BASIC INFORMATION

Michaela LaCroix
Designer(s)

Title Community Lesson: Inspired by George Seurat

In this lesson, students will explore ways in which they as individuals contribute to
*Summary of performance
task society and are all important members of their community. Just like in Seurat’s pointillist
works, where every little dot contributes to the bigger picture, we each as individuals in
our communities carrying an important purpose. Students will create their own pointillist
artwork using symbols inspired by their community. At the end of the last class, students
will engage in a “glow and grow” critique where they will offer ideas and praise to their
fellow classmates as well as received and respond to feedback themselves.
Grades 2 – 5
*Grade/Level

Time Frame 4-5, 45-minute class periods

*Standards 10. Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art. Identify
examples of art in daily life and use them as inspiration for their artwork. (PK-K.V.Co.10)

Lesson Concept/Big Idea In this lesson, students will explore ways in which they, as individuals, contribute to society
and are all important members of their community.

Students will be able to…

1. Create a work of art using the pointillism technique to apply color
Lesson Objectives 2. Incorporate a symbol/details that represents the New Bedford community
3. Identify ways in which the symbols, details, and overall composition represent the
New Bedford community
4. Practice providing useful feedback to peers during Glow and Grow critique

1. How do community responsibilities change and remain the same?

2. How has community changed since the start of the pandemic?

Essential Questions 3. How can we rebuild our community?

Guiding Questions 1. What is community?

2. What makes a community a community?

3. What is the difference between a community and a group of people?

4. What is unique about New Bedford (your community)?

5. What is taking place in this painting?

6. What can we infer about this painting?

7. What does/does not unite a community?

8. What communities are you a part of?

9. What can you do for your community?

10. Do you think this class/school is a community?

11. What unites us as a class/school?

12. What do we know about New Bedford?

13. What words would you use to describe New Bedford?

14. What symbols/images might you use to represent our town?

 15. What role do you play in your community?

Knowledge and Skills Students will…

 Collectively complete a worksheet about community

 Describe what community means and what it consists of

 Identify who are members of a community and how does community form

 Choose/trace a symbol that they feel best represents their city community
(New Bedford)

 Add intentional details that represent New Bedford

 Outline using sharpie to bolden and complete their tracings

 Mount work onto black paper using a glue stick and centering it to create a
boarder

 Plan out and draft colors on original printed handout

 Choose to work with either markers or paint to add color

 Use the pointillism technique to complete their work

 Use color intentionally (according to handout they planned on)

 Engage and discuss their work in the class critique (glow and grow)

 Utilize sentence starters on the glow and grow handout

 Offer glows and grows to fellow classmates during the critique

Students will be introduced to ideas surrounding community and George Seurat through
a Google Slides presentation:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1DTpV9_4nPbpN3QwV4ndF4-
Motivation FYUOiRB98tCpYxMT6-gAY/edit?usp=sharing

Teacher will…
Class 1:

 State the class expectations

Sequence of Activities  Pass out worksheets and ask students to get out a pencil/crayons

 Announce the purpose of the worksheet (slide 7)

 Walk students through a presentation on community and George Seurat

 Ask guiding/essential questions along the way and allow students with quiet
hands raised to respond

 On slide 19, show images and ask students to choose which they feel best
fits/describes New Bedford

 Distribute handouts and computer paper to students and let them begin tracing
using pencil

 Show slides 20 and 21, asking students to identify how the artist added detail

 Those who finish their sketches and adding detail can move onto using sharpies
 to bolden their pencil tracings

 Collect sharpies, handouts, and tracings at the end of class and organize into
class folder

Class 2:

 State the class expectations

 Review the slideshow, asking the same guiding and essential questions along
the way

 Show students slides 20-22, explaining that they will finish tracing and outlining
in sharpie today

 Announce that those who finish early that they will (1) mount their work onto
black paper using a glue stick, then (2) use the original printed handout to begin
to plan their colors: instruct them to use whatever color materials they have on
them to color in their handouts as they would like to do in their final pointillist
project (teaching how to plan and use color intentionally!)

 Pass out worksheets from last class and ask students to finish tracing

 Assist those who need help

 At end of class, collect work and have students clean up

Class 3:

 State class expectations

 Lead a quick review about community and what we did in the following class

 Show slides 23-24 that explain how to color their work using the pointillism
technique

 Show slide 24, and stress the importance of using color intentionally

 Restate that their work needs to be mounted on black paper before they can
begin using color

 Distribute materials (either paint or markers) to students who are ready to begin
adding color

 Let students begin to work using color

 Announce that they will have all of this class and most of the following class
period to work on adding the color: take their time! No rushing this part!

 3 minutes before end of class, collect work and clean up (place wet work on
drying rack)

Class 4:

 State class expectations

 Lead a quick review about community and what we did in the following class

 Show slide 24, and stress the importance of using color intentionally

 Announce that students have roughly 25 minutes to complete (or get as far as
they can) with their paintings. We will have a glow and grow (critique) during the
 last 20 minutes of class

 Distribute materials (either paint or markers)

 Let students begin to work using color

 23 minutes before the end of class, collect materials and clean up according to
routines

 Show students expectations/sentence starters for our glow and grow

 Distribute glow and grow handouts and practice (see appendices)

 Lead students through the glow and grow (critique)

 Collect work (those who do not finish will be able to during the start of the
following class

*Assessment/ Rubrics A rubric will be shown to set expectations, and once the work is complete, it will be filled
out by the teacher (see appendices).

