then class discussion, so students will have several opportunities to express
themselves in discussion and to add input during this time. I will try to get every individual to
share an idea or add on to someone elses idea during the discussion time. Students will also be
using communication skills when they write their short story. Writing is a form of
communication. Students may be communicating to themselves, to the teacher (me), to their
peers who may read their work, or others. As long as students are expressing themselves through
writing, they are engaging in a kind of communication, which is an important aspect in a
students learning development.
Cross-Curricular Competencies:
There are some cross-curricular competencies that students are going to be engaging in, which
are also connected to the QEP mentioned above. These are:
Competency #4: To use her/his creativity: Students are going to be expressing themselves
through their communication and writing. In their assignment, the students will be writing and
expressing many ideas and thoughts that resonated with them, which will all be a personal and
unique piece of writing. This will allow students to be creative and express themselves how they
want.
Competency #6: To develop her/his personal identity: By students being able to express
themselves freely in a nurturing and supportive environment, they will be enabled to develop
their sense of identity and what they like and dont like. By communicating with others and
sharing their ideas, they can also build a sense of value in themselves and further develop their
personal identity.
Differentiation:
Some students may have motor or writing disabilities or deficiencies, therefore there will be an
alternative option for those students in terms of the writing exercise. I will have iPads or
computers available for those students, or if those are unavailable in the class, those students
could work in the computer lab. For students whose first language is not English, I would have
dictionaries and thesauruses for different languages offered in the class, which the students could
use in their writing activity. I would also allow these students extra time if they needed and I

could help them with grammar and vocabulary in their assignment if they needed my assistance.
For students who are more auditory learners than visual learners, I will allow the students to use
headphones to listen to educational audio recordings of Salvador Dalis work. Once again I
would have iPads and/or computers in the class for this, otherwise students could go to the
computer lab. Some museums, including MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) have audio
videos/recordings of Surrealism artists or artworks, so this would be a good tool for students to
listen to before or during writing their assignment. I would however, try to find audio recordings
of Salvador Dali specifically as well, since the activity will be based on his works.
Formative Assessment:
Because this assignment is a creative writing assignment, I cannot assess on content of the
assignment. I will not grade this assignment because I would want the students working on this
assignment as comfortable as possible. I want students to engage in their creativity, but I dont
want this tactic to backfire if students have stress on being graded. Hence, this activity could be
considered as writing/journal participation. I would however, look over every students written
piece and then meet with each individual one on one to discuss their strengths and
abilities/struggles with language. I would also have ongoing assessments where I monitor the
students engagement or progress within the class community. I will want to see which students
constantly raise their hand when I ask a question, or the students who are shyer and dont
contribute much to class questions and discussions. I will want all my students to participate in
class activities and communicate with their class peers and myself. This is important for
language development and social development. So this meeting with each child to discuss their
assignment would also be a good time to discuss the students involvement/participation in the
class as well. In a nurturing and empathetic way, I will work with the students to help them
develop and enhance the communication skills they need or should use within the class. I believe
this technique will be useful and helpful for all students, regardless of the students differences.
Students keeping and viewing their work, as well as with my commentary and discussion with
them may allow students to also be able to self assess themselves for their future writing and
communication as well.

Shu Ying Zhang

Inquiry: Why Do We Make Art?
Lesson 2
Theme: Learn to appreciate and create art by using Digital media.
Goals:
Students will learn to appreciate Arts created through the form of Digital media.
Students will have to create their own art piece using Photoshop as a medium.
Students will demonstrate their understandings of media arts through their works
in Photoshop.
Intent:
This lesson focuses on childrens aesthetic development for digital visual arts. The main
objective is to help students recognize digital media as a mean to create artworks, they have to
acknowledge the intent behind a creation is what makes it valuable and artistic. They have to
think critically about what makes the transformation of one thing to another art/not art and what
why did the person created the transformation. By asking them to transform an image into
another that they define as art by using Photoshop, students will have a better understanding of
why we make art and engage more critically in the class discussion at the end of the class.
Materials: a classroom with a projector, A computer (with photoshop) per student, a piece of
paper and a pencil for each student.
Task 1: Introduction to Arts created through digital media
The teacher will first introduce how arts can be created through forms of digital
media. A video showing how an image of a beautiful model was made out of a picture of
a pizza.
Task 2: a small class discussion on students initial response for the video
After the video demonstration, the teacher will write the driving question on the
whiteboard: Was the pizza transformation art? Students will have to raise their hands
to explain why they think the pizza transformation was/ was not art. The discussion will
take no longer than 5 minutes.

