ArtEducationLessonPlan:ART133

Group3
BreannahGammonNouChaStephanieVargasMaddieVaughn

Lesson Title: American Indians and Dreams

Big Idea: Dreams
21st Century Art Educa on Approach(es): Meaning Making and Visual Thinking Strategies
Lesson Overview: Students will design a dream catcher bag inspired by the ideas of the original American Indian art of dream catchers. They will display their interpreta

Grade Level: 3

ons of their dreams and goals in

and outside of the dream catcher bag. Finally the students will write a le er to themselves regarding these dreams and seal it inside the bag to be opened at a later date.

Key Concepts: What you want the students to know.

Essen al Ques ons:
1. The origin story of the Na ve American dream catcher.
1. What kind of dreams can a person have?
2. Dreams can be important to individuals.
2. Why are dreams important?
3. Dreams can be expressed in a variety of ways.
3. What can dreams tell us?
4. Dreams can change based on our experiences.
4. How can dreams be expressed?
Lesson Objec ves of threedistinctcontentareas: What you want the students to do.
1. Content area 1 Visual Art
: The students will (TSW) be able to construct an ar s c representa on of their dreams.
2. Content area 2 Literacy
: The students will (TSW) be able to write a narra ve describing their dreams.
3. Content area 3 Social Studies: The students will (TSW) be able to explain how local American Indian tribes use dreamcatchers.
Common Core State Standards: Pleaselistgradespecificstandards.
Iden fy & definevocabulary that connect the art form with the other two
1. Wri ng: Write narra ves to develop real or imagined experiences or
iden ed content areas:
events using eec ve technique, descrip ve details, and clear event
1.Meaning making is the ability to understand and share the thoughts and
sequences.
feelings of others.
2. Social Studies/History: 3.2 Students describe the American Indian na ons 2. VTS (Visual Thinking Strategies) is an ac vity facilitated by the teacher.
in their local region long ago and in the recent past.
Students are asked to par cipate by examining an artwork, responding to
ques ons, and sharing their thoughts as a part of a group discussion.
3. Expressive wri ng - the student will express their feelings about their
dreams and goals coherently.

Na onal Core Art Standards: Visual Arts (grades 1-6 only): Pleaselist
numberanddescriptionofAnchorStandard.
1. Crea ng: 1. Generate and conceptualize ar s c ideas and work.
2. Presen ng: 6. Convey meaning through the presenta on of ar s c work.
3. Responding: 7. Perceive and analyze ar s c work.
4. Connec ng: 10. Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal
experiences to make art.
California Visual and Performing Arts Standards (grades 1-6 only): Please
checkallthatapplyandaddnumberanddescriptionofapplicablecontent
standard.
___1.0 Ar s c Percep on:
___2.0 Crea ve Expression:
_X_3.0 Historical & Cultural Context: Iden fy ar sts from his or her own
community, county, or state and discuss local or regional art tradi ons.
_X_4.0 Aesthe c Valuing: Compare and contrast selected works of art and
describe them, using appropriate vocabulary of art.
_X_5.0 Connec ons, Rela onships, Applica ons: Look at images in gura ve
works of art and predict what might happen next, telling what clues in the
work support their ideas.
List all materials needed in the columns below.
Have
Purchase
Paper Bags
Colored Paper
Glue
N/A
Note paper
Markers
Found objects
Color pencils or crayons
Sharpies
Scissors

