Kelly Lamp - Art Integration Unit Plan Template

Art Integration Unit Plan Template

LTC Art for Children

Unit Title & Big Idea:

Grade Level/Class Periods Required:

BEAUTY
The big idea of this unit it about beauty and how there are multiple views of
beauty. The students will transform garbage and recycled items and turn them
into a great, beautiful, artistic creation. This will be a full connection of beauty
as portrayed in the media, the beauty behind recycling objects and giving
them new life, and also how beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

4th Grade
9 class periods required

Unit Overview/Summary:

Materials/Equipment/Etc:

Throughout this unit of Beauty, I hope that the students walk away with a
deeper, truer meaning of beauty and less of the media-shaped idea of beauty
that they may already hold. I think it is important to teach students that there
are multiple viewpoints of beauty and that seeing unique qualities can make
everything more beautiful. Students will investigate the artwork of artist Vic
Muniz as inspiration for their learning about beauty and recycling. I hope that
the students gain an understanding about the link between recycling objects
and the generational pass-down of genes. By this I mean that students will
understand that recycled items stay the same at the core but gain a slightly
different appearance, just as the genes that you get from your family stay with
you but you are slightly different person than the family members that are
generations older than them.

Recycled materials for art making (water

bottles, paper, newspaper, cans, boxes, etc
anything clean that can be found in the
schools recycling bins)
Glue, tape, stapler, scissors, exacto-knives,
paint, brushes etc.
VicMuniz.net
Computers/iPads
Prezi and PowerPoint presentations

Key Concepts:

Essential Questions:

Connection between beauty and recycling

Things take new shape but begin and end as the same
substance
Multiple viewpoints of beauty
Beauty is not based on appearance but on the content of the
being
Correlation between artwork and real life concepts

What are the ideas of beauty that the media portrays?

How can we define beauty?
How can you represent beauty from items that are often
thought of as trash?
What is a connection between beauty and recycling? How are
they similar and different?
How can there be more than one idea of beauty?

Kelly Lamp - Art Integration Unit Plan Template

What are some things that you consider to be beautiful?

In what ways can beauty be recycled?
Can beauty be deeper than a surface/physical trait?
How did Vic Muniz create beauty from what people thought
was garbage?
Unit Objectives:
Students will be able to identify the connections between beauty and recycling as entities that continue to take new
shape but are the same in essence and that their perception is based on the viewer. Students will gain an understanding that
there are multiple viewpoints on beauty based on the perspective of the audience. Throughout this lesson, students will learn
how artwork related to real life concepts through the integration of art, core subjects, and important topics in their world.
Students will investigate the artwork of Vic Muniz in order to explore the idea of finding beauty in recycled objects that are not
seen as beautiful. Students will create a piece of work that takes a seemingly ugly piece of garbage or recycled item and
transforms it into a new piece that is beautiful to them. Students will reflect on their artwork by writing a persuasive piece
about how their creation embodies beauty. Students will be sure to state both sides of the argument but support their
arguments with evidence in a respectful manner.
Grade Level Expectations (GLEs)
http://dese.mo.gov/divimprove/curriculum/GLE/)
National Core Art Standards
(http://www.nationalartsstandards.org)

Core Academic Standards (Common Core State Standards)

Connecting:
VA:Cn10.1.4a Create works of art that reflect community
cultural traditions

Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of

VA:Cn11.1.4a Through observation, infer information about

time, place, and culture in which a work of art was created

Introduce a topic or text clearly, state an opinion, and create

VA:Cr3.1.4a Revise artwork in progress on the basis of insights

gained through peer discussion

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.1
view with reasons and information.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.1.A
an organizational structure in which related ideas are
grouped to support the writer's purpose.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.1.B
Provide reasons that are supported by facts and details.

VA.Re7.2.4a Analyze components in visual imagery that

convey messages

(3-

4)
(http://www.corestandards.org/)

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.1.C

Kelly Lamp - Art Integration Unit Plan Template

Link opinion and reasons using words and phrases (e.g., for
instance, in order to, in addition).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.1.D
Provide a concluding statement or section related to the
opinion presented.

