Statement of Big Idea. Background information about Big Idea explored.

SEE MY STORY, HEAR MY STORY, WATCH MY STORY

This mini unit covers writing personal narratives using elements of visual arts, musical arts, and
theater arts. The big idea is that the students will be using different strategies to investigate, draft and
practice the elements of a narrative story at a fourth-grade level.

Description of lesson plan sequence

Lesson 1 – This lesson will be the beginning of their journey in writing these narratives. The students
will not have to write during this time. The point of the first lesson is brainstorming an idea and
demonstrating how they imagine their story through watercolor painting.
Lesson 2 – The second lesson in the sequence prepares the students to begin writing their stories. In
this lesson, the students will be introduced to a few “mentor texts” that take the form of familiar
songs. The students will be analyzing the music for elements specific to narratives and using those
elements to begin writing their own narratives.
Lesson 3 – The last lesson of the sequence will be the creation and performance of their stories
through theater using a variety of props to show the details and character interactions throughout
their story.

Developmental rationale/ prior learning

This sequence is specifically looking at a fourth-grade class with around 20 students. In this class, I
expect there to be a diverse group of students with different backgrounds, cultures, languages,
special needs/ELL’s. The lessons are designed for all students to be able to thrive. The students will
have already been introduced to wet mark making materials but will be introduced to some new arts
in lessons 2 and 3, that we have not discussed but may be familiar to most students (specifically the
music from Disney movies). The students will have also created a collection of ideas in a heart map
prior but will not have had structured experiences writing personal narratives.

Overall objectives
Learning Targets:
I can recount and visually represent a meaningful experience or story.
I can analyze music for narrative elements to include in my own narrative story.
I can tell a narrative story using verb details, dialogue, and character interaction to support the main
ideas.

Overall sequence—how does one lesson build on/connect with the previous one?
First, the students will be imagining and structuring their stories before even taking pen to paper. By
doing this they have an idea of how the story will start and finish. In practicing thinking about details
the students will take the time to critically discuss what is important for the plot of the story. The
students will be taking that idea and thinking about how they can be made into a narrative using the
outlines and elements of the music. Once they start thinking about what a narrative sounds like, they
can begin to write their ideas down into a rough draft. After writing this draft, the students will have
to start thinking again about what this story looks like. This time they will be revising their work to
include areas of detail that show the audience what is happening. The students will then take their
ideas and perform the story for the whole class.
ARTS INTEGRATED LESSON PLAN 1

Statement of the activity

SEE MY STORY – 4th grade
45-60 min
In this activity the students will be creating a visualization of a personal experience or story using
watercolors as a form of wet mark making. The students will then be telling this story as it is
represented in the creation with detail to show a snapshot in their story.

Objective of the lesson

Learning Target:
I can recount and visually represent a meaningful experience or story.

Subjects Integrated
 English Language Arts
 Visual Arts

Standards addressed
VA:Cr1.2.4a Collaboratively set goals and create artwork that is meaningful and has purpose to the
makers.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.4 Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience in an
organized manner, using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or
themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.

Materials, supplies, and equipment for the lesson (detailed list)

 Heart maps (created earlier in class)
 Half Imperial 15×22 inch Watercolor Paper
 Watercolor paints for partners to share (12 in a class size of 24)
 Watercolor pencils
 A selection of large and small paintbrushes, one of each for each student
 Water for paintbrush cleaning

Students’ previous knowledge

Students will have had experience with the watercolor materials.
They will have made a heart map in the past in their writing journals/treasure chests.

