ALEX Learning Activity

  

Artifact Analysis: Observe, Reflect, Question

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  This learning activity provided by:  
Author: Cherise Albright
System:Huntsville City
School:Huntsville City Board Of Education
  General Activity Information  
Activity ID: 1772
Title:
Artifact Analysis: Observe, Reflect, Question
Digital Tool/Resource:
 
Web Address – URL:
Not Applicable
Overview:

Students apply the observation and critique skills of a visual arts student to analyze ancient artifacts in world history. They share reflections and questions to encourage deeper thinking among each other. Students write their analysis in paragraph form, meeting grade-level or higher organization and content expectations. Students share their observations.

This activity was created as a result of the Arts COS Resource Development Summit.

  Associated Standards and Objectives  
Content Standard(s):
Social Studies
SS2010 (2010)
Grade: 8
World History to 1500
4 ) Identify cultural contributions of Classical Greece, including politics, intellectual life, arts, literature, architecture, and science.

Unpacked Content
Strand: History, Civics and Government
Course Title: World History to 1500
Evidence Of Student Attainment:
Students:
  • Analyze and compare cultural contributions of Classical Greece, including politics, intellectual life, arts, architecture, and science
Teacher Vocabulary:
  • cultural contributions
  • Classical Greece
  • politics
  • intellectual life
  • oligarchy
  • democracy
  • representative democracy
  • direct democracy
  • philosophy
Knowledge:
Students know:
  • The cultural contributions of Classical Greece, including the areas of politics, intellectual life, arts, literature, architecture, and science.
  • The social and political structures of various city-states throughout Greece's Classical Era.
  • The contribution of Greek democracy to the American system of government.
Skills:
Students are able to:
  • Analyze textual evidence of primary and secondary sources.
  • Locate places on a map.
  • Describe how geography influenced Greek culture.
Understanding:
Students understand that:
  • There were many cultural contributions of Classical Greece, in government, politics, arts, history, philosophy, drama, literature, architecture, math, and science.

Alabama Alternate Achievement Standards
AAS Standard:
SS.AAS.8.4- Locate the ancient Greek peninsula on a map; identify at least one significant contribution from ancient Greece in the fields of politics, intellectual life, arts, literature, architecture, or science.


Arts Education
ARTS (2017)
Grade: 8
Visual Arts
15) Differentiate the ways art is used to reflect, represent, and establish group identity.

Unpacked Content
Artistic Process: Connecting
Anchor Standards:
Anchor Standard 11: Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding.
Process Components: Synthesize
Essential Questions:
EU: People develop ideas and understandings of society, culture, and history through their interactions with and analysis of art.
EQ: How does art help us understand the lives of people of different times, places, and cultures? How is art used to impact the views of a society? How does art preserve aspects of life?
Concepts & Vocabulary:
  • Creative Processes
  • Organize and develop ideas
  • Traditional Media
  • Contemporary Media
  • Fair Use
  • Open Source
  • Creative Commons
  • Develop artistic ideas
  • Plagiarizing
  • Graffiti
  • Defacing
  • Criteria
  • Refine and complete artistic work
  • Archival
  • Criteria
  • Cultural Context
  • Body of Artwork
  • Collaborate
  • Medium/ Media
  • Genre
Skill Examples:
  • Work collaboratively to plan and create a work of art to express or represent individual or group identity.
  • Create a group portrait that shows students personal interests.
  • Compare the styles and/or themes of artworks from various artists, cultures, and times.
  • Create group artwork about a current world event.
  • Research and explain how companies or sports teams utilize icons and logos, then create a logo of one's own.
  • Create tributes to family members, school and/or community heritage.
  • Work collaboratively to plan and create visual works of art in a variety of media to communicate a specific message or for a specific purpose.
  • Analyze and compare the aesthetic, stylistic, thematic, and or technical content of works of art.
  • Identify the original contexts and purposes of works of art, and explain how each work of art reflects and is influenced by a particular culture or community.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 8
8. Produce clear, coherent narrative, argument, and informative/explanatory writing in which the development, organization, style, and tone are relevant to task, purpose, and audience, using an appropriate command of language.

a. Write narratives that establish a clear purpose, use narrative techniques, and sequence events coherently.

Examples: narratives - memoir, short story, personal narrative; techniques - dialogue, pacing, description, reflection;
sequencing - chronological, reverse chronological, flashback

b. Write informative or explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas or processes effectively, by developing the topic with relevant information or data from credible sources and using appropriate transitions and precise vocabulary.