Task 3: the main task

Students will be shown a screencast which explains how to use the liquify option
in Photoshop. After learning how to use these specific tools, students will have 15
minutes to play with the different functions to adjust the original image in order to
recreate their own artworks.
Task 4: self-expressive text
They will each write a description of their works and explain why they create
those artworks.They have to be able to explain what do their works represent in coherent
and concise written language.
Task 5: Reflect upon their initial response to the driving question
Lastly, the teacher will conduct a five minutes class discussion, which students
have to reflect upon their initial answers on the driving question and explain what makes
the pizza transformation art or not art.
Culminating Task: Students will include their Photoshop recreations during the vernissage,
which will take place at the end of the unit. Students written assignments will be returned before
the vernissage in order to prepare for the final presentations. During the presentations, students
have to introduce their works to the audience; they have to describe their recreations and explain
the purposes behind these images (Why did they make theses artworks). Students need to use
appropriate language to express their ideas and communicate with their audience.
ELA Subject Competencies:
Competency 2 To write self-expressive, narrative and information based texts:
This lesson plan contains a written task, which requires students to write a self-expressive text.
They need to clearly express their ideas and communicate with the audience through the form of
written language. This in-class assignment puts students into the position of a writer, which
encourages them to incorporate their prior knowledge on literacy and arts.
Competency 3 To represent her/his literacy in different media
In order to complete the tasks, students must interpret the art and literacy messages in the the
pizza transformation video, they must reflect upon the driving question and draw on the relevant

elements in this video to incorporate these ideas in the creation of their artworks. They have to
use photoshop as a digital medium to express their understanding of media art.
Cross-Curricular competencies:
Competency 3: To exercise critical judgment
Students will reflect upon a driving question that requires them to make critical judgment of
what is art and what is the purpose of art. After they have experienced with creating arts using a
digital medium, they might form a different opinion regarding the driving question.
Competency 4: To use Creativity
Students will have the chance of exploring the procedure of art creation through digital media.
They will have to use their creativity to complete the transformation of a provided image. They
need to learn the different functions of the liquify tools in Photoshop and imagine ways of using
these tools during the art creation.

Formative assessment:
Students will be evaluated on their completion of the Photoshopped artworks; each student
should have a piece of artwork by the end of the class. The final product must represent the
students own definition of art, thus, it must be unique.
Their descriptions of the artworks will be assessed on their ability to clearly express their
ideas.
A good written description should include the student reasoning behind the making of
his/her
artwork.

References:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hnvoz91k8hc
Screencast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FfX6kENk0Q&feature=youtu.be

Isabella Terrasi
Inquiry: Why Do We Make Art?
Lesson 3
Theme: For students to discover the beauty of Nature and how the use of an art medium can
allow them to express themselves through sensory experiences
Goal: Students will be able to use Pastel crayons and many different techniques to create artwork
that expands their skills in self expression and enhance their appreciation for Nature
Intent: To become aware of the beauty of Nature surrounding students and to replicate it through
the use of an art medium
Materials:

Sketchbook
Soft Pastel crayons

Task 1: Introduction to Pastels & Sketchbook Reflections

Prior to the lesson, students will be introduced to soft Pastel crayons. To help me teach the
techniques we will watch a short video. Students will practice their techniques in their individual
sketchbooks. I will follow along with the video and show the students what the colors look like
with each technique. Students will also be given a handout sheet to glue into their sketchbook to
remind them of the techniques.
The use of the sketchbook and its importance will also be defined. Students are expected to write
reflections along with each drawing submission. They must include a self reflection and learn to
express their thoughts about the creation they have designed. They must explain their chosen
techniques, and why the subject/object that they chose inspired them. Was it the color, textures,
shape, value, etc.? Extra drawings are also welcomed to encourage creativity, however they must
select which ones to be graded. Subjects must be related to the natural world to help students
gain an appreciation for the beauty within Nature. Rubrics will be provided to each student.
Task 2: Practice use of Pastels + Reflection

