Literacy Learner Analysis Project Kaylee A. Hammond ... · Along with feeling anxious about working with classmates for fear of how they will respond to his ability level, D faces

Runninghead:LITERACYLEARNERANALYSISPROJECT 1

Literacy Learner Analysis Project

Kaylee A. Hammond

Michigan State University

LITERACYLEARNERANALYSISPROJECT 2

PART I

Brief Background and Reason for Project Focus

Every classroom is made up of “students with disabilities, students who are culturally

and linguistically diverse, and students with a wide variety of print experiences, interests,

and motivation” (Gambrell, Malloy, Marinak, & Mazzoni, 2014, p. 8). Therefore, one size

does NOT fit all, and we must accept the fact that all students are different. Our

instruction must be different as well. Differentiating instruction means that teachers are

“meeting the individual needs of their students without diminishing expectations or

sacrificing curricular rigor” (Gambrell et al., 2014, p. 9). Differentiation can occur within

four categories: content, process, product, and the learning environment (Gambrell et al.,

2014). For example, a teacher could differentiate his/her delivery of the content by

providing the option to watch a video, read a selected text, and/or listen to an audio

recording that all cover the same material. Although different, each pathway would lead to

the same core content. Student grouping also plays a significant role in student learning.

Research shows that struggling students benefit from small group and partner work rather

than whole-class instruction (Ruetzel, Clark, & Flory, 2014). By accommodating and

adapting instruction in these ways, instruction becomes intentional and tailored to specific

student’s needs. This increases the likelihood of success for all.

According to Gambrell, Malloy, Marinak, & Mazzoni (2014), “we must acknowledge

that some students are at risk of academic failure because of their life conditions” (p. 6).

Because of this, it is imperative that we take the time to learn about our students, their

individual story, their prior knowledge, and how they learn best. Highly effective teachers

take this knowledge about students to help bridge the gap between prior


knowledge/experiences and classroom expectations/content (Gambrell et al., 2014).

Recognizing cultural heritages as valuable content to be taught; implementing a variety of

teaching strategies to nurture all types of learners; and teaching students to embrace each

other’s strengths are all opportunities to set diverse learners up for success (Gambrell et

al., 2014).

As a secondary art educator, I encounter struggling literacy learners when we engage

in visual literacy activities. Analyzing, interpreting, and evaluating visual images is not an

easy task for many students. Often I feel ill-equipped to teach literacy strategies due to my

background in art and a lack of experience with literacy. My goal is to learn ways that I

can differentiate literacy instruction for the various needs that my students have and how I

can better support my students who struggle with literacy skills. I am also interested in

learning ways to scaffold my instruction as it pertains to literacy as well as learn strategies

for adapting and modifying literacy assignments. In the past I have not felt adequately

prepared to handle literally challenges and as a result I would like to better equip myself

to support my students as I move forward in my teaching journey.

Home and Family

Student “D” is 17 years old, is a sophomore, and has a Grade 6 reading level. D is an

African American male with English as his primary language. He has severe dyslexia and

receives special education support for reading and writing. D is currently floating between

multiple teachers’ homes but previously lived with his mother and then lived at Gateway,

which is an independent youth program for juveniles. He stated that in his mother’s home

and at Gateway he did not participate in any literacy practices. D stated that his father,

who died two years ago, was also dyslexic; however, his mother could read and write. His


brother dropped out of school and “taught himself how to read and write” but still

struggles with it. Finally, D’s sister can read and write and was enrolled in college but

unenrolled when their father passed away.

D does not engage in any amount of reading outside of the classroom. D stated that

growing up at home and at Gateway, there was access to some reading materials but

reading was not forced, and rather an option that he chose to decline. There was no

engagement in text-based discussion or conversation and there was no assistance or

modeling provided to the student.

Emotional Climate

The current classroom promotes independence by giving the students the opportunity

to develop their own artistic visions within the context of the objectives, work

independently amongst their classmates to create and actualize their vision, and self-assess

their progress. Students work cooperatively with their classmates and teacher on a daily

basis and provide/receive feedback to/from classmates and the teacher. According to D

there is an overall sense of interest and caring from the students, teacher, and other

teachers within the building.

When engaging in literacy activities, D communicated that he feels comfortable

working through assignments on his own but feels a sense of anxiety when working with

other students. He stated that he feels more comfortable working with students in my

classroom, compared to other classes, because he feels like he knows these classmates

better. However there is still a general concern about how other students will respond to

his reading and writing skills. I have also observed that sometimes D will ask to work on


an assignment with his resource teacher at another time but often does not follow through

with the assignment.

D communicated that he feels frustration and disinterest with reading in his resource

classes when the assignments are repetitive or below his reading level when he works in a

group setting. He did not mention frustrations regarding my class specifically. D also

mentioned that reading is rewarded in that he feels a sense of accomplishment when he

sees improvement and his teachers are encouraging as well.