Classroom Routines (with COVID-19 regulations):

Stated in Google Slides (motivational activity)
1. Stay in workspace
2. Raise hands
3. Wear masks
4. Instructor will pass out materials
Routines
ART Acronym (A-aim for your best and to do right, R- respect yourself, your friends, and
the art room, T- Trust in yourself and your ability to learn)

For students with sensory issues: markers will be provided as an option for
completing the pointillism portion of the activity as an alternative to painting with Q-tips
For ELL students: the slideshow presentation was created to be very visual. When the
Differentiated Instruction and teacher is explaining this project, they will point to the images they are talking about to
Accommodations aid those whom may not be able to read the presentations clearly.
For students with ADHD/ADD: the handout that students will complete at the start of
the presentation will have a coloring sheet at the bottom. This will allow those who need
to remain busy to have something to focus on while the teacher talks.
*This is a big project for students at the elementary level. Asking them to come up with
symbols to represent New Bedford and execute the drawings without guidance would
build lots of anxiety and insecurities. Providing the handouts and practicing our tracing
skills is a way that I thought we could better aid those who struggle with their artistic
confidence.

 8.5 x 11 Computer paper

Materials  Printed handouts (worksheet 1 in appendices)

 Printed handouts of symbols (images 2-5 in appendices)

 Pencils

 Erasers

 Sharpies (regular tip and thin tip)

 Black paper (for mounting)

 Glue stick

 Acrylic paints (assorted colors)

  Paint trays/ paper plates

 Q-tips

 Markers (alternative to using paint)

Key Words / Vocabulary
Community: a group of people living in the same place or having a particular
characteristic in common
Social: relating to society or its organization
Pointillism: a technique of neo-impressionist painting using tiny dots of various pure
colors, which become blended in the viewer's eye. It was developed by Georges Seurat
with the aim of producing a greater degree of luminosity and brilliance of color.
Tracing: a copy of a drawing, map, or design made by tracing it
Symbol: a mark or character used as a conventional representation of an object,
function, or process, e.g. the letter or letters standing for a chemical element or a
character in musical notation
Representation: the action of speaking or acting on behalf of someone or the state of
being so represented
Critique: evaluate (a theory or practice) in a detailed and analytical way

Appendices:

Worksheet #1: Handout students will receive at the start of the lesson. They will go through the questions collectively
with the teacher, and once completed, they will be allowed to color in the bottom during the remainder of the
slideshow presentation. This will help those who need to be busy to have something to focus on.
 Handouts #2 – 5: Students will choose a handout to trace from.

Teacher Example: This example shows students what it means to add details to their tracing
 Teacher Example: using color intentionally (left) vs. NOT using color intentionally (right)

Glow and Grow Handout: Students will receive this handout during the last class’s Glow and Grow Critique as an
aid to reference during the activity
 Standard Almost Meeting Meeting the Above and
the Requirement Requirement Beyond
(1pt) (2pts) (3pts)
Student will create a Student does not use Student creates a Student goes above
work of art using the the pointillism work of art that and beyond by
pointillism technique to technique. demonstrates utilizing the pointillism
apply color Student shows utilization of the technique to enhance
intentionally. inattention to color pointillism technique, the symbols/images in
choices by using using colors that make their design (i.e. using
colors that do not sense in relation to the the technique to
relate to the symbols symbols involved and create texture). Colors
involved. showing intention in used are intentionally
their placement. mixed and placed,
showing attention to
detail.
Incorporate a Student does not Student incorporates Student goes above
symbol/details that incorporate any symbols that and beyond by
represents the New symbols in their work represent the New intentionally
Bedford community. OR Bedford community. incorporating and
Symbols involved do placing symbols in
not make sense or their composition that
relate to New not only make sense,
Bedford. but also create an
overall sense of
balance in the
composition.
Identify ways in Student does not Student identifies Student goes above
which the symbols, provide/identify ways in which the and beyond by giving
details, and overall justification for their symbols, details and a detailed description
composition use of symbols, overall composition that explains how their
represent the New details, or the overall they chose/created composition
Bedford community. composition in their represents the New represents the New
piece. Bedford community. Bedford community,
OR as well as pushing this
The symbols, details, idea to the next level
or overall by saying how it
composition does not relates to their
directly represent the personal experiences
New Bedford with New Bedford.
community.
Practice providing Student does not Student provides Student goes above
useful feedback to engage in the Glow useful feedback to and beyond by not
peers during Glow an Grow activity. their peers during the only providing useful
and Grow activity. They do not provide Glow and Grow feedback, but also by
feedback to their activity. reflecting on their own
peers OR they choices, showing that
provide feedback they understand how
without justification the feedback others
for their opinions. give/receive applies to
themselves as well.