1 Im a masterpiece!

Standards: ELACC2SL1: Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 2 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups. ELACC2SL2: Recount or describe key ideas or details from written texts read aloud or information presented orally or through other media. ELACC2SL5: Create audio recordings of stories or poems; add drawings or other visual displays to stories or recounts of experiences when appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings. Essential Questions: Who am I as a learner? How can I use art to show others the real me? Materials: I Like Myself, by Karen Beaumont 24 sheets of wide construction or cardstock paper Rulers Pencils Various art materials (crayons, colored pencils, water color paints and brushes, magazines, glue, scissors, paper scraps, fabric scraps, buttons, yarn, cotton balls, etc.) Mirrors Introduction (10 minutes): The teacher gathers all the students on the reading rug and introduces the book, I Like Myself! They preview the book and make predictions about what the story is. The teacher then reads the book to the students, and after, the class discusses how their predictions aligned with the actual book. The conversation then shifts to relate the story to students personal selves. Students participate as the class discusses learning how to like yourself for who you are as a person and as a learner. The teacher makes sure to explain that all children are different, so all students have different learning abilities and needs. She then questions whether the students feel as though their classmates see them as they truly are and allows the students an opportunity to silently reflect. After a short think time, she introduces the activity that follows in the Work Session. Work Session (30 minutes): The students will work at their tables to create two artistic images: one of how they believe others perceive them as a learner and one of their real self, or how they would like others to see them as a learner. They will use a variety of art materials to construct two self-portraits on a single sheet of large paper, which they will divide in half using a ruler to indicate the different perceptions of self. The teacher will ask that students use more than one type of art material to create exciting self-portraits and will spend a brief amount of time discussing the materials. She will expect accountable chatter and movement around the classroom as students work diligently. In addition, a variety of small mirrors will be available for students to use as they create artwork of themselves.

2 Closing (10 minutes): As the lesson comes to a close, the teacher will ask students to put away their art materials and move their learner self-portraits to the back table. When the students return to their seats, the class will discuss about what they learned about themselves in this lesson. The following day, after the art finishes drying, students will share their finished products with their classmates. Differentiation: This whole class lesson is geared toward all students in the class and highlights affective education. In this lesson, the teacher lets all students learn about and come to accept each other as different learners, which is why it is necessary that this occur with the whole class. Specifically, this lesson addresses the social and emotional needs of gifted students by allowing them an opportunity to express themselves clearly to their classmates about who they are as learners, in a safe and non-threatening atmosphere. While the teacher asks each student to create two learner self-portraits, students are free to choose how they create themselves artistically, which accounts for differentiation due to varying artistic and creative abilities. Assessment: A checklist (see attached) will be used to assess participation, evidence of understanding self, and use of varied art mediums, as well as relevant notes about each individual student. Background Information on Students: This imaginary class of second grade students is a fairly evenly distributed mix of White and Hispanic students, with no other races or ethnicities represented. As mentioned above, seven of the students are identified as gifted, but the teacher also recognizes a vast array of learning needs in her students. The students are beginning to be aware of learning differences among each other and notice that not all students engage in the exact same learning activities every day. They are generally accepting of these differences and do not compare themselves, so the teacher wants to use this opportunity to reinforce the idea that the class community is for all types of learners and for every student, no matter what each one needs to best learn. She wants to build upon the already positive learning atmosphere to continue to develop classmates who are supportive of each other and to set a solid foundation for future years of school. Discussion: Affective education is necessary for the whole class so that all students can feel accepted as part of a cohesive learning community and so that they can all develop strongly socially and emotionally. Gifted students in particular need explicit education in the affective domain. As Karnes and Bean (2009) mentioned, gifted students experience the same development stages as other students but often enter these stages earlier or more quickly, causing a gap between gifted and non-gifted students (p. 456). Thus, gifted students often face developmental challenges earlier, so discussing with all students in the classroom that all learners are different will create a safe space for each students necessary development to occur (Karnes & Bean, 2009, p. 459). In addition, gifted students tend to have a keen interest in understanding ones self and feelings of being different (Karnes & Bean, 2009, p. 457). This lesson delves into that interest and allows gifted students to explore themselves as learners alongside peers who are engaging in their own personal explorations. This demonstrates to the students that they are perfectly fine to be different from each other and should be accepting not only of themselves but also of their friends and classmates. The use of bibliotherapy aids in this process of understanding self and others. Lastly, incorporating arts into affective education provides a

3 method of exploring self other than using verbal strategies (Karnes & Bean, 2009, p. 461). While the teacher in this lesson eventually will encourage the students to share their artwork, the primary means of exploring and explaining oneself has been through art. This lesson will benefit all students, especially gifted students, at an age where they are beginning to identify and recognize differences among themselves and their peers.

4 Checklist Assessment: Im a masterpiece!

Created two original pieces of artwork depicting self Used at least two different art mediums Demonstrated awareness of self as a learner

Student

Notes

1.

2.

3.

22.

23.

24.

5 Resources Beaumont, K. (2004). I like myself!. Orlando, FL: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Karnes, F. A. & Bean, S. M. (Eds.). (2009). Methods and materials for teaching the gifted (3rd ed.). Waco, TX: Prufrock Press.