Art Meets Language Arts E. Farnesi & N. Thurzo Wilkins Junior High

Background Information

Indian Springs School District 109 is located in Justice (southwest of Chicago)

Low Income: 61.3%

What our district has pushed

6 +1 traits

S.M.A.R.T. Goals

Cross Curricular Lessons

Legislation Alignment

Common Pacing Guide

Grade Level Specific Themes/Project Based Learning

Why merge L.A. & Art?

Push of Common Core L.A. Standards

Testing, Testing, Testing

Common language

Realization of cross curricular

Reinforcing skills that appeal to different modalities

References

6+1 Traits of Writing by Ruth Culham

Reproducible Forms for the Writing Traits Classroom: Middle School by Ruth Culham

Six Traits for Writing Success Middle School by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

Using Art to Teach Reading Comprehension Strategies by Jennifer Klein and Elizabeth Stuart

What’s Our Language Arts Department Like?

8 Teachers/4 Special Education Teachers/ 4 Houses

80 min blocks

Inclusive setting

Time divided between Reading

Writing

Intervention

What’s Our Art Department Like?

1 Art Teacher

9 weeks, 4 quarters

6-40 minute classes a day

3 Art 1

3 Art 2

Collaboration

Art and 7th Grade L.A. connection

Looked at Common Core E.L.A. Standards

Went through Pacing Guide for L.A.

Broke down skills that Art could reinforce within the classroom

Decided on 6+1 and reading comprehension

L.A. Curriculum

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Read Aloud

Read Aloud

15-20 minutes

Read Aloud

15-20 minutes

Read Aloud

15-20 minutes

Read Aloud

15-20 minutes

20 question Read Aloud listening comprehension

assessment

Weekly Story Lesson

Story Lesson Pre-Assessment

Vocab Power (Tier Two Vocabulary)

Meet the Author

Differentiated Reading of the Story

Writing Question based on Story and Common Core

Class re-read of story

Comprehension Questions (This is our assessment)/

Story Activity

Post Test for Vocabulary/

Writing Question Due

Intervention Work

20-30 minute intervention

activity

20-30 minute intervention

activity

20-30 minute intervention

activity Progress monitoring

Assessment

Writing

(Narrative, 6+1)

6+ 1 Writing Time

6+ 1 Writing

6+1 Wrap up for week/

Discuss writing question for week

Weekly Language Arts Schedule 1st Quarter 2013-2014

6+1 Traits

Traits broken down by quarter

Language arts focuses on two traits in each quarter, while still talking about the others

When grading writing, only covered traits are graded or assessed.

Each trait is taught in isolation

Mini lessons are done to enforce traits

Traits are then applied into different writing pieces

Comprehension • Comprehension is taught through weekly reading stories and think aloud.

• We also enforce comprehension through our intervention groups.

• Intervention Groups-

• Targeted Areas

• Fluency: Readers Theatre

• Comprehension • Explicit Main Idea • Supporting Details • Cause and Effect • Inference / Implicit Main Idea

• Vocabulary Group (To Be Determined – Not Progress monitored on the ISAT Grid)

• Critical Thinking Group

• How Interventions Work

• First Week Assessment – All areas of Comprehension

• Based on Results – place into targeted areas for intervention groups

• Three 25-30 minute sessions (Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday)

• Progress monitoring assessment at the end of intervention time on Thursday

Art Curriculum

Daily Journals

Reflective Writing

Art 1: Fundamentals Value Color Perspective

Art 2: Advanced Ceramics Life Drawing Printmaking/Animation Cels

6+1 Traits

Quarter 1 Journals Comprehension (3 days per week)

6+1=Ideas/Organization (2 days per week)

Week 1 Making Connections Picture this Activity

Week 2 Determining Importance Journals –grading idea

Week 3 Inferring Postcard Activity

Week 4 Questioning Journals-grading idea

Week 5 Visualizing Organization activity

Week 6 Synthesizing Journals-grading organization

Week 7 None Organization activity

Week 8 None Journals-grading organization

Week 9 None None

Example of Ideas Journals/Activities

Picture This Activity

Select an image to write about. Write a paragraph that is so descriptive, that

someone who has never seen the image will be able to identify and clearly imagine

what you are looking at.

