Columbia College Chicago

Education Department
Educational Studies
Graduate Programs
UNIT PLANNING TEMPLATE
Teacher Candidate: Daniela Milinkovich/ Melissa Miller
ID #: 23!2/2!"!! #rogram: $rt Education
%ost &chool ' (rade: )
th
(rade
&ub*ect: $rt/ +iterature Date: Monda,- $pril 2- 2./3
UNIT PLANNING TEMPLATE
UNIT TITLE: Art & Literature Greater Communication through Imagery &
Descriptie !riting
G"ADE LE#EL$%&: '
th
Gra(e
UNIT DE%I"ED "E%ULT%
)"IE* DE%C"IPTI+N AND "ATI+NALE *+" TEAC,ING UNIT T+PIC:
This unit plan will expose students to new artists and various media. It will give students
choice to express their ideas both in imagery and with the use of language. Students
will also learn the importance of creating imagery and descriptive writing as a way to
communicate effectively and reflect. Students will improve their collaboration skills and
gain a deeper understanding of the subjectivity in both art and literature.
ENDU"ING UNDE"%TANDING%:
The mode of communication affects the message being sent.
Descriptive language lends itself to clearer communication and greater understanding.
E%%ENTIAL -UE%TI+N%:
How do I communicate in a way that others understand me
How do my choices affect how others perceive my ideas
How do others perceive my ideas and thoughts
G+AL% AND E.PECTATI+N%:
NATI+NAL A"T %TANDA"D:
!"#".$a.%&'.(& )*!T#!T ST"!D"+D, -nderstanding and applying media.
techni/ues. and processes
!"#" $a.%&'.(.(& D#S)+I0T*+, Students select media. techni/ues. and processes1
analy2e what makes them effective or not effective in communicating ideas1 and reflect upon
effectiveness of their choices
ILLIN+I% A"T G+AL/ %TANDA"D:
I3.4% 5 6*"3, 7now the language of the arts.
I3.4%." 5 ST"!D"+D, -nderstand the sensory elements. organi2ational principles and
expressive /ualities of the arts.
I3.4%.".8e 5 D#S)+I0T*+, $isual "rts, "naly2e how the elements and principles can
be organi2ed to convey meaning through a variety of media and technology.
C+MM+N C+"E LITE"AC0 %TANDA"D:
Standard, ))SS.#3"&3iteracy.9.:.4 9rite informative;explanatory texts to examine a
topic and convey ideas. concepts. and information through the selection. organi2ation.
and analysis of relevant content.
Descriptor, ))SS.#3"&3iteracy.9.:.4d -se precise language and domain&specific
vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
MATE"IAL%1 "E%+U"CE%1 AND TEC,N+L+G0
<rown 0aper <ags with random objects inside
Drawing paper
$arious media to include paints. pastels. markers. charcoal
)omputers
)ameras
)onnection with pen&pal school
Images for $TS assignment and a projector

C+NNECT $or LE%%+N 23&
ST"6# *!#, D#SI+#D +#S-3TS,
Students will know,
9hat a comprehensible description entails.
That descriptive language can provide clues about identity.
Students will be able to,
6uess what an image is. based on a description.
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=======
ST"6# T9*, "SS#SS>#!T #$ID#!)#
There will be a soft assessment in the form of a class discussion.
Students will turn in an exit ticket explaining to an absent student what they did. how
they would describe their object again. and reflect on how their description changed.
ST"6# TH+##, 3#"+!I!6 03"!
Teacher has prepared random items into brown paper bags.
Students will pair up ? describe items to each other without letting their partner see what
is in the bag. Students cannot say what the items actually are and cannot say what
items are used for.
Students will guess and draw the items based on how their partner describes the item.
Their partner cannot see what they are drawing.
Students will reveal drawings of guessed objects and the class will conclude with an exit
ticket on their experience.


ATTEND $or LE%%+N 24&
ST"6# *!#, D#SI+#D +#S-3TS,
Students will know,
)omponents of a successful description.
$ague descriptions can be interpreted differently by different people.
Students will be able to,
)hange a description to make it more recogni2able.
-se different sources to expand their descriptive vocabulary.
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========
ST"6# T9*, "SS#SS>#!T #$ID#!)#
There will be a soft assessment through discussion and written teacher feedback on
revised descriptions on their paper bag activity.
ST"6# TH+##, 3#"+!I!6 03"!
9e will start with a class discussion about the activity1 call on some partners to show
their outcomes. and discuss methods to improve descriptive writing for better
communication.
Teacher will provide online and text resources for students to refer to when revising their
descriptions. Teacher will define descriptive language and its use.
9e will read back over the descriptions and work in groups to answer the following
/uestions,
(. 9hy didn@t this work
4. How would you change it
8. "dd three descriptive words to make your description depict your object more
clearly.
Students will revise descriptions on paper bags to effectively communicate what the
menu item is more clearly.

