Lessons & Units :: The Art of Miss Chew 3rd Grade Unit

Read-Aloud Lesson: The Art of Miss Chew

Lesson Plan

The Art of Miss Chew | 630L

The Art of Miss Chew
Learning Goal
Identify and describe the experiences that helped the main character develop as an artist.
Duration
TBD
Necessary Materials
Provided:
  1. Detailed lesson plan
  2. Graphic organizer for guided practice
  3. Independent student worksheet

Not Provided:
The Art of Miss Chew
 
  1. This lesson is a close reading of the entire text. So it’s important to engage students often, to enhance their learning. Here are two tips:

    •   When you ask the more complex questions from the lesson, ask students to “turn-and-talk” or “buddy-talk” before answering.

    •   Once you are deep into the lesson, instead of asking students every question provided, ask them to share with you what questions they should be asking themselves at that point in the text. This is also a great opportunity to use "turn-and-talk."
       
  2. Suggested teacher language is included in the lesson.

  3. We recommend you read the book once to your students, either the day or morning before teaching the lesson.

  4. This research-based, read-aloud lesson may seem long. Why do students need the lesson to be this way?
 

Part 1: Teacher Modeling and Questioning

 

Write the learning goal on the board, then read the learning goal out loud with the class.

We will understand how the main character’s experiences help her develop as an artist.

 
Transition Students into the Text
 
Teacher says: Discovering something you love to do can be exciting. In the story we are going to read, a girl discovers she loves making art. Let’s see what happens as a result of her discovery.
 
Read page 1 out loud, then stop. Page 1 ends with, “...seem to pass them.” Show students the accompanying illustration. If possible, always show students the illustrations on the pages you read throughout the lesson.
1.
Teacher says: In a book, the person telling the story is called a narrator.
2.
Teacher asks: Who is the narrator of this book?
 
Students answer (responses may vary but should resemble the following):
  • The narrator is the girl.
  • The narrator is the girl in the picture.
  • The narrator is the girl from California.
3.
Teacher asks: When does the girl who is narrating, or telling this story, discover how much she loves art?
 
Students answer: She discovers how much she loves art during the summer she spends with her grandmother and father in Michigan.
4.
Teacher asks: What does the girl’s grandma do beautifully?
 
Students answer: This girl’s grandmother draws and paints beautifully.
5.
Teacher asks: What does the girl’s grandmother tell her?
 
Students answer: The girl’s grandmother tells her that she is a natural artist.
6.
Teacher says (models thinking): Think over what we know about the girl’s grandmother. She is an artist who draws and paints beautifully. Now think about how the girl might feel when she is told that she is a natural artist by someone who draws and paints so well.
7.
Teacher asks: The girl says she “couldn’t wait to take Art at school next fall.” What does it mean that she couldn’t wait to take Art at school next fall?
 
Students answer: It means that she was very excited about taking Art class at school next fall.
Read more
8.
Teacher asks: Why is the girl excited to take Art at school in the fall?
 
Students answer (responses may vary and include the following):
  • The girl is excited to take Art because her grandmother told her that she is a natural artist.
  • The girl is excited to take Art because her grandmother has given her encouragement.
  • The girl is excited to take Art because she has discovered how much she loves it.
9.
Teacher says (models thinking):
  • The girl states that she discovered how much she loved art during the summer she spent with her grandmother.
  • During that summer, the girl’s grandmother, who draws and paints beautifully, tells the girl that she is a natural artist.
  • That makes the girl excited about taking Art class at school in the fall.
  • Based on this information, I am going to conclude that this whole experience is one that helps the girl develop as an artist. It gets her excited about art.
 
Read the title page and pages 2-7 of the story out loud, then stop. Page 2 begins with, “I was back in California, and I loved school.” Page 7 ends with, “I felt so proud.”
10.
Teacher asks: What does Mr. Donovan do with Patricia’s drawing when he sees it?
 
Students answer: He hangs the drawing on the bulletin board.
11.
Teacher asks: What does Mr. Donovan say to Patricia?
 