After the video demonstration, students will turn their attention to the pictures of nature that will
be posted around the class for them to copy. Students must recreate at least two images. Students
must write a reflection ( page to one page).
Task 3: Create 3 objects (outside of school) + Reflection
For homework, students will go home and draw three subjects of their choice with their pastels
(related to the natural world). Students must write a reflection ( page to one page).
Task 4: Botanical Garden Outing
The next week, students will go on a field trip to the Botanical Garden to observe nature in its
peaceful state. During this outing, students must choose one subject to draw later in their
sketchbook. Students will be allowed to take photos of items that they are interested in drawing.
(Note that sketchbooks and pastels must be brought on the outing).
Students will be given maximum 30 minutes to draw one image selection when
the tour of the Botanical Garden comes close to an end
After 30 minutes has passed, students and I will sit in a circle formation. Students
will take turns sharing their drawings and explaining why they chose the subject. Then
we will debrief by having students discuss what they enjoyed and/or disliked about the
outing, drawing activity and the use of pastel crayons.
Task 5: Self Assessment & Response to Inquiry
To bring the lesson to an end, students will write a self-assessment describing how they have
progressed as an artist. Most importantly, students must respond to the inquiry question Why do
we make art? They must form their opinion based on their experiences throughout the lesson.
Students are expected to discuss how Nature has inspired them and about their opinion on what
particular aspects they have come to appreciate about both art and Nature. Opinions on the use of
Pastels as an art medium and whether they found it helpful or challenging to recreate a scene
from nature should be discussed as well. Students will compare their artwork and technique
skills from the beginning to the final tasks.It is important for them to think critically and analyze
how they have improved since the introduction to pastels. They should mention what particular
challenges they overcame and which techniques they mastered or had trouble with and how this
has helped them progress or discover new things about themselves.

Culminating Task:
Students will display their sketched image inspired by the Botanical Garden at the vernissage.
When visitors come, they can explain what the image is, what techniques were used and why
they chose this particular subject. They can also describe what they learned throughout the
process about themselves as an artist and their appreciation for Nature.
ELA Subject Competencies
Competency 3- To represent her/his literacy in different media
The student will represent their view and interpretation of the natural world by use of artistic
materials. She/he will apply appropriate techniques of the tools to create an artistic and visual
creation. The creation can be shared with peers, parents, teachers, and other community
members.
Competency 4- To use language to communicate and learn
The student will verbally express themselves through social interactions with peers and educator.
The student will communicate her/his thoughts about the natural world and what it means to
them, while encompassing our main inquiry What is Art?. She/he will construct a view based
on an outing into nature and apply their knowledge linguistically and artistically. The student will
be encouraged to share their point of view throughout the inquiry.
Cross-Curricular competencies
Competency 4- To use creativity
Students creativity will be encouraged throughout the lesson unit. They will become familiar
with soft pastel crayons and learn different techniques so they can create different effects in their
artwork. They will be given resources to help them practice their skills, and they have the
freedom to select subjects that inspire them. Through this unit, students are encouraged to view
the world through an artistic lens and use their imagination. They will search for the beauty in
the world around them, and they can express it through drawing and coloring. They can also
verbally express with others their opinions, views and ideas. By doing art, children will become
aware that to create art they must forget their fear of making mistakes. They must accept the

risks of replicating an abstract thought and the unknown outcome. Students may become aware
that creating art entails emotions, and they may create artwork that may reflect them in their own
unique way.
Competency 9- To communicate appropriately
Students will communicate verbally, written, visually and symbolically. By creating art and
writing a reflection as to why they chose specific objects, they are able to express themselves and
their thought process. Students will be encouraged to communicate techniques, ideas and views
with their peers and to share ideas and tips of using the art medium (pastels) appropriately.
During the outing, students will share what subject they chose and describe why they were
inspired by this aspect of nature.
Formative Assessment:
The submission of the students sketchbook will include their reflections based on the rubrics.
Must also include their self-assessment & inquiry response. Students will be evaluated on ability
to effectively communicate their thoughts and ideas, as well as the effort put into their drawings.
Two nature images from class
Three subjects outside of school
One image inspired by the Botanical Garden

References:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jm6wo-8rJD0
https://www.theartofed.com/content/uploads/2015/05/Oilpasteltech.pdf
http://betterlesson.com/community/document/1962636/growth-mindset-6-effective-effort-rubric1-3-docx
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Elementary-Art-Guide-How-to-Write-ArtistStatements-1396563

