Grades/Level: Upper Elementary (3–5)
Subjects: Visual Arts, English–Language Arts
Time Required: Long–Term Unit
Eight class periods
Author: Lara Cohen, Teacher, Pio Pico Span School, Los Angeles Unified School District

Permissions:
The lesson plan and downloadable materials on this page are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Lesson Overview

After viewing and discussing two beds in the Getty's collection, students design and write descriptions of imaginary beds. Students will understand that everyday objects can be works of art, and that artists can design functional items that reflect their ideals of beauty.

Learning Objectives

Students should be able to:
• describe and compare/contrast works of art, orally and in writing.
• write descriptions of an imagined object and its owner.
• create two-and three-dimensional representations of their imagined objects.

Materials

• various art materials such as: shoeboxes, wood scraps, cardboard, chipboard, rolls of thick masking tape, acrylic paint, fabric, tissue paper, felt, pipe cleaners, cotton balls, yarn, string, glue, low-heat glue guns, scissors, gel markers, sequins, colored pencils or fine-tipped markers
• drawing and writing paper, chart paper
• small objects supplied by students
• selected Getty works of art listed below. Click on thumbnails for information and images.

Lesson Steps

Day 1: Discuss (30–40 minutes)
1. In pairs or small groups, students describe their own beds and beds they have seen. Begin charting vocabulary (parts of a bed, descriptive words, building materials, etc.).

2. Display images of the two beds in the Getty collection. Discuss each bed. (Sample questions: What do you see? What materials did the designer use to make the bed? Who might have slept in the bed? What about the bed makes you say that? Why do you think the bed's designer made the choices he did?) Chart additional vocabulary.

Day 2: Draw (60–90 minutes)
3. Each student draws a bed for a person of his or her choice. Three-dimensional drawing techniques can be taught, such as perspective, to create atmospheric perspective (horizon/line placement; using foreground, middle ground, and background to show space; creating recession using shadows, varying line sizes, and varying object size; and using directional lines).

4. Students add color to the drawings using colored pencils or fine-tipped markers.

Day 3: Write (30–60 minutes)
5. Each student writes two paragraphs describing his or her bed. The first paragraph describes the bed's owner. The second paragraph describes the bed.

Day 4: Build (60–90 minutes)
6. Using a variety of materials (such as boxes, wood, cardboard, and tape), each student will create a three-dimensional model of his or her bed. Adults can use glue guns to secure heavier pieces. Mount the bed on heavy chipboard. Emphasize that the design of the bed should resemble the drawing, and reflect the interests of its owner.

Day 5: Paint (60–120 minutes)
7. Students paint their beds a solid color. Bases might be coated with a contrasting color (such as black). Acrylic paint is recommended if glossy materials were used for building. If so, paint in small groups with adult supervision. This step could be done over two days.

Day 6: Write (30–60 minutes)
8. Students progress through the stages of the writing process. Encourage them to use computers to draft and revise their work. Peer editing can be used.

Day 7: Decorate (At least 120 minutes)
9. Using various items provided by the teacher and student, each student covers the bed in a way that suits its owner.

10. Hold a "gallery walk" and discussion to evaluate the effectiveness of the beds.

Days 7-8: Write (30–60 minutes)
11. Based on the editing process their writing has undergone, student will write a final draft on the computer.

Extensions

Each student can write a persuasive letter to the bed's proposed owner convincing him or her of the need to own the bed.

Standards Addressed

Common Core Standards for English Language Arts

Grades 3–5

SPEAKING AND LISTENING
3.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 3 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
3.4 Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace.
4.3 Identify the reasons and evidence a speaker or media source provides to support particular points.
4.6 Differentiate between contexts that call for formal English (e.g., presenting ideas) and situations where informal discourse is appropriate (e.g., small-group discussion); use formal English when appropriate to task and situation. (See grade 4 Language standards 1 and 3 for specific expectations.)
5.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
5.3 Summarize the points a speaker or media source makes and explain how each claim is supported by reasons and evidence, and identify and analyze any logical fallacies.

WRITING
3.4 With guidance and support from adults, produce writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task and purpose.
3.5 With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing. 4.10 Write routinely over extended ti
me frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
5.4 Produce clear and coherent writing (including multiple-paragraph texts) in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

LANGUAGE
3.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning word and phrases based on grade 3 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
3.6 Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate conversational, general academic, and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal spatial and temporal relationships (e.g., After dinner that night we went looking for them).
4.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 4 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
4.6 Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal precise actions, emotions, or states of being (e.g., quizzed, whined, stammered) and that are basic to a particular topic (e.g., wildlife, conservation, and endangered when discussing animal preservation).
5.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
5.6 Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal contrast, addition, and other logical relationships (e.g., however, although, nevertheless, similarly, moreover, in addition).


Visual Arts Standards for California Public Schools

Grade 4
Artistic Perception
2.2 Describe and analyze the elements of art as they are used in works of art and found in the environment.

Historical and Cultural Context
1.1 Describe how art plays a role in reflecting life.

Language Arts Standards for California Public Schools

Grade 3
Writing
1.2 Create a single paragraph.

Grade 4
Writing
1.3 Create multiple paragraph compositions.

Grade 5
Writing
2.1 Write persuasive letters or compositions.