Students answer: He says that she has remarkable talent.
12.
Teacher says: That means Patricia has a lot of talent. Telling someone that she has remarkable talent is a powerful thing to say.
13.
Teacher asks: How do Patricia’s classmates react when they see her picture?
 
Students answer: Responses may vary but should reflect the text. Examples include the following:
  • Patricia’s classmates crowd up to look at her picture.
  • Davey Mulford says, “Man, oh, man, can you draw.”
  • Rick Schubb exclaims, “Wow!”
  • Neonne Price is impressed.
14.
Teacher asks: How is Patricia feeling now?
 
Students answer: She feels so proud.
15.
Teacher asks: Could this experience make Patricia want to create more art and show it to other people? Explain why or why not, using evidence from the book.
 
Students answer (responses may vary but should resemble the following): This experience would likely make Patricia want to create more art and show it to other people. Having her work seen and praised by others makes her feel proud.
 
Read pages 8-10 out loud, then stop. Page 10 ends with, “I was Ther-esa.”
16.
Teacher asks: What class does Patricia join?
 
Students answer: Patricia joins Miss Chew’s special class (or program) for young artists.
 
Read pages 12-15 out loud, then stop. Page 15 ends with, “‘...then draw.’”
17.
Teacher asks: What does Miss Chew keep telling her students to do before they draw?
 
Students answer: Miss Chew tells her students to see.
18.
Teacher asks: Miss Chew tells her students not just to look at the saltshakers in front of them as they draw. She tells them to see the saltshakers. What does she mean? This picture of Patricia may give you a clue.
 
Show students the illustration on page 15, which depicts Patricia gazing intently toward the saltshakers as she holds a pencil in front of her.
 
Students answer: Responses may vary but should recognize a distinction between looking at something in a cursory way and seeing something profoundly, attentive to its details.
19.
Teacher says: In addition to teaching Patricia to see, Miss Chew shows her how to make her pencil lines darker and lighter. Miss Chew is teaching Patricia different drawing skills.
 
Read pages 16-19 out loud, then stop. Page 19 ends with, “...negative space.”
20.
Teacher asks: How many sketches, or quick drawings, does Patricia hand in after Miss Chew asks the students to take the sketchbooks everywhere and draw?
 
Students answer: Patricia hands in twenty sketches.
21.
Teacher asks: How many sketches do her classmates hand in?
 
Students answer: They hand in one or two sketches.
22.
Teacher asks: Does Patricia work hard at her art? Explain why or why not, using evidence from the book.
 
Students answer: Patricia works hard at her art. She does twenty sketches, while her classmates do only one or two.
23.
Teacher asks: Think about all the drawing that Patricia does as a result of her class with Miss Chew. Is taking the class an experience that helps her develop as an artist? Explain why or why not, using evidence from the book.
 
Students answer: Responses may vary but should recognize that Miss Chew’s class helps Patricia develop as an artist. For example:
  • Yes, taking the class helps Patricia develop as an artist. It motivates her to work hard and make many sketches.
  • Yes, taking the class helps Patricia develop as an artist. She learns drawing skills from it, such as how to see and how to change her pencil line from dark to light.
 
Read pages 20-24 out loud, then stop. Page 24 ends with “‘...Spring Art Show.’”
24.
Teacher says: Miss Chew says that she will assign an easel to Patricia. An easel is a stand that holds up an artist’s work while the artist is painting. You can see pictures of some easels on these pages.
 
Show illustrations on pages 24 and 25.
25.
Teacher asks: Miss Chew assigns Patricia an easel and tells her that she is ready for something. What is Patricia ready for?
 
Students answer: Patricia is ready for painting.
26.
Teacher says: Miss Chew also says that Patricia might be able to take part in the high school Spring Art Show. That sounds very different from what Mrs. Spaulding said about Patricia having to stop art classes completely. Let’s find out whether Patricia is able to continue with art and take part in the Spring Art Show or whether she has to stop taking art classes.
 
Read pages 25-30 out loud, then stop. Page 30 ends with, “...flying colors.”
27.
Teacher asks: Earlier we wondered whether Patricia would be able to continue with art classes or have to stop taking them. What have we learned now about those two possibilities?
 
