Julie Steinberg

April 8, 2015
A&HA 4078
Lesson Plan Sequence
Exploring Collage as a Visual Pathway to Writing
1. Statement of activity:
The process of writing stories can be challenging for young writers. This sequence of lessons
will introduce students to using collage to create visual narratives that can serve as a foundation
for their writing. Students will first explore the elements of shape, space, color and contrast
through collage. After exploring the collage materials and artistic elements, they will move into a
deeper exploration of how these elements can connect to such story components as characters,
setting, events, and details. The goal of this sequence of lessons is that students will come to
understand that they can tell a story through their art, or inversely, use their artwork to a tell (and
write) their story.
Students will explore collage materials such as construction paper, painted paper, fabric scraps,
and whatever collage materials are available in the classroom. They will use scissors and glue to
manipulate the materials to create their collages.
2. Description of lesson plan sequence:
This is a sequence of three lessons. In the first two lessons, students will explore the collage
materials, focusing on the art elements: shape, space, color, and contrast. In the third lesson,
students will make choices within these four art elements to tell a story, shifting focus to consider
story elements: characters, setting, events, and details. The idea of the sequence is that first,
students will become comfortable using collage materials to create different shapes and cover
different amounts of space to convey a message or idea, then do the same to convey a feeling,
emotion or mood using color and contrast. Finally, they will use what they have learned to make
choices about shape, space, color, and contrast to tell a storyeither a story they have written or
story they will write.
These lessons can be supplemented using museum as a resource, although I did not include such
lesson(s) in the plans. In a museum, students can chose a piece to put a narrative to, compare
their own narratives to the narratives they see in the artworks, or become inspired by a piece and
create their own narrative for a new piece of art. These museum activities might be used before
or after the following lesson sequence.
3. Lesson Sequence and objectives:
Lesson 1: Shape and Space Exploration
Students will create shapes and cover space through cutting and gluing paper and other materials
(colored paper, fabric, painted paper, etc.) to learn that shapes and space can be made and used in
different ways to convey a message or express an idea.

Steinberg 2
Lesson 2: Color and Contrast Exploration
Students will learn about the relationship of color and contrast to feeling and mood through
collage of cut paper and materials (colored paper, fabric, painted paper, etc.)
Lesson 3: Using Shape, Space, Color and Contrast in Collage to Tell a Story
Through collage, students will learn how shapes, space, colors, and contrast can be used to tell a
story with characters, setting, events and details.
4. Developmental rationale/ Prior learning:
This lesson is designed for a class of 20 second-grade students age 7-8. These second graders
participate in a writing workshop each day, in which they learn strategies writers use related to
genre, topic, craft, elaboration, voice, and conventions, throughout the stages of the writing
process: generating ideas, drafting, revision, and publishing. Students have had a unit of study in
personal narrative in kindergarten and first grade, and are now in the midst of their narrative unit
in second grade. They regularly engage in partner talk to share ideas and give each other
compliments and suggestions. Therefore, they will be comfortable sharing about their choices
regarding shape, space, color and contrast and how it is used to tell their story. Students will have
the choice whether they will use a story theyve written and create the collage for this narrative,
or whether they will tell a new story through their collage. Students are open and invited to
explore both of these options. Students have been introduced to the art elements involved in this
sequence of lessons and have explored paper and collage materials, but never with as specific a
lens as in this sequence, or with an objective specifically related to narrative.
5. Standards Addressed:
This sequence of lessons addresses the following National Core Arts Standards for Grade 2:

VA:Cr3.1.2a
Discuss and reflect with peers about choices made in creating artwork.
(Anchor Standard 3: Refine and complete artistic work.)

VA:Cn10.1.2a
Create works of art about events in home, school, or community life.
(Anchor Standard 10: Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make
art.)

The goal of the lesson sequence also addresses Anchor Standard 6: Convey meaning
through the presentation of artistic work.

This sequence of lessons also addresses the follow Common Core State Standard for writing for
Grade 2:

CCSS.ELA.LITERACY.W.2.3
Write narratives in which they recount a well-elaborated event or short sequence of
events, include details to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings, use temporal words to
signal event order, and provide a sense of closure.

Steinberg 3

6. Overall objectives (general objectives for the sequence):

Through collage, students will learn that shape, space, color, and contrast can be used to
tell a story through artwork.

Through collage, students will learn that shape, space, color, and contrast can be used to
show the characters, setting, events, and details of a story.

Through the exploration of shapes, space, color, and contrast, students will learn that a
collage can tell a story, or be a springboard for a story.

7. Overall assessment strategies:

At the end of the lesson sequence, students will be assessed in two areas. First they will be
assessed on whether their collage has the elements of a story: characters, setting, events, and
details, and whether they can tell the narrative of their artwork. Additionally, students will be
assessed on whether they can articulate their choices of shape, space, color and contrast, and the
relationship between these art elements and their story elements choices.
8. Lesson Plans:
LESSON 1
Activity: Shape & Space Exploration (Collage)
Students will look at various images with the lenses of how shapes and space are used. Students
will discuss these elements with their partner, perhaps starting to give the images a narrative,
based on the shapes they see and how space is used. Then students will choose materials to use to
explore creating shapes and covering space with collage materials. They will then share with
their partner, describing their use of shapes and space in their collage. Students who choose to
convey an idea or message through shapes and space can share that narrative with their partner as
well.
Time: 45 minutes (5 minutes for motivation dialogue, 30 minutes to collage, 10 minutes for
clean up and share)
Materials & Supplies:
Slides of images that show various uses of shapes and space
Scissors (20)
Glue- divided in 20 small containers
Glue brushes (20)
White paper for the format
Construction paper
Fabric
Textured papers (painted paper, magazine scraps, scrapbook paper)

Steinberg 4
Note: Prepare a box with mixed collage materials for each table before the lesson sequence
Objective:
Students will create shapes and cover space through cutting and gluing paper and other materials
(colored paper, fabric, painted paper, etc.) to learn that shapes and space can be made and used in
different ways to convey a message or express an idea.
Motivation dialogue:
Spark Question:
Look around the room. Shapes are everywhere. Space is everywhere too- some covered by
shapes, some not. What shapes do you notice in the room? Find at least three. What space do you
see, being covered or not? Find at least 3 places. Think for a minute. Turn and share what you
found with your partner.
Association:
Shapes and space can be used to help tell the story of an artwork. Remember when we were at
the art museum and we looked at shape and space in paintings? We came up with our own stories
for those paintings based on the shapes and space we saw. Today we were going to think about
how we can create different shapes and use space in different ways through collage. You will
make choices about how you use shapes and space. Together your shapes and space might even
tell a story.
Show slides of images. Ask:
What shapes do you notice?
What do you notice about space? How is it used?
What space choices do you think the artist made? Which do you think just happened?
What story might the artist be telling through shape and space? Why do you think that?
What else do you notice about the artists choices?
Visualization:
Ask students to think about the shapes and uses of space they found in the room and the shapes
and uses of space they saw in images.
Ask:

How could you make these shapes by cutting collage materials?

How can you use space in different ways with cut and glued collage materials?
What choices about shape might you make?
What choices about space might you make?
What message, idea or story might your shapes and space tell?
How might you use shape to tell it? How might you use space to tell it?

Recap:
Today as you carefully choose materials to create a collage, keep in mind these ideas of how
artists make choices about the shapes they create and the space they use or dont use to tell their
message, idea or story. Today you can explore making and using different shapes and

Steinberg 5
Today, you dont have to tell a story, but you might decide to as you are exploring the shapes and
space through your collage.
Transition:
When it is time to begin, every person at the table will be in charge of getting one thing set up.
One artist from each table will get 5 table covers, another artist will get 5 glue containers and 5
glue brushes, another artist will get 5 scissors, another artist will get 5 pieces of format paper,
and the last artist will get one box of collage materials, that I have prepared. As you work, I will
be putting out more collage materials that you can come up and choose as needed. But to start,
use the materials that are in your box.
To set up your workspace, first put down your paper to cover your table. Then pick materials to
use to cut and glue to create shapes. Think about how you are using space too. Some of you
might choose to cut and glue paper, and some might choose to use a combination of collage
materials. Some of you might choose to cover a lot of space, and some of you might leave space.
Remember to keep the collage materials in a place that everyone can share them. I will be putting
out more materials as you work.
Procedure for implementation:
Transition to hands-on:
Ask students to give a thumbs up signal to show they each know their jobs for getting
materials. Then send off students from the meeting area, to do his or her designated job and get
set up to work. There will be 5 students doing each job. I will monitor that this transition is
smooth and remind students that once their workspace is set up and they have the materials in
front of them, they can get started right away.
Refocusing strategies:
If students need to be refocused ask:
What other ways can you explore shapes?
What other ways can you explore space?
What materials might you try to make that shape?
Think about a part your message/idea/story. How can use a shape to tell that? What space
will you cover? What space will not be covered?
Why did you pick that shape?
How did you make that choice about space?
Take a walk around the room and look at your friends artworks. See if you get inspired
to make choices about your own collage. What ideas are you getting?
Possible follow-up strategies for students who finish early:
If students finish early suggest:
Start a new collage, exploring shapes and space in different ways or telling a different
idea, message or story.
Explore other collage materials.

Steinberg 6

Tell the idea, message or story of your collage to your partner, or a partner who is also
finished. If your piece did not have an idea or story, have your partner try to put an idea,
message or story to your piece. What does it make them think of?

Clean-up strategies:
Give students 15 minute, 10 minute, and 2 minute alerts to prepare them to come to a stopping
point in their collages. Tell students they will do the same job for clean up that they had for set
up. The format person will be the only one with a different job. That is, the table cover person
will collect and put away table covers, the glue person will collect glues and wash glue brushes,
the scissors person will collect and put away scissors, and the collage box person will collect and
put away the collage boxes. Students know where all of these things will go. The student from
each table who gave everyone format paper will be in charge of scraps on the floor and helping
anyone who needs help. Decide whether youll ask students to post their collages on the viewing
bulletin board or keep their collages in front of them for the closure dialogue.
Closure dialogue:
Students collages can either be posted up on the viewing bulletin board, or in front of them.
Students will be sitting next to their partner. Choose from these questions to ask, first giving
students time to think, and then either asking them to turn and talk in partnerships, or as a whole
group-- varying question by question.
Ask:
What shape choices did you make? Why?
What space choices did you make? Why?
Does your collage express and idea or message? How might it tell a story?
How do your shapes help express the idea/message/story?
How does space help express the idea/message/story?
How did you make choices about which materials to use for certain shapes and spaces?
How are your shapes and uses of space similar to your partners choices?
How are your shapes and uses of space different than your partners choices?
How could changing the shapes and space express a different idea, message or story?
What was easy for you?
What was challenging for you?
What did you learn about the collage materials?
Evaluation strategies:
During the closure dialogue, listen to students responses, and listen into partnerships turn and
talk discussions. Following the activity, ask students to tell more about the choices they made
about shapes and space, if they had an idea, message or story in mind or if they were just
exploring the material and elements, what they learned, and what they thought they did well.
I will evaluate students on whether they can explain the choices they made related to shape and
space, and whether they demonstrate understanding of the relationship shape and space has to the

