Curriculum Activities for Unit 4 Artists and Authors

 

 

INTRODUCTION TO UNIT:

  1. Safari Montage: Video of Life of Vincent Van Gogh
  2. PARCC IT CCSS Activity sheet filled in during video (formative assessment)
  3. After the Safari Montage video on his life, talk about Van Gogh’s depression, despair, and hopelessness and how his artwork was not received well by his father or society. Discuss his feelings and what was going on in his life and their influence on his artwork.  (RL.8.2, SL.8.2)
  4. Discuss the sadness Van Gogh may have felt during his childhood.   Discuss the feelings of “sadness” and “loneliness”. Allow the students to talk about times that they felt sad or lonely.

ACTIVITY #1:

Have students write similes and metaphors for sadness and loneliness. Then brainstorm a list together as a class that can be referenced later.  (RL.8.2, W.8.2, L.8.5, b, c)

Examples could be:

  • Loneliness is as stagnant as an algae-covered pond.
  • Sadness is as gray as a rain cloud.
  • Loneliness is a fog spreading over a field.
  • Sadness is a far-off train whistle.

 

  1. PowerPoint on Art of Van Gogh -- Display and discuss several paintings of Vincent Van Gogh. Choose some that clearly portray someone who appears sad or lonely. Include at least one self-portrait if possible. Talk about how the artist shows emotion. Help the students notice the colors and brushstrokes and how they help reveal the subject’s mood. Discuss any other images in the paintings that might give clues about the artist’s state of mind. (SL.8.2)

Select one Van Gogh piece that shows someone who looks sad or lonely. Have students write poems about the character in the painting. Encourage the use of simile and/or metaphor for the emotions of the person in the artwork. Allow students to select from the brainstormed list if they choose, but they should also create some similes and metaphors of their own. The poems should not be lengthy.  They may write the poem in the form of one of the following poetry styles: Acrostic, shape, or free verse.

The students will create a drawing that depicts sadness or loneliness. Their artwork will surround their poem and may be a portrait, scene, or abstract lines and shapes—whatever they feel will best represent the mood. The artwork may be an extension of the Van Gogh example that their poem was based off, or illustrate a time when the student felt sad or lonely.

The students will incorporate their edited poem into their drawing. The words might flow throughout the picture or be spoken by a character. Perhaps the poem may be written around a frame surrounding the artwork. Encourage the students to think about unity when they add the words. The placement and style of their lettering should reflect the style of their artwork. (W.8.2, SL.8.2, L.8.5)

 

 

Through identifying these vocabulary words, the students will be able to better understand how to analyze art and understand the text better.  Add words found, learned, and used throughout this unit to your personal dictionary.  This unit focuses on distinguishing among the connotations of these words as they are used by artists. This dictionary will be used during the unit to explore the semantics (meanings) of words and their origins. (L.8.4a, b, c, d, L.8.5b, c)

 

 

  1. Langston Hughes biographical PowerPoint

b.      Poetry can help students make connections between historical periods and events and the impacts those events have on individuals. Langston Hughes was first recognized as an important literary figure during the 1920s, a period known as the “Harlem Renaissance” due to the number of emerging black writers. Students can research an artist during that period via the www.artcyclopedia.com link. (SL.8.2)

  1. Students will write at least one important thing they learn about Langston Hughes after each activity. This is an opportunity for students to reflect on learning and make connections. Students should be instructed to focus on three areas of Hughes’ life – his contributions to society, his style, and how he was influenced.  This will help students understand what inspired Langston Hughes to write what he did.  (RI.8.5, RI.8.8, W.8.2)

WHAT WERE LANGSTON HUGHES CONTRIBUTIONS TO SOCIETY?

WHAT WAS HIS STYLE?

HOW WAS LANGSTO HUGHES INFLUENCED?

 

  1. Have students read along while Langston Hughes’ “Mother to Son” is read aloud without the title. Give students a minute to go back and reread the poem to answer these questions:
  1.  

Interactive Reader pg 76
Whose voice do you hear in the poem?

 

  1. To whom is that speaker talking?
  2. What is that speaker saying to the one who’s listening?

 

Once students have answers to those questions, ask the following:

How would you describe the speaker’s tone of voice? (RI.8.8, RI.8.5, W.8.2, L.8.5 a, b)

  1. Read aloud “Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes. Discuss the comparison between life and a stairway. Discuss with students other things that life could be compared to. Write the starter, “Life is…” on the chalkboard. Have students provide you with 5-8 different comparisons. Examples of some commonly suggested metaphors include: “Life is a rollercoaster,” “Life is a race, “ etc.  Have the students select one metaphor from the list and together as a class, expand it by listing details. For example, “Life is a Rollercoaster” may be developed by listing all those things which could be considered as shared elements of both. For example, both have ups and downs; sometimes it is scary; there are slow times and fast times. Take these various commonalities and create a five line poem together on the board.  Break students into small groups and have each student select one of the “Life is…” comparisons from the master list, or come up with one of his/her own. Have students brainstorm in small groups, allowing them to discuss commonalities for each of their comparisons.  Once these are compiled, students then take the ideas generated and individually create a metaphor poem about life of 4-6 lines.  (RL.8.2, RI.8.5, W.8.2, L.8.5, L.8.5b)

 

 

  • Read aloud “Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes. Discuss the comparison between life and a stairway. Discuss with students other things that life could be compared to. Write the starter, “Life is…” on the chalkboard. Have students provide you with 5-8 different comparisons. Examples of some commonly suggested metaphors include: “Life is a rollercoaster,” “Life is a race, “ etc.  Have the students select one metaphor from the list and together as a class, expand it by listing details. For example, “Life is a Rollercoaster” may be developed by listing all those things which could be considered as shared elements of both. For example, both have ups and downs; sometimes it is scary; there are slow times and fast times. Take these various commonalities and create a five line poem together on the board.  Break students into small groups and have each student select one of the “Life is…” comparisons from the master list, or come up with one of his/her own. Have students brainstorm in small groups, allowing them to discuss commonalities for each of their comparisons.  Once these are compiled, students then take the ideas generated and individually create a metaphor poem about life of 4-6 lines.  (RL.8.2, RI.8.5, W.8.2, L.8.5, L.8.5b)

 
  • Have students come up with their own situations that call for giving someone else advice. Encourage them to be creative in their choices and to think about these questions before getting started:
  1. To whom are you giving advice?
  2. What’s the situation?
  3. What, specifically, do you need to tell them?
  4. What kind of voice would you use?

Have students write their poems, but tell them that they don’t have to make the poems rhyme. Advise students to try breaking up their ideas into lines that make sense to them. (RI.8.8, RI.8.5, W.8.2, L.8.5 a, b)