Level3:ART309&StudentTeaching

ART LESSON PLAN TITLE

Central Focus
Grade Level
Class Size
Time
Class Demographics

Pioneering/WestwardExpansionHopeChests
2nd
10
1hr50min
(useduringStudentorClinicalTeachingonly)

National Core Arts Standards Addressed

Connecting:Relateartisticideasandworkswithsocietal,cultural,andhistoricalcontexttodeepenunderstanding.
VA:Cn112
a. Compareandcontrastculturalusesofartworksfromdifferenttimesandplaces.
Creating:Refineandcompleteartisticwork.
VA:Cr32
a. Discussandreflectwithpeersaboutchoicesmadeincreatingartwork
Connecting:Synthesizeandrelateknowledgeandpersonalexperiencestomakeart.
VA:Cn102
a. Createworksofartabouteventsinhome,school,orcommunitylife.

Common Core State Standards Addressed

Usehttp://www.corestandards.org/ELALiteracytocopyandpastethecodesandstandardtextforthelevelspecificCommon
CoreStateStandardsthislessonwilladdress.4thgradelessonexample:
CCSS.ELALiteracy.RL.4.9Compareandcontrastthetreatmentofsimilarthemesandtopics(e.g.,oppositionofgoodand
evil)andpatternsofevents(e.g.,thequest)instories,myths,andtraditionalliteraturefromdifferentcultures.
CCSS.ELALiteracy.W.4.2Writeinformative/explanatorytextstoexamineatopicandconveyideasandinformationclearly.
CCSS.ELALiteracy.W.4.2bDevelopthetopicwithfacts,definitions,concretedetails,quotations,orotherinformationand
examplesrelatedtothetopic.
SPECIAL PREINSTRUCTION PREPARATIONS

Rolloutandcutslabsforstudents(forhopechestsandpracticeslabs)
Createstudentnametags
Creatediagramworksheetsforstudentstopracticetheirdesigns
Haveteacherexamplescreated
ARTISTIC PRACTICE
Forms
Frames
Conceptual Framework

2D
Cultural
Artwork

3D
Subjective
Artist

Structural
Audience

4D
Postmodern
World

Artmaking (60%)
CreatingHopeChestsoutofclayslabs,decoratedwith
carvingsthatexplainwhattheywouldkeepinsideoftheir
chests

Critical/Historical Study Activities (40%)

Presentationgivingbackgroundofthewestward
expansionofAmericaandtheeverydaylifeofpioneers
Tradingpostwherestudentstradeobjectsforother
objects,justasthepioneersdid

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Asaresultofthislesson,studentswillbeableto:

1. Studentswilllearnaboutpioneercultureandeconomicsthroughteacherpresentation,educationalposters,and
experientiallearning.
2. Withtheknowledgegainedaboutclayworkingandscoringandslipping,studentswillassembleahopechestoutof
precutslabsofclay.
3. Studentswillpersonifythemselvesontotheirhopecheststhrough45patterns,personalsymbols,andwriting.
4. Usingtheinformationlearnedabouthopechestsandthewestwardexpansion,studentswilluseoutwardthinkingtodecide
whatwouldgointheirpersonalbox.

Level3:ART309&StudentTeaching

INTERDISCIPLINARY CONNECTIONS

History,geography,storytelling
TEACHER MATERIALS

Educationalposters
Books
PowerPointwithexamplesofhopechests
Clay(demonstrations)
STUDENT MATERIALS

Paperandpencilsforsketches
Claytools
Clayslabs(6perstudent)
ARTISTS IN CONTEXT
Key Artists
Key Artworks
Key Critical Questions

Anonymous,Americanpioneers
Hopechests,storagetrunks
1. Whydoyouthinkthepioneerschoselargewoodentrunkstostoretheiritems?
2. WhatobjectsdoyouthinkthepioneerstypicallystoredintheirHopeChests?
3. Whydoyouthinkthepioneerswereonlyallowedtotakeonetrunkperperson?
4. Whatkindofdesignsdoyouthinkthepioneerspaintedonandcarvedintotheirchests?
Why?

