Grade: 4

Big Idea:
Dreams and
Nightmares
Cindy Chenh, Mariana
Escobar, Jessica Williams,
Tezerash Eibensteiner

21st-century Art Approach: Choice-based and Learner directed; Modified choice

Lesson Overview
Teachers will introduce students to and facilitate discussion over artwork
containing symbolism and visual metaphor and what these symbols and
metaphors could reveal about the artists health.

Students will then collaboratively come up with examples of symbols and

metaphors to strengthen their knowledge of the new vocabulary; they will
apply this knowledge of literacy and health to create an artwork based on an
important dream or nightmare of theirs and how it has/had affected his/her
own health.
Essential Questions
1. In what ways do dreams/nightmares affect art-making?
2. How can real life and dreams relate to one another?
3. In what ways are dreams/nightmares personally
impactful? ?
Content Areas (TSW be able to)
Literacy: understand symbols, metaphors.

Visual Art: create an artwork about an important dream/nightmare that

they have had.

Science: understand the effects that dreams/nightmares have on ones

health.
Assessment Strategy

Formative:
Students will fill out a form at the end of class circling ether symbol or metaphor
indicating which they used in their artwork. Students will also include written responses to
questions asking what the symbol/metaphor literally is (what it means).

Summative:
In the form that students will fill out at the end of class, they will also include how they
have illustrated the dream/nightmares effect on their health and what that effect is.
Definitions (Part 1)
Dreams Nightmares

Mental experiences during REM Unpleasant mental experiences

sleep during REM sleep (a.k.a. bad
dreams)
Dreams are important for our health in a number of ways

Health: The overall condition of body or mind and the presence or absence of illness
or injury (Insel, p. 2)

Why do we dream? How are dreams and nightmares important to our health?
TedEd - Amy Adkins:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2W85Dwxx218&feature=youtu.be
Reasons We Dream
1) To fulfill our wishes. Dreams contain symbolic meaning that relate to fulfillment (Freud).

2) To remember. Certain memory processes only happen when we sleep.

3) To forget. The brain gets rid of unnecessary neural connections (memories) that could otherwise turn
into parasitic (intrusive) thoughts that disrupt wakeful thinking.

4) Keep our brains working. Continual Activation Theory: consolidate neural connections to create
long-term memories leading to thoughts & feelings

5) Heal. Stress neurotransmitters are less active in sleep, making it easier for the brain to healthily
process traumatic events with greater clarity.

6) Solve Problems. Committee of Sleep & the Benzene molecule; mind creates limitless scenarios to
address problems and formulate solutions you may not consider while awake (because you have
decreased inhibitions during sleep).
Definitions (Part 2)
Dreams contain symbolic meaning (Freud).

What is a symbol? represents a heart life love (for video games)

Something that represents something else (concerning representation)

What is a simile? She is as fast as a cheetah.

An attribute of something likened to something else in a like/as statement/situation (concerning

comparison)
She is a cheetah.
What is a metaphor? (But she is not really a cheetah.)

Figure of speech. A simile presented as an is/am statement/situation. (concerning comparison ;

non-literal)
Example
Artists

directed by Masami Hata and William Hurtz

Production Company: Tokyo Movie Shinsha

https://youtu.be/wRs4Y3Kzdt0
Dream: 2:46-7:50 Reality: 10:00-11:39
Dream Interpretation: Trains
by Craig Hamilton-Parker, Sept. 16, 2014 via dreamsleep.net

"This dream may show that you want to control your life and take it in a set direction,"
like how a train travels on a set direction of tracks. Nemo cannot control his
sleepwalking yet still gets into trouble for it. Conclusion: The train is a symbol of
Nemo's desire to control his sleepwalking.

"Alternatively, it may show that you are frustrated by the routines of your life," such as
Nemo's routine of sleepwalking each night to eat pie. Trains relate to routines because
they travel on a routine schedule through a routine route of tracks.
Additional interpretations:

The loudness of the train could symbolize the mother's loud yelling, which affects
Nemo's emotional health with fear and his physical health by quickening his heart
rate, causing a fight-or-flight response (where Nemo runs away to his room).

Pie is making the problem worse!

Biologically, *research has found that people who eat sugary foods late in the
day/night report more frequent bizarre or unpleasant dreams than people who
dont.

*Nielsen, Tore & Powell, A. Russel. (2015). Dreams of the Rarebit Fiend: food and diet as instigators of bizarre
and disturbing dreams. US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, 6. Retrieved from:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4330685/
 Activity
Materials:
scissors, liquid glue/glue stick, white
paper, pencils, crayons, watercolor and
tempera paints, brushes, watercolor
and acrylic markers, colored pencils,
pens, erasers, cloud clay, rulers,
glueable bobbles, water cups, paper
towels, cotton balls, glitter glue, hole
puncher, yarn, colored construction
paper
1) Make an artwork about an important dream or nightmare you
have had.
2) Visually describe the dream/nightmare's effects on your health
(emotional, physical, etc.).
3) Include at least one symbol or visual metaphor. (Make sure you'll
be able to identify it as either a symbol or metaphor and explain it.)
Extra Credit Opportunity (Earn a stricker!) :
Make up your own symbol or visual metaphor that we have not
discussed in class. Remember, you must be able to identify and
explain it!