Samantha Savegnago
Inquiry: Why Do We Make Art?
Lesson 4
Theme: How photography can enhance empathy and environmental awareness in a classroom.
Goal: By the end of this lesson, students will be able to use photography and video collages to
express themselves, as well as, expand their creativity and critical reflective skills.
Intent: My section will introduce students to photography and video collage making. The
students will use photography to show the severity of littering, through taking photos around the
schoolyard and creating a video collage from the compiled photos. Students are expected to use
art to show the dangers of littering, specifically on marine life and to write a short response
expressing why they feel it is meaningful and important to create.
Materials: An iPad for each individual student in the classroom.
Task 1: Video
Students will watch a 4-minute video on YouTube about the effects littering has on marine life.
The purpose of this video is to help students gain an understanding of the impact littering has on
our environment and its consequences. After watching the video, as a class, we will have a small
discussion of 10-15 minutes about the students thoughts. The questions I would ask during this
discussions are meant to help the students critically reflect on how big an issue they feel littering
is and potential solutions that could help to ameliorate it. Some questions I would ask include:

What surprised you about the video?

How did watching it make you feel?
How often do you think you see littering on a day to day basis?
Do you have any ideas of what we can do to help this problem?

Task 2: Taking photographs

I will explain to the students that each of them will be given an iPad provided by the school and
we will be going outside to take photos of all the areas we see litter around the schoolyard.
Before we begin taking any photos, I would go over the rules, in terms of using the iPads
carefully and respectfully. I would also explain that the students are expected to take 5 to 10
photographs each. This photograph session is meant to bring awareness to how serious a problem
littering is, due to how much waste the students will see around their schoolyard. The goal of this
task is to inspire the students to want to make a change, which leads to the next task.
Task 3: Creating collages
Once students have compiled all of their photos, we would go back to the classroom and each
student would create a collage with the 5 to 10 photos they found. The collage would be made on
a website called smilebox.com. Before they begin, I will explain to the students how the website
works and I will give the students time to ask questions if they have any. Once every student has
completed their collage, as a class we would create a slideshow using iMovie to show each
individual collage the students made. The collages are meant to allow students to bring
awareness to the severity of littering is in our school and our planet.
Task 4: Self-assessment
Once the iMovie collage is complete, I would have a question/response self-assessment, which
would ask the students why they felt it was important to create this artistic video collage, what
they learned from it and their overall satisfaction with their photographs and collage. The goal of
this self-assessment is for the students to analyze how their art piece impacted them and how
they feel their art piece and art in general can bring awareness to issues around the world through
the messages they create.
Culminating Task: The video of the photography collage would be played at the vernissage,
which would take place at the end of the unit. The video would be played on a projector and at
the beginning of the iMovie, there would be a slide explaining that the students had watched a
video about the effects of littering on marine life, in which they created a video collage out of
photographs they found around their schoolyard from that experience. A portion of the money
raised from the vernissage would go to proceeds that support threatened marine life. The goal of

this photography collage is for all of those watching it, to get a sense of how serious littering is
and that we can help to make a change if we work together.
Differentiation:
The students are expected to take 5 to 10 photos each, so that all students with physical or
cognitive disorders, can participate in the task more effectively. For students with physical
disabilities, I will ensure that I have an aid with me who can stay with them, in case they need
more time to take their photos. By students only requiring 5 photos, it also enables students who
may have cognitive disorders, such as, ADHD, to complete the task more efficiently, because
they will not be forced to stay outside taking photos for a long period of time. This can help
diminish lack of interest and boredom. In addition, the students will be able to work with a
partner when making their individual collages, so that if any of them need help or support, it is
there for them. We will also make the iMovie as a class, so students can see step by step how the
software works, which also prevents them from falling behind.
ELA Subject Competencies:
Competency 2 To write self-expressive, narrative and information based texts:
The written self-assessments enable the students to use writing to communicate the experience
they had in creating their photography collage and the impact it had on them. Furthermore, it
allows them to express in writing their overall satisfaction with their work, which enables them
to be self-evaluators. The iMovie itself also holds self-expression within each collage that was
created by the students, since they each had a message they wanted the audience to understand;
which is that littering is a serious and dangerous issue for our planet and the creatures within it.

Competency 3 To represent her/his literacy in different media:

The students are able to express their understanding and views of the world, by showing the
dangers of littering through the photos they take around the school with their iPads and the
collage they create using smilebox.com. The photographs can evoke a message through
analyzing how much litter there is in just one location and the iMovie is meant for the students to
express their concerns to the audience through each collage they created.

