Unit+Plan

This is a collaborative unit plan between the three Laurel Highlands teachers: Mrs. Amanda Barber, Mrs. Rachael Zenobi and Mrs. Brenda Christeleit.


 * Grade Level**: 4


 * Disciplines**: Visual Art and Music


 * Title of Unit**: Local Colonial History through the **Arts**


 * Overview**: Local History and Colonial Times

This unit was created for the 4th grade students in the Laurel Highlands School District. The lessons are concurrently taught by the art and music teachers. Students will prove understanding of the big idea by writing a comparative essay in art class and creating a comic strip in music class. Since the summative tasks vary for art and music, two separate assessment rubrics apply. To facilitate reading of this unit, the ** ART ** and ** MUSIC ** portions have been color coded. For example, Lessons 1-3 pertain to Visual Art and Lesson 4 pertains to MUSIC. In cases where a section applies to both ART and MUSIC, text has coded in ** PURPLE **. The unit will be incorporated into a district-wide spring musical and art exhibit with a Colonial American theme.


 * Rich and Compelling Content**: EXPRESSION and TRADITION


 * Time needed to complete the unit**:  10 Weeks of concurrent Art and Music classes


 * Big Idea**: Traditions and Conditions Influence Artistic Expression


 * Essential Questions**:

1) How was the expression of Colonial Americans shaped by traditions and conditions? 2) How did people of the colonial period express themselves?


 * Summative Tasks**:

ART : 4th Grade students will write an analysis of how traditions and conditions influenced the visual arts in Colonial America after viewing and discussing artwork from the time and then creating their own art influenced by the time period.

VISUAL ART RUBRIC Masterful use of vocabulary words. || Original paragraph based upon at least 1 reading that analyzes how the historical conditions influenced a specifically named Colonial American piece of art. Appropriate use of vocabulary words. || Original paragraph with little reference to any readings, but with some mention of how conditions and traditions influenced Colonial art generally. Attempt to use vocabulary words, with intermittent success. || One paragraph with no reference to any readings, traditions, conditions or Colonial American artwork. No attempt to use vocabulary words or no vocabulary words use appropriately. ||
 * Criteria || Advanced || Proficient || Basic || Below Basic ||
 * Conditions and traditions of Colonial America || Original and complete paragraph based upon readings and observations that analyzes how the historical, cultural or social conditions influenced a specifically named Colonial American piece of art.
 * Analysis of relationship between student's art and Colonial art || The written assignment demonstrates the student's knowledge of a variety of similarities and differences that exist between the student's art and colonial art. || The written assignment demonstrates students’ knowledge of similarities that exist between the student's art and colonial art. || The written assignment demonstrates students’ knowledge of their own art, but does not draw any parallels with that of colonial times. || The written assignment does not demonstrate any understanding of the relationship between the student's own art and that of colonial times. ||

Music : 4th Grade students will sing/show 3 songs from Colonial America and produce a comic strip showing conversation between themselves and a person from the Colonial era to describe the traditions and conditions of the colonial period.  <span style="display: block; color: rgb(22, 0, 255); text-align: center;">MUSIC RUBRIC
 * Criteria || Advanced || Proficient || Basic || Below Basic ||
 * Conditions and tradition of colonial time period || <span style="color: rgb(22, 0, 255);">Student describes the conditions and traditions of the colonial era using images and text that includes vocabulary learned through Colonial songs. || <span style="color: rgb(22, 0, 255);">Student describes the conditions and traditions of the colonial era using images and text. || <span style="color: rgb(22, 0, 255);">Student describes the conditions and traditions of the colonial era using images. || <span style="color: rgb(22, 0, 255);">Student description does not demonstrate an understanding of conditions and traditions of colonial time periods in text or image. ||
 * Analysis of relationship between contemporary and colonial eras || <span style="color: rgb(22, 0, 255);">The interaction of the comic characters demonstrates student knowledge of a variety of similarities and differences that exist between contemporary and colonial time periods. || <span style="color: rgb(22, 0, 255);">The interaction of the comic characters demonstrates student knowledge of differences that exist between contemporary and colonial time periods. || <span style="color: rgb(22, 0, 255);">The interactions of the comics describe either the contemporary or colonial time period (without discussing the relationship between the two). || <span style="color: rgb(22, 0, 255);">The interactions of the comic characters do not include content related to the two eras. ||

