I. Curricular Framework

Concept:

Characteristics of Genre

Essential Question:

Why are shadows used to support a mystery theme in art and literature?

Bridge:

Element of Shadow

Content:

Mystery in Art and Literature

Outcomes:

II. Standards Aligned

III. Instruction and Assessment

1. Connect: Connecting to the Concept Experientially

Objective: To stimulate interest in how the use of shadow creates mysterious effects.

Activity: While playing "Carnival of the Animals" by Saint-Saens for background music, the librarian displays a large print of the painting," A Jungle Sunset," by Henri Rousseau, which is hidden by a large piece of fabric. She uncovers the painting in stages, while asking students to describe what they see. The lower center portion is uncovered last, and students discover the shadow.

Assessment: Students active involvement, curiosity, and contribution to the group.

2. Attend: Attending to the Connection

Objective: To stimulate student reflection on the painting.

Activity: The teacher leads a verbal analysis of the painting, "A Jungle Sunset," focusing on the artist's use of shadow. Repeated patterns, overlapping, mood, color, lines, shape, space, and texture are discussed insofar as they heighten the shadow's effect.

Assessment: Level of participation in class discussion and willingness to share ideas.

Assessment, Phase One, Level of Engagement, Fascination:

3. Image: Creating a Mental Picture

Objective: To integrate the concept of shadow and mystery in art and literature.

Activity: Students relax and visualize the scenes as the librarian reads the book, Shadow, by Marcia Brown. Students mindmap their feelings which were generated by the story.

Assessment: Students’ abilities to express what they imaged during the reading.

Assessment, Phase Two, Seeing the Big Picture:

4. Inform: Receiving Facts & Knowledge

Objective: To convey the elements of mysterious expression in art and literature.

Activity: The librarian teaches the elements of mystery which were evidenced in the painting and in the story. Using the book, Shadows, by Larry Kettlekamp, she explains Chinese shadow plays as an additional way to express mystery.

Assessment: Verbal checking for understanding during instruction with a focus on the children's internalizing the concepts of mystery and shadow.

Assessment, Phase Three, Success with Acquiring Knowledge:

5. Practice: Developing Skills

Objective: To reinforce and review the elements of mystery.

Activity: In small learning groups, students prepare a data retrieval chart summarizing the key ideas presented by the librarian. All charts are shared with whole group. Librarian creates collective chart displaying all student data.

Assessment: Completeness and quality of group charts.

Assessment, Phase Four, Success with Acquiring Skills:

6. Extend: Extending Learning to the Outside World

Objective: To collaborate on a plan to express mystery.

Activity: Students form small learning groups. Each group will collaborate on a plan to express mystery creatively in an art form or in a Chinese Shadow Play.

Assessment: Quality of individual group plans.

7. Refine: Refining the Extension

Objective: To extend the internalized concepts of mystery.

Activity: Students gather materials and create their unique mystery expression which they planned in the previous activity.

Assessment: On-task behavior of students.

8. Perform: Creative Manifestation of Material Learned

Objective: To share what was learned and created.

Activity: The students share with other classes their artistic products or Chinese Shadow Play. As appropriate, "Carnival of the Animals" is again used as background music.

Assessment: Student participation and enthusiasm.

Assessment, Phase Five,Performance, Creative Use of Material Learned: