Art Integration Lesson Plan Template

Art Integration Lesson Plan Template

LTC 4240: Art for Children

Lesson Title & Big Idea*: Native Americans: Cave Paintings

Cave Paintings illustrating stories of milestones
Lesson Overview/Summary*:
In this lesson students will incorporate visual arts and social studies, and literacy. Students will
learn about the culture of Native Americans, specifically their cave paintings. They will learn
about the importance of cave paintings and the reasoning behind the art. Students will then learn
more in-depth about the art and specific pieces through reading a book about Native American
paintings. Students will learn about the history of cave art and learn what meaning was hidden
behind the paintings through literature. Following this study, students will do their own cave
painting by the class recreating the cave environment and drawing images and symbols
representing a milestone in their lives. Students will also write a short paragraph describing their
artwork. Afterwards, the students will look at each painting and see if they can correctly guess
what each image represents and students will share their written paragraph.
Key Concepts (3-4): What you want the students to know.*
1. Visual Art:
Students will understand the meaning behind cave art
and that art is a form of communication
Students will learn how to create their own cave
paintings using cave-like situations
2. Literacy:
Students will read about the importance of art to Native
American culture and the symbols and images
commonly found in cave art and discuss what they have
read.
Students will practice writing descriptions of their cave
art to describe their images.
3. Social Studies:
Students will learn about the history of cave painting
and its connection to Native American culture.
Students will study the importance of cave art and how
it affected the transformation of art

Essential Questions

Grade Level*: 2
Class Periods Required:
(please circle)
1

(3-4)*:

1. How do people express ideas and moments through

art?
2. Why do people use symbols and images to tell stories
to communicate?
3. What can we learn from others by looking at an image?

Art Integration Lesson Plan Template

Lesson Objectives: (Excellent resource at http://www.teachervision.fen.com/curriculum-planning/new-teacher/48345.html?for_printing=1&detoured=1): What you
want the students to do. *
1. Visual Art: The students will be able to . . .
Discuss the meaning behind cave art as a mode of communication
Design their own cave paintings using cave-like situations
2. Literacy: The students will be able to . . .
Inspect the writing about Native American Cave Painting and discuss the text and what it means
Write and explain their cave art by describing their images and thoughts behind them
3. Social Studies: The students will be able to
Discuss the history of cave painting related to Native American culture
Explain and discuss the importance of cave art and its affect on art development
Grade Level Expectations (GLEs)

(3-4)
(http://dese.mo.gov/divimprove/curriculum/GLE/)

1. Visual Art:
Strand II: Elements and Principles, 1D. Identify and
use actual texture. VA 2. FA 2.
Strand IV: Interdisciplinary Connections, 2A. Explain
the connection between American Indian culture and
art. VA 6. FA 4.
Strand I: Product/Performance, 3C. Create an original
artwork that communicates ideas about the following
themes: nature, places. VA1. FA1.
2. Literacy:
Reading, Text Features , 3A. Read, infer and draw
conclusions to: identify the main idea of sections of
text and distinguish it from the topic, use text
features to locate specific information.
Writing, Narrative/Literacy, 2C. Write fiction or nonfiction narratives and poems that: establish a
situation/topic based on the students experience or
imagination, follow a logical sequence of events
using complete sentences to create a

Identify & define common vocabulary that connect the art

form with the other identified content areas:
CaveArt:Paintingsandengravingsonthewallsofcavesandrockshelters
Culture:Thelanguage,customs,ideas,andartofaparticulargroupofpeople
Evolution:Aprocessinwhichsomethingpassestoadifferentstage(especiallya
moreadvancedormaturestage)
Milestone:Asignificanteventinyourlife
NativeAmericans:ThefirstpeopletoliveinAmerica
Symbol:Ashape,line,orcolorthatrepresentssomethingelse

Art Integration Lesson Plan Template

beginning/middle/end.
Speaking/Listening, Presenting, 4A. Speak clearly,
audibly and to the point, using conventions of
language when presenting individually or with a
group by: explaining a topic while maintaining eye
contact with audience, recalling and telling a story
with details, including a beginning, middle, and end.
3. Social Studies:
Missouri, United States and World History,
Knowledge of continuity and change in the history
of Missouri and the United States, G, grade 2.
Compare and contrast the habitats, resources,
art and daily lives of native American peoples,
Woodland and Plains Indians. SS3 1.9
Elements of Geography Study and Analysis,
Knowledge of major elements of geographical
study and analysis (such as location, place,
movement and regions) and their relationship to
changes in society and the environment, E, grade
2. Describe different types of communication
and transportation and identify their advantages
and disadvantages. SS5 1.6
Tools of Social Science Inquiry, Knowledge of the
use of tools of social science inquiry (such as
surveys, statistics, maps, and documents), A,
grade 2. Identify and select artifacts (building
structures and materials, works of art
representative of cultures, fossils, pottery, tools,
clothing, musical instruments). SS7 1.4, 1.10

Content Areas Integrated*:

1. Visual Art (Inspiration Artist: Various Native Americans)
Painting: Native American cave paintings, what is
cave art, how cave painting is a form of