Motivation dialogue/ discussion/ demonstration

Good morning fourth graders! Do you remember last week when we made our heart maps about all of
the things that make you, you? Today we are going to be choosing one of those ideas and thinking of a
story to tell your classmates!
What is going to make this fun is we get to pull the audience into your story by painting the sensory
details with watercolors.
 Have students pull out their heart maps.
First, I will show you how to choose an idea from your heart map and brainstorm some stories that
show you about myself.
 Put your heart map on the projector and choose one section.
Let’s say I choose my idea about dogs, let me think of a story about my dogs that I want to tell… Oh!
One time I took my dog to the beach. The beach was sandy, and the waves were calm, so me
 and my dog decided to go for a walk. The sun was setting so it wasn’t very bright out but he
got the smell of something in the water. It was a huge, pink, bumpy starfish! My dog definitely
didn’t want to be this starfish’s friend so, I took my dog back to the car and left for the day.
Fourth graders, now you are going to silently think about a story from your heart map for one minute.
 Start a one-minute timer and let the students think.
Now we are going to turn to a partner and tell them your story.
 Walk around the classroom while students are telling the story, after about two minutes make
an announcement that if you haven’t both shared, let your partner tell you, their story.
Today you are going to be telling the class that story through a watercolor painting! If you remember
with my story, I had a few sensory details that I could show through my painting. I could show the
sunset, the calm waves, the pink sunset, the sand. Turn to your neighbor and tell them three good
opportunities to add sensory details to their story.
Share some of the sensory ideas that you and your partner came up with. (Share out) This will help us
to paint the scene, so the audience feels like they’re in the story with you! This picture can be a scene
from your story to captures those sensory details.
 Allow the students 20-25 minutes to create.
 Then give the students all a chance to share their stories to the class while displaying their
paintings. May take 20-25 minutes.

Procedure for implementation

 The students will have their heart maps out before the lesson starts.
 The painting materials will be given to the students once the goals have been explained so that
they can start familiarizing themselves with the materials once they have an idea in their head
of their story. This is also to avoid distraction during the demonstration.
 If students have any want to include more material allow them to add any, but have the focus
be on watercolor since they have had experience with them recently.
 Circulate the room encouraging color, using the whole page, and prompting students to tell you
about what the painting means.
 If students finish early allow them to practice rehearsing their story.

Clean-up (clean-up, collecting, and storing work strategies)

Display student’s paintings in the classroom. Have students practice organizational skills by dismissing
table group at a time to clean up their workstations and wash their brushes.

Closure dialogue
Prompt the students to provide feedback with a rating of 1-5 on their hands of how well they felt like
they were immersed in their classmates’ stories overall (not individuals specifically). Invite students to
share how they felt and why they rated it the way they did.

Assessment of individual learning

The assessment is formative, and learning will be shown through the ability to connect their creations
through sharing a specific sensory detail filled scene from their story that the student explains through
the final product of their watercolor paintings.

Evaluation of the lesson and pedagogical competence

If the students can visually connect their story through their watercolor paintings, then I know the
lesson went as planned.
If the students provide a painting and only share what is on the paper, I will encourage them to tell their
story and relate it to the visualization. I may redirect to make sure that the students are focusing on
telling their story and showing the specific parts through the watercolors.
The goal of the lesson is not to make the best possible painting, the goal is directed at being able to tell
a story and show the sensory details through the painting for the narrator and the audience.

ARTS INTEGRATED LESSON PLAN 2

Statement of the activity

HEAR MY STORY – 4th grade
45-55 min
In this lesson, the students will continue exploring narratives by listening to some examples of music
that use a narrative structure, acting as a mentor text. The students will analyze the music for tone,
theme, purpose, voice, etc. These ideas the students can use to begin drafting their narratives.

Objective of the lesson

Learning Target:
I can analyze music for narrative elements to include in my own narrative story.
Subjects Integrated
 English Language Arts
 Music

Standards addressed
MU:Re7.2.4 Demonstrate and explain how responses to music are informed by the structure, the use of
the elements of music, and context (such as social and cultural).
CC.4.W.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective
technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.

