CHARACTER COLLAGE

A lesson plan to help students visualize how

characters fit into a story, encourage creativity,
and work together in small groups.

Kailey Morash

Arts for Elementary Teachers

MY FATHERS
DRAGON CHARACTER
COLLAGE

LARGE ARTS INTEGRATION PROJECT

FINAL PROJECT LESSON PLAN:
EDEL270: ARTS FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Kansas State University College of Education Art Education Program
Trina Harlow-Art Education Instructor
I. NAME, SECTION NIGHT: Kailey Morash, Thursday Night
II. GRADE LEVEL OF STUDENTS: Second Grade
III. CURRICULUM INTEGRATION AREA: Language Arts
IV. TITLE OF OVERALL UNIT: Identifying and Understanding Key Details in My
Fathers Dragon, by Ruth Stiles Gannett
V. DESCRIPTIVE ART PROJECT TITLE: My Fathers Dragon Character Collage
VI. IMAGE OF ART PROJECT:

VII. PHILOSOPHY OF TEACHING WITH ARTS INTEGRATION:

Teaching with arts integration is a great way to encourage students to develop
their ideas completely and it helps bring every type of learner into the lesson. By using
art in the regular classroom students are encouraged to look at problems from different
perspectives and it allows them to increase their critical thinking skills. When art is
melded into the curriculum [i]t fosters opportunities for creative expression through all
art forms focusing childrens learning on big ideas- concepts that are worth knowing- as

well as specific knowledge and skills in the arts and content areas, and bringing together
different parts of the curriculum in meaningful ways to children (Isenberg 2015 p.446).
It is important to encourage children to pursue their creative thoughts because it will help
them in their future years of school and later on in their professions. Incorporating art into
education is important because when children are encouraged and taught about art they
are more likely to pursue more creative ways of thinking or careers as adults.
When schools use a curriculum with arts integration the lessons that are taught
will be based on guidelines that focus on the learner, the teacher, and the learning
environment (Isenberg 2015 p.464). Arts integration pulls the classroom together and
emphasizes everyone that is involved in the project. Using that type of curriculum makes
it easier to keep every student involved in what the class is doing throughout the school
year.
VIII. GOALS:
KSDE KCCRS Grade 2
Reading Standards for Literature
Key Ideas and Details
Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate
understanding of key details in a text. RL.2.1
IX. OBJECTIVE:
The art project that I will be having the students do is a collage of a character from My
Fathers Dragon, by Ruth Stiles Gannett. The collage will also incorporate key ideas
about that character and how they fit into the story. The project will be done in small
groups and will be completed after the class has read My Fathers Dragon. I hope that the
project will give the students a different perspective of the story and that it will benefit
the students who are more visual or kinesthetic learners.
X. RATIONALE:
A. BRIEFLY SUMMARIZE THE MATH, SOCIAL STUDIES,
LANGUAGE ARTS, SCIENCE, OR SPANISH LESSON TO BE TAUGHT AND
THE REASON STUDENTS OF THIS AGE NEED TO KNOW THIS:
First of all we will read My Fathers Dragon, by Ruth Stiles Gannett as a class. As
we read we will create a chart of the characters that we meet throughout the story. With
each character we will write their name, what type of animal they are, where we met
them, why they are important to the story, and how they help or hinder Elmer Elevator.
After each chapter we will add any new characters that we have met to the chart. When
the character is added we will discuss the- who, what, when, where, why, and how
aspects that they bring to the story. We will also discuss the things that Elmer brings with
him on his journey to Wild Island and how they help him find the dragon.
After we have finished the story and discussed as a class each character and their
roles in the story I will assign groups to the class. Each group will be given a character
from the book and they will then be asked to complete the art aspect of the lesson. Before
they start the art project they should discuss the things that they feel are the most
important about their character. Once they have decided on one thing from each category