Lesson Activities & Procedure(s) (please be very specific):

Day 1:
1. Students will come to class with an image of a cave

Art Integration Lesson Plan Template

communication
2. Literacy
Inspired Author: Yvette La Pierre
Reading: a look at various cave paintings, what is the
story behind these paintings, why do these paintings
exist, how to tell a story about an event through
cave art
3.
Native American artwork: a look at different cave
paintings, special symbols of each painting, the
effect on Native American culture, how cave art
preserves their history.

painting on the SMART Board. This image will be of animals

and people hunting and other images. Students will have to
think of what they believe is happening in the painting and
what they think the meaning is.
2. In an oral VTS forum lead by the teacher, students will
discuss with the class what they believe is happening in the
image and the moment that it represents.
They will do this
by sharing evidence as to why they believe what they say.
Possible questions the teacher will ask the students: What is
the meaning behind these symbols/images? Why do you
believe that is what it represents? Do you think the artist did
this on purpose? Why do you think the artist decided to
create a cave painting with that image?
3. The teacher will then talk about the meaning that research
has given to this painting, which will lead into the teacher
discussing the meanings behind cave paintings in general.
4. The teacher will share a presentation about cave painting
and the history behind it. The teacher will also discuss the
reasons that cave painting existed and the growth of cave
paintings over time.
5. The teacher will then read parts of Native American Rock
Art: Messages from the Past by Yvette La Pierre.
6. After reading, the students and teacher will have a
discussion about the importance of cave art to the Native
American culture and the construction of cave art. Asking
questions like: Why did the Native Americans create cave art?
What was the process of creating cave paintings?
7. Students will then use computers to go the website,
http://www.lascaux.culture.fr/#/en/00.xml. On the website
they will take a virtual tour of a cave with cave paintings.
After exploring the cave for a while, the lesson will end for
the day.

Art Integration Lesson Plan Template

Day 2:
8. The second day will begin by having a quick review of what
was discussed on day one. The teacher will ask questions
like: Does anyone remember what we learned about
yesterday? Why did the Native Americans use cave art? How
do you make cave paintings?
9. Then the teacher will pass out brown construction paper
and have the students crumble up the paper. The teacher will
first model this so that the students know what is expected.
10. They will then tape the paper to the bottom of their desks
and go under their desks.
11. The teacher will turn off all the lights in the room and
have the students hold a flash light up to their taped papers.
The students will then draw symbols and images that
represent a milestone in their life, something that has
importance to them.
12. Once they finish drawing, they will write a paragraph, one
that is no longer than half the page, about their milestone
and what it means to them. They will write a short second
paragraph about the importance of cave painting to Native
American culture and why it was used.

Anticipatory Set (Gaining Attention)*:

The anticipatory set will be a Visual Thinking Strategy session

Day 3:
13. When the students walk in, their cave paintings will be
hung up around the room. The students will walk around the
room looking at each cave painting. After everyone has
gotten a chance to look, the class will go from one painting to
the next deciphering what each cave painting represents.
14. The students will read their description paragraphs from
the day before out loud when the class has taken a guess
about what their image represents.
Closure (Reflecting Anticipatory Set):
Students will make educated opinions about what the

Art Integration Lesson Plan Template

on an old cave painting image. Students will be asked to

discuss and interact orally in a whole class discussion.

different cave paintings represent. This allows the students

the opportunity to show what they have learned about
symbols and cave art as a form of communication. Having
the students later read their milestones aloud also allows the
students to show their knowledge of cave paintings and the
meaning behind them.

Formative Assessment strategy:

The formative assessment will take place during the lessons
like the discussion of the Yvette da Pierre book. The teacher
can grasp what knowledge the students have in regards to art
being a form of communication and the reason for art like cave
paintings. This can also be assessed through the lesson
presentation the teacher will give.
The formative assessment of their visual arts understanding
can be comparing the students knowledge from the VTS to
their discussion about different cave paintings or even their
thoughtfulness in creating their own art.

Summative Assessment strategy*:

The summative assessment for this lesson will be in the
form of a rubric. The students will be given the rubric before
creating their cave art so they can see what is required of
them. The rubric will include the use of symbols, conveying a
milestone/message through art, matching their description to
their art, and discussing the importance of cave paintings to
Native American culture in a concise manner. These are
components that the students will need to include in their
cave paintings and paragraphs.
If the student meets the criteria for each main point on the
given rubric, they will receive credit for their activity.

What student prior knowledge will this lesson require/draw upon?

