The objective of this project is to introduce the concept of atmospheric perspective and build on prior knowledge of shadowing, highlighting, blending, using acrylics and line drawing. This lesson was planned with the differing needs of four English language learners in mind, each at a different stage in their language learning development.
Phoebe
is an 8-year old girl from China in the Speech
Emergent stage. She speaks eagerly and enthusiastically in short, simple
sentences, though her speech is difficult to understand, heavily accented, and with
many grammatical and syntactical errors. She understands simple instructions accompanied
by visuals, gestural cues and demonstrations. She is a resourceful student who observes her
peers to check her own understanding, and does not hesitate to ask for help.
Koh
is a 7-year old boy from Japan in the Intermediate
Fluency stage. He speaks and shares ideas with relative fluency, but makes
minor grammatical and sentence structure mistakes. He processes new concepts well
but often needs guidance on synthesizing his learning.
Vita
is a 10-year old girl from Croatia in the Advanced
Fluency stage. Vita speaks with ease, yet demonstrates occasional gaps in
academic vocabulary. Complex concepts are quickly grasped and processed, and
she is comfortable analyzing and explaining these concepts.
1. The
first part of this two-session lesson is dedicated to drawing an orca whale
from observation and painting it using acrylic paints.
a. Prior knowledge of key art elements and vocabulary are assessed. Students are given a variety of
orca whale pictures to analyze and are asked to discuss in pairs the orca’s qualities
(line, shape, color, features). Liv is seated next to and paired with a German-speaking “buddy” who reiterates
instructions for her and models the exercise. Liv listens and repeats. The
pairs share their findings. Phoebe is asked to present a few findings. Her
mistakes are not corrected, instead, I repeat the sentence or word correctly. Koh
is asked to expound on one feature (he says the orca is jumping out of the
ocean: I ask him to describe the texture of the water). Vita is asked to expound
in detail on her observations.
b. We discuss shadows and highlights. Students
point these out on the orca. Students are directed to the word wall where they
can see these terms defined with clear visuals.
c. We begin our line drawing. I model a line
drawing on the white board emphasizing and highlighting various features
(placement of the fin, curve of the back) with the aid of different colored markers and
arrows.
d. Painting phase. The teacher example is on
display. Features, highlights and shadows are pointed out, spoken clearly and
written on the board. Students paint their orca, adding highlights and shadows.
2. The second session involves painting the orca’s habitat. In this session students are introduced to the concept of “atmospheric perspective”. We learn new brush techniques and build on prior knowledge of blending and watercolor techniques.
a. Students are shown a slide show of orcas in
their habitat. They discuss in groups and write words or symbols that come to
mind which describe their habitat (ocean, cold, Arctic, Antarctica, they eat
seals). Words are written on the board together with symbols and gestures
(cold: snowflake and shiver gesture) as students present them. Liv is
encouraged to present word suggestions using gesturing.
b. “Atmospheric perspective” is defined. It is written on the board and the class says it aloud several times. Students
are asked to observe from pictures and by looking out the window how the appearance
of objects changes when viewed from a distance. Vita and Koh are asked to provide
descriptions. Phoebe is asked to point out and name the colors she identifies
in the ocean (dark blue, blue, light blue etc.). These words are written on the
board and repeated aloud, with connectors drawn to the matching color in the
picture, which helps Liv make the connection. In groups students are asked to reflect
on where they have personally observed examples of atmospheric perspective: the
seaside, from atop a mountain etc. Koh and Vita are asked to expound to the class.
c. Painting and collaging phase. A teacher example
is displayed of what is expected of the final result. Painting takes place in a
step-by-step, teacher-led format, using short, simple directions with demonstrations. Several options for possibilities for variations are modeled on the board. Brush
techniques (for rendering texture) are modeled with clear explanations. Rendering
atmospheric perspective, shadows and highlights are discussed and demonstrated
as we paint. Eye contact is regularly made with students to check that
techniques have been grasped and progress is being made. At this point,
students are given individual reminders and pointers of key concepts and techniques
where needed.
d. When painting is complete, our orcas are cut out and collaged
onto their habitat and splashes are added using a new brush technique, which is clearly and succinctly explained and demonstrated.
3. Finally, five minutes are spent in an art critique. Students are asked to provide constructive criticism (what did he do well, what can she do better next time, etc.). Vita and Koh are encouraged to back up their opinions with deeper explanations. Phoebe is asked to share her opinions using short, simple phrases, while Liv is encouraged to point to areas and use gestures to communicate her opinions. All students are proud of their work and have once again learned that hard work pays off!
Sources:
Everything ESL.net. Stages of
Second Language Acquisition. http://www.everythingesl.net/inservices/language_stages.php
Colorin Colorado. Language
Acquisition. An Overview. http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/language-acquisition-overview
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