they may begin the art portion. They will be able to use the chart that the class came up
with to help them remember things about the characters if they need to.
This lesson is important for the students to learn during second grade because it
creates a foundation for future learning. They will be reading throughout their years in
school and they need to be able to recognize the components of a book. Along with
building a foundation for future learning, the Kansas Department of Education Standards
have also designated this lesson as being appropriate for second graders to learn.
Identifying aspects of any story is also important in helping students discover how those
aspects work together in order to form a complete story.
B. REASON THIS ART PROJECT IS IMPORTANT TO TEACHING THE
MATH, SOCIAL STUDIES, LANGUAGE ARTS, SPANISH, OR SCIENCE
LESSON:
This art project is important to teaching this Language Arts lesson because
sometimes it is more beneficial to students to see the images of the key characters and
ideas that are discussed in the books that they read. The chart that the class will make as
they read the book will help to give the art project a little bit of structure. Making the
students create a collage of a character and the key ideas that go along with them will
help them remember how the key ideas work together in a story and it will help them
remember the lesson better since they did a more hands on and in depth project after it
was taught. The students will be working in small groups during this project so it will
give them the chance to practice teamwork and collaborative learning.
C. REASON PROJECT IS AGE APPROPRIATE FOR YOUR CHOSEN
AGE GROUP OF STUDENTS:
This art project is age appropriate because it involves cutting out paper shapes of
characters that the students have drawn and pasting them onto a larger piece of paper.
The project has several steps and involves some motor skills like drawing and cutting out
the objects that the students have drawn.
D. REASON STUDENTS WILL ENGAGE WITH THIS PROJECT:
Students will engage with this project because they will be working in groups
which will encourage them to discuss the book that we read in class. They also have to
discuss how they want to depict the character and the other aspects of how their character
impacts the story. I also think that the students will engage with this project because it is
a book about a child their age and there are interesting characters.
E. OTHER RATIONALE FOR TEACHING THIS PROJECT
21st Century Learning is part of why I chose to do this project in small groups
because throughout school students will have to work with one another and they will
have to do the same thing once they get a job. Helping the students to develop
collaborative skills early on in life will benefit them further down the road. The students
will be emphasizing completing the project which creates a common goal and hopefully
encourages them to work hard to achieve that goal. By having the students work in a
group they are hopefully discussing and teaching each other if needed.
XI. EISNERS INFLUENCE:
I chose Eisners third lesson that the arts teach, the arts celebrate multiple
perspectives. One of their large lessons is that there are many ways to see and interpret
the world, because the kids will each be drawing their interpretations of the characters

and what they contributed to the story. I know that when I read a book that other people I
know have read we usually end up discussing how we pictured certain characters and
what we thought they look like and sound like. Those mental images are an important
part of what make reading so fun. You get to create what the characters look like with the
descriptions that the author provides for you, and not every persons interpretation will be
the same. By incorporating the art project into the lesson it also allows the students who
are visual learners and kinesthetic learners to better understand the aspects of the book.
This way they are seeing and making the characters themselves which helps build a better
understanding of the lesson for those learners.
I think that the students will understand this point when they present their collages
to the class. They will each get to see how their peers thought each creature looked.
Granted, since the majority of characters in My Fathers Dragon are shown in the
illustrations there are some things that will be agreed upon. But the colors of some of the
animals or the shape of the dragons wings may be different for each child. I also think
that getting to participate in group discussion both with the entire class and within their
small groups the students will be able to get different ideas from one another and they
will be able to see that there isnt always one right answer when it comes to creating
something.
XII. VISUAL THINKING STRATEGIES (VTS):
A. DESCRIPTION OF VTS: (3-4 sentences)
Visual Thinking Strategies are used in classrooms in order to help students
become confident with answering questions in front of the class and being able to see
other students perspectives. It also helps build critical thinking skills early on in the
classroom. VTS also helps students practice interactions within groups and is used quite
frequently in classrooms and art museums.
B. 5 REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS: (list format can be used)
1) If the character wasnt in the collage, what other things in the collage
would help you to figure out who it was for?
2) What did you like or dislike about this project and why?
3) How could you use who, what, when, where, why, and how in the other
stories that we read in class?
4) How did your group come up with their ideas for the collage? Did you use
anything that we didnt have on the class chart?
5) Which items were the easiest and hardest to illustrate for the collage- who,
what, when, where, or why? Why?
XIII. LESSON:
1) Each group will be assigned a character from My Fathers Dragon
2) Give each group 1 piece of 12x18 white construction paper and 2 pieces of 9x12
white construction paper to start (if they need extra they may get it later on)
3) Have stacks of assorted 9x12 colored construction paper on a table in the front of
the room
4) Groups should have several pairs of scissors, at least 3 each
5) Have students begin to draw their character and their aspects on the white 9x12
paper.

6) Once the character has been drawn on the white 9x12 paper they may cut out the
character and use either the colored construction paper, markers, or colored
pencils to add more details.
7) Before the group does anything with the 12x18 paper they should all write their
names on the back
8) On the larger 12x18 white construction paper they will begin to create the setting,
or where, their character met Elmer Elevator- by cutting shapes out of the
colored 9x12 paper at the front of the class
9) There should be very little white left on the page once they are done with their
background setting
10) Once they have cut out their character and aspects using the colored construction
paper, they may use colored pencils, or markers to enhance their illustrations
11) BEFORE gluing make sure that the students have a plan for where they are
placing their cut outs. Once they have it planned they may begin gluing.
12) As the groups begin to finish their backgrounds, they should begin to glue their
character and aspects onto it.
13) Once they have glued their character and aspects onto their backgrounds they may
raise their hand to let the teacher know that they are finished.
XIV. RESOURCES AND MATERIALS:
A. STUDENT SUPPLIES:
1. Colored pencils
2. Markers
3. Crayons
4. Scissors
5. Glue (bottle or stick)
6. White construction paper (two sizes 9x12 and 12x18)
7. Colored construction paper 9x12, various colors (blue, yellow, brown, red,
orange, grey, black, pink, green)
8. #2 Pencils
9. Large Erasers
10. Class Chart of Characters
B. EXEMPLARS:
1. HISTORICAL ARTIST:
Henri Matisse was born in northern France on December 31, 1869. He is best
known for his paintings, but he also did some sculpture, pencil drawings, and then paper
collages later on in his life. He started the paper collages because he was diagnosed with
cancer and was bed ridden for some of his later years. His collages were very brightly
colored and were often of the human figure. The one that I have chosen is of an animal
because the characters in My Fathers Dragon are mostly animals.

