Lesson Plan Format for

Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English (SDAIE)

with SIOP Elements

Grade/Class/Subject: 5th grade, Art Teacher: Pamela J. Manzano

Time/Duration of the lesson: 45 minutes, day 1 and 1 hour, day 2

English Language Proficiency of Students: The English Language Proficiency of the students in
my classroom ranges from Early Intermediate to Advanced.

Standards:
2.7 Communicate values, opinions, or personal insights through an original work of art.
4.2 Compare the different purposes of a specific culture for creating art.
5.2 Identify and design icons, logos, and other graphic devices as symbols for ideas and
information.

Unit/Theme:
Native Americans, Identity

Lesson Topic:
Representing one’s identity through art

Objectives:

Content:
Students will be able to create their own totem pole to express their identities and values, and explain the meaning
behind their art as the Pacific Northwest Native Americans did.
Language:
In groups of 5, students will be able to share the meaning of the symbols on their totem pole and combine their
portion with their group members’ to then share the values and identities found in their group.

Assessment:
Students will create their own portion of a totem pole and write a brief paper about what their art
represents (including colors, symbols, or other images they chose to include).

Key Vocabulary:
Totem Pole, Symbols, Focal Point

Supplementary Materials:
Colored Paper, Markers, Crayons, Scissors, Glue

Technology in Support of Learning:

Computer, Projector- These items will be used to later show students example of what Native
American Totem Poles looked like
Anticipated Misunderstandings/Difficulties:
Students might have a difficulty identifying an image/symbols that will be the focal point of their
portion of the totem pole. Students might also be confused about why totem poles were used or
why they were important to tribes.

Element Rationale
Describe what will happen. Why did you choose to do it this way?
Introduce the Lesson: I want to encourage conversations and be
clear about what students should expect to be
1. Ask students about what Native American working on as well as offer the opportunity
forms of art they know about, and praise for questions to be asked and answered.
previous knowledge
2. Introduce the standards/objectives we will be
covering. Standards and objectives will be
written on construction paper and I will
rephrase standards as:
 Our goals will be to:
1. Understand how people express values
through art
2. Compare why cultures create art
3. Use symbols to represent an idea
3. Have a word wall that students will be able to
look at as a reference, preferably with an
example
4. Tell students that we will create artwork that
represents us and/or our family

Develop Understandings (Instruction): I plan on offering students visuals to avoid

1. Explain that people use different methods to
express themselves and Native Americans in
the Pacific Northwest used totem poles (show
on map where the Pacific Northwest is-present
the states that are located in that region). Other
methods of expression can include portraits,
songs, wall paintings, dances.
2. Totem comes from a word meaning “kinship
group”. Totem poles were enormous, very
huge and easy to see. Very sacred and
meaningful to tribes
3. Totem poles were used to symbolize a family’s
legend, beliefs, important events, and were
used to welcome visitors. (Note: there were
other purposes, such as shaming, but this will
be the one we will focus on)
4. Totem poles were carved from wood and were
painted using pigments that came from nature.
The colors used were: black, white, red,
yellow, and blue and colors made from those
assuming that a student knows where a
region is located, to remind them of the
colors used at this time (much more limited
than today), and to have something to refer
back to. I want to emphasize the importance
of a totem pole for Native Americans who
created them to encourage pride in their own
totems.
I mentioned that totem poles were destroyed
to encourage a connection being made to
identities being erased just like students
going to boarding schools.
 included purple and green. Each color was
used for specific reasons. The totem poles had
animals carved on their different sections
(which were used as symbols) and that meant
each animal had a meaning.
 Black: power
 White: peace, purity, heavens, death
 Red: war, blood, courage
 Yellow: sun, light, happiness
 Blue: waters, skies, happiness
 Purple: mountains at a distance
 Green: earth, trees, mountains
5. During times where there were efforts to erase
Native American history, totem poles were
being destroyed
6. Students will be assigned to create their own
portion of a totem pole which would later be
combined with their group member’s.
7. Students will create/cut out an image of an
animal that represents them/their family to use
as a focal point and decorate the rest with other
symbols meaningful to them
 Focal point: a point that is emphasized
 Animal meaning examples:
Bear: power, healing
Beaver: Protector, one to build something
Bat: New Beginning, Rebirth, Secrets
Dog: loyal
Eagle: divine, connection with a creator
Lion: power, feminine energy to protect
More examples can be printed out, offered to students.

Practice/Application: I want to give students the opportunity to

Students will be placed in groups with their table interact with their group member and
members. They will work independently but could ask/offer ideas or support one another.
discuss ideas with their group members to avoid
repetition. Students will be encouraged to draw out a
rough draft and will be given class time to work on
their art piece.

Wrap-up: I want students to engage in conversations

Students will discuss their portion of the totem poles
with their group members after they have written their
brief explanation about the animal/symbols they chose
and what it means to them and/or their family to then
identify in which order each section will be placed. We
will have a speaker who can describe the values of their
group members.
Show examples of totem poles created by Native
Americans
with their group members after writing the
meaning of their portion of the totem pole so
that they can express their thoughts clearly. I
want the end product to be shared with the
rest of the class to show how different values
can come together to create one positive,
interdependent community. Lastly, I want
students to see the original art and compare it

Extension:
Our end product can be used in a language arts
assignment, to compare and contrast with art created in
different cultures, in mathematics (using perimeter and
area), and can be a starting point for other art concepts
that will be taught (such as positive and negative
space).
Differentiating Instruction for EL focus student:
1. Students will be given written definitions and
visuals to support definitions. Words that are
understood will be used.
2. Instructions will be repeated, Cognate words
will be used when possible
3. Offer thinking/preparation time for students to
restate what they are expected to do and what
they have in mind.
Differentiating Instruction for a focus student with
Special Needs:
1. There will be verbal and written directions
offered for the students. Define key terms,
provide examples.
2. There will be extra time allowed for a student
to complete their work by offering them to take
materials they might want to use home and
begin the task that will be completed the
following day.
to their masterpiece versus it being the other
way around.
I want students to be able to refer back to the
projects we have done in class when moving
onto other assignments. I also want students
to use work they have done to make in-depth
examinations. This gives them the
opportunity to learn from something they
have already created.
I want students to be clear in regards to what
they are learning and what they will be doing
and because of that, I have to be sure the
language used is language that is being
understood. I want to offer visuals to
support words students are being introduced
to and I want to be sure to repeat myself so
students can remember the words that are
emphasized.
Offering directions using different methods
can assist different kinds of learners and
reinforce directions to avoid confusion.
Since classroom time is limited, offering
extra time gives students the opportunity to
complete their task, especially since their end
product will be used to collaborate on a
bigger project. I don’t want my student to
feel disappointed in the work they were able
to complete.