<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">5a) The student will compare and contrast the tradition and conditions inherent or depicted in their own artwork with that of the Colonial American artists (5a) The student will analyze the work of a colonial artist through selected reading and observation ||
 * <span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 128);">PA STANDARDS (applies to both art and music) || CONTENT INDICATORS || PROCESS INDICATORS ||
 * <span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 128);">(1) 9.1.5D Describe and use knowledge of a specific style within each art form through a performance or exhibition of a unique work || <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">(1a) The student will understand how tradition shaped Colonial American art || <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">(1a) The student will paint a self-portrait influenced by Limner portraiture ||
 * ^  || <span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 128);">(1b) The student will know that narration/performance facilitates audience understanding and enjoyment || <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">(1b) The student will compose an original paragraph to evaluate how colonial conditions influenced art ||
 * ^  || <span style="color: rgb(22, 0, 255);">(1c) The student will know that the pursuit of freedom in colonial times was communicated through song || <span style="color: rgb(22, 0, 255);">(1c) The student will play various instruments to accompany colonial songs in the spring musical ||
 * (<span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 128);">2) 9.1.5E Know and demonstrate how arts can communicate experiences, stories or emotions through the production of works in the arts || <span style="color: rgb(22, 0, 255);">(2a) The student will understand that Colonial American music and folks songs are forms of communication || <span style="color: rgb(22, 0, 255);">(2a) The student will sing Colonial American songs to understand the experience, stories and emotions of Colonial Americans ||
 * ^  || <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">(2b) The student will understand that Colonial Americans communicated the practical nature of their lives by their functionality of their art forms || <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">(2b) The student will include artistic expression in a functional clay vessel ||
 * ^  || <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">(2c) The student will understand how traditions influenced the artwork of the American colonies || <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">(2c) The student will create unique artwork using the same traditions as the Colonial Americans ||
 * ^  || <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">(2d) The student will become aware that they are, like the colonists, influenced by their cultural and personal experiences which can expressed in artwork || <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">(2d) The student will synthesize symbols of their cultural and personal influences in their Limner –inspired portrait and functional clay vessel ||
 * <span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 128);">(3) 9.2.5A Explain the historical, cultural and social context of an individual work in the arts || <span style="color: rgb(22, 0, 255);">(3a) The student will know Colonial American songs such as “Liberty”, “He Comes, the Hero Comes”, and “In the Days of ‘76” || <span style="color: rgb(22, 0, 255);">(3a) The student will research their assigned songs, and then communicate the historical, cultural, and social context in a comic strip ||
 * ^  || <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">(3b) The student will become familiar with selected visual works of art || <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">(3b) The student will evaluate the historical, cultural and social context of a chosen art historical work and compare it to their own artwork in an original essay ||
 * <span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 128);">(4) 9.2.5F Know and apply appropriate vocabulary used between social studies and the arts and humanities || <span style="color: rgb(22, 0, 255);">(4a) The student will know that the pursuit of freedom in colonial times was communicated through song || <span style="color: rgb(22, 0, 255);">(4a) The student will create a list of colonial terms from their songs and translate them into modern language ||
 * ^  || <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">(4b) The student will understand that Colonial American art was based in practicality || <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">(4b) The student will use new art vocabulary terms such as “Limner”, “Functional” and “Vessel” throughout the visual arts lessons and in the final written assignment ||
 * <span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 128);">(5) 9.3.5A Identify critical processes in the examination of works in the arts and humanities || <span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 128);">(5a) The student will understand that colonial art and music may be analyzed, interpreted and compared or contrasted to explore the influence of tradition and conditions || <span style="color: rgb(22, 0, 255);">(5a) The student will interpret a colonial song in terms of the pursuit of freedom, tradition and conditions
 * <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">(6) 2.3.5C (Math) Estimate, refine and verify specified measurements of objects || <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">(6a) The student will understand that functional vessels are made to hold valuable quantities || <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">(6a) The student will estimate how much water, food or gun powder can be held in their functional vessel, and then calculate its volume ||
 * <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">(7) 1.4.5C (Reading) Write persuasive pieces with a clearly stated position or opinion and supporting detail, citing sources when needed || <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">(7a) The student will understand that art reproductions, art historical articles and personal observations are all useful in writing persuasive pieces || <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">(7a) The student will write an essay to persuade the reader how tradition and conditions influenced a selected Colonial artist or artwork ||
 * <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">(6) 2.3.5C (Math) Estimate, refine and verify specified measurements of objects || <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">(6a) The student will understand that functional vessels are made to hold valuable quantities || <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">(6a) The student will estimate how much water, food or gun powder can be held in their functional vessel, and then calculate its volume ||
 * <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">(7) 1.4.5C (Reading) Write persuasive pieces with a clearly stated position or opinion and supporting detail, citing sources when needed || <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">(7a) The student will understand that art reproductions, art historical articles and personal observations are all useful in writing persuasive pieces || <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">(7a) The student will write an essay to persuade the reader how tradition and conditions influenced a selected Colonial artist or artwork ||