When D struggles with engagement or motivation he has the tendency to put his hood

up over his head, put his headphones in, and put his head down. He stated that this

response is because sometimes “you just really need a break” and it can also be “a coping

mechanism” for dealing with other things that are going on in life. When redirected by

myself or another teacher, D said that it can be “annoying” but he understands that it’s his

responsibility to get his work done and the teachers are just doing their job.

PART II

Literacy History

As mentioned previously, D has a very sparse literacy history. Growing up there was

no reading in the home; D’s parents did no reading to him nor did D practice any reading

himself. D’s dad has passed away and he does not live with his mother, therefore there is a

lack of parental involvement in D’s literacy development. In school, D stated that he was

never placed into any special education classes prior to coming to Haslett as a freshman.

He was always in the regular classroom setting and did not participate in any reading or

writing activities due to being illiterate. D said that his other teachers “didn’t know what


was wrong with him”. All of the tasks presented to him at his prior schools were too

challenging, and as a result D shut down to all activities.

Once D started to attend Haslett, D received help immediately for reading and writing.

In his resource class, D said that he participates in the Inspire Literacy, iLit program, and

works on his reading in class, group, and individual settings. “Stop and think” and

vocabulary practice are other activities that D mentioned. D is also in an English 10 class

and participates in all assignments and activities. At first, being in the regular English

class was extremely challenging for D; however, now D feels like he is capable of

participating fully and stays caught up with the work. Examples of literacy instruction in

the English 10 class include reading both fiction and non-fiction books, book reports,

short stories, poetry, summaries, and essays. D said that they also choose independent

books to read; his personal favorites are autobiographies. According to D, the material is a

challenge, but he feels capable. The material is also relevant, and he can easily connect to

the content and the underlying messages. His English teacher is also very supportive and

is his partner for many partner activities since D feels self-conscious working with other

students.

Along with feeling anxious about working with classmates for fear of how they will

respond to his ability level, D faces other challenges as well. For many assignments, D has

to have a scribe type out his thoughts for him since his writing abilities are low. Reading

is obviously a struggle as well so teachers often have to assist him by reading things out

loud or guiding him through the material. From what I have gathered from working with

D, it seems that his reading level is a little higher (6 grade level from what he told me),

but his writing level is much lower. Writing samples that I have seen are nearly illegible.


Overall, D is happy to be in the English 10 class and says that he is benefiting from the

experience.

Assessments Given and Summary of Test Results

The pre and post-assessments that were given to D included a picture of a painting that he

observed/described and then interpreted. I transcribed all assessments so that his writing

abilities would not hinder him from demonstrating his knowledge. The

“observe/describe” pre-assessment included the title, artist, and date of the painting only.

The “interpret” pre-assessment included the title, artist, and date as well as questions to

consider. There was no instruction other than giving directions to observe/describe and

then interpret; the questions to consider for the second assessment were also read out

loud. The post-assessments were identical to the pre-assessments except they included a

different piece of artwork and had the lesson and instruction leading up to them. D also

had a worksheet that he filled out prior to the assessment to refer to if he wanted. D

glanced at it a couple times but most of the post-assessment was done spontaneously.

I selected these assessments because they demonstrate D’s ability in the area of visual

literacy, which ties to CCSS and 21st century skills. “Visual literacy is a staple of 21st

century skills, which state that learners must ‘demonstrate the ability to interpret,

recognize, appreciate and understand information presented through visible actions,

objects and symbols’” (21st Century Skills, as quoted in Finley, 2014, para. 2). More

specifically, I chose to assess his ability to observe/describe and then interpret because

these two skills build off of one another. A person cannot successfully interpret unless

they have first closely observed the visual image. Interpreting then draws on evidence

observed in the artwork to formulate a personal explanation and analysis of the image.


These visual literacy and critical thinking skills are practiced in my art classes and are

important 21st century skills; therefore I thought these assessments would be beneficial to

focus on.

The results of the observe/describe pre-assessment showed me that D understood the

overall objective to depict what he saw in the painting. With that being said, the pre-

assessment was very brief and lacked detail. The one area D provided some detail was

when he gave specific colors that he saw in the painting. As a result of the assessment, I

chose to create a structured handout/organizer that broke down the artwork into categories

on which to focus his attention. For example, the handout was arranged in separate

columns and was labeled people, objects & background, and activities. This encouraged D

to be more observant in each of the categories and make his learning visible by writing

down (I transcribed) what he saw. The handout also focused on observing the overall

mood or tone of the artwork by looking at color, facial expressions, and body posture.

For the observe/describe post-assessment, D showed a tremendous amount of

improvement. His description was exponentially more thorough and included specific

details such as the figures, their clothing and facial expressions, interactions taking place,

colors used, and elaborate details of the environment and background. D was very

observant and even noticed small details such as the time displayed on a clock hanging in

the background. The one area where he struggled a little bit was explaining the overall

mood or tone. He mentioned the mood or tone being “kind of dark, like a dark welcome”

and went on to mention the colors he saw. I was not sure what he meant by “dark

welcome”. This is an area I would touch on more elaborately if I were to teach this lesson

again.