Cross-Curricular Competencies:
Competency 3 - To exercise critical judgment: By students watching a video on the impacts of
littering on marine life, it can allow them to make opinions on ethical issues and to create their
point of view about them. In addition, when students take their photographs it can enable them to
be critically reflective on the messages they want them to send. Furthermore, the selfassessments also allow the students to critically analyze their work and reflect on how it made
them feel and why it was empowering for them to create.
Competency 4 To use creativity: Students will use new ways to express their ideas, by using
photography and online softwares to get their message across, which allows them to try new
strategies and be actively involved in making a difference through creativity. Very often, students
will express their opinion through words, which though it is more clear and easy to understand, it
does not allow the students to be creative and try new tools when expressing their thoughts. The
use of art, such as photography can allow students to be creative and include students who may
feel more comfortable expressing themselves through aesthetics.
Formative Assessment:
Students will be assessed on the completion of their collage, in terms of meeting
the minimum number requirement and showing effort in the photographs they take.
Students will be evaluated on their treatment of the iPads, in terms of using them
respectfully and appropriately.
When writing their self-assessments, students will be assessed on their
willingness and effort to discuss their experience in creating the collage, what they
learned from it and their satisfaction with the finished product.
References:
Lee, J. [Marlisco]. (2014, April 3). Sources and impacts of marine litter. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=017bBeXhYz4
ducation et Enseignement Suprieur Qubec. (2001). Elementary education: English language
arts. In Quebec education program. Retrieved from

Jessica Ilana Koltz

Inquiry: Why Do We Make Art?
Lesson 5
Theme: The value of drama and theatre in the classroom and how it can have an effect on
empathy and confidence.
Goal: By the end of this lesson students will be able to use improvisation and performance skills
in order to better express themselves.
Intent: This section will introduce children in Grade 6 to the art of theatre and drama. Students
will be told to create their own plays and discuss why it is important to act out scenes either from
a short story or scenes that they have come up with on their own. These performances will be
based on things that they have read in class as well as prompts given in class.

Materials: Simple costumes and props, such as dress-up costumes (t-shirts, dresses, pirates
outfits, etc) to help the students to understand how a theatrical production is put on, tickets to a
show that is in town so that students can see how plays are formed. Other materials that will be
needed are the Magic Tree House series and sample scripts from Reader's Theatre. The Magic
Tree House books are meant to tie-in to theatre because they emphasize both the importance of
creativity and hard-work within each of the stories, which ties into the importance of art as well.
They also have links to history and the environment, which ties into the other forms of art
discussed as well.
Task 1: Introduction: Explaining Theatre and Confidence
The lesson will begin by the teacher asking the students what they know about theatre and, more
generally, if they have seen any plays, movies with singing in them or Shakespeare
performances. After a general discussion of what they have seen and/or experienced, the teacher
will explain why theatre is important and how it can help the students to gain confidence. After
watching a theatrical performance, I will attempt to get the students in my class to understand
why theatre is important. Evaluation: Go around in a circle and ask each student to say
something personal, i.e. their favorite color and then repeat what the person before them said.
Through doing this they are becoming comfortable about opening up and learning to trust those
around them. This will give them a sense of importance and confidence. After this, I would have
them write down what they have learned in a log which they will keep with them for the entire
lesson.
Task 2: Scene Work and Acting Exercises
Do scene work, get students comfortable with not taking themselves too seriously. Give acting
exercises to students to get them moving and inspire their creativity. Evaluation: Have students
split up into groups of two and see how they work together. Ask them to do different repetition
exercises where they switch roles periodically to understand how scene work is achieved. The
way that this exercise would work is that each student would choose a character and an emotion
for that character as well as an action for that character to do. Once they have chosen these, I will
have them perform their scenes several times with different emotions and different actions.