The Horse, the Rider and the Clown

https://www.nationalgalleries.org/media/42/collection/2013AA73714.jpg
2. CONTEMPORARY ARTIST:
Rex Ray was a collage and digital graphic design artist who lived in San
Francisco, California. He was originally from Germany on a United States army base on
September 11, 1956. He grew up in Colorado and moved to San Francisco in 1981 to
finish his fine arts degree at the San Francisco Art Institute. Rex Ray made band posters
and t-shirts with his graphic designs and also did some work for DreamWorks Studios.
He passed away on February 9, 2015. His collage work is what I am focusing on for this
project.

Alectoria
http://www.rexray.com/images/canvas/alectoria.jpg
3. OTHER EXEMPLARS:
1. Teacher-Created Project in First Stage: My Fathers Dragon
Character Collage

2. Teacher-Created Project in Second Stage: My Fathers Dragon

Character Collage
3. Teacher-Created Project in Third Stage: My Fathers Dragon
Character Collage
4. Teacher-Created Project Finished Product: My Fathers Dragon
Character Collage
C. TEACHERS SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS (supplies that only
the teacher needs to teach the lesson/project):
1. My Fathers Dragon
2. Teacher created PowerPoint: Character Images-illustrations from book
3. Class Character Chart
4. Teacher Created Examples in Various forms of Completion (four)
5. Scissors (at least 3 pair per group)
6. White construction paper (two sizes 9x12 and 12x18)
7. Various colored construction paper 9x12
8. Table coverings
9. Paper cutter
10. Extra markers
11. Extra colored pencils
12. Extra crayons
13. Tape
14. #2 Pencils
15. Glue
XV: ASSESSMENT:
A. FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT:
As the class is reading My Fathers Dragon, we will be making a chart that
includes the characters and key ideas from the book. As the book introduces characters or
important information to the story line we will stop and write it down. This should help
the students to understand what is going on in the story. The chart will be used in class
discussions while we read and while we create the actual art project.
B. SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT:
Once the students have completed their collages we will hang them out in
the hallway or around the classroom. After we have done that we will do a gallery walk
around to see all of their work and we will discuss what each group did well with their
collage and maybe what they could have done a little bit better. After we have done the
gallery walk I will have the class vote on which collage they liked best and give me a
sentence or two explaining why they chose the collage that they did.
XVI. FINAL TEACHER SELF-ASSESSMENT:
I think that the students will gain a better idea of how characters, setting, and
purpose work together to make a coherent story. I also believe that the students will gain
some group work strategies since the art project portion will be done in small groups.
This will be beneficial since they will have to work in groups throughout their lives. The

project will also let them explore different ways to view characters and help them to
begin to discover alternate perspectives.
Some of the things that I am a little bit unsure of are related mostly to the art
project itself. I am slightly concerned that the kids will get frustrated that their drawings
dont look like the illustrations in the book, because I know that is something that would
bug me, and will bug me as I make my transitional examples of the project for the
presentation. That may just be a quirk of my personality, but it makes me wonder if I
should provide a print-out of the characters so that the kids dont have to deal with any
frustration on that front. Other than that I think they will really enjoy the project, they get
to do a little bit of everything from the drawing, coloring, and shape cutting. I am also
slightly concerned about their ability to cut out the shapes nicely. I know that sometimes
younger students have issues when using scissors but I believe that they will have had
ample practice cutting things out by second grade. I think the projects have the potential
to look really great especially since they will be a group effort.
XVII. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
ArtFund. (2014). Retrieved from: http://www.artfund.org/what-tosee/exhibitions/2014/04/17/henri-matisse-the-cut-outs
The Biography.com website. (N/A). Retrieved from:
http://www.biography.com/people/henri-matisse-9402564#breakthrough-period
Isenberg, J.P. & Durham, J.L. (2015). Creative materials and activities for the early
childhood curriculum. Hoboken, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
La Saga, Lisa. (2009). The Importance of Art Education. Retrieved From:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAm9kEfR8GM
Tray, Liz. (2015). The Guardian: Rex Ray Obituary. Retrieved from:
http://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2015/feb/23/rex-ray-obituary
Visual Thinking Strategies. (2015). Retrieved from: http://www.vtshome.org/what-isvts

XVIII. APPENDIX:
Stage One of Completion

Stage Two of Completion

Stage Three of Completion

Stage Four of Completion

10