The results of the interpret pre-assessment proved that D is very thoughtful and

effective at constructing meaning and an interpretation from a visual image. He was able

to interpret emotions from the characters and create a logical narrative using clues from

the painting. Although he did relate his interpretation back to the painting a couple times,

more evidence could have been given from the painting to support his theory. D’s

interpretation was also a little disjointed and lacked flow and structure. As a result of the

assessment I chose to do a Part II of the handout/organizer that we started with the first

lesson. Part I was titled, Observe its parts, and Part II: Try to make sense of it. Part II of

the lesson broke down the interpretation component into separate questions as a way of

chunking the interpretation into smaller parts. First it asked about who he thought the

people were and what their relationship to each other is, and why. Next it asked about the

story being told through the painting and any underlying messages. Finally, the handout

asked about any time period or cultural references seen in the painting and how he came

up with that. These questions are essentially the same questions listed to consider on the

interpret pre and post-assessments. However, on the worksheet they are broken up into

smaller responses compared to the assessment, which requires the student to put them all

together in one response. At the end of Part II, there is also a chart to help determine the

artist’s purpose for making the artwork. This is the last piece to the interpretation puzzle.

The interpretation post-assessment will be given tomorrow and I will report my

findings as soon as possible.

Lesson Plan Matrix

Lesson Foci/Date

Objectives Instructional materials

On-going assessment

6/1/17

Visual Literacy:

The student will observe and

describe a piece of artwork

-Paintings:

The Interior, Edgar Degas

-Handout/Organizer Part

I: Observe its parts


Observing &

Describing

Artwork

by verbally explaining what

they see, elaborating on

specific details found in the

image.

CCSS.ELA-

LITERACY.CCRA.R.7

Integrate and evaluate

content presented in diverse

media and formats, including

visually and quantitatively, as

well as in words.

The Potato Eaters,

Vincent Van Gogh

-Screen cast of modeling

how to observe/describe

artwork


I: Observe its parts

-Checking to see:

Is the student noticing

details and being specific?

Is the student missing

anything important?

Is the student purely

describing or jumping

ahead to make meaning?

(This is what I noticed

him doing in the lesson.)

6/8/17

Visual Literacy:

Interpreting

Artwork

The student will interpret a

piece of artwork by providing

a verbal explanation of the

image, using evidence in the

work to form connections

and determine meaning.

ART.VA.III.HS.3 Critically

observe a work of art to

evaluate and respond to

the artist’s intent.

-Paintings:


The Potato Eaters,

Vincent Van Gogh

-Screen cast of modeling

how to interpret artwork


II: Try to make sense of it


II: Try to make sense of it

-Checking to see:

Is the student making

logical connections

between characters and

activities occurring in the

image?

Is the student tying in

clues from the artwork

and supporting his

theories with evidence?

Is the student drawing a

conclusion about the

artist’s intent and

purpose?

PART III

Reflections on Literacy Lesson Plans

D’s low literacy levels in both reading and writing reflect the research stated by

Blachowicz & Fisher (2014),

By the time low-income children get to school and start to learn to read,

they’re already at an enormous disadvantage. It is estimated that children


from economically privileged homes enter kindergarten having heard

some 30 million more words than students from economically

disadvantaged homes (p. 201).

It is clear that D’s upbringing in a low socioeconomic home, played a major role in his

literacy deficiencies. D stated that literacy was never practiced in the home; his parents

neither read to him nor encouraged him to read on his own. This strongly parallels with

research findings, which conclude that time spent being read to by an adult varies

widely—4,000-6,000 hours—for students in economically advantaged homes compared to

disadvantaged homes (Blachowicz & Fisher (2014). When literacy is absent in a child’s

upbringing, vocabulary is detrimentally affected (Blachowicz & Fisher, 2014). When

vocabulary and word decoding skills are limited, comprehension skills consequently

suffer as well (Almasi & Hart, 2014).

D’s specific literacy needs led me to differentiate my delivery of the content and

process—both of which need to taken into consideration to account for student differences

(Gambrell et al., 2014). First, I read everything out loud to D instead of requiring him to

read the material himself; a couple times I had D read something to himself, but it was

clear that he was just briefly looking at the paper and not actually reading it. Secondly, I

transcribed all of D’s thoughts and ideas since it was apparent that requiring him to write

himself, would limit his performance. I did not want his low literacy abilities in reading

and writing to affect his communication of ideas. Finally, my modeling consisted of

screen casts and verbally demonstrating the “describing” and “interpreting” processes; I

knew that this would be the most beneficial delivery method since providing him with a

written example would be ineffective.


D’s pre-assessment results also informed my decision-making in regard to

differentiating the lessons. Differentiated instruction provides readers with “learning

assignments designed to meet students’ needs” (Risko & Walker-Dalhouse, 2014, p. 116).

