Lesson Plan

LTC 4240: Art for Children

Lesson Title:
Targeted Grade Level: 3-5
Teacher(s) Name(s): Evelyn Wilke-Grimm
Lesson Plan Rationale
1. Big Idea:
Distance communication incorporates a science standard.
Designing Distance Communication 1.PS4.C.1 Use tools & materials to design & build a device
that uses light or sound to solve the problem of
communicating over a distance
Designing the system includes development of artistic skills
and creativity.
2. Key Concepts:
1. Communication is the ability to exchange information Designing a way to communicate over distance will introduce
and ideas with another person students to using light, sound, physical signs, etc. to problem
solve ways to modify communication.
2. Distance communication often requires devices that
make the exchange of information & ideas over
distances possible

3. Throughout history, distance communication devices

have been designed for both function & beauty.

3. Essential Questions:
1. How do you normally communicate with your family? With 1. Student can connect to the learning material and
your friends? start brainstorming ideas as to how and why
communication is so important. The student will start
to draw upon their previous experience so it will be
fresh in their mind when it is time to start problem

2. What are examples of distance communication devices?
3. What kinds of distance communication devices have been
designed to be functional & beautiful?
4. Objectives:
1. Students will be able to explain how a device can aid in
communicating over a distance.
2. Students will design and create a device to communicate
over a distance.
3. Students will incorporate artistic techniques into their
designs.
solving.
2. Student will expand on their prior knowledge by
thinking of other ways of communication. They will
also be able to hear their classmate’s ideas which
results in them gathering new information.
3. Student will begin to make the connection between
engineering and art. Being able to identify how art,
expression, and functionality affect each other is an
important concept to consider when they are creating
anything.
1. This objective is important because it lays out how to
assess the students in their learning. Being able to
explain why these devices are effective is integral to
their ability to complete the project, as well as their
way of forming a deep understanding of the content.
2. This objective is the action portion of the lesson. This
is important because it outlines how students will
demonstrate their understanding of the concepts
they are exploring. It is also a good learning
opportunity because they will have to engage in trial
and error to find a prototype that could work.
3. This portion is important because it is the artistic
element of this project. By incorporating art
techniques into their projects, they will gain
invaluable understanding of the role of aesthetics and

5. Standards:
National Core Arts Standards:
1. Anchor Standard 1
Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.
2. Anchor Standard 5
Develop and refine artistic work for presentation.
National Core English Language Arts Standards:
1. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to
accomplish their own purposes
2. Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual
language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to
communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for
different purposes.
National Core Science Standards:
1. Students use tools & materials to design & build a device
that uses light or sound to solve the problem of
communicating over a distance
2. Define a simple problem that can be solved through the
development of a new or improved object or tool
6. Teaching Resources:
the artistic hand in engineering today. The creative
component is also the way students will connect to
the content material and engage with the project.
Arts:
Students generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work
by focusing on the design portion of this lesson.
Students develop and refine their devices to make sure they
are functional. They will also be planning to present their
work to groups/the class.
ELA:
Students are using written language to interpret information
to accomplish a written plan
Students are using their knowledge of language to
communicate their plan and reasoning behind their decisions
for the teacher and their classmates.
SCIENCE:
Students are directly tackling this standard by building a
device that allows them to communicate with light/sound
over a distance.
Students have a problem defined by the tasks set for them,
then they use tools and create an object that solves the
problem of communication over distance.
Rationale for each teaching resource and HOW they work

Art: (Artist and thumbnail photo of examples shared)
https://medium.com/@jspeh/beauty-is-function-66a10ffe9d4
English Language Arts:
https://www.generationgenius.com/wp-content/uploads/
reading-material/communication-over-distances-reading-
material-grades-k-2.pdf
Science:
https://www.generationgenius.com/videolessons/
communication-over-distances-video-for-kids/
7. Lesson Plan Sequence:
Day 1
1. Introduce students to the concept via guided
questions and explanatory videos.
2. Present teacher exemplar plans and discuss what
information is required for a sufficient blueprint
together.
Art- This article is a good resource to inform my guided
questions. It explains function and beauty in design.
ELA- This article can be used as supplementary to the engage
process. Children can read independently or as a group. It
discusses distance communication with different methods
and examples.
Science- This is a short 10-minute video with engaging
imagery. It goes over the science behind distance
communication and how it appears in everyday life.
Day 1 is the introduction to the concepts and activities. This
will be the time for students to acclimate themselves to the
concepts and draw upon their previous knowledge. During
this time students will brainstorm a few ideas for their
personal projects.
1. The guided questions outlined in the beginning of this
lesson plan will help the students build their ideas off
of each other.
2. I will present my exemplar blueprint and final project
in steps to give the students the framework required

3. Writing worksheet where students brainstorm ideas
for their device.
Day 2
4. Refresh information on creating a blueprint with call
and response activity.
5. students use their writing prompts from previous day
as a reference for their design plan
6. students use measuring tools (ruler, measuring tape,
etc.) to write down measurements of height, width,
length.
7. students will use their blueprint to determine what
they will need from the provided materials, and in
what quantity they will need it.
to plan for their own
3. Short answer questions will prompt the students to
write out their thinking process and brainstorm how
they will create their device. This step also
incorporates ELA by having them practice writing out
a plan of action and interpreting their thoughts into
written form. These sheets are also a form of
formative assessment so data can be kept on student
progress.
Day 2 is the days of designing and determining what they
will require to complete the project. Students apply the
previous day’s information to the designing of a device.
4. In order to reiterate expectations and instructions, a
short recap of the previous day will be necessary.
Recapping using the call and response method will
keep the students engaged in the material.
5. Students are working in steps to create the blueprint
for their design. Having the written plan already
made will allow for less hesitation in the design
process.
6. Students can use the measurement process to judge
how tall, long, and wide their device will be. This will
be a good way to practice math and measuring skills.
7. Students can use their measurements to estimate,
with teacher assistance, how much of each material
they will need. This will build their experience in
planning ahead and help them in many future