Content Areas Integrated:

1. Visual Art
2. Language Arts

Lesson Titles in Sequence/Order with TIME and MATERIALS

needed for each portion
1. Review of Recycling
a. 30 min
b. Prezi presentation asking probing questions and
including images for students to analyze

2. Beauty Conversation
a. 1.5 hours
b. Computers/iPads for students to research and
create presentations to share with their peers

Identify & define common vocabulary/concepts that

connect the art form with the other identified subject area(s):
Beauty, recycling, garbage, perspective, perception,
recreation, reinvention, interpretation, persuasion, evidence,
argumentation
Brief Lesson Descriptions (2-3 sentences each)
1. Students will do a quick review session about
recycling. In this mini-lesson the students will
investigate what it means to recycle, what items are
recyclable, how recycling works, and how the whole
process works. This will be a review for students to
prepare them for the artful lesson that includes
recycling.
2. Student lead investigation into how beauty is
perceived and shown in our culture. Students will work
in groups of 3 to create a short presentation to share
with the class about what they found our society to
idealize as beautiful. The lesson will conclude with a
full class discussion about how there can be multiple
perspective and viewpoints on what is beautiful. This

Kelly Lamp - Art Integration Unit Plan Template

3. Artist Investigation
a. 1 hour
b. PowerPoint presentation including images,
information, and a biography of Vic Muniz for
students to learn about his art making.

4. Introduction to Art Making

a. 1 hour
b. Prezi presentation with probing questions about
the link between beauty and recycling
c. Clean recycled items
i. Suggestions include water bottles, cans,
boxes, plastic, paper, etc.
5. Work Day
a. 1 hour
b. Recycled items, glue, tape, staples, paint,
brushes, cardboard stands, etc.

6. Work Day
a. 1.5 hours
b. Same as Lesson 5

7. Writing Day 1
a. 1 hour
b. Paper and pencil or iPad/computer to write paper
8. Writing Day 2
a. 1 hour
b. Same as Lesson 7
9. Share Fair/Debrief

lesson is used to get students thinking about the

concepts that will be explored further in their art
making time
3. Students will interact with a presentation about Vic
Muniz. They will learn about his artwork, his story, his
life, etc. through the presentation and discussion with
peers. Students will uncover his intentions and
different ways that Muniz uses recycled materials to
create works of art. Students will also investigate the
artwork of similar artists John Dahlsen, Leo Sewell, and
Robert Bradford.
4. Students will discuss the link between beauty and
recycling with each other and as a class with the
teacher. The teacher will ask probing questions before
introducing the lesson to the students. Students will
then have the opportunity to brainstorm for what they
would like to make while keeping in mind that they will
have to write a persuasive story about their end result.

5. Students will spend the day working on their

brainstormed project idea for a class period. They will
be given free time to work on their own but may
discuss with their peers what they are creating or ask
for feedback from others to help guide their work if
needed.

6. Students will have free time to do the same thing as

last class. At the end of the class period the teacher
should be sure that students are wrapping up on their
projects and start thinking about the persuasive paper

Kelly Lamp - Art Integration Unit Plan Template

a. 2 hours
b. Classroom set up in an open, circular format for
students to display their art work and writing and
then gather in the center for the debriefing

that they will be writing.

7. Students will begin writing their persuasive piece

about their artwork and how it relates to multiple views
of beauty.

8. Students will be given one last class period to finish

their papers. Whatever is not yet completed should be
done for homework and turned in the next class period
if not at the end of this class period.
9. On the final day of the lesson the class will participate
in a Share Fair in order for the students to read each
others persuasive papers and view each others art
pieces. The students will all be allowed to invite a
friend from another class/grade or a staff/faculty
member to come to the fair if theyd like to. This will be
the final activity for the lesson in order for the students
to reflect on their work and see the work that their
peers have been working on. This will also spark a
debriefing session for the class in which they discuss
the Big Idea and the takeaway points that the students
have from the unit.

What student prior knowledge will this unit require/draw upon?

This lesson will draw upon student prior knowledge about recycling and the impact that it has on humans and the
environment. It also draws upon their knowledge of misconceptions on beauty and the ideas that they have acquired