The “observe/describe” pre-assessment showed me that D needed help identifying and

elaborating on more detail seen in the artwork. As a result, I chose to incorporate an

organized handout into the lesson, which broke down the painting into the categories:

people, objects & background, and activities. According to Reutzel, Clark, and Flory

(2014), “the use of retelling, as well as guide sheets or graphic organizers, helps students

organize information and understand text more clearly” (p. 378). The “interpret” pre-

assessment showed me that D needed help elaborating on meaning and the artist’s purpose

as well as connecting meaning to evidence found in the painting. Because interpreting art

includes many elements such as the overall mood or tone, story behind the work,

underlying message, artist’s purpose, and reference to time and culture, I chose to chunk

these elements into separate parts with the organized handout that I included in the lesson.

Chunking is shown to improve performance by breaking down a large task or information

into smaller, more manageable components (Bransford, Brown, & Cocking, 2000).

The choice of my assessments reflects the idea that assessments of basic skills should

be balanced with assessments of higher-order thinking (Afflerbach, Cho, Crassas, & Kim,

2014). The “observe/describe” assessment is an example of a basic skills assessment,

balanced by the higher-order thinking skills demonstrated with the “interpret” assessment.

According to Afflerbach et al. (2014), “Bloom’s taxonomy proposes that establishing a

literal understanding of text involves basic comprehension, while related cognitive

processes of applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating represent higher-order


thinking” (p. 323). Without basic skills to build the foundation, higher-order thinking

cannot occur; therefore they are both paramount in learning (Afflerbach et al., 2014). The

skills established in learning to observe and describe artwork, set the foundation for

higher-order thinking used during art interpretation.

Overall, D displayed evidence of learning especially with observing and describing

artwork. D’s pre-assessment was very brief and tremendously lacked detail. His post-

assessment was very thorough and included details regarding the people, the

background/environment, and the activities occurring in the painting. It was very clear

that the organized handout proved very beneficial in helping D organize his thoughts and

encouraging him to look at the work more closely. D’s interpretation for the post-

assessment was a little more detailed and gained a significant amount of structure

compared to his pre-assessment; however, he still struggled to elaborate on meaning and

relate his interpretation back to the evidence seen in the work.

Reflecting on my lessons and assessments, there are some things that I did well and

some things that I would change if I were to teach this lesson in the future. First, I do

believe that I contributed to the student’s progress in the areas of observing/describing art

and in structuring his interpretation. As mentioned previously, D’s second attempt at

describing artwork was exponentially more thorough, and his interpretation was much

more structured compared to his first disjointed attempt. His second interpretation was

also slightly more detailed but still lacked self-explanation and support. I believe that I

supported my student’s success by accommodating and differentiating the content and

process to meet his specific needs. Overall, D understood the objectives and showed

progress, which would not have been possible if I had not differentiated my instructional


delivery and process. I also believe that I provided beneficial modeling through the use of

screen cast/auditory experiences. Looking back on my examples of modeling the

observe/describe and interpret skills, there are things I would change—such as including

better qualitative language—but overall I think they were helpful to D’s growth.

There are a couple things that I believe negatively impacted D’s performance

especially with the second post-assessment. To start, his “interpret” post-assessment was

postponed twice; once we were finally able to meet, not only was it many days after the

initial lesson, but our meeting time was squeezed between his football practice and a

meeting he had with another teacher. The content was not fresh in his mind and we did not

have time to review. In addition, I believe that I should have provided more feedback,

which is something I would do differently if I were to do this again. Part II specifically, is

where I did not provide as much feedback as I should have. So much of interpreting art is

subjective and different based on the individual viewing it; this caused me to step back

and play a more passive role. Looking back, I wish I would have asked “why” throughout

the lesson much more and encouraged more self-explanation.

I would also change aspects of my instructional approach for teaching D how to

interpret artwork. Looking back on my lesson, I believe that I could have chunked the

elements of interpretation into even smaller parts, and I could have taught each component

more in depth. In the future, I would divide the content into multiple learning sessions and

break down the organized handout into smaller more detailed components. Additionally, I

would have D practice verbally interpreting the art before transcribing it for the official

assessment. Due to lack of time, there was no official practicing before the post-

assessment other than organizing ideas with the handout; this was not smart on my part.


Practicing in advance would have given me more opportunity to provide feedback before

the official post-assessments. In my classroom, students practice these skills many times

before the final summative assessment; this gives me many opportunities to provide

specific feedback as well as opportunities for students to develop and practice their

critical-thinking skills. This was definitely a missing element from this lesson with D.

In conclusion, my lessons incorporated newly learned techniques. First, my instruction

included differentiation of both content and process to meet my student’s individual

needs. Modeling was done using screen casts to deliver the content through auditory

methods, and my lesson incorporated a structured handout to organize ideas. In addition, I

incorporated “chunking” by breaking down the content into smaller, more manageable

parts. Feedback was given to the student during the scaffolding process of completing the

organized handout—although more feedback would be given if I were to do this again.