Through doing this, the students in my class will understand what is required to do in order to
perform a skit or play.
Differentiation: This type of scene work will allow students who have trouble staying seated for
long periods of time, such as students with ADD/ADHD, to have the chance to move around and
be silly while still doing work appropriate for the lesson. This kind of exercise will also allow
students with ASD disorders to have the chance to interact with other students in their class in a
way that does not have very much pressure or make them feel like they are not capable in social
situations. In both the scripted and unscripted scenarios, it will give students with cognitive and
social disabilities the opportunity to understand how to interact with those around them without
any kind of judgmental pressure. These exercises are meant to be fun but also give everyone a
sense of confidence and inclusivity.
Task 3: Readers Theater and Improvisation
Give the children scripts and/or ideas from Reader's Theatre to perform, have them improvise the
scenes they are reading and have them think about why they have made the decisions they have
made based on the scenes provided. One possibility for this section would be having the students
read the Magic Tree House series and act out the storylines that they find the most interesting or
that they identify with the most. Evaluation: Look at the students' overall delivery of their
Reader's Theatre performance and see how they followed the guidelines for the reading of scripts
and understand the basics of how to set up a reading of a play.
Differentiation: These Readers Theatre and improvisation exercises are meant to give shyer
students the chance to come up with their own ideas and, even though this particular exercise
does require reading, the improvisation part could also help students who have difficulty reading
to express their understanding of the task and get participation marks as well. This is done so
that, whatever the ability level, the students will be able to gain something out of the exercises
and feel like they have accomplished something. Another way that Readers Theatre could be
useful for children with dyslexia and other reading disorders is by highlighting their lines and
helping them when reading them. Another possibility for students with reading-based difficulties
is providing them with words that they could use, either in their improvisation exercises or when

they are reading their excerpts from Readers Theater. These types of exercises will also allow
children to express their opinions without fear of judgment because it will be made clear that,
when performing, students are in a safe space and can say and do whatever they want to.

Culminating Task:
Have all the students in the class come together and create a performance based on what they
have learned from Reader's Theatre and their improvised scenes and have this be included in
their vernissage at the end of the unit, which will evaluate how well they understand why we
make art in general. Final Assessment: Check if the final performance incorporates everything
that we have learned in class in a creative and unique way. Make sure final performances have
scripts and scenes that connect with the other artistic units that we have explored, especially
noting links to photography and storytelling. The units should flow together and the
performances should be clear and have an obvious story that is easy to follow. Finally, I will have
the students fill out an exit card asking students how they feel about having drama in schools and
whether or not they think it is important. Why or why not? How can drama influence or effect
their lives?
ELA Subject Competencies:
1. Competency 1- Reading and listening to literary, popular and information-based texts through
the reading of different texts in the Reader's Theatre exercises and the reading of the Magic Tree
House Books
2. Competency 3-Representing his/her literacy through different medias which will be done
through introducing the concept of theatre and having students read through scripts and perform
skits and improvisations rather than having them read a novel or short story.
3. Competency 4-Using language to communicate and learn which will be achieved through the
acquiring of theatrical terms and through the students talking to each other when reading
scenes/blocking/doing improv. By speaking to each other they are learning each other's wants
and needs as well as learning what it takes to be a performer.
Cross-Curricular Competencies:

The Cross-Curricular Competencies which apply to this section are:

1. Competency 1-The competency of using information (through observing the ways
plays can be performed and taking what they learn through improvisation and their
previous knowledge of theatre to put on a play),
2. Competency 4-The competency of using creativity, which will be accomplished
through the improvised scenes and through the blocking exercises as well as the end
product in the vernissage. Every task in this lesson will allow the students to gain in their
creativity and improve on their skills.
3. Competency 6-Developing personal identity through revealing pieces of
information about themselves in the first task and learning about themselves and each
other through the different activities.
4. Competency 7-The final cross-curricular competency that would apply to these
lessons is the competency of working with others through having to rely on each other
during the different activities.
Formative Assessment:
The students would be assessed through their final performances and their
recordings in their logs. The assessment will take into consideration how well they have
performed in each of the different tasks (making sure that they understand what theatre is
and why it is important, shown through the writing of theatre logs every class;
Making sure that they understand and participate in the acting exercises and scene
work, shown through observation that the students are doing their work in pairs and that
the exercises and scenes are getting done properly(i.e.that the students arent working
alone or sitting around in corners but are working in pairs to create their different scenes);
Making sure that every scene that they do from Readers Theatre is assessed
based on their delivery and cooperation with their groups as well as whether or not they
can incorporate the readings we have done in class, such as the Magic Tree House series
Finally, they will be assessed on how well they have used the skills they have
learned in their final performance and if they have noted everything they have learned in
their notebooks, which they will hand in at the end of the lesson.