c. Write an argument to defend a position by introducing and supporting a claim, distinguishing the claim from opposing claims, presenting counterclaims and reasons, and citing accurate, relevant textual evidence from credible sources.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
8.
  • Narrative writing
  • Argument writing
  • Informative/explanatory writing
  • Writing development
  • Writing organization
  • Style
  • Tone
  • Task
  • Purpose
  • Audience
  • Command of language
8a.
  • Narratives
  • Clear purpose
  • Narrative techniques
  • Sequence
8b.
  • Informative text
  • Explanatory text
  • Credible sources
  • Transitions
  • Precise vocabulary
8c.
  • Argument
  • Defend a position
  • Claim
  • Opposing claim
  • Counterclaims
  • Relevant evidence
  • Accurate sources
  • Credible sources
Knowledge:
8. Students know:
  • A narrative is a piece of writing that tells a story.
  • The purpose of argumentative writing is to convince the reader to take action or adopt a particular position.
  • Informative or explanatory text is a piece of writing that provides factual information that was gathered from multiple research sources.
  • The development, organization, style, and tone of writing will change depending on the writing task, the purpose of the writing, and the intended audience.
  • Formal academic writing should demonstrate an appropriate command of language.
8a.
  • A narrative is a piece of writing that tells a story, such as a memoir, a short story, or a personal narrative.
  • Narrative writing includes techniques, like dialogue, pacing, description, and reflection.
  • Events in narrative writing should be sequenced in a coherent manner, such as chronological, reverse chronological, or the inclusion of flashbacks.
8b.
  • Informative or explanatory text is writing that examines and explains complex ideas or processes, utilizing information from multiple credible research sources.
  • Informative or explanatory text has an organized structure, and usually begins by clearly focusing on the topic, providing credible evidence, and ends with a conclusion.
  • Informative or explanatory writing should include academic, content-specific technical word meanings.
  • Words that indicate transitions.
8c.
  • The purpose of argumentative writing is to defend an opinion.
  • Argumentative writing includes introducing the topic by stating an argumentative claim, relevant evidence to support the claim, distinguishing the claim from opposing claims, acknowledging counterclaims, and a concluding statement.
  • Evidence to support the argument must be collected from various accurate and credible sources.
Skills:
8. Students are able to:
  • Produce clear, coherent narrative, argument, and informative/explanatory writings.
  • Identify the writing task, the purpose of writing, and the intended audience in order to appropriately adapt the development, organization, style, and tone of the writing.
  • Demonstrate command of the written language.
8a.
  • Write a narrative with a coherent sequence of plot events and a clear purpose.
  • Incorporate narrative techniques in their narrative writing, including dialogue, pacing, description, and reflection.
8b.
  • Gather credible information and data from multiple sources.
  • Write an informative or explanatory text with an organized structure and formal style that develops the topic and utilizes appropriate transitions, credible information or data, and technical vocabulary words.
8c.
  • Write an argument to defend a position.
  • Gather evidence from accurate and credible sources to support the claim.
  • Include a claim and relevant evidence in argumentative writing.
  • Acknowledge alternate or opposing claims in argumentative writing.
  • Present counterclaims and supporting reasons in argumentative writing.
Understanding:
8. Students understand that:
  • There are different genres of writing that serve various purposes.
  • The writing task, purpose, and audience should be considered in the development, organization, style, and tone of the writing.
  • Formal academic writing should display their command of the English language.
8a.
  • Narrative writing can take many forms, but there should be a coherent sequence of events.
  • Literary techniques are tools that can be used to create a piece of narrative writing.
  • Literary techniques in narrative writing contribute to the overall meaning and purpose of the text.
8b.
  • Informative or explanatory writing follows a predictable, organized text structure that utilizes appropriate transition words and precise vocabulary.
  • They must gather their information and data about the topic from multiple credible research sources.
  • Using credible information/data can support a writer's ideas and claims.
  • Writers elaborate on details included in the text by using formal academic, content-specific technical words.
8c.
  • To effectively defend a position, they must present relevant, well-organized evidence from accurate and credible sources.
  • An argument can be more effective if a writer acknowledges opposing viewpoints and counterclaims.
Learning Objectives:

Learning Targets:

I can describe how art is used in different ways to reveal a group's identity.
I can analyze artifacts to draw conclusions about early people and civilizations.
I can write a well-organized paragraph to justify my opinion, using specific details.

  Strategies, Preparations and Variations  
Phase:
Before/Engage
Activity:

  1. Students observe the artifact projected for the whole class to see (an example is located in the Advanced Preparation section). 
  2. Students write at least three observations they make of the artifact.
  3. Using Think, Pair, Share, students only write unique observations--not repeating observations.
  4. Students reflect on the artifact and write one sentence that answers the reflection question based on their observations.
  5. Students list two questions that they still have about the artifact.
    Using Think, Pair, Share, students only write unique questions--no repeating questions.
  6. Students share responses and listen to additional information from the teacher.
  7. Students write a paragraph to show proof of their analysis. 
    Students use their reflections as the topic sentence, and their observations as concrete evidence to support their reflections. Students write a conclusion sentence that uses either 1) a Cause and Effect structure or 2) Compare and Contrast structure to synthesize and conclude their paragraphs.
  8. Students trade papers and use the Artifact Rubric to give feedback to one another.
Assessment Strategies:

Use the Artifact Analysis Rubric to assess each student's final paragraph. 


Advanced Preparation:

Prepare a slide show with Art / Architecture from Ancient Greece
(Example).

Print Artifact Rubrics for each student or prepare slides for projection.

Variation Tips (optional):

Student paragraphs can be collected and scored as an assessment or as a writing sample.
A student leader can lead "Observe, Reflect, Question."
Students can work as a small group or with a partner to write the analysis.

Notes or Recommendations (optional):
 
  Keywords and Search Tags  
Keywords and Search Tags: architecture, art, artifact, arts, Classical Greece, ELA, history, intellectual life, literature, politics, science