My assessments also included a balance of basic skills and higher-order thinking. Finally,

my overall lessons were centered around the Common Core State Standards and 21st

Century Skills.

Recommendations to Teachers and Parents/Caregivers

June 25, 2017

Dear Parents/Caregivers and Teachers:

Over the course of the semester, D and I have worked together to develop his visual

literacy skills in the areas of observing/describing and interpreting art. With observing and

describing visual images, the goal was to become a perceptive observer, carefully

considering the people, environment/background, activities and interactions occurring in

the artwork. Details such as clothing, facial expressions, body posture, and color are also


to be taken into consideration and used to determine the overall mood or tone. With

interpreting art, the goal was to take the information and details observed prior, to

construct meaning. Aspects to consider include elaborating on the mood and tone,

determining the story behind the work, identifying underlying messages being

communicated, establishing the artist’s purpose, and making connections to a specific

time and culture.

D demonstrated phenomenal growth in observing/describing artwork. Compared to his

initial attempt, D’s second description was extremely thorough and met the goals

described above. D was very attentive to the people, background/environment, and

activities occurring in the artwork. D also showed growth in his second interpretation, but

this is where he showed more room for growth. While the structure of his second

interpretation improved, D could further develop his skills with elaborating on all aspects

of his interpretation, as well as relating his ideas back to evidence seen in the work.

Ideas for follow-up instruction include additional practice of constructing meaning

with the use of guided handouts, think-alouds, verbal interpretation practice with teacher

feedback, and interpretations with peer feedback. Recommended texts to support visual

literacy skill development include the Scholastic Art magazine series.

Sincerely,

Kaylee Hammond

Appendices of Work

Lesson Plan I

Teacher: Kaylee Hammond

Grade/Subject: High School Art


Lesson Focus:

Visual Literacy—Observing/Describing Artwork

Date: 6/1/17

Time Needed: 30-45 Minutes

Benchmarks/Common Core:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.7

Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually

and quantitatively, as well as in words.

Objective(s):

• Student will observe and describe a piece of artwork by verbally explaining what

they see, elaborating on specific details found in the image.

• Student will closely examine the people, background/environment, and

activities/interactions seen in the artwork

• Student will use facial expressions, body posture, and color to determine the

overall mood/tone.

Materials/Resources:

• Paintings:


The Potato Eaters, Vincent Van Gogh

• Computer and projector

• Screen cast of modeling how to observe/describe artwork

• Handout/Organizer Part I: Observe its parts

Introduction/Warm-Up:

Discuss:

• Why is learning how to observe and understand visual images important in the

21st century?

• What skills do we use to describe artwork that are useful in other areas of life?


Procedure/Activities:

Direct instruction on observing/describing artwork

• Observe/describe main subjects

o Physical characteristics, clothing, body positions

• Observe/describe interactions and activities occurring

• Observe/describe background and environment

o Objects, setting, environment

Modeling of observing/describing artwork via screen cast

Complete organized handout Part I: Observe its parts

Student practice of observing/describing artwork

Lesson Conclusion/Summary:

Discuss:

• In what ways have you improved upon your observing/describing abilities?

• What details did you notice that you did not notice before?

• How do you think this skill is going to help in the future? Where can we go from

here?

Assessments: Formative/Summative

“Observe/Describe” Pre-Assessment

Handout/Organizer Part I: Observe its parts

Checking to see:

• Is the student noticing details and being specific?

• Is the student missing anything important?

• Is the student purely describing or jumping ahead to make

meaning?

Student verbal/written practice based on student’s abilities

Summative Post-Assessment

Follow-Up Lesson(s):

Students will build upon their skills by using their observations to develop an

interpretation of the artwork. Students will use these basic comprehension skills to


develop critical-thinking skills. Students will construct meaning about the story, message,

artist’s purpose, and references to time and culture.

Notes/Reflection:

• Include more verbal practice before post-assessments

• Provide more feedback during scaffolding stage—while student is working on the

handout with teacher guidance and practicing skills

• Provide more examples of qualitative language in future modeling examples

Lesson Plan II

Teacher: Kaylee Hammond

Grade/Subject: High School Art

Lesson Focus:

Visual Literacy—Interpreting Artwork

Date: 6/8/17

Time Needed: 30-45 Minutes (but in the future I would break it up into multiple

sessions)

Benchmarks/Common Core:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.7

Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually

and quantitatively, as well as in words.

ART.VA.III.HS.3 Critically observe a work of art to evaluate and respond to the artist’s

intent.

Objective(s):

• Student will interpret a piece of artwork by providing a verbal explanation of the

image, using evidence in the work to form connections and determine meaning.


• Student will:

o Elaborate on the mood/tone

o Determine the story behind the artwork

o Identify underlying messages

o Establish the artist’s purpose

o Make connections to a specific time and culture

Materials/Resources:

• Paintings:


The Potato Eaters, Vincent Van Gogh

• Computer and projector

• Screen cast of modeling how to interpret artwork

• Handout/Organizer Part II: Try to make sense of it

Introduction/Warm-Up:

Discuss:

• Why is learning how to interpret visual images important in the 21st century?

