ARTISTIC THINKING UNIT INSTRUCTION PLAN

utilizing the
MU Art Education Lesson Plan Format
Developed by Dr. Kathy Unrath
*Lesson plans are always accompanied by a teacher-made
exemplar of potential student work!

1. NAME : Danielle Vogel

2. TITLE OF UNIT: Your Story
3. GRADE LEVEL(S): 7th

4. STANDARDS:
NATIONAL VISUAL ARTS STANDARDS:
CREATE: Anchor Standard I-VA:Cr1.2.7a
Anchor Standard 2-VA:Cr2.2.7a
Anchor Standard 2-VA:Cr. 2.3.7a
PRESENT:Anchor Standard 5-VA:PR5.1.7a
RESPOND:Anchor Standard 7-VA.Re7.2.7a
Anchor Standard 8-VA.Re8.1.7a
CONNECT:Anchor Standard 10-VA:Cn10.1.7
SHOWME VISUAL ARTS STANDARDS:
Missouri Fine Arts GRADE LEVEL EXPECTATIONS (GLEs):
Strand 1:FA1 (create different shapes using software)
Strand 2:FA2 (use rhythmic lines & shapes)
Strand 3:FA3 (questions about art:what is art? Should it look real?)
Strand 4:FA4 (explain the relationship between illustration and
written text)
ISTE-S Standards / 21st Century Learning and Innovation Skills
ISTE 1. A
ISTE 1. C
ISTE 3. A
ISTE 3. B
ISTE 4. A
ISTE 2. D
ISTE 4. A
ISTE 4. B
ISTE 3. B
ISTE 6. A
ISTE 6. C
ISTE 6. D
ISTE 5. A
ISTE 5. B

ISTE 5.
5. RATIONALE and GOALS FOR THIS LESSON:
Students will explore Toontastic, a cartoon animation app on the iPad to create and share
a story that tells us a significant story about them as a person. It can be a narrative or
story line with multiple characters. This is an open ended lesson to allow students to play
and investigate their own ideas. (This can be about a dream they want to pursue,
something of significance that happened in their life, an idea they are exploring, etc).
Investigate ideas to create your own animated cartoon that tell a story about you.
Collaborate with classmates to create an image bank for your cartoon backgrounds.
Create a Popplet for brainstorming your story and the 5 parts to making a movie: set up,
conflict, challenge, climax, and resolution.
Write a script for your movie.
Using your images create thought provoking backgrounds that tell us about your story.
Collaborate with classmates to help with animation and voices.
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to identify the importance of
communicating a personal story and why it is important to share their stories.
Students will walk away from this lesson equipped with skills to create their own short
cartoons.
Students will be able to identify how symbols, colors, images contribute to visual
language.
Students will reflect on how this could impact them in todays society.
6. ENDURING BIG IDEA: (Define the BIG IDEA)
The Big idea is YOUR STORY
Students will investigate the significance of telling a personal story and how their
contribution is important.
Students will research artists who do animated cartoons and tell personal stories.
7. ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
Why is it important to tell personal stories?
Who will you focus on in your short movie? Why?
How have personal stories been passed down through time?
How does visual language impact the making of a cartoon?
How does verbal language impact the making of a cartoon?
How can you share a story with deep personal meaning through cartooning?
How can you use Toontastic to create animated cartoons to convey meaning?
Who can you collaborate with to make this experience more successful?
What makes a good story?
What can you show your teacher and classmates about Toontastic that they have not
discovered? (an animation trick, etc.
8. KNOWLEDGE BASE AND KEY CONCEPTS:
Students will learn how to use an iPad app called Toontastic.

They will work with images to convey deep meaning and build inquiry about their
assignment.
They will be able to identify key parts of making a storyline.
They will look at other animation artists and research some of their work.
Students will know what people do in our community to engage in art.
Students will gain an understanding into the amount of time it takes to create a video with
animation.
9. OBJECTIVES:
Students will know how to use an iPad application called Toontastic to create a
story that has to do with their life.
Students will understand how to research images that will convey deep meaning and
narrative to go along with their cartoons.
Student will be able to relate their investigation and creation of a cartoon to another
contemporary artist.
Students will be able to create characters and symbols that will tell their story. They will
be able to express why they chose to create their characters in the manner in which they
did. (expressive mark making vs. highly detailed marks).
Students will know what animation is.
Students will know what a still image is.
Students will understand how much work goes into creating a very short movie.
They will look at their classmates work and provide constructive input and demonstrate
their understanding of another persons work.
Students will learn how to use Google Drive, Toontastic and Popplet to share their work
with other students and the teacher.
10. VOCABULARY:
Visual language
The five parts of a story board: set up, conflict, challenge,
climax, resolution
Poppet
Collaboration
Animation
Brainstorming
Narrative
Timeline
11.LESSON SEQUENCE - LESSON VIGNETTES:

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Standards

Major Learning Activities:

21st C
Skill

Introduce the Big Idea: Your Story

To begin with this Unit, we will look at the teacher
exemplar and I will give an overview of the unit.
VA:Cr1.2.7a

Lesson 1: Image Research & Investigation

(ONE CLASS PERIOD)
Activity 1:
What does an image represent?
Student will use Visual Thinking Strategies to
discuss one image from Tim Burtons movie
Edward Scissor hands.

