Playing with Letters and Words
1. Display a reproduction of Ardengo Soffici's "Tipografia" (Typography). Ask students the following:
• What letters of the alphabet do you see?
• Where do you see lowercase letters? Where do you see uppercase letters?
2. Have students work in pairs. Distribute one reproduction per student pair. Point out that the artist liked to play with where to place letters on a page. Tell one student to name a letter he or she sees and have the partner find it.
3. Tell students that they will look at a work by a poet who also liked to play with where to place letters on a page. Display two or three examples of calligrams by the French poet Guillaume Apollinaire. Point out that the poems were written in French. For each poem, ask the class to identify people, places, or things that they see. Remind students that people, places, and things are called nouns. Tell students that this type of poem is called a calligram and that they will create their own calligrams.
Nouns for the Alphabet
1. For upper grades, have each student select a different letter of the alphabet. Have students identify nouns for each letter. For lower grades, give students one to two examples of nouns that start with the letters A and B and then ask them for additional nouns that start with each letter. For English language learners, you may wish to have students use nouns in their native language. Encourage students to come up with at least one example each of a person, place, or thing for each letter, assisting as appropriate.
2. Using the lists of nouns generated by the class, have each student make a calligram with a noun of his or her choice.
3. Distribute colored pencils, pastels, paintbrushes and paint, and construction or drawing paper to each student. Have students divide the paper into three sections. In each section, they will write their noun using different artistic media. Ask students to describe how the marks are different by using the following questions:
• Which mark is the thickest/thinnest?
• Which mark is the shiniest/dullest?
• Which material do you like the best?
4. Return to the reproduction of Ardengo Soffici's "Tipografia" (Typography). Point out that the artist liked to write his letters in different ways by using a variety of marks or lines. Ask students to share what kinds of lines they see in the work of art (e.g., thick, thin, diagonal, intersecting, curved, straight). Tell students that the artist liked to play with how the letters looked.
5. Distribute one large sheet of construction or drawing paper and several index card pieces to each student. Have students use the whole piece of paper to draw a picture of the person, place, or thing represented by their noun.
6. Instruct students to spell out the noun on the pieces of index cards, one letter per piece. Encourage them to vary the type of mark they make and use a variety of different media. You may wish to show students examples of other ways to create letters, such as those included in Mira calligraphiae monumenta (Model Book of Calligraphy) by Joris Hoefnagel (http://www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artObjectDetails?artobj=1756).
Adjectives for the Alphabet
1. Ask students to think of an adjective that starts with the same letter as their noun that could be used to describe the noun. Provide examples and allow students to work in groups as appropriate. Encourage students to be creative with their adjectives. Inform students that when two words start with the same letter, it is called alliteration. Many writers use alliteration in their poems. Tell them to write out their selected adjective on the pieces of index card, one letter per card.
2. Have students add any details to their drawings that could match the adjective. For example, if they are drawing a "fancy frog," they could add fancy jewelry or put the frog in a fancy car.
An Alphabet Book of Calligrams
1. Tell students to arrange their letters within their drawings. The letters should be placed in the correct order to spell out their selected adjectives and nouns, but they do not have to be placed in a straight line. Encourage them to experiment with the placement of the letters within their drawings. Once they decide where the letters will go, distribute glue sticks and have students glue down the letters.
2. Bind students' calligrams into one class alphabet book. View the Art Activity "A Simple Sketchbook" (
http://www.getty.edu/education/teachers
/classroom_resources/tips_tools/downloads/aa_simple_sketchbook.pdf) for an easy and economical bookbinding solution. Have students take turns reading the book aloud.
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Common Core Standards for English Language Arts
Kindergarten
Reading: Informational Text
RI.K.1 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
Writing
W.K.5 With guidance and support from adults, respond to questions and suggestions from peers and add details to strengthen writing as needed.
Speaking and Listening
SL.K.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
SL.K.2 Confirm understanding of a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media by asking and answering questions about key details and requesting clarification if something is not understood.
SL.K.4 Describe familiar people, places, things, and events and, with prompting and support, provide additional detail.
Grade 1
Reading: Informational Text
RI.1.1 Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
Writing
W.1.5 With guidance and support from adults, focus on a topic, respond to questions and suggestions from peers, and add details to strengthen writing as needed.
Speaking and Listening
SL.1.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
SL.1.2 Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.
SL.1.4. Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly.
Grade 2
Speaking and Listening
SL.2.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 2 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
SL.2.2 Recount or describe key ideas or details from a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.
Grade 3
Reading: Informational Text
RI.3.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
Speaking and Listening
SL.3.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 3 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
SL.3.2 Determine the main ideas and supporting details of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
Grade 4
Reading: Informational Text
RI.4.1 Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
Speaking and Listening
SL.4.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
SL.4.2 Paraphrase portions of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
Grade 5
Reading: Informational Text
RI.5.1 Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
Speaking and Listening
SL.5.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Grades 3–5
Writing
W.3.4 With guidance and support from adults, produce writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task and purpose.
Common Core College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards
Grades K–5
R.CCR.1 Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
R.CCR.7 Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.
R.CCR.10. Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.
W.CCR.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
SL.CCR.1 Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
Visual Arts Content Standards for California State Public Schools
Kindergarten
1.0 Artistic Perception
1.2 Name art materials (e.g., clay, paint, and crayons) introduced in lessons.
1.3 Identify the elements of art (line, color, shape/form, texture, value, space) in the environment and in works of art, emphasizing line, color, and shape/form.
4.0 Aesthetic Valuing
4.2 Describe what is seen (including both literal and expressive content) in selected works of art.
Grade 1
1.0 Artistic Perception
1.2 Distinguish among various media when looking at works of art (e.g., clay, paints, drawing materials).
1.3 Identify the elements of art in objects in nature, in the environment, and in works of art, emphasizing line, color, shape/form, and texture.
2.0 Creative Expression
2.4 Plan and use variations in line, shape/form, color, and texture to communicate ideas or feelings in works of art.
4.0 Aesthetic Valuing
4.1 Discuss works of art created in the classroom, focusing on selected elements of art (e.g., shape/form, texture, line, color).
Grade 2
1.0 Artistic Perception
1.3 Identify the elements of art in objects in nature, the environment, and works of art, emphasizing line, color, shape/form, texture, and space.
2.0 Creative Expression
2.2 Demonstrate beginning skill in the use of art media, such as oil pastels, watercolors, and tempera.
Grade 3
1.0 Artistic Perception
1.5 Identify and describe elements of art in works of art, emphasizing line, color, shape/form, texture, space, and value.
4.0 Aesthetic Valuing
Students analyze, assess, and derive meaning from works of art, including their own, according to the elements of art, the principles of design, and aesthetic qualities.
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