+ Ms. Poelmann’s 2 nd Grade Class Sarah Hopson

+ Personal Picture Narratives: Jacob Lawrence 80 Minutes In this second grade lesson students will look closely at paintings by Lawrence depicting historical figures. Students will identify Lawrence’s unique style from work by other artists based on the elements of color and shape. They will create a painting using the same art elements to create a picture depicting an imagined scene from the life of Harriet Tubman.

+ Jacob Lawrence Introduction Student will learn about African American artist Jacob Lawrence. He began painting during the Harlem Renaissance. He is known for his dramatic use of primary and bold color and strong geometric figures. He had a strong interest in creating visual narratives about historically important African Americans. One series of narratives about Harriet Tubman was published as a children’s picture book. In this lesson students will look closely at the paintings in his Harriet Tubman series and some of his other works depicting historical figures. Students will be able to identify Lawrence’s unique style from work by other artists based on the elements of color and shape. Students will create a painting using the same art elements of color and shape to create a picture showing an imagined scene from the life of Tubman. Students will be assessed on the use of these elements in their work.

+ Learning Outcomes Students will: Gain a greater appreciation for the artwork of Jacob Lawrence and learn how he told stories through his narrative painting style (story painting) Be able to identify his work based on the elements of color Create their own work, borrowing the style of Jacob Lawrence by using the same bold colors, and strong geometric shapes in the human figures

+ Materials/Resources tempera paint (red, yellow, blue, black, brown, green, white) small and medium brushes plastic cups to hold paint water containers 17×23 construction paper white chalk (to draw image on construction paper) manilla paper, pencils, crayons Harriet and the Promised Land by Jacob Lawrence

+ Pre-Activities (10-15 Minutes) Review the color wheel and primary and secondary colors. Review the term “color scheme.” Talk about Jacob Lawrence (possibly show short video with bio) and his work. Read Harriet and the Promised Land by Jacob Lawrence.

+ Essential Thoughts (After Reading Harriet and the Promised Land) (5 Minutes) Does he use soft color or bold color? What specific colors can you name? What kinds of colors are blue and yellow? (Primary colors) Point out Lawrence’s use of strong, flat areas of color Ask young artists if they can brainstorm/recall historical information about Harriet Tubman’s life.

+ Activity #1 (15-20 Minutes) Review Lawrence’s artwork from the Harriet Tubman series. Students will imagine they are runaway slaves and Harriet is helping to guide them to freedom. Students will create a sketch for a painting using this imaginary scenario. They may plan their color scheme in crayon. Students should try to limit their color palette to five or six of the identified strong colors used by Lawrence (red, blue, yellow, green, white, black, brown).

+ Activity #2 (15-20 Minutes) Students will draw their images on a piece of 17×23 construction paper using white chalk. Students will use tempera paint in their pre-selected color scheme to paint their images. Review how to hold paintbrushes. Review how to clean brushes in between colors. Discourage attempts at color mixing. Remember, Lawrence is known for use of pure, bold colors.

+ Activity #3 (15 Minutes) Students will share and critique their work based on the use of the limited color palette and share their compositions and ideas. Show virtual tour of State Historical Society, and the paintings that are similar to the paintings of Lawrence. I will be asking the young artists what they believe the “story” or “narrative” is behind some of the paintings.

+ Assessment Students work will be assessed based on their use of color in their own painting, neatness, contribution to class discussion and sharing of their composition. Students can assess their own participation and finished work with a happy face/sad face rubric using the following prompts: Did you use a limited color palette in your painting? Did your artwork tell a story about Harriet Tubman? Did you try to work neatly when handling your brushes and paint? Students will also be assessed on their ability to distinguish Jacob Lawrence’s work from that of other artists. This can be accomplished through a pop quiz using the computer and LCD projector. Teacher will need to pre-select three pieces Lawrence’s work (one could be from the Tubman series the other two could be from other series) as well as artwork from three other artists. Have students identify the work created by Lawrence. (This can also be done with art prints.)

+ Modifications Students may chose to do a painting based on an event from their life rather than an imagined event involving Harriet Tubman. They might also choose to do a self portrait using the limited color scheme and then focus on adding objects in the background that tell the viewer something about the student painting the picture. This does not have to be a painting lesson. Students can just as easily work on smaller paper with only crayons or markers if need be.