2nd Lesson Plan - In Search of the Novel

This is a lesson plan that I created to use with my Art I students. All students are required to read a novel every nine weeks for their English classes in addition to the ones they read as a class project. I have a mix of grade levels in my art class so there will be a variety of novels represented. I present three projects and give the students a choice of doing two of them. The first is to set up a still life vignette that contains 2-5 objects from the book. They should be important to the plot or characters of the novel. The students create a journal entry about what each thing means & why it's so important. The class then has a choice and they can pick at least 2 vignettes to draw. The second project is to design a book jacket for a regular sized book - not a paperback. They can use paint, pastel, ink, or pencil. Their goal is to create an artwork so compelling that people will want to pick up the book and read it. The picture must obviously relate to the book in some way. They are required to include a short biography of the author with a picture. They must also include a synopsis of the book and a list of other books written by the author if appropriate. I take pictures of the art work to be posted on the school's web site. The last project choice is to make a movie trailer using Windows Movie Maker. They can use almost any media; drawings, pictures, clay, real life student actors, etc. They must design a studio name, logo, and icon for the trailer. Their artit's name must be part of the design. Their goal is to generate a buzz or excitement about the movie that is so intense that the viewer will want to see the movie and will remember the movie when it is released. KH016