Writing a CollageIntegrating Visual Arts and Language Arts

Agenda• Overview• Small Groups– Museum Visit, 4th Grade– Visiting Artists, 8th Grade

• Wrap-up

Why integrate? • Academic benefits– Strength in critical thinking translates across content

areas– Students who are able to think more complexly will

perform better

• Aesthetic benefits– Fine arts activities stimulate both sides of brain– Field experiences provide cultural interactions that

some students can’t access outside school

How did this begin?• Museum trip: Lauren• Teaching artists: Dianne

Which group should I chose?

• Either group will work K—12• Museum 4th

• Teaching artists 8th • 40 minutes in small group• Return to large group to wrap up

A4L Model• Cycles of creation, reflection, and revision• Layer arts experiences with literacy

strategies• Art and literacy instruction are interwoven

to leverage learning

Critical Thinking: The Writing Connection

• Written rationale for design choices• Presentation component

Customized Instructional Plan

• “Everyday Heroes” A4L unit• “The Challenges of Heroism” SpringBoard

unit, featuring The Giver

Terms and Skills• Collage Terms– Color– Shape– Line

• Literacy Skills– Imagery– Synthesis– Reflect– Revise

Training• Teacher– One day– Planning meetings

• Students– One period– Ongoing

Line: From the Eye of the Camera…

• “a dot making its way through space”• Longer in length than breadth• Long, short, wavy, zigzag, fat, thin, swirling,

diagonal, series of dots• Horizontal and vertical: static• Diagonal: create movement and energy• Zigzags: forceful and dynamic

To the Hand of the Artist Donna B. Gray

• Curved: gentle, graceful, full of life; natural• Thick: bold, daring, heavy• Thin: delicate, well-mannered• Vague: more dynamic

Color• Warm colors: red, yellow, orange: sun, fire• Cool colors: blue, green: water, grass, sky• Viewers associate things in their daily lives

with the colors chosen.Green: grass, leaves; Red: warmth, fire

• Example: If an alien were colored green, he would be perceived differently than if he were colored red.

Shape• Curved forms: living (organic), comfortable;

trigger emotions• Geometric forms: perfection or the ideal;

trigger the mind• Angular forms: remind us of sharp, painful

things

Write Your Collage• Listen while I read.• Visualize the lines and shapes in the words, and

think about what color those lines might be.• Build your collage. • Revise your collage.• Write your rationale.

Spring ISD 4th Grade Field Trips

The Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts and Spring Independent School District jointly sponsor a visual and literary arts field trip for fourth graders to the museum. The field trip supports preparation for the TAKS Writing Test.

• The field trip consists of an introduction to the exhibition and museum manners, a looking and discussion period with selected paintings, sketching the painting, and a creative writing project.

• Unlike a usual museum tour in which would include multiple pieces, students focus on one painting during their visit.

• The museum education director, the fine art supervisor, and elementary language arts supervisor select four paintings that will be the focus of the field trip.

• The paintings are selected according to their adaptability to the field trip activities, age appropriateness, and gallery location.

• A docent leads the students through a looking exercise and talks to them about the history of the painting and what the painting depicts.

• The students create an art project based on the painting and write about the painting.

• SISD Directors prepared museum staff for writing expectations, as modeled in our classrooms:

1. Snapshots2. Thoughtshots3. Sensory Imagery4. Story Structure

Thoughts a character has related to the actions in the story.

Thoughshot

A description of something that puts a “picture” in your head focused on sensory imagery.

Snapshots

Viewing

Sketching

Collage

• The students will write a paragraph in the voice of one of the characters in their painting. This will be a rough draft that they can edit back in the classroom.

Writing

Try it out!

Viewing

Sketching

Try it out!

Collage

Try it out!

Writing

Try it out!

•http://www.pearlmfa.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=91&Itemid=1

•What are we doing this year?

Wrap-up• What might the benefits be of including

collage experiences in your language arts classrooms?

• What questions do you have for us or your colleagues?

• Thank you so much for your attendance today!

Contact Information• Lauren Thompson, Director for Elementary Language Arts, Spring

ISD, 281-891-6197, laurend@springisd.org• Dianne Brazell, Director for Secondary Language Arts, Spring ISD,

281-891-6198, diannebr@springisd.org• Rick Ghinelli, Director for Visual and Performing Arts,

Spring ISD, 281-891-6127, rickg@springisd.org• Rosemary Hickman, Education Director, Pearl Fincher Museum of

Fine Arts, 281-376-6322, www.pearlmfa.org• Mary Mettenbrink, Director of Education and Programs, Young

Audiences of Houston, 713-520-9267 ext. 109, mary@.yahouston.org