LESSON 1- <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); display: block; text-align: center;">ART

PLAN || FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT ||
 * TOPIC || INSTRUCTION
 * <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Tradition and conditions influence expression universally, including the local Colonial American era

Time: 35 Minutes

Materials: PowerPoint presentation, computer, projector, worksheet accompaniment, quiz copies || <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">PowerPoint presentation with accompanying worksheet to explain how tradition and conditions influence expression universally, including in local Colonial American times.

Accommodations include preferential seating, and reinforcement of concepts through the worksheet and classroom discussion. Enrichment includes web quests that explore Colonial American art. || <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Quiz || LESSON 2 - <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); display: block; text-align: center;">ART

PLAN || FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT ||
 * TOPIC || INSTRUCTION
 * <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Limner portraits reflect the tradition and conditions of Colonial America

Time: Five 35 minute classes

Materials: Limner portrait packet, pencils, large paper, tempera paint, water containers, brushes

Rationale: Much like the Limner Portraitists, elementary students do not customarily use shading, modeling, or perspective techniques. Therefore, a greater majority of students will experience success in re-creating a style such as Limner portraiture, yet still be able to embed images associated with their own traditions and conditions therein. || <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Day 1 Anticipatory Set: Distribute [|Limner_Portrait_Packet.doc] that includes worksheet with the following questions: What is a portrait? Divide class into pairs and Think-Pair-Share (Accommodation: cooperative learning and peer tutoring).

Introduce Limner Portraits and encourage students to follow along in packet. Accommodations include written worksheet to complete during oral presentation, visual art project examples and preferential seating. Encourage questions and comments. Review worksheet answers as a class. Review rubric and assignment requirements to students. Students spend remainder of class sketching ideas for symbols and depictions of their own personal traditions and conditions. Closure: Repetition of concepts and vocabulary. Collect packets and ask that students wear painting clothes to next art class. || <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Day 1 Review Limner portrait influences, style, symbolism and purpose. || . || <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Days 3 & 4: Review practicality of limner artists. What other colonial art forms were practical? ||
 * ^  || <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Day 2: Studio time: Demonstration: Teacher selects 1 student with strong idea of how to communicate traditions and conditions in their portrait and demonstrates tracing. Emphasize that students' own Limner portrait must depict something of their traditions and conditions in the clothing and background, must be life-sized, and must be able to be used by other students. Distribute large paper and drawing materials. Students re-group with partner and begin to trace. Names on back. || <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Day 2: Choose a limner reproduction from your packet and discuss how tradition and colonial conditions are depicted. What traditions and conditions will you depict in your portrait and how? ||
 * ^  || <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Days 3 and 4: Anticipatory set: Review rubric, painting techniques, brush care and clean-up procedures Using tempera paint, students complete their Limner portrait
 * ^  || <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Day 5: Preparation: Limner portraits are hung using clothesline and clothespins. Students may walk around and have photos taken in various Limner portraits. Distribute Limner packets. Students use remainder of time to write an original paragraph to compare their own creation with how the Limner artists portrayed traditions and conditions, using new vocabulary terms such as "Limner", “Portrait”, and "Functional" Remit packet for grading