Steinberg 7
message, idea, or story of an artwork, whether or not they chose to tell an idea, message or story.
I will know if the lesson was successful if students can articulate their choices related to shape
and space. I will also know if the experience was successful if students are engaged in collage
and the partner or whole class talk, and actively reflecting on their choices and process. It might
be challenging for some students to put an idea, message, or narrative to their collage, so I am
not requiring it, although I think it will help scaffold students to be able to do this in the third
lesson of the sequence, and start becoming familiar with the relationship of art and narrative.
One thing that might help students is putting the idea, message or story to the artwork after
creating it, with the help of a partner. Students will see that choices in shapes and space not only
are used by the artists to tell an idea, message or story, but can create meaning for viewers too. I
will also encourage and celebrate any exploration of shape and space with meaning behind it,
knowing this exploration will hopefully support and transfer to future activities.
LESSON 2
Activity: Color and Contrast Exploration (Collage)
The second activity in the sequence shifts students focus to the important relationship between
color and contrast to the feeling, emotion, or mood of an artwork. In this lesson, similar to the
first but focused on new art elements, students will, again, look at various images and relate back
to their museum activity in which they explored the relationship of color and feeling. However,
now, students will be preparing to transfer their knowledge to their work inside narrative, and
how the color and contrast choices they make through collage can reflect the feelings, emotions,
or mood of their stories. Students will discuss these elements with their partners while viewing
the images and later using their own collages. They will choose materials to use to explore color
and contrast with cut collage materials. They will then share with their partner, describing their
choices and the feeling, emotions or mood they conveyed, and how it may or may not related to
the feelings, emotions, or mood of a story.
Time: 45 minutes (5 minutes for motivation dialogue, 30 minutes to collage, 10 minutes for clean
up and share)
Materials & Supplies:
Slides of images that show various uses of color and contrast
Scissors (20)
Glue- divided in 20 small containers
Glue brushes (20)
White paper for the format
Construction paper
Fabric
Textured papers (painted paper, magazine scraps, scrapbook paper)
Objective:
Students will learn about the relationship of color and contrast to feeling and mood through
collage of cut paper and materials (colored paper, fabric, painted paper, etc.)

Steinberg 8

Motivation dialogue:
Spark Question:
Close your eyes. Imagine you are having a great day, surrounded by people you love to be with,
and doing something you love. What color do you imagine? What color might give you that
feeling? Now imagine your little brother or sister or cousin broke your favorite toy. And it cant
be fixed! You are so angry. What color do you see now? What color does this feeling make you
think of?
Open your eyes. Different colors make people feel different ways depending on experiences.
Turn and tell your partner what colors you saw when you closed your eyes. Then you can talk
about other colors that give you a certain feelings or emotions. Think about colors together too,
like when we learned about contrast.
Association:
Remember when we were at the museum and we studied the way that artists convey different
feelings, emotions and moods through color in their paintings? We have explored color and
contrast with paint, and today we are going to explore these elements of art through collage.
Show slides of images. Ask:
What do you notice about color?
What do you notice about contrast? How is it used?
How does the color make you feel? How does the contrast make you feel? How does the
artwork in general make you feel?
What story might the artist be telling through color and contrast? Why do you think that?
What else do you notice about the artists choices?
Visualization:
Ask students about when they closed their eyes and saw colors for different feelings and
emotions and the use of color and contrast they noticed in the images.
Ask:

How can you use color to show an emotion or feeling through collage?
How can you use contrast to show an emotion or feeling through collage?
What feeling(s) or emotion(s) will you create? How will you use color and contrast to
show that feeling or emotion?
What story will you tell through color and contrast?

Recap:
Today as you carefully choose materials to create a collage, think about color and contrast
specifically. Remember that artists make choices about the colors they use to show a feeling or
emotion, or create a mood in their story. Today, you dont have to tell a story, but you might
decide to as you are exploring using color and contrast to show a feeling or emotion. You might
choose a feeling or emotion from how you felt in your personal narrative.

Steinberg 9
Transition:
When it is time to begin, every person at the table will be in charge of getting one thing set up.
One artist from each table will get 5 table covers, another artist will get 5 glue containers and 5
glue brushes, another artist will get 5 scissors, another artist will get 5 pieces of format paper,
and the last artist will get one box of collage materials, that I have prepared. As you work, I will
be putting out more collage materials that you can come up and choose as needed. But to start,
use the materials that are in your box.
To set up your workspace, first put down your paper to cover your table. Then pick materials to
use to cut and glue to create shapes. Think about how you are using space too. Some of you
might choose to cut and glue paper, and some might choose to use a combination of collage
materials. Some of you might choose to cover a lot of space, and some of you might leave space.
Remember to keep the collage materials in a place that everyone can share them. I will be putting
out more materials as you work.
Procedure for implementation:
Transition to hands-on:
Ask students to give a thumbs up signal to show they each know their jobs for getting
materials. Then send off students from the meeting area, to do his or her designated job and get
set up to work. There will be 5 students doing each job. Monitor that this transition is smooth
and remind students that once their workspace is set up and they have the materials in front of
them they can get started right away.
Refocusing strategies:
If students need to be refocused ask:
What other ways can you explore color?
What other ways can you explore contrast?
Which material might depict that feeling?
What materials might you try to create contrast?
Think about how you/ your character felt in your story. How can use a color to show that
feeling? How can you use contrast of color or material to create that mood?
Why did you pick that color?
How did you create that contrast?
Take a walk around the room and look at your friends artworks. See if you get inspired
to make choices about your own collage. What ideas are you getting?
Possible follow-up strategies for students who finish early:
If students finish early suggest:
Start a new collage, using different colors to show a new feeling, emotion or mood.
Do you think you can convey the same feeling, emotion or mood with other colors or
contrast choices?
Explore other collage materials.
Ask your partner or another partner who is also finished how they feel when they look at
your collage. Compare that feeling to your own feelings.