Kelly Lamp - Art Integration Unit Plan Template

throughout their lifetime as members of our beauty-centered society. Finally, this lesson will draw on the students knowledge
of how to write a persuasive paper that discusses an argument, cites evidence, and concludes the information. Altogether
these concepts that the students already know will be drawn upon throughout the integrated unit.
What activities will you use to engage students in imagining, exploring, and/or experimenting in this unit?
The activities that I will use to engage students in imagining, exploring, and experimenting in the unit begin with the students
researching and discussing the concepts and ideas with peers to bounce ideas off of each other and get their mind moving in
the direction that will get them ready to create artful pieces. There will be somewhat free time for the students to brainstorm
with their peers, be silly, think of wild ideas and creations, all while the teacher reminds them that each persons creation will
be different and reflect their viewpoint of beauty in recycled objects. Students will get to engage in a playful manner
because the materials will simply be laid out in front of them without a strict set of instructions so they will be encouraged to
make whatever comes to mind for them. They will have to be creative and take inspiration form Munizs pieces in order to take
a lead in their project. The teacher will continually remind the students that there is no right or wrong creation but instead just
let the recycled items speak to them and create whatever they think these items should be next. Students will be encouraged
to find the beauty in the items to work with even though they are not the traditional pretty objects.
How will this unit permit/encourage students to solve problems in divergent ways?
This unit will encourage students to think in divergent ways because the students are making claims and creations that are
against the norm. Students are pushed to think about beauty in a whole new light while also imagining recycled objects as
something completely new. The students are working to solve a societal problem by creating art and also creating a written
piece that coincides with their artwork. Students are developing societal and personal claims and making statements that
reach beyond the scholastic and curricular standards but instead reach far beyond. This lesson allows for divergent outcomes
because the students are encouraged to make their piece unique and individualized based on their interpretation of what the
items should be next. The students do not have a picture of what their final product should look like, which opens their minds
to more creativity and they feel more comfortable to make their pieces without worry. Each students final work will be
different based on their divergent thinking about the Big Idea.
How will you engage students in routinely reflecting on their learning/learning processes?
Students will be routinely reflecting on their learning process while they work on their persuasive paper. This part of the lesson
incorporates all the aspects that have been discussed in the unit in a way that students will think back on what they have

Kelly Lamp - Art Integration Unit Plan Template

learned and try to sway others to believe the same things as them. Students will reflect on multiple viewpoints of beauty by
offering multiple perspectives in their argumentation of beauty in their artwork. The students will be actively thinking while art
making to be sure that they can articulate what they are creating in a way that relates back to what they learned about
recycling and beauty at the same time. Throughout the lesson I can push students to think ahead to what theyll write in their
paper and then while they work on their paper I will push them to think back to the beginning of the lesson to look for
evidence that they can use in their paper. This unit will all come full circle once the students finally reflect on the lesson.
How will this unit engage students in assessing their own work?
This unit engages students in assessing their own work through the reflections that they complete. During the Share Fair the
students will be assessing their work by seeing what their peers created and then reflecting on their own work. The students
will also be assessing their work when they complete the writing assignment that sums up all the information that they have
learned and discovered. There is no summative assessment in this unit like traditional lessons, but the students are always
assess their work and reflecting on it. Student success will be shown through an artful piece that links to recycling and beauty
while then persuading others into why their piece describes beauty. The teacher will be formatively assessing throughout the
lesson to ensure that the students are learning and then the teacher can alter instruction to help the students succeed.

What opportunities/activities will students be given to revise and improve their understandings and their work?
Students will be given the opportunity to revise and improve upon their understandings by changing their artwork and altering
their point of views in their paper. Students are not locked into their project at any point so they can always alter their work
and improve whenever theyd like to. They will revise their understandings as the lesson progresses as they find new
meanings and newer ways to express beauty through their recycled objects. When revision is needed the students will be able
to make any changes that they feel but they are suggested to not start completely over. By revising their work the students
are experiencing firsthand what it means to reinvent a definition of beauty, which is the whole point of the lesson so their
mistakes are actually essential learning experiences.
What opportunities/activities will you provide for students to share their learning/understanding/work in this unit?
Students will share their learning, understanding, and work in this unit during the Share Fair activity. The students will be able
to share all that they have learned with their peers by presenting their artwork and persuasive paper. They will also be able to
share their work with other students and staff that they want to invite to the fair.

Kelly Lamp - Art Integration Unit Plan Template

How will you adapt the various aspects of this lesson to differently-abled students?
This lesson can be adapted to differently-abled students by allowing students to work in groups and pair students that work at
different levels together. Higher achieving students will work with lower achieving students in this scenario in order to ensure
success of all students. This will challenged highly talented students to help out others and explain concepts to someone else.
Students who finish early can create a narrative story to go along with their artwork as well.

TEACHER REFLECTION: How will you know that this lesson is successful and meaningful? List indicators.
I will know that this lesson is successful and meaningful based on the discussions that are had within the class. This will
be a successful unit when I can hear students discussing deeply the thought of recycling and beauty and the connections that
are linked between the two. When students can identify and literate the idea of multiple viewpoints of beauty then the lesson
will be proven as successful and meaningful. With all of these factors together along with the students participation in the
Share Fair, it will be clear that the students have acquired all the intended goals and met all student learning objectives, hence
making the unit meaningful and successful.
References
Silverstein, L. B. & Layne, S. (n.d.). Defining arts integration. Retrieved from
http://www.americansforthearts.org/networks/arts_education/publications/special_publications/Defining%20Arts
%20Integration.pdf

Kelly Lamp - Art Integration Unit Plan Template