-What is going on in this image?

-What do you see that makes you think that?
-What more can we find?
Discussion:
-How can you tell a story from one image?
---Can you construct a story from just one
image?
-What kind of impact can one still have on a
story?
Students will discuss ideas of how a single
image can set the tone for a story or narrative.

VA:Cr1.2.7a

Image Research & Investigation Continued

Lesson 2: Identify what kind of story you want to
tell.
ONE CLASS PERIOD
Activity:
What kind of story they want to tell for their project?
Why is it significant to you?

Critical
Thinking
Communi
cation

Critical
Thinking
Collaborat
ion

5
What kind of images will you need to research?
Students will write or sketch ideas in artist
journal to gain a starting point.
Students will research on the computer, in
books and using photos to come up with 10
photos they are interested in using in their
project.
Students will save these in a shared file on
google drive.

Technolog
y
Substitutio
n
Augmentat
ion

Teacher exemplar of shared file on google drive:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0BztI5OBra
PzLQS00Ml9tc2U1TTQ

VA:Cr1.2.7a
ISTE 1. A
ISTE 1. C
ISTE 3. A
ISTE 3. B
ISTE 4. A

VA:Cr1.2.7a
VA:Cr2.3.7a

Lesson 3: Creating a Popplet Brainstorm

(Two Class Periods to Research)
Teacher Popplet Exemplar:
http://popplet.com/app/ - /2875649
Activity:
What events lead up to your story?
How did it evolve over time?
Students will create a timeline of how events
unfolded for their story. (If they are creating a
story they need to come up with significant
events over time).
Each new event will be a separate Popplet.
Students will add text and Images to support
their timeline.
Lesson 4: Introducing Story Boards (Adding to
your Popplet)
(One Class Period)
Your animated movie will consist of 5 sections using
Toontastic:
Set Up-set up the beginning of your story
Conflict-tell us the conflict of your story
Challenge-tell us the challenges you will face
trying to overcome the conflict

Technolog
y
Critical
Thinking
Info,
Media, &
Tech
Skills
Substitutio
n
Modificati
on

Critical
Thinking
Creativity

Climax-tell us the climax of your story, the

most intense part that you are having trouble
with
Resolution-tell us how you solved your
problem
Activity:
What kind of images will create the most emotion to
keep my viewer engaged?

Info,
Media and
Tech
Skills

Using Popplet, you will now add to your brainstorm a

section that stems off creating your 5 story boards.
Identify what is going to happen in each
section.
Choose a background image that supports the
theme of each story board and coveys deep
meaning. This image should evoke inquiry in
your viewer.

Lesson 5: Play
One Class Period
Activity:
Play with Toontastic, inserting images and creating
characters to get a feel for the app.
Lesson 6: Writing a Script/Collaborating with
Classmates
(Two-Three Class Periods)
Teacher Exemplar of script is at the end of this lesson
plan.
ISTE 2. D
ISTE 4. A
ISTE 4. B

Activity:
How will I tell my story?
Will this be narrative? Do I need someone else to help
with voices? What kind of voices do I need to tell this
story?
Create a script for each section of your movie.
They must be between 30 & 60

Collaborat
ion
Critical
Thinking
Tech
Skills

FA4
VA:Cr2.1.7a
VA:Cr2.2.7a
ISTE 3. B
ISTE 6. A
ISTE 6. C
ISTE 6. D
FA1
FA2

ISTE 5. A
ISTE 5. B
ISTE 5. D

seconds long. They cannot be longer than 60

seconds. This needs to be typed and very easy
to read.
Practice the script in character.
If you choose to only communicate visually
that is fine, but it must be planned out.
Document your ideas.

Lesson 7: Create your Toontastic Video

(Four Class Periods)
Activity:
What kind of characters will be in your story?
How will you design your characters to convey
feeling, emotion, and stick to your theme?
Create the characters (you must draw at least 5
characters). Remember there are options to
animate them! People or animals can fly, you
can create any kind of automobile or flying
contraption).
Think about using rhythmic lines & shapes
to create your characters.
After inserting your background image you
have chosen, select the camera option (go to
the film roll and upload your image from your
device for the background).
Record your script while moving the characters
around on the screen. Remember to think
about their movements in relationship to what
you are saying.
Choose theme music for each section you
complete.
Once you have completed all 5 sections,
reviewed for any edits, save it to your photos.
Then upload it to google drive as a shared
document.
Remember your ethical responsibility to peers
when sharing these movies on the internet.

Modificati
on

Lesson 8: Movie Debut & Reflecting on Classmate

Videos
Teacher Exemplar of Toontastic Video:

Critical
Thinking
Communi
cation

VA.Re.7.2.7
a
VA.Re8.1.7a
Activity:
Peer Critiques and Feedback
What is the theme of each video? Did their images
contribute to the theme? Did the characters?
How did they contribute? What have you learned
about your classmates? How do these images
VA:Cn10.1.7 influence our class audience? What about another
a
audience?
Using google docs we are going to create a live
FA3
feedback for each video after we watch to give
feed back to our peers. Write a couple of
comments giving a wowie and a what if
VA:Cr3.1.7a
How do people in our community get together
VA:PR5.1.7a
to make and experience art or design?
What is art? Does it always have to be
realistic?
In your journal, choose your favorite video and
reflect on why you liked it. What did you
learn? Why was it successful?

