“Escaping Into a Work of Art”
WHATS ON FOR TODAY AND WHY:
Today, students will place themselves inside Nico’s life. They will discover the painting and the tragic event that occurred. Students will explore the different mediums an individual may try to use in order to “escape.” The teacher will explain how one may escape into a book, painting, performing engaging activities, anything to get out of the painful and real world. The painting is what Nico uses to escape, she pictures herself in there being saved by an angel, and when Aaron comes in he embodies the notion of being a savor. He takes her out of the state of just being and makes her alive again. In this chapter Nico gets taken to Miller’s point by Aaron. He shows her how she can escape in this meadow. There is no one there to bother her, and she may imagine endless possibilities while there. They stare at the clouds and look for images that may be “made out” of those clouds. Students will be discussing the painting to better understand Nico’s situation and place her within the context of what is happening to her. Students will then create a found poem based on a dialogue between Aaron and Nico. Students will excavate significant words and meanings in order to interpret the underlying idea throughout the passage. Students will connect their knowledge from previous chapters and synthesize all they have learned so far to interpret what course of action this conversation is taking and what changes and experiences Nico is going through.
WHAT TO DO:
In chapter seven, Nico delves into her favorite book at Goldengrove. It is a book that is full of Sienese paintings. She comes across, Saint Nicholas of Tolenino Saving a Shipwreck. This painting will be displayed on the smart board. As students are piling into the classroom, they will be required to sit with their groups of five that they have been assigned in the beginning of the unit. As a class, we will discuss the idea of “escaping,” the notion of putting away the painful memories, experiences, and disconnecting from reality. They will then begin thinking about the piece of art. The teacher will also put this quote on the board: “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Students will then use their words to describe how this image relates to the novel as a whole and to chapter seven. After they are done brainstorming on paper, the teacher will have students use exploratory talk to voice their opinion and discover ideas from each group member. They will then be asked to look over the passage on page 98, starting with “suddenly” and ending with “even when”, which describes how Nico is feeling when she is looking at the picture. Students will be asked to connect their ideas of the painting’s relevance to the close reading of the passage.
Students will then be asked to open their books to the top of page 116 and read over the conversation between Aaron and Nico, until the bottom of page 117. After silently reading it to themselves, I will read the conversation aloud, and then ask students to take words that they believe are most relevant, or most meaningful, and create a poem out of them. They are allowed to use only the words that are written in this passage, and focus on the meaning of the interaction as a whole. This will form another work of art. Students will pick a theme for their poem, and then place their emotions and feelings in this short piece to depict their interpretation of the passage. They will rearrange the structure, order, cut sentences, and paint the scene with words. I will give them an example of my poem:
I am really sorry. I have no imagination. Margaret would have thought of something odder and cooler. Maybe I just like to think I had no imagination But my mind always got from Point A to Point B, in a twisty way As I watched the clouds morph, I imagined a Q-tip, but I didn’t say so. Aaron said I should catch it from the corner of my eye, instead of dead-on center. Let your eyes go out of focus. Your mistake is zooming in too hard!
I will explain to the students that I took Aaron’s and Nico’s conversation and interpreted it into a poem. I connected my knowledge of Nico, from this and previous chapters, and of Aaron. In my mind, I analyzed this interaction and synthesized ideas. Although Nico might not be as creative as her older sister Margaret, she is still witty. Throughout her coping, she has been zooming in too hard on her emotions and her memory of Margaret. She has not yet learned how to manage her sorrows. From this interaction, and how he walked into the bookstore while she was immersed in the painting, shows to me that he might be the one to save her. This predicts what will come next, which is crucial for students to know in order to comprehend the text. So he is teaching her how to go out of focus and learn to look from the corner of the eye. Students will be given an example of the poem and an explanation for my interpretation. They will be given 10 minutes to work on this, and then asked to share some of their poems.
For homework, students will be asked to read chapters eight and nine. They will also be reminded that throughout the week, they should have been snapping pictures of things that reminded them of Nico and the experiences that she has been going through. We had discussed how throughout the week, and as students advance throughout the novel, they should be taking picture of things that they believe represent Nico and how she is developing and or changing. Today, students will only have to read for homework; just in case they have not been taken the pictures, tonight will give them an opportunity to catch up.
HOW DID IT GO?
Did the students participated in their groups and gave their original ideas on why they believe the painting reflects Nico’s character and emotional state? Did the students create poems that were engaging and unique? Did the students listen attentively while others read their poems? Did the students understand how Nico uses a variety of mediums in order to “escape” the negative emotions and feelings she has been experiencing?