Lesson Ac vi es & Procedures (pleasebeveryspecific,includingindividual

rolesofgroupmembers):
1. Introduce ourselves to class.
2. A er students have been seated, Breannah will pull up the VTS image
and invite students to move closer. Students will be given a few minutes to
observe the image before the discussion starts. Breannah will begin with
the following statement: I want you to look at this image closely and
silently for a few minutes. No ce everything you can. Then Im going to
ask you some ques ons. If you have an answer to my ques on, raise your
hand and wait for me to call on you. When I call on you, speak loudly so
everyone can hear what you have to say. If someone is speaking, listen
carefully because s/he may see something you hadnt no ced or have an
idea that hadnt occurred to you. Remember that its ne to disagree, but
we always do so respec ully. Finally, please understand there are no
wrong answers when sharing. Breannah will use the following
ques ons to facilitate the discussion: 1. What is going on in this
image/What is happening here? 2. What do you see that makes you say
that/How do you know that from the image? 3. What more can we
nd/Does anyone see something dierent?
3. Nou will put students into 5 small groups of 3-4 by table to discuss the
reading. Nou will ask students to generate ideas regarding the benets of
including VTS in the classroom and how it connects to Common Core
Standards. Provide 3-5 minutes for discussion. Nou will bring the class
back to large group discussion and each group will report out their
responses to ensure that students retain the important messages from the
ar cle.
4. Maddie will begin the PowerPoint and will take introduce informa on
from the slides regarding American Indians and their customs. This will
include the importance and meaning of tradi onal dreamcatchers to local
tribes. Breannah will read the slides regarding essen al ques ons, key
concepts, the big idea, and lesson objec ves.
5. Stephanie will introduce the dream catcher bags to students by showing
example bags made by the group. Stephanie will prompt students to think
of the dierent kind of dreams people can have (i.e. goals for future,
fantasy, dreams while sleeping). Stephanie will explain the materials

An cipatory Set: Students will begin the class by using VTS with a
photograph of American Indian women from the Miwok tribe.
VTS Ques ons: What is going on in this image? What do you see that makes
you say that? What more can we nd?

available (see Materials List) and point out their loca on around the
classroom. Stephanie will introduce the wri ng por on where students
write a le er to their future selves about their current dreams. She will
then instruct students to begin studio ac vity and leave Studio Instruc on
slide on powerpoint..
8. Each group member will walk around the classroom while students are
working to observe their artwork and answer any ques ons they may
have. Studio will last approximately 45 minutes.
9. When students have completed decora ng and wri ng their le ers,
they will staple their bags shut as their cket-out.
Closure (ending; example cket-out): To leave, students will complete
their bags and one instructor will staple them closed with the le er inside.

Forma ve Assessment strategy (of assigned, peer-reviewed reading): In

Summa ve Assessment strategy (artmaking experience): Students will be
small groups, students will discuss how VTS was found to benet students
asked to volunteer to share out parts of their dreams that they feel
and how they might use VTS to meet Common Core Standards in a
comfortable sharing with the class.
classroom.
Please respond to the following ques ons thoroughly and in complete sentences.
1. What student priorknowledgewill this lesson require/draw upon?
Students should have a beginning knowledge of the tradi ons, beliefs, and customs of the American Indian tribes local to their region.
2. How will you engage students in creating,evaluating,analyzing,and/orapplying(see Blooms new taxonomy, n.d.) in this lesson?
Students will be asked to evaluate the dreams they have for themselves and create an artwork that represents those dreams.
3. How will this lesson allow for/encourage students to solveproblemsindivergentways?
Students will be able to interpret dreams in their own way, including goals they have for themselves, fantasy-type dreams they hope for, or dreams they
have experienced while asleep, for example.
4. How will you engage students in routinelyreflectingon their learning?
Students will be asked to reect on the dreams they have and nd crea ve ways to express them through their artmaking.

5. How will you adapt the various aspects of the lesson for differentlyabledstudents?
We will provide a variety of materials for students to choose from to allow for varia ons in ne-motor skills. We will incorporate mul ple styles of
teaching, such as providing visual and hands-on experiences. We will also adjust the vocabulary used to meet the students at an appropriate level.
6. What opportuni es/ac vi es will you provide for students to sharetheir learning in this lesson?
Students will discuss the benets of including VTS in a classroom. Students will also have an opportunity to discuss parts of their dreams they are
comfortable sharing with the class.
Lesson Resources/References (useAPA;pleaseidentify,withanasterisk,articleorchapterdueforHW):
Franco, M., & Unrath, K. (2014). Carpe Diem: Seizing the Common Core with Visual Thinking Strategies in the Visual Arts Classroom. ArtEducation, 67(1),
28-32.*

Some helpful links to new terms:

An cipatory set: h p://www.cultofpedagogy.com/an cipatory-set/

Closure: h p://teaching.colostate.edu/ ps/ p.cfm? pid=148
Forma ve and Summa ve Assessment: h ps://www.cmu.edu/teaching/assessment/basics/forma ve-summa ve.html

Reference
Silverstein, L. B. & Layne, S. (n.d.). Dening arts integra on. Retrieved from
h p://www.americansforthearts.org/networks/arts_educa on/publica ons/special_publica ons/Dening%20Arts%20Integra on.pdf