Materials, supplies, and equipment for the lesson (detailed list)

 Writers’ notebook

Motivation dialogue/ discussion/ demonstration

Good morning fourth graders! Remember when we chose a story from our heart maps and painted a
picture to show what your story is about? Today we are going to be remembering that story and
starting to write our drafts. Who knows what a narrative is?
 Look for responses: a story, theme/message, plot, characters, point of view, setting, theme,
conflict, style, etc.
 Share with students any of the above that were not mentioned.
Before we take our pencils to the paper, I want to show you all some examples of narratives. Did you
know that music can be a great example of a narrative? Here are a few songs that you may know
(show list of songs) we are going to be looking at a song from a Disney movie.
 Pull up lyrics and song “How far I’ll go” from Moana
We are going to listen to this song through. While you’re reading the lyrics and listening, try to think
about how this song could be a narrative.
 Play song (it’s okay to sing along but make sure the students aren’t distracting one another.)
What did you notice about this song? How could it be a narrative?
 While students are sharing specifics, write on an anchor chart/on the board for record keeping.
Model putting any narrative elements not mentioned on the chart/board.
Now, we are going to look at one more song. See if you can identify how the different elements of a
narrative were shown in the song. Who were the characters? What is the message or theme? What is
the setting? How does the tempo or tone change in the background music?
 Play “Do you want to build a snowman” from the movie Frozen
 Stop at 1:18
Who is the narrator in this song? What does anna do here to tell her story?
 Point out the onomatopoeia and the feelings of the character. Also point out the instruments in
the background, how the tone and tempo changes. (Write these on the chart/board)
Another thing to notice is why the author chose to incorporate these elements. Think pair and share
out about how the author tells the story through song.
We are going to listen to one more song.
 Play “Hakuna Matata” from the movie Lion King (just Pumbas part)
How does this narrator tell his story?
 Feelings, describing words, past tense (Write these on the chart/board
Now, we are going to think back to the idea for your narrative that you wrote down in your writer’s
notebook and told through paint. We are going to be writing our own narratives now using some of the
elements of a narrative that we found in these songs! This could include all the things we wrote on the
chart.
If you ever get stuck on how to progress your story along look back at our chart, we made to find some
ideas.
 Allow the students 30 minutes to start writing/write their drafts.

Procedure for implementation

 Make sure the conversation about narrative writing is thorough enough for students to analyze
the mentor texts being shared (the songs)
 The focus during this lesson will be narrative writing time, but they will build their writers
toolbox using the musical art we have seen.
 For students that finish early, have them start going back to their work to revise and add more
detail or feeling whatever skill the students should focus on.

Clean-up
The anchor chart will be kept and displayed as a reminder of the different elements of a narrative.
The students will keep their drafts in their writers’ notebooks.

Closure dialogue
Awesome job today writers! Show me on your thumbs if you found our mentor songs helpful in writing
our own narratives and including some of the elements that we talked about. Who wants to share about
something they wrote that reminded them of our mentor songs, this could be and example of
onomatopoeia, tone, characters feelings…

Assessment of individual learning

The formative assessment will include how the students did while filling out the anchor chart while
analyzing the songs, as well as when they share with the class some examples that they used. While the
students are doing independent writing the teacher will be walking around, having students explain
their stories and some of the elements they include.

Evaluation of the lesson and pedagogical competence

I will know the lesson was successful if the students play with using some of the elements of our
mentor songs to create their own stories and have them come to life.
If the students can’t pick out the elements of a narrative with the mentor songs, the issue may be that
they need more time discussing the elements, or that I should chose other songs.
It could be an extension to look at more examples of songs with narrative structures, maybe longer
songs.

ARTS INTEGRATED LESSON PLAN 3

Statement of the activity

WATCH MY STORY – 4th grade
30 minutes Day 1
45 minutes Day 2
In this activity, the students will be identifying details in the narratives they have been working on
where visual description can be demonstrated, as well as identifying dialogue and character interaction.
The students will then be performing their narratives using elements of theater.

Objective of the lesson

Learning target:
I can tell a narrative story using verb details, dialogue, and character interaction to support the main
ideas.

Subjects Integrated
 ELA
 Theater

Standards addressed
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.4 Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience in an
organized manner, using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or
themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.
TH:Cr1.1.4.a Articulate the visual details of imagined worlds, and improvised stories that support the
given circumstances in a drama/theatre work.
TH:Cr1.1.4.c Imagine how a character might move to support the story and given circumstances in a
drama/theatre work.
TH:Pr6.1.4.a Share small-group drama/theatre work, with peers as audience.