IMAGINE $or LE%%+N 25&
ST"6# *!#, D#SI+#D +#S-3TS,
Students will know,
)omponents of a successful description.
$ague descriptions can be interpreted differently by different people.
Students will be able to,
)hange a description to make it more recogni2able.
-se different sources to expand their descriptive vocabulary.
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========
ST"6# T9*, "SS#SS>#!T #$ID#!)#
There will be a soft assessment through discussion and written teacher feedback on
revised descriptions.
ST"6# TH+##, 3#"+!I!6 03"!
The teacher will provide a short story to the class. They will first read it aloud and they
will all be given a printout of the story. The 6ood 6erbils. The story is a narrative of an
unusual dinner party with great descriptive detail.
The students will be asked to draw the dinner table that is described in the main section
of the story.
Students will work in groups to compare each others@ drawings.
They will discuss and write out their thoughts on what worked well and what could have
been described in more detail.
9e will have a classroom discussion on how sometimes details are left out intentionally
to let the viewer@s imagination fill in the details. Sometimes there can be more than one
interpretation of the same narrative or image.

IN*+"M $or LE%%+N 26&
ST"6# *!#, D#SI+#D +#S-3TS,
Students will know,
That artwork can often have a narrative aspect.
*bserving details is imperative to understanding a piece of artwork.
Students will be able to,
>ake inferences based on observations and evidence.
Describe a possible narrative in a work of art.
-se descriptive vocabulary.
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========
ST"6# T9*, "SS#SS>#!T #$ID#!)#
Students will turn in a paragraph reflection on their interpretation of the image using
evidence.
ST"6# TH+##, 3#"+!I!6 03"!
Teacher will give 0ower0oint presentation and lecture on how make inferences with both
imagery and literature.
Teacher will show students samples of the same artwork in two different media to
illustrate how different media can change the mood and expressive /ualities and
message behind the image.
"s a whole class we will look at the piece of artwork shown below.
The teacher will guide the students through $isual Thinking Strategies A$TSB to describe
what students think is happening in the image. Students will use descriptive language to
express their thoughts.
Students will use evidence within the image to explain their reasoning.
Students will reflect on the image and use evidence to write an exit ticket with their
interpretation.
"dditional images for presentation; lecture,

P"ACTICE $or LE%%+N 27&
ST"6# *!#, D#SI+#D +#S-3TS,
Students will know,
That ideas can be expressed differently through the use of different media.
Students will be able to,
)hoose imagery and media that convey their idea best.
6ive other students feedback on their work.
)ommunicate their ideas and thoughts through different methods Aoral. written. visualB.
+espond to feedback given to them.
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========
ST"6# T9*, "SS#SS>#!T #$ID#!)#
Students will be graded on their project using a rubric.
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========
ST"6# TH+##, 3#"+!I!6 03"!
Students will practice creating an image that has a narrative. They will be able to use
any media they would like including but not limited to paint. pastel. charcoal. and
photography.
Students will be given the prompt as they brainstorm for their image, )reate a self&
portrait of you in a setting significant to your life. Think about how you would describe
your image. based on what we have learned about descriptive language. 0ut evidence
in your image so that observers can make inferences about your artwork based on what
you illustrated.
Teacher will circulate and support students while they work. Students will then use the
feedback to complete their projects.
Students will describe their own image in at least a page and send the description to a
student at our pen pal school.

E.TEND $or LE%%+N 28&
ST"6# *!#, D#SI+#D +#S-3TS,
Students will know,
Definitions of new vocabulary that are used to describe.
Students will be able to,
-se a new medium to create.
Identify vague and descriptive language.
0roduce an image from a description.
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ST"6# T9*, "SS#SS>#!T #$ID#!)#
Students will create an image based on pen pal descriptions.
Students will complete an exit ticket identifying at least one instance in their pen pal@s
description that could have been more explicit.
ST"6# TH+##, 3#"+!I!6 03"!
Students will send their descriptions to a pen pal from a partnering school and receive a
description from their pen pal.
Students will create a new image based on the description. The pen pal will do the
same.
Students will work on their new image in a new media of their choice.
Students will send the image with the description back to the original artist.

"E*INE $or LE%%+N 2'&
ST"6# *!#, D#SI+#D +#S-3TS,
Students will know,
There are many viewpoints when language is descriptive. so descriptive writing can lead
to many interpretations.
Students will be able to,
Identify contrasts in images.
Identify miscommunication.
Improve descriptions and use more specific language.
Identify which differences are based on style and viewpoints which were described.
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ST"6# T9*, "SS#SS>#!T #$ID#!)#
Students will turn in revised descriptions of their own.
ST"6# TH+##, 3#"+!I!6 03"!
Students will send images back to pen pal school and receive their replicated version of
their original images.
Students will compare the images and identify differences.
Students will refine their descriptions based on the discrepancies.

PE"*+"M $or LE%%+N 29&
D#SI+#D +#S-3TS,
Students will know,
Some differences are based on viewpoint and style and some are a lack of
communication.
Students will be able to,
"naly2e differences in other people@s art work.
+eflect how their descriptive skills have improved.
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ST"6# T9*, "SS#SS>#!T #$ID#!)#
Students will turn in a reflection and final projects for a grade Arubric will be provided
during instructional period.B
ST"6# TH+##, 3#"+!I!6 03"!
Students will display both images and both descriptions.
Students will complete a gallery walk.
Students will pick one other student@s work and write a reflection about what they
learned and how descriptive language applies to the evolution of the art piece they are
looking at.