• What skills do we use to interpret artwork that are useful in other areas of life?

• How can our observations help us to construct meaning?

Procedure/Activities:

Direct instruction on interpreting artwork

• Elaborate on overall mood/tone

o What do the facial expressions, body language, interactions, and colors

tell us? How do you know?

• Determine the story behind the artwork

o Who are the people? What is their relationship? Why do you say this?

o What is going on is the artwork? Why do you say this? What

interactions are taking place, and what does this tell you?

• Identify underlying messages

o Is the artist trying to communicate a deeper message? Why do you say


this? How does the painting relate to broader life experiences? What

makes you say this?

• Establish the artist’s purpose

o Are religious themes present?

o Is the artist trying to tell a narrative or communicate a message?

o Is the artist trying to persuade us of something?

o Does the artwork serve a practical purpose?

o Is the artwork purely for aesthetics (nice to look at)?

• Make connections to a specific time and culture

o What do the clothes, technologies, and environment tell us about the

time and culture?

Modeling of interpreting artwork via screen cast

Complete organized handout Part II: Try to make sense of it

Student practice of interpreting artwork

Lesson Conclusion/Summary:

Discuss:

• In what ways have you improved upon your interpreting abilities?

• What meaning were you able to construct that was difficult before?

• How do you think this skill is going to help in the future? Where can we go from

here?

Assessments: Formative/Summative

“Interpret” Pre-Assessment

Handout/Organizer Part II: Try to make sense of it

Checking to see:

o Is the student making logical connections between characters and

activities occurring in the image?

o Is the student able to come to a conclusion about the artist’s intent and

purpose?

o Is the student able to make connections to time and culture?


o Is the student tying in clues from the artwork and supporting theories with

evidence?

Student verbal/written practice based on student’s abilities

Summative Post-Assessment

Follow-Up Lesson(s):

Students will build upon their skills by using their knowledge of the artwork—both

observations and interpretations—to evaluate the artwork. Students will determine the

success and value of the artwork based on personal responses, meaning, and connection

to time and culture.

Notes/Reflection:

• Include more verbal practice before post-assessments

• Provide more feedback during scaffolding stage—while student is working on the

handout with teacher guidance and practicing skills

• Provide more examples of qualitative language in future modeling examples

• Break down direct instruction into multiple sessions

• Further chunk the elements of Interpretation and go over each aspect more

thoroughly

• Allow student to practice each aspect individually before combining all elements


Pre-Assessments

(Note: All information was transcribed for the student.)

Title: Interior Artist: Edgar Degas Date: 1868-1869

Describe this painting

It looks like it’s in a different time setting. There is a man and a woman. The woman

looks sad and the man looks like he doesn’t care. It kind of looks moody and shady. There

are a lot of darker colors like egg white, gold, brown, and black.


Title: Interior Artist: Edgar Degas Date: 1868-1869 Interpret this painting Questions to consider:

• What mood, tone, or emotions are being expressed?

• What is the story behind the work?

• What is the artist trying to communicate?

• Does the artwork reflect a particular time or culture?

• What is the artist’s purpose for the artwork?

I think it kind of looks blue, like it sucks the joy out of you. It’s dark. I don’t think

there’s a focal point. The lady looks stressed and really sad. The man looks unremorseful

like he doesn’t really have much care for her being sad. Maybe he’s packing to go to war

or something; or to just go in general. There’s a suitcase so maybe they are a couple or are


married, and he’s leaving. The time looks like it’s 1840 or later than that. They look poor.

The wallpaper reminds me of roaches. I think the artist is trying to communicate a lost

couple. The guy’s looking like it’s normal so maybe it happens a lot during this time.

Post-Assessments


Title: The Potato Eaters Artist: Vincent Van Gogh Date: 1885 Describe this painting

In this picture I see five figures. Starting with the male figure on the left side of the

room: he looks very old and in his 50’s or 60’s. He has a greenish/brownish hat on and a

greenish/brownish jacket or shirt. He has brown pants on, and he is sitting on a wooden

chair. Next to him is a black woman in the center of the room. She is facing away from us

so I see her back. She has short brown hair, has a blackish/brownish dress on, and looks


like she has her hands in her lap or on the table. It looks like she is standing up with her

shoulders wide but her head down—not looking at anyone in the eye.

On the far right there’s an older woman in her 60’s or 70’s. She is Caucasian. She has

a teapot in her hand, and she is pouring four glasses of tea. She is kind of sitting towards

us but on the side of the table. She has a night robe on—greenish/brownish—with white

edging around the neck or collar. She has some kind of night hat on her head (a night-time

hat). Her left hand is on her knee, and her right hand is pouring tea. The lady next to her is

in the middle and facing toward her. She has a teacup in her hand close to her face like she

is going to drink it. She has a hat on her head; it actually looks like it’s not a night hat—

like she is coming from outside. It looks like she has something in her left hand, but I

can’t tell what it is. Next to her, kind of in the back right corner, is another woman in her

20’s maybe. She has a hat on her head (a white night hat). She has hair that goes down to

her shoulders, and she has a green shirt on. In her right hand she has a fork, and she’s

pointing to potatoes on the table.