Enrichment includes fictional and descriptive short story based upon a selected Limner portrait, field trips to American Art museums and additional readings || <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Day 5: Level of participation in group discussion. Which Limner portraits depict the maker’s traditions and conditions and how? || LESSON 3 - <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); display: block; text-align: center;">ART

PLAN || FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT ||
 * TOPIC || INSTRUCTION
 * <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Powder Horns reflect the tradition and conditions of Colonial America

Time: Four 35 minute classes

Materials: Keynote presentation, computer, projector, 9x12 paper, clay slabs, water containers, clay tools, slip mixed with oxide || <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Day 1: Show Key Note/Power Point Presentation which will introduce the Powder Horn. Questions to be answered in the Presentation: 1. What is a Powder horn? 2. What is the function of a powder horn? 3. When were powder horns used? 4. Who carried a powder horn? 5. By looking at various examples; were powder horns only functional? Did they have another purpose? 6. What are typical images/symbolism inscribed on powder horns? 7. What is the name of the technique used to inscribe an image on the bones surface? 8. What is the name of the technique we will use on the clays surface? Review rubric and assignment requirements with the students. For the remainder of the class, the students will sketch ideas of images they will include on their powder horn. These images must reflect personal traditions and conditions. Accommodations for Day 1 include preferential seating, repetition of concepts and vocabulary word list and listed on the board. || <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Day 1: Review Powder horns purpose, function, and symbolism. || Teacher reviews ideas of the purpose and function of a powder horn. Students will cut a pattern out of paper which will be placed on top of a slab of clay. The students cut out their pattern and prepare clay to be folded and properly attach sides. Techniques such as scoring and slipping will be covered. Students will then wrap the clay slab around their paper pattern. Teacher demonstrates how to smooth over the scored and slipped surface. Accommodations include guided instruction, peer tutoring, vocabulary listed on the board, and project example. || <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> || Not only is slip created by wetting our clay, but it is also a material which we can use to paint onto the clays surface. Demonstration: Teacher demonstrates how the colored slip was made. Studio time: Students will work on painting the part of their powder horn which will include the sgraffito technique. || <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> || Teacher shows examples of students work which included strong ideas of showing tradition and conditions on their personal powder horn. Students will be painting directly onto their powder horn today. They will also be carving into the clay using the sgraffito technique.
 * ^  || <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Day 2: Building the Powder Horn
 * ^  || <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Day 3: Introduce new vocabulary - Slip
 * ^  || <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Day 4: Review Vocabulary - Slip, Sgraffito

Enrichment to Lesson 3 includes webquests to [] where the students can find powder horns dated back to the 1700's, and field trips to Fort Necessity where there is much to learn about Colonial soldiers' equipment. || <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> ||

LESSON 4 - <span style="color: rgb(22, 0, 255); display: block; text-align: center;">MUSIC

PLAN || FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT ||
 * TOPIC || INSTRUCTION
 * <span style="color: rgb(22, 0, 255);">Singing of Liberty and Freedom in Colonial Times