Collaborat
ion
Redefiniti
on

Lesson 9: Create an Artist Statement & discuss

how to present these videos
(One Class Period)
Activity:
Define in words what your movie is about and why
you made the choices you made in your video after
reflecting on peer feedback.
11. ASSESSMENT/RUBRIC: (Describe what student success looks like
and what evidence you have that learning has taken place)

9
Student Success will be apparent through the level of
engagement. If students are actively participating and working hard to
find images and create characters that connect and weave into the
meaning of their story, I will know they are engaged.
Pre Assessment
Talk with students before the unit begins about who has done animation
and worked with these types of apps. Find out what kind of story board
experience they have from English and Reading classes.
Post Assessment:
Class discussion during final debut of the movies and reflection in
journals. Peer critiques and Feedback to identify want kind of
understanding the students have of enduring ideas.
Summative Assessment:
Students will write an artist statement after reflecting on feedback from
peers of what they learned, did well, could do better next time and what
they most enjoyed.
12. STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AND ADAPTATIONS FOR SPECIAL
NEEDS:
I will work with each student on an individual level to meet their needs.
I believe that there is a way to provide adaptations and modifications to
this lesson and still be able to utilize the application. Possibilities are
allowing some students to just work visually without the verbal
component, or pairing them up with another student for extra support.
The best way to keep students engaged is to find a way to relate this to
them personally so they can see the importance of the assignment.
For students who are highly talented I would encourage them to take their
time designing the characters or consider making another movie with a
different partner.
For students who finish early I will encourage them to look for other
animated movies by students online.
13. MATERIALS, TEACHING RESOURCES/REFERENCES: Materials
needed will be primarily iPads. Working in the computer lab will be helpful
on research days so they are not limited by their iPads. Books, photos
and artwork are all options to use for photographing. Students will need
their artist journals, pencils or other sketching materials. They will need a
google account to access google drive. They will need to download an
app to their iPad called Toontastic. They will need to be able to access
Popplet from a computer in the computer lab or a laptop in the classroom.
14. PREPARATION REQUIRED:

10

I have completed the necessary preparation while making the teacher exemplar.
The only issue I may run into with this is sharing images through photo
streaming.
From creating the artist exemplar, I learned that you can create too many
characters for a story board. Also, we only get 60 seconds and then you are cut
off. It is possible to go back and edit, which at first it did not look like that was an
option. This is SO FUN to do! I did not realize that you could actually animate
the characters till I was half way through!
15. TEACHER REFLECTION: I will look at the assessments and student
engagement and feedback. I like to hear their responses and what they
liked about assignments. I think that allowing them to have some freedom
to play will make this more enjoyable. Overall I think this will be a really
fun project and I can see expanding this lesson in a multitude of directions
for different grade levels and content areas. I can also see this as an easy
in for integration into Language Arts with potential for other classes as
well. I
Their connection to the enduring ideas and key
concepts will be a huge part of me understanding
the depth of what they learned in this assignment.
Lesson 6 Script Examplar
For the Love of Art Script:
SETTING:
Hi my name is Danielle and I am going to tell you the story of how I became an art
teacher. It all started when would play under a magnolia tree in my front yard like this
one. I could see all of these tunnels and I would hop through them like a bunny into
another world. Of course no one believed me because they couldnt see it. But I
COULD.
I worked a lot of different jobs before I went to school to be an art job. Coffee shop,
garden center, birth center, and then I was an optometric assistant. My vision became
very clear while I worked there, and I realized it was time to go back to school for ART.
CONFLICT:
No Matter what job I took, after a while, I felt stale, lethargic, and blue. AND I ALWAYS
WENT BACK TO ART TO FEEL BETTER. The problem was I didnt know if I was
good enough, and I didnt know if I could make enough money to support my family. It
was like I was trapped in another world yet again that desperately needed colorand
thats when it hit me
CHALLENGE:
The hard part was deciding to go back to school, figure out how to pay for it, and finding
the people who would support me!

11
Everything lined up just right up and I new I was headed down the right road. The next
obstacle I would face was how to actually make it through grad school.
CLIMAX:
Making through grad school is no easy challenge. It requires a ton of discipline and a ton
of your time. I found myself racing the clock constantly. I was going to have to learn
how to prioritize my time to do homework, spend time with the family, clean my house,
work 20 hours a week, and keep up my grades. In the last stretch after tons of coffee and
just a few hours of sleep for a solid week, I finally made it through another semester.
What a relief.
RESOLUTION:
I realized the way to make it through school to reach my goal was to stay positive, ask for
help when I needed it, try to stick to a schedule, face my fears, and BELIEVE IN
MYSELF. The fuel for this journey is all the love and support of everyone around me. I
am going to make it!! And art may just take over the world.