In the center of the room, top center, there is a lantern-light hanging from the ceiling.

It has kind of a cone-shaped shade on it. In the bottom center of the room—in the middle

of all the figures—there is a table that’s a rectangle, with the four glasses of tea and a big

saucer of baked potatoes on it. I see to the far left on the wall, there’s a clock that looks

like a coo-coo clock. It looks like it’s really late—probably 12:30-1:00am. Next to that a

little further to the back right corner, there is a picture with a wooden frame. Towards the

back, still on the left wall, it looks like there’s a window. It looks very dark—like a

blackish/grey color.


On the back wall there’s a shelf of some sort. It looks like it has maybe a pan or a

fallen book on it. On the opposite side of the same wall, there is a window that’s brown

with maybe 9-12 sections. Next to that is a wooden pillar in the middle of the right wall.

Next to that is a basket of soupspoons. The ceiling is wood; it’s brown and dark. On the

other side there is another pillar, but it’s not as noticeable. In the right corner closest to

me, I see a teapot of some sort on a table that is square. Around the painting there are dark

blue shades of color that kind of look like shadows or fog. The mood in the room is kind

of dark—like a dark welcome. In the middle there is a yellowish/brownish color, and it’s

bright. There’s black and blue near the edges of the painting (like a moldy color).

Title: The Potato Eaters Artist: Vincent Van Gogh Date: 1885 Interpret this painting Questions to consider:

• What mood, tone, or emotions are being expressed?


• What is the story behind the work?

• What is the artist trying to communicate?

• Does the artwork reflect a particular time or culture?

• What is the artist’s purpose for the artwork?

I think the mood and tone in this picture is kind of urgent. One reason I think that it’s

urgent is because two of the ladies in the back look they’re tending to the two black

people in the front. I think that the message of this painting is a view into slavery time. I

think that the story is that the three people wearing outside apparel are company of the

two ladies in their nightgowns. The two black people are runaway slaves. I think that the

artist’s purpose is to show what it would be like during this time setting—in a more poor

community—as slaves commuted north for freedom. Also I think the artist is trying to

show how poor people lived in this time setting; with the title, the Potato Eaters, I think

he’s trying to explain the gaps between the rich and the poor. “Potato eaters” basically

means like scum or bottom feeders.

Student Work Samples

Part I: Observe its parts.


PEOPLE

Who do you see in the artwork?

Are they young/old? What are

they wearing?

OBJECTS &

BACKGROUND

What important objects do you

see in the artwork? What is the

background or environment like?

ACTIVITIES

What are the people doing in the

artwork? What is happening in the

image? How are the characters

interacting?


o 5 people total-4

women, 1 man

o 1 black woman, back

facing us

o 1 black man

o 3 Caucasian women

o 40’s to 60’s, some have

wrinkles on their faces

o Old-fashioned, poor

clothing: bonnets, maid

dresses, one lady is in a

robe-type dress, man is

in a jacket and a

conductor like hat

o Lantern

o Clock says that it’s

12:45, late at night

o They are in a really old

shack-like house and

they are in the kitchen,

eating

o Looks like the building

is a wood structure

o Small space, not clean,

dusty

o Spoons hung on the wall

o Empty bookshelves or

windows

o Old teapot on the

nightstand

o They are all eating food

and drinking tea around a

table

o The white woman to the

left looks puzzled as if

she has never seen a

black person before, she

looks interested

o The older woman in the

robe is making tea, she

has a teapot in her hand

o It looks like it’s back in

slavery time, and it looks

like the white women are

tending to them or

keeping them company

o The women’s hats look

like hats that they would

wear to bed, perhaps they

were woken up

o The black male looks

skeptical, like he is

worried, an untrusting

soul

Identify the mood or tone.


COLOR

What colors do you see?

Are they bright? Are they

dull?

FACIAL EXPRESSIONS

What facial expressions are on

the people's faces? What

emotions do they appear to have?

BODY POSTURE

What body postures do you see? How are

they standing or sitting?


o Dull, earthy

colors

o Oil spill type of

colors-dirty oil

o Middle of the

painting has a

brighter brown

o Greenish,

brownish colors

o Yellowish,

brown

o Dull, green/blue

near the edges of

the painting

o Lady pouring tea:

normal facial

expression, relaxed

o Lady in middle: not

worried but maybe a

gossipy face

o Woman next to man:

interested face

o Man: uncomfortable,

uneasy expression

o Body posture: they are all old so

they are a little stooped over but

that is probably normal

o Lady is looking down and

concentrating on pouring the

tea, she looks more relaxed like

she knows what she is doing,

grandma-like figure, wise figure

o Black lady is standing with back

toward us

Part II: Try to make sense of it.


