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K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Outside in: Finding a character's heart through art

http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=922

A lesson plan for grades 9–12 Visual Arts Education, English Language Arts, and Theater Arts Education

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This activity, based on the art of Edward Hopper and fiction by Raymond Carver, allows students to explore the idea of alienation while tapping into their creative talents as they learn to create vivid characters through voice. In the introductory activity, students explore Hopper’s paintings and consider what the artist is trying to express in his work. After students view and write initial impressions of the paintings, they share their thoughts with the class, discussing emotion, lighting, and the subject of the painting. Once students have brainstormed about a character in the painting, they respond to specific questions about the figure and create a story about the person. In the next class session, the teacher explains how monologues are used in dramatic performances or in popular media, like late night talk shows. Students develop a definition of monologue according to what they have learned and begin drafting a monologue for the character they selected from the painting. After revising and rewriting their piece, students read their final monologues to the class as part of a “choral reading” activity. Students then read the work of Raymond Carver and discuss how both artist and writer illuminate similar themes through their work, and how these themes are prevalent in contemporary life. Readwritethink provides links to Edward Hopper’s paintings and questions for analyzing his work, as well as critical reflection questions. In addition, the lesson offers several suggestions for extension activities and links to web resources on both the painter and the writer.

North Carolina Curriculum Alignment

English Language Arts (2004)

Grade 9

  • Goal 1: The learner will express reflections and reactions to print and non-print text and personal experiences.
    • Objective 1.03: Demonstrate the ability to read, listen to and view a variety of increasingly complex print and non-print expressive texts appropriate to grade level and course literary focus, by:
      • selecting, monitoring, and modifying as necessary reading strategies appropriate to readers' purpose.
      • identifying and analyzing text components (such as organizational structures, story elements, organizational features) and evaluating their impact on the text.
      • providing textual evidence to support understanding of and reader's response to text.
      • demonstrating comprehension of main idea and supporting details.
      • summarizing key events and/or points from text.
      • making inferences, predicting, and drawing conclusions based on text.
      • identifying and analyzing personal, social, historical or cultural influences, contexts, or biases.
      • making connections between works, self and related topics.
      • analyzing and evaluating the effects of author's craft and style.
      • analyzing and evaluating the connections or relationships between and among ideas, concepts, characters and/or experiences.
      • identifying and analyzing elements of expressive environment found in text in light of purpose, audience, and context.

Grade 10

  • Goal 1: The learner will react to and reflect upon print and non-print text and personal experiences by examining situations from both subjective and objective perspectives.
    • Objective 1.03: Demonstrate the ability to read, listen to and view a variety of increasingly complex print and non-print expressive texts appropriate to grade level and course literary focus, by:
      • selecting, monitoring, and modifying as necessary reading strategies appropriate to readers' purpose.
      • identifying and analyzing text components (such as organizational structures, story elements, organizational features) and evaluating their impact on the text.
      • providing textual evidence to support understanding of and reader's response to text.
      • demonstrating comprehension of main idea and supporting details.
      • summarizing key events and/or points from text.
      • making inferences, predicting, and drawing conclusions based on text.
      • identifying and analyzing personal, social, historical or cultural influences, contexts, or biases.
      • making connections between works, self and related topics.
      • analyzing and evaluating the effects of author's craft and style.
      • analyzing and evaluating the connections or relationships between and among ideas, concepts, characters and/or experiences.
      • identifying and analyzing elements of expressive environment found in text in light of purpose, audience, and context.

Theatre Arts Education (2001)

Grade 9–12 — Thatre Arts I

  • Goal 1: The learner will write based on personal experience and heritage, imagination, literature, and history.

Grade 9–12 — Theatre Arts II

  • Goal 1: The learner will write based on personal experience and heritage, imagination, literature, and history.
    • Objective 1.05: Learn and convey the concept of the central dramatic question.

Grade 9–12 — Theatre Arts III

  • Goal 1: The learner will write based on personal experience and heritage, imagination, literature, and history.
    • Objective 1.05: Write a three-person scene or an ensemble piece alone, with a writing partner, or develop with an ensemble.

Grade 9–12 — Theatre Arts IV

  • Goal 1: The learner will write based on personal experience and heritage, imagination, literature, and history.
    • Objective 1.05: Analyze the effect of personal cultural experiences on self-created theatrical works.

Visual Arts Education (2001)

Grade 9–12 — Visual Arts Electives

  • Goal 7: The learner will perceive connections between visual arts and other disciplines.
    • Objective 7.01: Identify connections, similarities and differences between the visual arts and other disciplines.

Grade 9–12 — Visual Arts I

  • Goal 7: The learner will perceive connections between visual arts and other disciplines.
    • Objective 7.01: Identify connections, similarities and differences between the visual arts and other disciplines.

Grade 9–12 — Visual Arts II

  • Goal 7: The learner will perceive connections between visual arts and other disciplines.
    • Objective 7.01: Identify connections, similarities and differences between the visual arts and other disciplines.

Grade 9–12 — Visual Arts III

  • Goal 7: The learner will perceive connections between visual arts and other disciplines.
    • Objective 7.01: Identify connections, similarities and differences between the visual arts and other disciplines.

Grade 9–12 — Visual Arts IV

  • Goal 7: The learner will perceive connections between visual arts and other disciplines.
    • Objective 7.01: Identify connections, similarities and differences between the visual arts and other disciplines.