Students answer: Patricia will continue taking art classes.
28.
Teacher says: Something else we wondered was whether Patricia would be able to take part in the high school Spring Art Show. We still do not have an answer to that question, so let’s see if we get one as we read on.
 
Read pages 31-33 out loud. Page 33 ends with, “...the Spring Art Show!”
29.
Teacher asks: What is Patricia’s painting of Mr. Donovan’s father going to be part of?
 
Students answer: The painting is going to be part of the Spring Art Show.
 
Read pages 33-38 out loud, finishing the story.
30.
Teacher asks: How does Patricia feel at the art show?
 
Students answer: She feels proud.
31.
Teacher asks: What does Mr. Donovan do when he sees Patricia’s painting of his father?
 
Students answer (responses may include both of the following):
  • Mr. Donovan takes Patricia’s hand and squeezes it.
  • Mr. Donovan loses his ability to speak.
32.
Teacher asks: What does Miss Chew say about Patricia’s painting?
 
Students answer: She says Patricia’s painting is beautiful.
33.
Teacher asks: Being next to Miss Chew and Mr. Donovan at the art show is an important moment for Patricia. What does it set her on a course to become?
 
Students answer: The moment sets her on a course to become an artist.
34.
Teacher asks: How much of an influence has Miss Chew had on Patricia’s development as an artist? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.
 
Students answer (responses may vary and include the following):
  • Miss Chew has had a big influence on Patricia’s development as an artist. Patricia notes that the art of Miss Chew was responsible for setting her on the path to be an artist.
  • Miss Chew has played an important role in Patricia’s development as an artist because she taught Patricia different drawing skills.
  • Miss Chew had a significant influence on Patricia’s development as an artist because she helped ensure that Patricia could continue taking her art class, which allowed Patricia to build up her drawing skills.
  • Miss Chew was very supportive and encouraging of Patricia and her artwork. This attitude increased Patricia’s interest in making art.
 

Part 2: Guided Practice and Discussion

 
For this oral lesson, it is suggested to have the completed graphic organizer on the board with the answers concealed. After students provide a correct answer, reveal the corresponding answer on the graphic organizer.
1.
Teacher says: We determined that the first experience in Patricia’s development as an artist was spending the summer with her grandmother. She discovered how much she loved art during that summer.
2.
Teacher asks: Now let’s recall a detail about that experience. What did Patricia’s grandmother tell her?
 
Students answer: Patricia’s grandmother told Patricia that she was a natural artist.
3.
Teacher asks: What effect did being told she was a natural artist have on Patricia?
 
Students answer: Patricia became very excited about taking art class in the fall.
4.
Teacher says: The next experience that had an impact on Patricia’s development as an artist was being complimented on her art by Mr. Donovan and her classmates.
5.
Teacher asks: What are some details you remember from the book about this experience?
 
Students answer (responses may vary and include the following):
  • Mr. Donovan hung Patricia’s drawing on the bulletin board.
  • Mr. Donovan told Patricia that she had “remarkable talent.”
  • Patricia’s classmates commented that she could draw and were impressed.
6.
Teacher asks: What effect did this experience have on Patricia?
 
Students answer (responses may vary and include the following):
  • Patricia felt proud.
  • Patricia may have felt encouraged to create more art and share it with other people.
7.
Teacher says: The third experience that helped Patricia develop as an artist was taking Miss Chew’s class.
Read more
8.
Teacher asks: What are some details about this experience?
 
Students answer (responses may vary and include the following):
  • Miss Chew taught Patricia drawing skills.
  • Patricia drew a lot.
9.
Teacher asks: What effect did this experience have on Patricia?
 
Students answer (responses may vary and include the following):
  • Patricia improved her drawing skills and became better at making art.
  • Patricia got more excited about her art and becoming an artist.
10.
Teacher says: The last experience in the book that helped Patricia develop as an artist was having her painting of Mr. Donovan’s father included in the Spring Art Show.
11.
Teacher asks: What are some details about this experience?
 