Answer as best you can using the information from Part I. The caption, if available, may

help.

Who do you think the people are in the artwork? What do you think the

relationship is between them? What makes you say this?

I think that the three ladies in the back, are house owners, and the two black people are

runaway slaves. I think that the three ladies live together-house mates of some sort-and the

two black people have no relation to them. I think that the ladies took them in, and the

black guy and the black women are in a relationship. I say that the three white women are

homeowners and have been there for a while, because they are in their nightgowns and it

is late at night.


I think that the black male and female are runaway slaves, because it looks like it is an

older time setting when slavery existed. Around that time it wasn’t normal for black and

whites to be eating dinner together so that’s why I think they are runaway slaves that the

white ladies took in.

Another reason why I think they are runaway slaves is because the white people look

poor so they might have more sympathy for the slaves and were willing to take them in. I

think that the black woman and man are together because they look like they are around

the same age and look like they came in together.

What do you think the story is behind the artwork? Why do you say this? Is there a

message that the artist is trying to communicate? If so, what?

(The story was mentioned above.)

The message is kind of trying to point to how the setting would be during the

Underground Railroad. It just tries to get you to imagine how it would be during that time.

Runaway slaves traveled north for their freedom and some people were nice and took

them in. It also shows the different kind of people who are around. For example, the black

woman you can’t see her face so maybe she represents the type of person who is quiet; the

kind of personality that doesn’t express herself.

Does this artwork take place during a certain time period or reflect a specific culture

or group of people? What clues do you see that support your answer?

This takes place during slavery times. There are slaves and poor white women in one

room. You can tell because of the technology and clothing. For instance, the lamp is an


oil-burning lantern. You can tell by the colors of the clothes-dark green-and by the hats

that they are wearing. The title, Potato Eaters, throws out a hint that they are poor,

because poor people eat potatoes. Farmers grow too many potatoes so they leave them out

to rot, and people also stole them.

Determine the artist’s purpose.

Check all that apply. Ceremonial or Religious--For rituals, celebrations, or to communicate religious beliefs.

x Artistic expression--To communicate emotions, ideas, experiences.

x Narrative--To tell a story or experience.

Functional--To serve a practical purpose in everyday life. Something that can be used.

Persuasive--To promote ideas or products.

x History or Information--To provide valuable information about important people, places, and events.

Aesthetics--For visual appeal. To be pleasing to the eye.

Finley, T. (2014, February 14). Common core in action: 10 visual literacy strategies.

Edutopia. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/ccia-10-visual-literacy-

strategies-todd-finley

The purposes of art. (2009, October 19). [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from

https://www.slideshare.net/harmonbd/the-purposes-of-art


References

Afflerbach, P., Cho, B. Y., Crassas, M. E., & Kim, J. Y., (2014). Best practices in reading

assessment: Working toward a balanced approach. In L. B. Gambrell & L. Mandel-

Morrow (Eds.), Best practices in literacy instruction (5th ed.), (pp. 315-339). New York:

Guilford Press.

Almasi, J. F., & Hart, S. J., (2014). Best practices in narrative text comprehension

instruction. In L. B. Gambrell & L. Mandel-Morrow (Eds.), Best practices in literacy

instruction (5th ed.), (pp. 223-248). New York: Guilford Press.

Blachowicz, C.L.Z. & Fisher, P.J. (2014). Best practices in vocabulary instruction. In L.

B. Gambrell & L. Mandel-Morrow (Eds.), Best practices in literacy instruction (5th ed.),

(pp. 195-222). New York: Guilford Press.

Bransford, J. L., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R. (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind,

experience, and school: Expanded edition. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

Gambrell, L., Malloy, J., Marinak, B., & Mazzoni, S. (2014). Evidenced-Based best

practices in comprehensive literacy instruction. In L. B. Gambrell & L. Mandel-Morrow

(Eds.), Best practices in literacy instruction (5th ed.), (pp. 3-36). New York: Guilford

Press.

Finley, T. (2014). Common core in action: 10 visual literacy strategies. Edutopia.

Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/ccia-10-visual-literacy-strategies-

todd-finley

Reutzel, D. R., Clark, S. K., & Flory, M. (2014). Organizing effective literacy instruction:

Differentiating instruction to meet student needs. In L. B. Gambrell & L. Mandel-


Morrow (Eds.), Best practices in literacy instruction (5th ed.), (pp. 365-389). New York:

Guilford Press.

Risko, V. J., & Walker-Dalhouse, D., (2014). Best practices to change the trajectory of

struggling readers. In L. B. Gambrell & L. Mandel-Morrow (Eds.), Best practices in

literacy instruction (5th ed.), (pp. 107-148). New York: Guilford Press.

Documents

Literacy Learner Analysis Project Kaylee A. Hammond ... · Along with feeling anxious about working with classmates for fear of how they will respond to his ability level, D faces