Steinberg 10

Tell story of your collage to your partner, or a partner who is also finished. If your piece
did not relate to a story, think of a time you felt that feeling or emotion. Tell your partner
and see if together, you can put a narrative to your collage.

Clean-up strategies:
Give students 15 minute, 10 minute, and 2 minute alerts to prepare them to come to a stopping
point in their collages. Tell students they will do the same job for clean up that they had for set
up. The format person will be the only one with a different job. That is, the table cover person
will collect and put away table covers, the glue person will collect glues and wash glue brushes,
the scissors person will collect and put away scissors, and the collage box person will collect and
put away the collage boxes. Students know where all of these things will go. The student from
each table who gave everyone format paper will be in charge of scraps on the floor and helping
anyone who needs help. Decide whether youll ask students to post their collages on the viewing
bulletin board or keep their collages in front of them for the closure dialogue.
Closure dialogue:
Students collages can either be posted up on the viewing bulletin board, or in front of them.
Students will be sitting next to their partner. Choose from these questions to ask, first giving
students time to think, and then either asking them to turn and talk in partnerships, or as a whole
group-- varying question by question.
Ask:

What color choices did you make? Why?

What contrast choices did you make? Why?
What feeling or emotion does your collage express? How might it tell a story?
How did you use color and contrast to express the feeling, emotion, or mood?
How did you make choices about which materials to use to show a color and/or to create
contrast?
How are the colors and contrast in your collage similar to or different from your
partners?
How could changing the color and contrasting parts of your collage change the feeling or
mood?
What was easy for you?
What was challenging for you?
What did you learn about the collage materials?
How was this experience different than your exploration of shape and space?

Evaluation strategies:
During the closure dialogue, listen to students responses and listen into partnership turn and talk
discussions. Following the activity, ask students to tell more about the choices they made about
color and contrast, and whether they felt successful in creating a feeling or mood, or conveying
an emotion through their color and contrast choices. Ask students if the feeling or emotion they
conveyed related to a narrative, or if they were just exploring the material and elements. Ask
students what they learned and what they thought they did well.

Steinberg 11
I will evaluate students on whether they can explain the choices they made related to color and
contrast, and whether they demonstrate understanding of the relationship color and contrast has
to the feeling, emotion, or mood of an artwork. I will know if the lesson was successful if
students can articulate their choices related to color and contrast. I will also know if the
experience was successful if students are engaged in collage and the partner or whole class talk,
and actively reflecting on their choices and process. It might be challenging for some students to
work with a narrative in mind, so I will not require this, but will expect they have a feeling or
emotion in mind. This activity will help scaffold students to be able to incorporate characters
feelings as well as the mood of the story, in the third lesson of the sequence, as they will start
becoming familiar with the relationship of art and narrative. Again, partner discussion,
specifically related to the feeling partners get from each others pieces and the sharing of stories
behind the collages, will also help support students in making this connection between their
collages and narratives. Students will see that choices in color and contrast are not only used by
the artists to show a feeling or emotion, but can evoke a feeling or emotion for viewers too. I will
encourage and celebrate any exploration of color and contrast related to feeling, emotion, or
mood, knowing this exploration will hopefully support and transfer to future activities.
LESSON 3
Activity: Using Shape, Space, Color and Contrast in Collage to Tell a Story
In the final activity of the sequence, students will build on both explorationstheir exploration
of shape and space and their exploration of color and contrastto use these art elements to put
narrative to art. Students might come to realize there are two routes to this pathwayputting
narrative to art, and putting art to narrative. In other words, some students might create a story
first in their collage, then through words and writing, while others might have a story already in
their mind or written in writing workshop, and then work to express this story through collage.
This activity should be a culminating one, as students put together all they know about art
elementsshape, space, color, and contrast, in combination with what they know about story
elementscharacters, setting, events, and details, to tell their stories through collage.
Time: 45 minutes 45 minutes (5 minutes for motivation dialogue, 30 minutes to collage, 10
minutes for clean up and share)
Materials & Supplies:
Slides of images of collages (or paintings, drawings) to which children can practice
relating a narrative
Students writing folders- ask each student to have their writing ready to refer to
Scissors (20)
Glue- divided in 20 small containers
Glue brushes (20)
White paper for the format
Construction paper
Fabric
Textured papers (painted paper, magazine scraps, scrapbook paper)

