Alfred Thompson Bricher, At the South Head, Grand Manan. Oil on canvas, 55 7/8 x 45 3/4 inches. Collection of the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University.
Feodor Zakharov, View of the Shimmering Sea from Woods Hole, Massachusetts. Oil on canvas, 32 x 45 inches. Collection of the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University.
Adalbert Waagen, Hunting in the Alps. Oil on canvas, 52 x 41 1/2 inches. Collection of the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University.
English Language Arts
Grade 1
3: Life Lessons
1-3 30-minute lessons
narrative writing
What can stories/artwork teach us about real life?
I can write a story about overcoming something difficult.
I can write a story using details, time words and a good ending.
Teacher will read trade books about young Abe Lincoln or young George Washington. Discuss obstacles that each person faced.
What obstacles have you or your family faced? Chart obstacles identified by students.
Display the art images. Discuss each art image individually by asking,
As students discuss, link contrasting and complementary comments.
Discuss what obstacles the students could imagine encountering in these settings. What do they see that makes them say that?
Review the stories and artworks previously discussed. Focus on the obstacles – real and possible – identified by the class.
As a class, select a single artwork. Have students imagine that they are in that setting. What might they find difficult about that setting? What obstacles would they experience?
Using the artwork as inspiration, help the class write a story that focuses on overcoming those obstacles.
Instruct students to select another image to use for their own story. Emphasize that students should identify possible obstacles in their stories.
Have students begin their stories; circulate the room giving assistance.
Have students meet with a peer, read their stories, and share strategies to clarify and add details.
Meet with students after they have met with peers.
Tell students they may add illustrations for their work and continue writing until they meet with you.
Have students write a final copy of their story.
Below Grade Level: May need more time or a word bank.
4:
Student writes 3 or more appropriate sequenced events, including clear details regarding what happened, uses temporal words to signal event order and provides a clever sense of closure.
3:
Student writes 2 sequenced events, including a few details regarding what happened, uses at least two temporal words to signal event order and provides some sense of closure.
2:
Student writes 1 event with minimal detail regarding what happened, uses at least one temporal word to signal event order. May or may not have a sense of closure.
1:
Student attempts to write one event. No sense of closure.
trade books, such as “A Picture Book Of Abraham Lincoln”
obstacles
Alfred Thompson Bricher, American, At the South Head, Grand Manan, 1880s. Oil on canvas, 55 7/8 x 45 3/4 (141.9 x 116.2 cm). Collection of the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, Durham, NC, USA. Museum purchase with funds provided by the John A. Schwarz III and Anita Eerdmans Schwarz Family Endowment, 2002.18.1. Photo by Peter Paul Geoffrion.
Feodor Zakharov, American, View of the Shimmering Sea from Woods Hole, Massachusetts, c. 1927. Oil on canvas, 32 x 45 inches (81.3 x 114.3 cm). Collection of the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, Durham, NC, USA. Museum purchase, 1996.6.1. Photo by Peter Paul Geoffrion.
Adalbert Waagen, German, Hunting in the Alps, 1865. Oil on canvas, 52 x 41 1/2 inches (132.1 x 105.4 cm). Collection of the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, Durham, NC, USA. Museum purchase, 2002.16.2. Photo by Peter Paul Geoffrion.