ARTS INTEGRATED LESSON PLAN

Created by Brenda Pritchett & Pam McAlilly

Title of Lesson: The Blind Men and the Elephant: The sum is greater than its parts.
Grade Level: Fifth
Statement: Research indicates that children’s stories are a natural path to teaching thinking skills (Jennings & Terry, 1990). Mastering these basic skills provides children with the ability to grasp higher-level competencies. This session will identify essential elements of a story as students hear the story of how six blind men discover what an elephant is like as told in the art form of mime. Students learn the lesson that we must put all the parts together to know the whole story. Discussion afterwards will lead to synthesize a summary of the story and dramatize it.
LESSON GOAL/BIG IDEA
What overarching understandings are desired?
RL5.2 Determine the theme of a story including how characters respond to challenges and summarize the text.
SL5.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in a group, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
SL5.2 Summarize a written text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
L5.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
L5.3 Use knowledge of language and its convention when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
W5.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
Theatre Standards:
1c. Demonstrate how improvised dialogue and scenes are used to tell stories and create characters based on history, culture, literature, and everyday situation.
3a. Participate in making artistic choices in a small group.
9c. Utilize theatrical skills to dramatize events/concepts from other subject areas.
DESIRED RESULTS – OUTCOMES
Be SMART – specific, measurable, attainable, results-oriented and timed
What short term, intermediate and long term changes do you desire?
Students will be able to analyze text, generate a three sentence summary, and dramatize in a group.
ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES AND RESOURCES
What evidence will be used to show that students understand?
Include options such as performance tasks, projects, quizzes, tests, academic prompts, observations, work samples, dialogues, and student self-assessment
Students will identify the difficulty of blindness through a game.
Students will complete a Story Mapping exercise.
Students will conduct a self-evaluation of their performance.
Teacher will observe student participation in performance.
MULTIPLE WAYS OF REPRESENTATION
What evidence will be used to show that students understand?
Include options such as performance tasks, projects, quizzes, tests, academic prompts, observations, work samples, dialogues, and student self-assessment
Universal Design for Learning:
3.3 Guide information processing, visualization, and manipulation
4.1 Vary the methods for response and navigation
9.3 Develop self-reflection and reflection
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES AND RESOURCES
What are the activities that are necessary in order to bring about your intended results? Indicate CCSS, include representation, expression & engagement options.
1. TTW lead anticipation activities that include background knowledge and experiences.
a. TTW use Wipe-off Board and ask if they can guess what I am drawing. (elephant)
b. TTW use technology to show Indian elephants and give facts about elephants.
c. One student will be blindfolded and be asked to identify items, walk a short distance.
d. Students will partner and write on 2 sticky notes: what a blind person can do and what a
blind person cannot do and discuss in a large group. (Popcorn Game)
2. TTW tell the folktale “The Blind Men and the Elephant” using mime.
3. TTW ask students to identify elements of the story.
a. TTW use sticky notes and “Dance with Stars” Comprehension Board.
b.TTW ask students to use individual comprehension stars to guide discussion.
4. TTW ask students to summarize the story in 3 sentences.
5. TTW lead groups of students to visualize and act out the summary as the narrator reads.
6. TTW ask students to evaluate their group performance by a rubric.
MATERIALS
The Blind Men and the Elephant (folklore) re-told Karen Backstein (Hello Reader, Level Three), Scholastic, 1992.
“Dancing with the Stars” Comprehension Board
Sticky notes
Comprehension Stars for students
VOCABULARY
Language Arts: folklore, elements of a story, characters, setting, sequence of events, story mapping, summarize
Theatre: storyteller, visualizing, mime, pantomime
RESOURCES
The Blind Men and the Elephant (folklore) re-told Karen Backstein (Hello Reader, Level Three), Scholastic, 1992.
http://wws.peacecorps.gov/wws/stories/stories.cfm?psid=110##
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/AsianElephants/factasianelephant.cfm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant
http://ts3.mm.bing.net/th?id=i.4670429795321198 (Indian elephant)
http://www.afb.org/default.aspx (American Foundation for the Blind)

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