Materials, supplies, and equipment for the lesson

 Props to distinguish between characters (needed for day 2, chosen by the students and teacher.)
o Hats, fake mustaches, glasses, etc.
 Three different colored pens for revision.
 Writers’ notebooks

Motivation dialogue/ discussion/ demonstration

Day 1 –
Good morning fourth graders! We have been working on drafting our narratives. Most of us are close
to or are already done. Today we are going to be identifying details in our drafts that create visuals for
our audience. Why could it be important to identify areas with details?
 Look for students to discuss allowing audiences to see your story. Also infer that it could help
you identify areas that could be more detailed, or as a strategy for revisions.
One of the reasons we are going to be identifying specific details is because tomorrow, we will be
performing our narratives to the class while acting out those specific details.
Before we get started, I am going to show you my draft.
 Pull out teacher draft.
To get organized before you begin with your revisions you want to identify all the characters in your
story. In my story I have two characters, me and my grandpa. Because I have two characters, I will be
using two different colored pens. My grandpa will be red, and I will be green.
The first thing that we want to find is all the places where our characters are talking. In the beginning
I say, “grandpa, where are you going?” I am going to take a green pen/pencil and underline the
dialogue. If I was acting that line out, how would it look?
 Have students volunteer you can make this very fun.
Right, so to make sure I remember how I can act this out I am going to write an idea in the margins.
Do you see any other dialogue in my story?
 For the students who don’t have the room, give them stickies.
Now we are going to look for descriptive action language or verbs in our stories. I see one here when I
say “grandpa was walking slowly” how could I act this out? Which one of my characters is doing this
action? Since it was grandpa, we are going to circle these words with the red pen/pencil and write my
notes in the margins. Do you see any other places where I used action words?
Now you are going to do the same with your stories. Pull out your draft at whatever form it is right
now. Start by identifying how many characters you have in your narrative and grab a different color
for each.
 If the students don’t have very many details they can use, encourage them to find a place where
they can ADD dialogue and verbs.
 Allow students 20 minutes to do the exercise.

Day 2 –
Good morning fourth graders! Yesterday we found different ways that we can tell our audiences our
stories through acting it out. Today we are going to share our stories by performing them to the class!
Now a lot of us have different characters in our stories. How can we show the difference between
which characters are doing what?
 Present the props and how to use them if necessary.
Now I will show you an example of how to present using my own narrative!
 Perform your short narrative story using the props.
Before you present your stories turn to a partner and rehearse your story, so you are ready to perform.
 Allow about 5 minutes for them to rehearse their stories to a partner.
Now it’s your turn!
 Take volunteers first to perform and then chose students at random.

Procedure for implementation

Day 1 – The students will be focusing on finishing their drafts and identifying all the places that there
are details they can physically represent through performance. If they finish this activity early, they can
begin practicing how they want to perform their narratives and coming up with ideas for props.
Day 2 – The students will have a selection of props on display for their use. They can use whichever
will help them show their story.

Clean-up
Process pictures and videos will be taken of the students that permit it. These will be stored in the class
picture file.

Closure dialogue
Day 1 –
Wonderful job today fourth graders! Does anyone have any details they want to share with the class?
Thank you for doing this activity today, tomorrow we are going to be performing our stories!
Day 2 –
Give yourselves a round of applause! You all did a wonderful job performing today. Before we wrap
up fill out your exit task/reflection.
 The reflection will have the following questions:
o How did you feel performing your story this way? Was it helpful to understand your
classmates stories?

Assessment of individual learning

Assessment will be that the students performed at least four different details from their stories. They
will also be assessed on identifying their details with the colored pens.

Evaluation of the lesson and pedagogical competence

I will be able to evaluate the lessons’ effectiveness based on student engagement and self-reflection. If
the students took the opportunity to identify and think about using language that provides visual
elements for the audience. An option for extension could be using this method for any of their writings
they have produced. This can also be a great group project of activity to interact with their peers.