Picture Writing

Name: Veronica OLeary

Content Area/Subject: Social Studies/ Art

Grade: 2nd Grade

Duration: 40 min

RATIONALE: This lesson is a part of a unit on Native Americans and early settlers. This lesson is a part of Second Grade Switch,
which introduces social studies concepts. The main goal of this lesson is to teach students how different cultures, particularly Native
Americans, commemorated past events.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES (S):
Given a petroglyph, the students will interpret the meaning of the message.
Given various Native American symbols, the students will create their own petroglyph.
ASSESSMENT:
A formative assessment will be given when the students share their interpretations of the petroglyph they were given to the class.
A summative assessment will be given when the students create their own petroglyph using Native American Symbols.
PENNSYLVANIA STANDARDS:
8.4 World History
8.4.2.C: Identify how cultures have commemorations and remembrances.
9.1 Production, Performing and Exhibition of Dance, Music, Theatre, and Visual Arts
K. Create works of art based on varied styles within all art forms
Differentiation

The Teacher Will

The Student Will

INTRODUCTION:
1

Say, We are going to play Move into a circle.

telephone, so I need you all
to form a large circle. You
all need to be facing the
middle of the circle. Sit on
floor.
Say, In order to play
Play telephone.

Materials/Technol
ogy Needed

Message to tell
in telephone.

Time
Needed

10 min

3
4
5
6

telephone, you need to be

listening really carefully. I
am going to tell the first
person a sentence. You
need to whisper it into your
neighbors ear. Then that
person needs to whisper
into the next persons ear
whatever they heard, no
matter what. When we get
to the last person, they will
share what the message is.
Any questions? Answer
any questions. Start
message.
Say, You are last. Go
ahead and tell us what the
message is.
Say, Now the first person,
tell us what message I told
you.
Say, Did you think this
was the most efficient way
to pass along a message?
Say, You are right. This is
not the best way to pass
along a message. By the
time it gets to the last
person, it is very different
than the original. Native
Americans faced the same
problem. They needed to
figure out how they could

Say message.
Say message.
Answer a variety of
answers.
Answer a variety of
answers.

PROCEDURE:
1

pass messages and

remember things that
happened in the past.
However, they did not have
a written language, so they
could not simply write it
down with words. Can you
think of a way they could
tell a story without words?
Say, Super! They used
pictures to tell stories or
share messages. This type
of writing is called picture
writing. Reveal on chart
paper.
Say, Picture Writing is
when you use symbols to
tell a story or relay a
message, instead of words.
A form of picture writing is
called a petroglyph.
Petroglyphs are picture
writings that are made by
carving or painting rocks.
Reveal on chart paper.
Say, I am going to divide
Create own version of what
you into six groups. As a
going on in the
group, you are going to get petroglyphs.
a photograph of a
petroglyph. You are going
to get three minutes to
come up with a possible
meaning of the

Written on chart Chart paper with

paper to help
information
students
already on it.
visually see the
information and
hear it.

Working in six
groups so
students can
support one
another when
creating the
story.

Pictures of 6
petroglyphs

10 min

petroglyphs. At the end of

the three minutes, you are
going to share what you
have come up with to the
class and I am going to add
it to the chart paper. You
will get a one minute
warning before we get back
together. Divide up into
groups and give out
pictures.
Say, Come back together
Share interpretation.
and sit with your group on
the carpet. Who would like
to share first? Tape picture
to chart paper and write
down interpretation.
Continue until all six
groups have shared.
Say, You all came up with Listen to story.
awesome stories to
accompany your
petroglyphs. We are now
going to read a book about
picture writing. It is called
The Legend of the Indian
Paintbrush. In this book,
the picture writing is done
by using a paintbrush, not
by carving into rocks.
Read book.
Say, It is your turn to
create your own messages

Students are
able to

The Legend of
the Indian
Paintbrush

10 min

-Packet of
symbols

15 min

CLOSURE:

by using symbols. You are

going to use the symbols in
this packet to write your
message. These images are
real images that are used in
Native American art and
were used to write picture
writing and petroglyphs.
Say, Mrs. Diller made one Figure out image means.
earlier for the other second
grade switch groups. Can
you figure out what it
means?
Say, You are going to get
Paint own picture.
10 minutes to paint your
message. Use the symbols
on the pages in the packet
to create your message.
You have a glass of water,
a paintbrush, and a paint
pallet. When you are
painting, you need to get
the brush wet, but do not
drench the paper in water,
or you will make a mess
and it will not dry. When
you get your paper, you can
go back to your seat and
begin painting. You are
going to get a one-minute
warning before we wrap
up. Hand out paper.
Say, You guys have done
Move over to the listening

collaborate on
their paintings
so all students
can feel
confident about
what they are
painting.

-Construction
paper
-Paint
-Water
-Paintbrush
-Premade
example to show

The packet of
symbols gives
students an idea
of what stories
they can tell.
That way they
do not have to
make up their
own symbols or
try to remember
any.

Another

Completed

5 min

a great job creating your

spots.
own messages. Carefully
carry your paper over to the
listening spot (carpet) and
sit star.
Say, If you do not have
Say, By using pictures.
words to write a story, what
can you use to tell someone
else your story or
message?
Say, Since you all did
Share story.
such a great job painting,
you are going to get the
rest of the time today to
share your messages to the
class. Who would like to
share? Call on a student.
Continue until time is up.

reinforcement
to make sure
the students
understood the
main part of the
lesson.

picture writings

Sharing their
work helps
bring up student
self-confidence.

ACCOMMODATIONS/MODIFICATIONS:
The definitions and key vocabulary words are written on the chart paper to help students visually see the information, as well as
hearing it. The students are able to work in six groups so students can support one another when creating the rendition of what the
petroglyphs mean. Students are able to collaborate on their paintings so all students can feel confident about what they are painting.
The packet of symbols gives students an idea of what stories they can tell; therefore, they do not have to make up their own symbols
or try to remember any. Students get back together on the carpet as another reinforcement to make sure the students understood the
main part of the lesson, which is that Native Americans used picture writing to share stories and messages because they did not have a
written language. Sharing their work helps bring up students self-confidence.
LESSON EXTENSION:
Student will take a virtual field trip to national and state monuments that preserve Native American petroglyphs.

PRE-ASSESSMENT:
Students will be pre-assessed when they are asked questions about how they could tell a story if they did not know how to write.
CONNECTIONS BEYOND THE LESSON:
Students will create a narrative story using Native American symbols. The narrative will be on a event that has happened to them in
the past and they wish to remember it.
CITATION:
dePaola, T. (1996). The legend of the Indian paintbrush. New York, NY: Scott Foresman.
Petroglyphs. (2014). Retrieved November 15, 2014, from Public Domain Pictuers website:
http://imagespublicdomain.wordpress.com/2010/09/23/petroglyphs-pictographs-and-a-geoglyph-rock-art-of-the-americansouthwest/
View standards. (2014). Retrieved November 15, 2014, from Pennsylvania Department of Education website:
http://www.pdesas.org/Standard/Views#107|780|0|0
View standards. (2014). Retrieved November 15, 2014, from Pennsylvania Department of Education website:
http://static.pdesas.org/content/documents/Pennsylvania_Early_Childhood_Education_Standards_for_2nd-Grade.pdf