Day 3
8. Using their list of required materials, students will
gather what they need.
9. with their blueprint as a reference, they create a
model device, problem solving as problems come up
with teacher assistance.
Day 4
10. students who are not done have extra time to finish
their designs.
11. students gather and test their devices and work in
partners/ groups to communicate across the
classroom. Students present their designs and state
what led them to come up with it.
8. Differentiation/Accommodations/Modifications:
Differentiation:
projects both academic, professional, and personal.
Day 3 is the day for building and creating. Students will be
faced with obstacles and may have to do some redesigning.
Teacher keeps record of which students may be struggling
and which students are excelling as an observational
formative assessment.
8. This step has students translate their own plans and
calculate the amount of each material is needed.
9. Students are using their plans to create a structure.
They will gain experience with problem solving and
figure out what problems they could have foreseen
while making the blueprint.
Day 4 is the day of testing and presenting the final project.
These presentations will be the summative assessments to
gauge the students grasp of the lesson.
10. This gives the students more time to reacclimate to
their building process by adding final touches
11. Students can put their devices to the test and practice
presenting their ideas to a group and explaining their
rationale
 For differentiation we could have learners choose whether
they would like to make a physical model, research the topic,
and find a model online, or write in depth how they would
create a functional and beautiful device.
Accommodation:
An accommodation that can be made is allowing for an oral
presentation as opposed to writing.
Another accommodation can be having a struggling learner
work in a team on various steps in the lesson.
Modification:
To modify the lesson to be accessible for learners who have a
physical disability that does not allow them to build a design,
we can use technology such as an online simulation.
Another modification that can be made is having devices
already created and having the student test the devices and
make an argument as to why one might work better than the
others.
9. Assessment Strategies:
Formative Assessments
1. Whole class guided questions
Making a model, writing a paper, and doing research are all
ways in which a student can meet the standards laid out in
the lesson, but in a way that allows a student the choice of
what form they would most like to do it in.
For accommodations, presenting orally still allows the
student to relay their thoughts the same way as in written
form, but without the barrier of writing.
Allowing students who may not be able to complete the
lesson themselves to work alongside a partner still allows
them the chance for individual discovery, but while having
additional support. The students can also observe how each
of them tackles each problem differently.
For modification, having a version of the lesson that does not
rely on motor skills is very important when teaching students
with physical disabilities.
Allowing students do tests on completed devices and make
an argument on which works better modifies the lesson by
eliminating the planning and construction portion, but gives
the students learning experience with the activity and
concepts being taught.
Formative Assessment
1. While asking the questions outlined in day 1, the
teacher can gather data on what kind of prior
knowledge each student has relating to the lesson.
 2. Initial written plan
3. Blueprint
4. Observation during construction
Summative Assessment
5. Final presentation and discussion
10 Teacher Exemplar:
2. Students turn in the written plan on day 1, so the
teacher can collect data on what level of
understanding each child has of the lesson so far, and
which students may need extra support
3. During the blueprint phase on day 2, the teacher can
see how well each student is translating their
knowledge and applying it to their plans.
4. During construction the teacher can observe how
each student attempts to carry out their intentions.
Summative Assessment
5. While each student presents their creation, the
teacher can rate how well each student understood
the source material, applied it to their project,
For my Teacher Exemplar I decided to make a device that
uses a phone flashlight to project a shadow onto a surface. I
used mathematics to measure my phone, and the axel upon
which different shapes can be rotated up in front of the light.
The phone flashlight shines through the funnel and creates a
circular “spotlight” onto a surface. This spotlight can be seen
with overhead lights on if the projected surface is close
enough to the light source. For best viewing experience,
darken the classroom. My revolving popsicle stick axel had a
flower on one side, and when flipped, there’s a piece of
tissue paper to block out the light.
Students can take inspiration from my exemplar, as well as
the engage video examples of stoplights, bird calls, morse
code, etc. to craft their own device.
 I created a spotlight box with a rotating peg which allows me
to change the shadow images projected by the box.

11. Materials/Tools/Art supplies needed: Prior knowledge students will need to effectively use
- Flashlight materials:
- Sound makers (bells, whistles, squeakers, etc.) [Materials, prior knowledge, and skills required may vary
- Cardboard depending on what each student decides on for their
- Scissors project.]
- Glue
- Tape Students will need to be able to use scissors safely and
- Tissue paper effectively to cut various materials such as paper and
- Cans cardboard.
- Paper towel rolls Students must know how to use liquid glue, glue sticks, tape,
- Construction paper and other adhesives if applicable.
- Other misc. Recyclable items from home
12. References:

Achieve Inc. (2019, November 12). Communication over distances. Generation Genius. Retrieved December 13, 2022, from
https://www.generationgenius.com/videolessons/communication-over-distances-video-for-kids/ 

Speh, J. (2017, July 3). Beauty is function. Medium. Retrieved December 13, 2022, from https://medium.com/@jspeh/beauty-
is-function-66a10ffe9d4