Steinberg 12

Objective:
Through collage, students will learn how shapes, space, colors, and contrast can be used to tell a
story with characters, setting, events and details.
Motivation dialogue:
Spark Question:
Today, you are not just artists, but writers. But today you will write a bit differently then you do
in writing workshopyou will write your stories through collage. You have now explored shape,
space, color and contrast through collage, and today you will explore how these art elements
relate to story elements. How do your artist choices of shape, space, color and contrast, help you
as a writer, to write stories with characters, setting, events and details?
Association:
Shape, space, color and contrast are art elements, but guess what? They also can relate to the
story elements we know. Remember when you explored shape and space? How might those
choices help you create the setting of your story? How might shapes and space show the
characters and events that happened? Remember when we explored how color and contrast and
how artists choose certain colors and contrasts to show a feeling or emotion, or create a mood?
The same goes for a story. You can show your characters feelings, or the mood of your story
through color and contrast. Just like you would do in your writing.
Lets look at some stories in these collages.
Show slides of images. Ask:
What shapes do you notice? How do the shapes show characters, setting, events or
details?
How is space used? How does the use of space help create a setting?
What do you notice about color? What feeling or emotion do you get from this image?
(If there are characters): How do you think the characters feel? What about the color and
contrast makes you think that?
What do you think the story of this collage is? What makes you think that?
Spend time allowing students to share multiple ideas of narratives, either building on each
others ideas, or sharing different perspectives.
Visualization:
Ask students to take a minute or two to look through their writing folders at the narratives they
have written. Tell them they can also spend time just thinking about another story from their life
they could share through collage. After a couple minutes of thinking, ask students to share an
idea with their partner. Then have a few students share out ideas to the whole class, providing
many examples of narratives that could be told through collage.
Ask:

What story could you tell through collage? Will you create a story youve written through
collage? Or will you create a collage and use that to write your story?

Steinberg 13

Where did your story take place? How will you use shapes to show that? How much
space will you cover? What else might you use shapes to show?

What were you feeling in this story? Will there be other characters in your story? How
did they feel? Which feelings and emotions will you show? How will you show them?
What colors might you choose?

Recap:
Today, you will tell a story through collage. You can tell a story youve written or a new story.
Youll still make choices about shape, space, color, and contrast, but this time, considering the
characters, setting, events and details of your story.
Transition:
When it is time to begin, every person at the table will be in charge of getting one thing set up.
One artist from each table will get 5 table covers, another artist will get 5 glue containers and 5
glue brushes, another artist will get 5 scissors, another artist will get 5 pieces of format paper,
and the last artist will get one box of collage materials, that I have prepared. As you work, I will
be putting out more collage materials that you can come up and choose as needed. But to start,
use the materials that are in your box.
To set up your workspace, first put down your paper to cover your table. Then pick materials to
use to cut and glue to create shapes. Think about how you are using space too. Some of you
might choose to cut and glue paper, and some might choose to use a combination of collage
materials. Some of you might choose to cover a lot of space, and some of you might leave space.
Remember to keep the collage materials in a place that everyone can share them. I will be putting
out more materials as you work.
Procedure for implementation:
Transition to hands-on:
Ask students to give a thumbs up signal to show they each know their jobs for getting
materials. Then send off students from the meeting area, to do his or her designated job and get
set up to work. There will be 5 students doing each job. Monitor that this transition is smooth
and remind students that once their workspace is set up and they have the materials in front of
them they can get started right away.
Refocusing strategies:
If students need to be refocused ask:
How might you use shape and space to show your setting?
How might you use shape and space to show characters and/or events?
What is the mood of your story? How were you feeling? How were other characters
feeling? How might you use color and contrast to show this feeling/ mood?
What are some details that happened? How might you show these details through the
collage materials?
Take a walk around the room and look at your friends artworks. See if you get inspired
to make choices about your own collage. What ideas are you getting?