Discover Details

Student Example

Sarah:

“The picture I’m looking at has winding hills into a valley. The grass on the valley has a dull greenish yellowish color. In front of the picture where the valley starts it has bunches and bunches of red flowers. The top of the hill in the beginning of the valley by the flowers to the right it has a house that is white, with red roofs. The house has two pine looking trees on the left and red flowers to the right of the house. Where the flowers in the beginning of the valley end there are trees/bushes. At the start of the house a path starts and goes on over the hills. In the background the sky is blue with white clouds. The valley goes up higher with each hill. The last hill shown in the picture is covered by clouds.”

Tell this

story…

Hurry! help me out of

this painting Grandpa!…

Organization

List 3 examples of how artists can organize their

thoughts and ideas.

1 2

3

4

Which Art?

Which art would you most like to step into? Why? What happens when you step into that artwork?

Either explain your choice or tell a story about what happens after you step into the work of art.

M.C. Escher

Dali

Comprehension

Quarter 1 Journals Comprehension (3 days per week)

6+1=Ideas/Organization (2 days per week)

Week 1 Making Connections Picture this Activity

Week 2 Determining Importance Journals –grading idea

Week 3 Inferring Postcard Activity

Week 4 Questioning Journals-grading idea

Week 5 Visualizing Organization activity

Week 6 Synthesizing Journals-grading organization

Week 7 None Organization activity

Week 8 None Journals-grading organization

Week 9 None None

Art to Art

Marilyn Minter, Lilyputti ,

2006 , enamel on metal , 24 x 24"

Aviditas

Charcoal, 2009

42” x 55”

Art to Art continued…

Leonardo Da Vinci Mona Lisa, 1503–1519

Johannes Vermeer The Girl with the Pearl Earring,1665

Student Examples

Why is it important to compare and contrast different works of art?

Ivette, “It is important to compare two different artworks because then you could really see what the artist is trying to communicate through their artwork.”

Jimmy, “I think it is important to compare artwork because you can see the differences in both and see if also find the similarities to see if that inspires you.”

Sarah, “It is important to compare and contrast different pieces of artwork because every artist has their own way of art but it’s interesting to see what their art has in common.”

Art to Self

What connections do artists make to their artwork?

Student Examples

What does the painting remind you of? “This painting remind me of my room how it’s alway junky.”

What experiences in your life seem similar to this artwork? “Experience in my life is similar to this artwork because there been many days I got in trouble cause my room be junky.”

Do you have any other personal connections to this work of art?

“My personal connection is that most of the time when I’m doing stuff and don’t clean back up my room be mess up books, papers, clothes, and shoes be everywhere.”

Art to World

What connections do artists make in their artwork to

their world?

Inferring

What is Inferring?

How do artists use color and facial expressions to tell

the mood and the “story” in the painting?

How does the strategy of inferring help us understand a

piece of art?

Gustave Courbet — The Desperate Man (self-portrait) — 1845

Katie O’Hagan, Life Raft, 2011 (oil, 38×60)

Reflective Writing

Students write a reflection at the end of every project.

4-5 questions

Align to 6+1 rubric

Transition to Artist Statement

Trouble Shooting

No common rubric across grade levels

Getting All L.A. teachers on board

Loss of Class Time

Not all Encore Teachers implementing 6+1

Achievements

Students making connections

Students retaining information

Better Student engagement

Students are able to understand that the skills they are learning will be used throughout not just the school day but everyday life

All teachers are taking part in the teaching of E.L.A. standards, which makes for a more unified staff.

Going Forward

Continue to add and revamp journals

Common Rubric District Wide-Art Inclusion

More Training

Common Plan Time

Questions?

Contact: Elizabeth Farnesi, Art :efarnesi@isd109.org

Nicole Thurzo, Language Arts:nthurzo@isd109.org