VOCABULARY AND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

IncludeALL words as well as definitionsforalltermsrelatedtothislessonthatyouwillemphasize.Remembertothink
aboutageappropriatelanguagewhenwordingdefinitions.
Discipline Specific (Syntax)
Academic
Slabs:flattenedpieceofclay
Pioneers:thepeopleinAmericanhistorywhomigrated
Scoring:creatingscratchesintheclaywithtoolsthat
westtojoininsettlinganddevelopingnewareas.
allowforjoiningtwopiecesofclay
Covered Wagon:awagonwithawhiteroundedtop
Slipping:addingwatertoscorestohelpjointwopieces
madeofclothusedbythepioneerstomigratewestward.
ofclay
Hope Chest: chestswithextensivepainteddecorationin
Carving:usingceramictoolstodigintoclayandmake
whichAmericansettlersstoredprizedpossessionswhen
marksthatcanbeusedtocreatedesignsandsymbols
migratingtothewest.
LANGUAGE FUNCTIONS
analyze,compare/contrast,critique,describe,interpret,question,etc.
LANGUAGE MODES AND ACTIVITIES
Throughoutyourunityoushouldhaveatleastoneactivityfocusedonhavestudentsexerciseeachmode.
Read
Write
Listen
Speak
Wewillreadtotheclass
Studentswillwritealist
Studentswilllistentous
Studentswillspeakout
fromchildrensbooks
ofatleastobjectsthey
readfrombooks
loudtotheclasshow
thatwillallowstudentsto
wouldbringalongwith
Studentswilllistentous
theythinktheyrelateto
followalong.
themintheirHope
presentinformation
thepioneersandwhatis
Chests.
aboutpioneers
differentfromthe
Studentswilllistentous
pioneers
giveademoonhowto
score&sliptogether
slabstocreateabox

Launch

INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES AND LEARNING TASKS

Instruction Methods

Level3:ART309&StudentTeaching

Haveyoueverheardofthepioneers?
Wheredoyouthinktheylived?
Whatdoyouthinkweretheireverydayjobs/activities?
Doyouthinkyoureanythinglikethepioneers?
Howdoyouthinkyouredifferent?
Instruction

Theteacherwillhavestudentssitinfrontofprojectionscreen
Theteacherwilltalkaboutpioneersandtheireverydaylifeandhavestudents
relatethemselvestothepioneers.
Theteacherwillpassoutassortedobjectsthatpioneerswouldtrade(driedgoods,
tools,fabric,etc.)andstudentswilltradetheirobjectsforotherobjectstheywant,
justasthepioneerstradedgoodsforothergoods.
Theteacherwilldiscusswiththestudentswhetherornottheythinkthisisan
effectivesystemandhowitissimilartooureconomicsystemtoday.
TheteacherwillgiveapresentationtothestudentsaboutHopeChestsandtheir
function.
Studentswillreturntotheirseatsandbrainstormwhatsortofobjectstheywould
takewiththemintheirHopeChests.
Studentswillsketchondiagramworksheethowtheywillrepresentthemselvesby
carvingintoclay.
Studentswillpracticecarvingintoclayusing
Studentswillbegivenslabstobegindecorating
Theteacherwillgiveademototheclassonhowtoscoreandsliptwoslabs
together.
Studentswillscoreandslipslabstogetheroncetheyaredonedecorating.
Closure

Studentswillcleanuptheirtoolsanddeskspaceappropriatelyandreturntotheir

Directinstruction
Groupdiscussion

Instruction Methods
Directinstruction
Teacherdemonstration
Independentstudentwork

Instruction Methods
Groupdiscussion

seats
Teacherwillleadaclassdiscussionaboutwhatthestudentshadlearnedthatday
andwhattheyfoundinteresting

ACCOMODATIONS FOR SPECIFIC DIVERSE LEARNERS

Adaptations and Accommodations

Teacherwillprovideadditionalvisualsandexamplesthatwillhelpdifferentstudentslearnwhohavedifferenttypesoflearning
Dividingclasstimeintodifferenttypesofactivities(lecture,interactivelearning,artisticcreation)
Enrichment and Extensions

Encourage3DaddonstotheirHopeChestsormoreintricatedesigns
Activity for Early Finishers

CreateobjectsoutofclaythattheywouldstoreintheirHopeChests

OBJECTIVEDRIVEN ASSESSMENTS
1. Formative:Studentswillwrite5objectstheywouldkeepintheirHopeChestsbasedontheinformationtheylearnedaboutthe
pioneershopechests.
2. Summative:Groupdiscussionattheendofclasstalkingaboutwhattheylearnedthatdayandwhattheyfoundinteresting.
REFERENCES
Erickson,Paul(1994).DailyLifeinaCoveredWagon.London:Breslich&Foss.

Kalman,Bobbie(1992).EarlyStores&Markets.NewYork,NY:CrabtreePublishingCompany.

Levine,Ellen(1986).IfYouTraveledWestinaCoveredWagon.NewYork,NY:Scholastic.

Level3:ART309&StudentTeaching

*DevelopedandwrittenbyErikaNowakandSarahSchmidt,ArtEducation,IllinoisStateUniversity,2014*