Second Grade Lesson Plan #2

Kayla Wilson
wilso3km@dukes.jmu.edu
10/15/2014
Lesson Theme: Animal Patterns: Why Patterns are Important
Grade Level: Second Grade
Time: One 40 minute lesson
Lesson Overview: The teacher will read the book Patterns by Sara Pistoia and then the students
will draw two animals with imaginary alternating or repeating patterns using geometric and
organic shapes.
Visual Culture Component/relevance: Students will probably be in contact with animals at
least once in their life. It is good for students to understand why animals look the way they look
and why the patterning is important. Animal patterns help the animals to blend into their
surroundings and survive in their environments. The book Patterns by Sara Pistoia shows a
variety of different visual and mathematical patterns that can be seen in real life, including some
animals.
Virginia Standards of Learning:
Fine Arts:
2.1 The student will generate a variety of solutions to art-making problems
2.5 The student will identify and use the following in works of art:
4. Shapegeometric, organic
5. Patterncomplex alternating and repeating
Math:
2.20 The student will identify, create, and extend a wide variety of patterns.
Lesson Objectives: Students will:
Draw two different animals of their choice using shapes (geometric and organic) and
patterns (complex alternating and repeating) to help them blend into their environments.
Identify complex alternating and repeating patterns.
Identify the differences between geometric and organic shapes.
Vocabulary Words for Visual Analysis:
Alternating Pattern Switching between two or more pieces of a pattern.
Repeating Pattern The repeating of pieces within a pattern.
Counting Taking an account of when reaching a total.
Positions A place where someone or something is located or has been put.
Recognize To identify something.
Solve To find an answer to.

Geometric Shapes Lines and points that connect to each other. Examples are squares,
rectangles, triangles and other polygons.
Organic Shapes Free-form, unpredictable and flowing shapes. Visually these shapes usually
represent the natural world.
Predator An animal that eats other animals.
Prey An animal that a predator might hunt.
Environment Where an animal lives.
Historical/Cultural/Artist Information: The book Patterns by Sara Pistoia is being used as the
images and visual culture for this lesson. The author of this book is a retired elementary school
teacher who has had 40 years of experience teaching first and second graders. She wrote this
book with that experience in mind.
Not only does this book give great visuals about animal patterns but it also has numerical
patterns with colorful visuals.
Image Descriptions: All the images the teacher will show the students are from the book
Patterns by Sara Pistoia. These are some examples from the book.
At the beginning of the book, animal patterns are introduced. The teacher
will ask the students try to identify which animals they think the patterns
belong to.

The book then introduces the zebra and its stripes. Zebra stripes are a
simple alternating and repeating pattern of black and white. The zebras
stripes are organic shapes because they show up on naturally on the
animal. A zebras patterns exist so they can blend in with the grassy
savannah. Their predators only see in black and white so the stripes allow
the zebra to blend in with the grass.

Then there are tigers. The tigers stripes are another repeating and
alternating pattern of black, white and orange. A leopard has a simple
repeating pattern of black spots. These are also organic shapes.

These animals also use their patterns to blend into their surroundings. Both a tiger and a leopard
use their markings so they cant be as easily seen by their prey.

This snake has a repeating and alternating pattern of black white and red
stripes. Because snakes slither on the ground, their markings are used to
blend in with their environments so that they dont get eaten by birds. The
birds cant see the snakes from above because of the markings.

Pandas have a black and white pattern that alternates but doesnt
necessarily repeat all around the pandas body. The black shapes on the
panda are organic.

Questioning Strategies:
What is a pattern?
What is the difference between an alternating pattern and a repeating pattern?
Can a pattern be alternating and repeating? Can you give an example?
What is the difference between geometric and organic shapes? What are some examples of
geometric shapes?
Why are animal marking important?
What could happen to some of these animals if they werent hidden by their patterns?
What if the animal had markings that didnt go with its environment?
What are some environments that could be difficult for animals to blend into?
What kind of environments would be easy to blend into?
Why are most animal markings organic shapes?
Lesson Procedure:
The teacher will welcome the students into the classroom and ask them to quietly enter
and go sit on the reading carpet.

Once the students sit quietly on the carpet, the teacher will read the book Patterns. While
reading the book, the teacher will talk about the animal images and point out the visual
patterns on the animals. The teacher will also talk about the importance of animals having
markings to hide themselves in their environment. The teacher should mention the
organic shapes used within the animal markings and what kinds of environments those
correspond to and the differences between organic and geometric shapes. This should
take no more than 10 minutes.
After reading the book, the teacher will ask the students to quietly get up and go sit at
their tables. The teacher will then introduce the assignment. The students are to draw two
different animals of their choice with different patterns of their choice using geometric
and organic shapes with colored pencils. The students will be asked to consider the
animals environment when creating the pattern. Each animal and environment is to be
drawn on a separate piece of paper.
The teacher will then hand out two pieces of white paper (8.5 by 11) to each student and
then will hand out boxes of colored pencils to each table and crayons to the special
population students. The students will be asked to write their name, grade and teacher on
the back of each of the papers. Students will draw about 25 minutes.
The last 5 minutes of class should be used to clean up. Students will clean up their tables
and return their drawing utensils to their proper boxes. After everything is clean the
students will sit quietly at their tables until asked to line up to leave. The students will be
led out of the room and returned to their regular teacher. The teacher will then use the
remaining amount of time to prepare for the next lesson.

Evaluation: The students will be evaluated by either getting a check if they satisfied the
requirements or no check if they didnt. The students will be evaluated on:
Drawing two different animals of their choice using shapes (geometric and organic) and
patterns (complex alternating and repeating) to help them blend into their environments.
Identifying complex alternating and repeating patterns.
Identifying the differences between geometric and organic shapes.
Materials and Preparation: The teacher will need to prepare 2 pieces of white paper (8.5 by
11) for each student and a set of colored pencils for each table of students. The teacher should
pre read the book before the class starts in order to become accustomed with it before having to
read it out loud.
Resources:
Pistoia, S. (2007). Patterns. Chanhassen, MN: The Childs World
Special Populations: The autism spectrum includes a variety of different levels of autism.
Students who are high functioning would probably be able to do this lesson with little difficulty
because most students can identify and draw animals. However, the students who are higher on
the autism spectrum might have more difficulty with this assignment. If a student has sensory
issues, the student might not be able to respond to instructions. This would require the teacher to
give some more individual instruction time to the student in order for them to understand.
Students who are also in the class can help with the autistic student or students. Pica is a
tendency to eat things that arent food. Some autistic students might try to eat the materials that

they are given, or at least put them in their mouths. This can be prevented by giving the student
more attention, however that isnt always possible in a larger classroom. Chosen materials
should be non-toxic anyway, but the students could be given drawing materials that wont upset
the students stomachs if eaten, such as crayons.
Extra Materials: The book Patterns by Sara Pistoia and crayons for the special population.