Students answer (responses may vary and include the following):
  • Mr. Donovan lost his ability to speak when he saw the painting.
  • Mr. Donovan squeezed Patricia’s hand.
  • Miss Chew called the painting beautiful.
12.
Teacher asks: What effect did this experience have on Patricia?
 
Students answer (responses may vary but should resemble the following): Patricia was set on a course to be an artist.
 
After the answers for the graphic organizer have been completed and discussed with the class, ask the following two extension questions.
 
Teacher asks: At the end of the book, Patricia states that she is set on a course to be an artist and that it could be no other way, thanks to the art of the amazing Miss Chew. What does Patricia mean when she says, ‘thanks to the art of the amazing Miss Chew’?
 
Students answer (responses may vary): Patricia is referring to Miss Chew’s teaching. Miss Chew’s “art” was her amazing ability to support Patricia and help her succeed at art as well as at other school subjects.
 
Teacher asks: We learned a lot in the story about Patricia besides her development as an artist. Think about the other parts of Patricia’s life, especially her problems with tests and reading. How does art affect other parts of Patricia’s life? Support your answer with evidence from the book.
 
Students answer (responses may vary and include the following):
  • Art helps solve Patricia’s problem with taking tests and reading. Miss Chew notices that Patricia, in her art, begins drawing by what is in negative space and guesses that she may read by starting with negative space as well. This realization leads to a reading specialist figuring out why Patricia has trouble reading.
  • Art helps build the relationship between Patricia and Mr. Donovan. Patricia paints a picture of Mr. Donovan’s father that makes him emotional when he sees it. He takes her hand and squeezes it, which suggests that he feels close to her.
 

Part 3: Student Independent Practice

 
Both the student question set and teacher answer sheet are provided in the 'Text & Materials' section.

Texts & Materials

Standards Alignment

(To see all of the ReadWorks lessons aligned to your standards, click here.)

User Comments

I love this lesson for my 3rd grade class. I think they learn more about bullying. Thank you for sharing. Outstanding resource for teachers!

Submitted by pemalita.makinano_1803237 on 2/21/17

I LOVE IT! THIS IS VERY SIMPLE FOR TEACHER AND STUDENT TO FOLLOW!

Submitted by nicolehill1126_2313915 on 10/8/16

i love this page

Submitted by edward.peters0312_2274996 on 9/24/16

I love Patricia Pollaco books! I can't wait to read this one and share with my students.

Submitted by lpruitt_1997365 on 8/29/16

What a wonderful lesson. Patricia Polacco is one of my favorite authors. She always challenges students to think, and my students will love it.

Submitted by jjhathco_1913117 on 8/24/16

I'm going to add this to my unit on Patrica Polacco. Thank you!

Submitted by vanessa_w2007_1538627 on 8/18/16

I like this assignment

Submitted by gbeckford_2182804 on 8/5/16

This is a great lesson!! It comes in great use!!!

Submitted by lexi.rosende_2119102 on 5/24/16

This is great!!! Love the mini-lessons! Great texts!

Submitted by tjm1384_1901812 on 2/9/16

This is an excellent help for kids.

Submitted by gregven_1861584 on 1/26/16

These are great lessons and resources and they are helpful in keeping me on track.

Submitted by brendajackson5730_1301181 on 9/28/15

I love this book and will be using it with my 2nd/3rd graders during our creativity unit. Thank you for creating this wonderful unit.

Submitted by tanasinay on 9/26/15

It helps me a lot for my kids. Awesome!

Submitted by silverlace3413_1546263 on 9/10/15

looking forward to adding these lessons to my lesson plans to enhance development of comprehension. Thanks much.

Submitted by melody on 8/30/15

I am going to use this for my child at home over the summer!
Thanks.

Submitted by zee_zeemom_1453848 on 6/3/15

Hello :
this seems great

Submitted by aminnoeparast_1294294 on 3/6/15

I love this lesson for my 3rd grade ELL students. I think they will learn so much.

Submitted by nanglem_1182657 on 2/11/15