Unit:NarrativePainting

AsbellElementarySchool
3rdGrade
McKennaKraus
Atthisage,studentsareattheirimaginativepeaks.Theyareabsorbent,curious,and
fascinatedbypossibilities.Iwantedtocreateaunitthatcombinedimaginativestorytellingwith
artisticprocesses.IincorporatedthestoryquiltsofFaithRinggoldasakeycomponenttothis
lesson.StudentswillstartbyviewingandinterpretingFaithRinggoldsnarrativequilts.They
willbeaskedtocreatetheirownstoriesbasedoffofwhattheyseeintheimages.Then,theywill
createtheirownnarrativesusingwatercolor.
Lesson1
Introduction:FaithRinggoldandstorytelling
TimeEstimate:50minutestotal,1520minutesforviewingworkandcreatingnarratives,25
minutesforbrainstormingpersonalnarratives
Materials:
Pencils
Smallslipsofpaper
6x9inchpaper
crayons
Resources:
PowerPointPresentation
Vocabulary:
Story:anaccountofimageryorrealpeopleandeventstoldforentertainment
Brainstorm:produceanideaorwayofsolvingaproblem
PowerPointPresentation1520minutes
Askstudentstodefinestory.IntroduceFaithRinggold,andinformstudentsthatthey
willbeviewingexamplesofhernarrativequiltsanddiscussingstorypossibilitiesasa
class.

Beginbyaskingstudentstolookatthisimagequietly
Startfromleftcornerandmoveyoureyesacrossasifyouwerereadingabook.
Askstudentstobeginidentifyingwhattheyseeintheimage.Thenaskstudentstothink
ofpossibilitiesforwhatthisstorycouldbe
Allowstudentstosuggestpossibilitiesforthenarrativeofthisimage

Beginbyaskingstudentstolookatthisimagequietly
Startfromleftcornerandmoveyoureyesacrossasifyouwerereadingabook.

Askstudentstobeginidentifyingwhattheyseeintheimage.Thenaskstudentstothink
ofpossibilitiesforwhatthisstorycouldbe
Allowstudentstosuggestpossibilitiesforthenarrativeofthisimage

Beginbyaskingstudentstolookatthisimagequietly,justastheyhavefortheprevious
images
Handoutpencilsandsmallslipsofpaper.Askstudentstowriteatleast3sentencesthat
describeapossiblenarrativeforthisimage.Givestudents510minutestowritetheir
sentences.
Collectpencilsasstudentsfinishandcallonstudentsthatwanttosharetheirideaswith
theclass.
Wheneveryonethatfeelscomfortablesharinghasshared,reiteratetheideaofnarrative
artwork.Introducetheproject,andinformstudentsthattheywillbecreatingtheirown
narrativepaintings.
Informthestudentsthattheywillspendtherestoftheclassbrainstormingtheirpersonal
narrativesandthattheywillbeusingcrayonsandhalfsheetsofpaper.Askstudentsto
write12sentencesatthetopoftheirbrainstormingsheetthatdescribestheirnarrative
artwork.
Dismissstudentstotheirseatsandaskthemtobeginbrainstorming.Visitwitheach
studenttodiscussideasandmakesuggestions.
Makesurestudentshavewrittentheirnamesandclassroomteachersnameonthebacks
oftheirbrainstormingsheetsandcollectthemattheendofclass.

Frameworkscovered:

Studentswillinvestigatepersonalinterestsandideasintheirstoriesusingcrayonsand
brainstormingtechniques(CR.1.3.2)
StudentswillidentifythemessagecommunicatedbyFaithRinggoldsnarrativequilts
(R.7.3.2)
StudentswillinterpretFaithRinggoldsartbyconsideringsubjectmatterandmood
(R.8.2.1)
StudentswillevaluateFaithRinggoldsnarrativequiltsbywriting3sentencesthat
describewhattheybelieveishappeningintheimage(R.9.3.1)
Studentswillbrainstormideasforcreatingartbasedonpersonalobservationsof
surroundings(CN.10.3.1)

Lesson2:NarrativePainting
TimeEstimate:50minutes
Materials:
Watercolorpaper9x12inches
Watercolorstations(red,yellow,blue,orange,violet,green,brown)
Paintbrushes(4toastation)
Sharpies
Rulers
Brainstormingsheetsfrompreviousclass
Resources:
Teacherdemonstration
PowerPointPresentation
Vocabulary:

Story:anaccountofimageryorrealpeopleandeventstoldforentertainment

StudentswillreviewthenarrativepaintingsofFaithRinggoldanddiscusswhatmakesa
narrativepainting.Studentswillbedismissedtotheirseats,wheretheywillhaverulers,
watercolorpaper,theirbrainstormingsheetsfromthepreviouslesson,andsharpiesreadyfor
them.Thestudentswillbeaskedtomakeaborderontheirpiecesofpaperusingtherulerand
sharpies.Iwilldemonstratehowtousetherulertomakeaborder.
Whenallormostofthestudentshavefinishedtheirborders,theywillusetheirbrainstorming
sheetstorewritetheirsentencesononesideoftheirbordersontheirwatercolorpapers.Explain
tostudentsthatthiswillbetheirnarrativesfortheirpaintings.Besuretogoaroundtheroomand

correctspellingerrors.Theywillhavetheoptionofflippingtheirpapershorizontallyor
vertically,dependingonwhattheydidontheirbrainstormingsheets.Then,thestudentswillbe
askedtodividetheirbordersthatdonothavewritinginthemintosquares.Whentheyhaveall
successfullyfinishedthebordersandnarratives,theywillbegintodrawoutlinesoftheir
narrativesbasedontheirbrainstormingsheets.Asstudentsfinish,askthemtositdownonthe
floorwhilethepaintstationsarearranged.Arrange5stationsinaUshapearoundtheroom,and
makeapathwaytothebackoftheroomfor2morestations.
Beforestudentsbeginpainting,demonstratehowtoappropriatelyusethepaint.Askstudentsto
painttheirnarrativeimagesforce,thenpaintthesectionsofthebordertocreateapatternedquilt.
Discusspatternwiththestudents,andhowtousepatternontheirbordersusingwatercolors.

FrameworksCovered:

Studentswillextendanimaginativenarrativeideaintoawatercolorsolution(CR.1.3.1)
Studentswillinvestigatepersonalinterestsandideasusingbrainstormingtechniquesand
watercolors(CR.1.3.2)
Studentswillexamine,withguidance,safeandresponsibleuseofpaintingtools
(CR.2.3.2)
Studentswillexplorewaysinwhichculturalcontextimpactstheviewersresponsetoart
(CN.11.3.1)
Studentswillcreatenarrativeartbasedonpersonalobservationsofsurroundings
(CN.10.3.1)

Reflection:

IfIweretodothislessonagain,Iwouldchangethematerialscompletelyandextendthe
project.Iwouldincorporateelementsofcollageinsteadofwatercolor.
Iwouldalsodiscusstheartistsmorewiththeclass,andengagethemwithmore
challengingquestions.
Ienjoyedthebeginningpartofthelessonwherestudentswereaskedtocreatetheirown
storiesbasedonthephotosofFaithRinggoldswork,butIwouldestablishmorespecific
criteriaforhowthestudentsbuildtheirstories.Itwasoverwhelmingforsomeofthe
studentstocreatetheirstorieswithlimitedguidelines,soIwouldgivestudentsmore
guidanceformyexpectationsfortheirstories.