Materials: piano, music, bass, alto and soprano xylophone, glockenspiel, english snare drum, book of colonial dress || <span style="color: rgb(22, 0, 255);">Day 1 Introduce thru rote/rhythm/melody the words of the song 'Liberty'. Discuss definition of the words: rouse, fair liberty's call, tyrannous, suppress, just claim, in freedom we're born, freedom we'll live, purses, not as slaves, freeman. Discuss the uniqueness of freedom during the colonial time. Establish dates of the colonial period and reference what is known by student to give a sense of time to the present. Get melody established and able to sing some of the words without teacher assistance. Accomodations include small goals in squence toward a larger goal, guided instruction, repetition, vocabulary word list on board, cues and prompts. Enrichment includes additional time for historical questioning. || <span style="color: rgb(22, 0, 255);">Student Participation and Pronunciation || Review 'Liberty' song, review dates. Continue enforcing independence of words, even without accompaniment from the piano. Repetition. Review good singing techniques, pronunciation, following conductor/teacher, diction, volume. Accomodations include repetition, cues and prompts, and guided instruction. || <span style="color: rgb(22, 0, 255);"> || Review 'Liberty', praise good singing technique, pronunciation, following conductor/teacher, diction, volume. Introduce thru rote/rhythm the song 'The Days of '76'. Review dates 1776 and ask questions about past discussion of conditions and traditions of the colonial period. Discuss definition of: revere, muskets, freedom dear, upon the plains of Lexington, foe, queer, Yankee, volunteer Accomodations and enrichments are the same as Day 1. || <span style="color: rgb(22, 0, 255);"> || Review 'Liberty', add body movements. Reinforce/review 'The days of '76. Show picture book of colonial dress depicting various occupations. Ask thought provoking questions based on the way the colonial person is dressed what would their job or life be like. Discuss lack of electricity, motors, running water, importance of fireplace, and horses. Presence of England, and Indians. Same accomodations and enrichments. || <span style="color: rgb(22, 0, 255);"> || Introduce thru rhythm/rote/melody the song 'He comes, the Hero comes" Discuss the song being sung on Evacuation Day in New York City Novemeber 25, 1783. Discuss George Washington's fame and importance during his life and today. Review "Liberty" and "Days of '76"
 * ^  || <span style="color: rgb(22, 0, 255);">Day 2
 * ^  || <span style="color: rgb(22, 0, 255);">Day 3
 * ^  || <span style="color: rgb(22, 0, 255);">Day 4
 * ^  || <span style="color: rgb(22, 0, 255);">Day 5

Day 6 Transfer 'The days of '76' to Orff Instruments. Model bass, alto and soprano xylophone and glockenspiel parts. Have students do parts and sing. Practice and solidify parts. Accomodations include modified instrumentation. Enrichment is the opportunity to play varied instrumental parts. ||^  || Continue rotating students to play Orff parts and reinforcing independence of parts, and singing. Enforce performance techniques. Accomodations and enrichments are similar to Day 5.
 * ^  || <span style="color: rgb(22, 0, 255);">Day 7

<span style="color: rgb(22, 0, 255);">Day 8-10 Rehearsal schedule. Rehearse on stage, select riser placement. Reinforce performance expectations/techniques e.g posture, exit/enter stage, movements. Work with George Washington costume and presentation of '76 flag. ||^  ||

The majority of IEPs focus on speech, language and spelling difficulties with mathematical reasoning deficit coming in as the second-most common. As this unit expects proficiency in the use of new vocabulary words, the composition of an original paragraph based upon art historical analysis and mathematical estimation and measurement, accommodations in this unit must center on language arts and math.
 * Unit accommodations for students not proficient on summative task:**

Partnering or cooperative learning as opposed to larger groups Peer Tutoring Redirection Small goals in considered sequence toward larger goals Quiet repetition of directions to individual students Accompany verbal directions with written instructions Provide visual art project examples Guided instruction Preferential Seating Vocabulary word lists and flash cards Phonetic spelling of words Repetition of concepts in anticipatory set and closure Big Idea in large letters hanging in room Extended time for completion Additional breaks Adapted materials Cues and prompts to remain on task Unit accommodations for ESL students: Peer Tutoring Extended time for completion Vocabulary word lists and flash cards Repetition of concepts Preferential Seating
 * As contracted in the IEPS, embedded accommodations will include:**

Web quests Musical presentations Opportunity to play varied and more advanced instrument parts Local Historical Speakers Fictional and descriptive stories based upon the Limner portrait Student may complete project from another grade level based upon the same big idea
 * Unit enrichments:**

Here are the videos from Lesson 2 of our unit plan, the "Limner Portrait". I taped Mrs. Gulino's Friday afternoon 4th Grade art class:

DAY 1 -

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media type="custom" key="3558314" We did not get as far as I thought that we would. I will have to give students more time to complete page 3 of the accompanying packet and begin sketching ideas for theit Limner self-portrait. Their homework was to think of 3 things that symbolize their traditions and conditions.