Steinberg 14
Possible follow-up strategies for students who finish early:
If students finish early suggest:
Start a new collage, choosing or creating another story.
Add details to your story. What else happened? Who else was there? How could you
show these things? Are there ways you might develop the characters, setting, events or
details more?
How might you incorporate other collage materials in your story?
Tell story of your collage to your partner, or a partner who is also finished. Or see what
story your partner sees when they look at your collage. Compare narratives with your
partner.
Clean-up strategies:
Give students 15 minute, 10 minute, and 2 minute alerts to prepare them to come to a stopping
point in their collages. Tell students they will do the same job for clean up that they had for set
up. The format person will be the only one with a different job. That is, the table cover person
will collect and put away table covers, the glue person will collect glues and wash glue brushes,
the scissors person will collect and put away scissors, and the collage box person will collect and
put away the collage boxes. Students know where all of these things will go. The student from
each table who gave everyone format paper will be in charge of scraps on the floor and helping
anyone who needs help. Decide whether youll ask students to post their collages on the viewing
bulletin board or keep their collages in front of them for the closure dialogue.
Closure dialogue:
Students collages can either be posted up on the viewing bulletin board, or in front of them.
Students will be sitting next to their partner. Allow students time to share the narratives of their
collages. Ask them if they created the collage with a story in mind, or if their narrative came out
of the collage. Note which route each student took, as information to help support them as
writers and artists in the future. Choose from these questions to ask, first giving students time to
think, and then either asking them to turn and talk in partnerships, or as a whole group-- varying
question by question.
*Note: At this point you could call the artwork a collage or a story, use these names
interchangeably, or use both names, to reinforce the idea and goal of the lesson that an artwork
can be a narrative, and a narrative can become an artwork.
Ask:

What shape and space choices did you make? How did your shape and space choices help
you create the setting and show the characters and events in your collage/story?
What color and contrast choices did you make? How did your color and contrast choices
help you show feelings or emotions or create mood in your collage/story?
What details did you include in your collage/story? How did you show them?
How did you make choices about which materials to use to show the characters, setting,
events, and details?

Steinberg 15

How is the way you told your story through collage similar and different than the way
your partner told their story?
What was easy for you?
What was challenging for you?
What did you learn about the collage materials?
What did you learn about narrative?
Evaluation strategies:
During the closure dialogue, listen to students responses and listen into partnership turn and talk
discussions. Following the activity, ask students to tell more about the choices they made related
to shape, space, color, and contrast, in relation to the story elements of characters, setting, events,
and details.
I will evaluate students on whether they can explain the choices they made related to art elements
and story elements, and whether they demonstrate understanding of the relationship of these
elements. I will know if the lesson was successful if students can articulate their choices related
to shape and space in terms of characters, settings, and events, particularly, and their color and
contrast choices related to the feelings, emotions, and mood of their story. I will also know if the
experience was successful if students are engaged in collage and the partner or whole class talk,
and actively reflecting on their choices and process. I will want to keep in mind whether students
based their collage off an existing narrative idea, or if they created their collage and then
constructed the narrative based off of their collage. Both routes will be acceptable, but are
important to consider and note, to further support the student as a writer and artist. Because this
is the culminating activity of the lesson sequence, I will be looking for evidence of student
learning about all art elements: shape, space, color, and contrast, as well as a narrative with
characters, setting, events, and details.