References:
Education et Enseignment Superieur Quebec (2013) Elementary education: English
language arts. In Quebec Education Program Chapter 5: Languages pp. 69-73.
Henry, L.A. (2016) Lesson plan: Readers theatre. Readers theatre rubricReadwritethink.
Internationalliteracyassociation.Retrievedfrom:http://www.readwritethink.org/classroomresources/lesson-plans/readers-theatre-172.html?
tab=4#tabs,http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/printouts/readers-theatre-rubric30698.html,http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/printouts/30698_rubric.pdf
Romano, L., Papa, L., & Saulle, E. (2009) 12 fascinating ways to use drama in the curriculum
TeachHub.com.
Retrieved from:http://www.teachhub.com/12-fascinating-ways-use-drama-curriculum
Teaching Heart (2001) Readers theater scripts and plays. Teaching Heart. Retrieved from:
http://www.teachingheart.net/readerstheater.htm

Vernissage
At the end of all these creative and engaging lessons through the exploration of the arts, there
will be a vernissage where we will all come together to share and admire all the work the
students have created. Students should all know they they are appreciated and that their hard
work is valued. Showcasing the students hard work will give them a sense of accomplishment
and pride, and will be a great experience for everyone to view beautiful forms of artwork. How it
will work is that we will use a big space in the school, like a gym or auditorium, and set up all
the artwork at different stations like an exhibit. Physical artwork could be placed in one area, and
screens/projectors showing media/video artwork could be in another area. Students whose art is
through drama/improv/theatre could present a skit or some sort of act or improv at the
vernissage. All artworks will be included and admired. All will be welcome to come to this
vernissage, including parents/families, staff, students, etc. It will be an event of celebration and
achievement for all students who worked on their art assignment, in whatever format it was.
There will be speeches from teachers at the vernissage to thank all students who participated in
the artworks created, and to explain how important it is to explore art and to be able to express
yourself in different ways. Exploring art inspires creativity in people, and may lead to many
positive learning and social outcomes for students in the future. It is also a great teaching tool in
the classroom as it is fun and intrigues students, motivating them to learn and work hard. There
will also be snacks and drinks at the vernissage and it will be a great opportunity for the school
community to communicate and interact with one another. Everyone could communicate and
share knowledge with others, so the vernissage itself is a good social and learning tool as well.
This experience will be one that students, and everyone in the school community, will never
forget. It will be a valued experience in a students life, and will encourage them to work hard in
the future and explore many means of learning and self expression.

Summative assessment:

 Throughout the unit, students will be creating several artworks in class. At the end
of the unit,each student should present the artworks at the verinissage. The teacher will be
circulating to evaluate students presentations based on criterias on the rubric. They will
be assessed on their abilities to use concise oral language to express an idea and their
critical thinkings behind their artworks.
After the vernissage, students will have to put all of their artworks together to
create an electronic portfolio which includes the Photoshop recreation, photo of their
drawing, links of their video collage and their final performance on the day of the
vernissage. The written assignments that the students have previously handed it at the end
of each class will be included in the portfolio as well. Students will be assess mainly
based on their completion of the works and how their artworks connects with their
written assignments. An excellent portfolio should represent the students personalities
and aligned with all the subject materials covered in class.

Rubric for the culminating task:

Excellent

Good

Acceptable

Student has completed all the

artworks and written
assignments required for each
lesson in this unit and
included these documents in
an organized fashion in
his/her portfolio.

Student is missing 1 or 2
required works but still
completed the most of the
tasks and included them in
the portfolio

Student is missing the

majority of the works in
his/her portfolio and has not
completed these tasks in
class.

During the oral presentation,

student is able to clearly
introduce his/her works and
explain the reasoning behind
these creations using explicit
and appropriate language.

The student has introduced

his/her works and is able to
establish some connections
between his/her ideas with
the presented artworks.

Student has only a few

artworks to present and is
unable to properly introduce
his/her artworks and explain
the reason behind the
creations.

During the presentation,

Student has demonstrated
critical thinking and thorough
reflection upon the unit
inquiry question, his/her idea
is well aligned with the
shown artworks.

Student has answered to the

inquiry question but cannot
make sufficient connections
between his/ her works with
his/her answer to Why we
make art?

Students have not

demonstrate any critical
thinking on the unit inquiry
question and does not explain
why his/her works answers
the inquiry question

Students artworks have

unique characteristics that
represent students
personalities and their
creativities. The student is
able to justify the septicity of
his artwork/artworks in
his/her written description.

---------not applicable-----

Students artwork/artworks
has shown similar patterns to
others work and the student
does not provide an original
explanation on why the
artwork/artworks is
particularly meaningful to
him/her.