Students should already have basic knowledge about Native Americans and their culture. Since the lesson jumps into a
specific part of the Native American culture, one that describes moments in their lives, students will need to already know
about these moments in their lives previously so they can successfully understand them. If they have not already learned this
information, a quick lesson can be given about Native Americans on Day 1 during the teacher presentation. Students should
also know about detail in writing. To be able to describe their cave art so that others can understand what is happening in the
painting, they will have to use descriptive words. This is something that the students should have already learned in 1 st grade,
but if it seems to be a problem, the students can peer edit each others papers and give guidance on where to add descriptors.
How will you engage students in imagining, exploring, and/or experimenting in this lesson?
Students will be given the opportunity to come up with their own milestone to create cave art with, so they are able to use

Art Integration Lesson Plan Template

their imagination in coming up with their idea. They can explore in this lesson by using the interactive website to look around
a virtual cave and seeing different types of cave paintings. They can also image and explore in this lesson through VTS and the
end of lesson art sharing, in which they can use their ideas and opinions to figure out what the painting is of. They can also
experiment in this lesson by creating their own cave art with similar conditions to that of a cave, meaning it being dark and
the texture being bumpy.
How will this lesson allow for/encourage students to solve problems in divergent ways?
Students are given the ability to come up with their own ideas to use for creating their cave art about a milestone of their own.
This allows students the freedom to communicate through art in the way that they think is best. Some students may add more
detail than others thinking that is the best way to convey their meaning, while others may think that using different colors is
the best way to communicate their message.
How will you engage students in routinely reflecting on their learning?
The students will reflect throughout the lesson by having whole class discussions about specific cave paintings daily, in which
they can see how what they have learned transfers over to their answers each day. The cave painting and paragraphs that
students will do also allows them to reflect on their learning. In order to create these activities, the students have to use their
learned knowledge, meaning they have to reflect on what they have learned before they can complete the assignment. The
rubric given as the summative assessment will also allow the students to reflect on their learning. They will be able to see
right on the paper what they have learned and if they learned the information correctly. The criteria on the rubric reflects all
the main points that were discussed throughout the lesson, giving students an overview of what they have learned and
knowledge they have gained.
How will you adapt the various aspects of the lesson to differently-abeled students?
For students who may struggle with literacy and comprehension of the teachers presentation or the book, meaning language
deficits or other reasons, the teacher will pair students up with a student that is fluent with their literacy skills and works well
with others so that they are able to understand what is being discussed while working with a partner.
For students who struggle with writing the paragraphs, the students can be given access to translator tools or partnered up
with someone who is willing to help while completing their own project.
For students who are not comfortable with reading their paragraphs aloud due to language barriers or other extenuating
circumstances, they have the ability to project their paragraphs onto the SMART board where other students or the teacher
can read it instead.
What opportunities/activities will students be given to revise and improve their understandings and their work?

Art Integration Lesson Plan Template

Students will be able to improve their understandings by having the teacher revisit what the students learned the day before
so that students can be reminded of what they learned and can ask any remaining questions. They can also improve their
work by sharing their paragraphs with a peer before turning them in to see if their classmate thinks their writing is a good
descriptor for their cave painting.
If at the end of the lesson a student is still struggling with understanding the information and conveying it through art and
literacy, the students can meet with the teacher to gain more information and use downtime in the classroom to redo their
image or paragraphs.
What opportunities/activities will you provide for students to share their learning in this lesson?
The students will be able to share their learning through the whole class discussions had during the first two days. They will be
able to ask and answer questions, conclude information based on images and text, and share with the class their opinions.
They will also be provided the opportunity to share their learning by putting their cave paintings around the room and sharing
their descriptive and information-based paragraphs with the class.
Lesson Resources/References (please be very specific by providing links, authors, titles, etc.):
Aujoulat, N. (n.d.). The Cave of Lascaux. Retrieved November 29, 2016, from https://www.lascaux.culture.fr/
A virtual tour of the Lascaux cave. Students can walk around the cave, click on paintings to look closer at them, and
learn small pieces of information about each cave painting.
K-5 ELA Missouri Learning Standards: Grade-Level Expectations. (2016, Spring). Retrieved November 29, 2016, from
https://dese.mo.gov/sites/default/files/curr-mls-standards-ela-k-5-sboe-2016.pdf
Includes Missouri standards for Language Arts
Native American People Cave Gallery. (n.d.). Retrieved December 01, 2016, from
http://keywordsuggest.org/gallery/292255.html
An online gallery containing 21 cave paintings done by Native Americans. Teachers can access this site for images to
present to the class or use for VTS. Students can access this site to learn and explore more about cave paintings.
Pierre, Y. L. (1994). Native American Rock Art: Messages From the Past. Charlottesville, VA: Thomasson-Grant.
A book about how cave art was made and used, the importance of art to Native American culture, and descriptions of
some cave paintings. This book can be used to read to the class so students can learn more about cave paintings
while incorporating Language Arts.

Art Integration Lesson Plan Template

Social Studies Grade Level Expectations. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2016, from http://dese.mo.gov/sites/default/files/glesocial-studies.pdf
Includes Missouri standards for Social Studies
Visual Art Grade Level Expectations (n.d.). Retrieved November 29, 2016, from https://dese.mo.gov/sites/default/files/glevisual-arts.pdf
Includes Missouri standards for Art

* Include this information during your final presentation.

References
Silverstein, L. B. & Layne, S. (n.d.). Defining arts integration. Retrieved from
http://www.americansforthearts.org/networks/arts_education/publications/special_publications/Defining%20Arts
%20Integration.pdf