COLLECTION CONNECTIONS
New Approaches to Social-Emotional Learning from Museum to Classroom
Anne Cochran Grey, Ph.D.
The 2024-2025 Bradley-Otis Fellow
Rollins Museum of Art
Introduction
Art invites us to feel, to reflect, and to connect These qualities are also at the heart of social-emotional learning (SEL), which helps students develop empathy, selfawareness, and the tools to navigate an increasingly complex world. At the Rollins Museum of Art, we believe that when students engage with original works of art through careful looking, questioning, and creative response they practice the very habits that SEL encourages: curiosity, reflection, compassion, and community
This lesson plan book, Collection Connections: New Approaches to Social-Emotional Learning from Museum to Classroom, grew out of a year-long fellowship focused on exploring those connections. Dr. Anne Grey, a passionate and experienced art educator at Mollie Rae Elementary School, served as the museum’s 2024–25 Bradley-Otis Fellow Over the course of the year, Anne designed and implemented this sequence of lessons in her classroom, drawing direct inspiration from works in RMA’s permanent collection.
The result is a five-unit sequence that aligns with the five core competencies of the CASEL framework: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. Together, these lessons provide 16 weeks of instruction with opportunities for adaptation and extension. Students explore identity through portraiture, map their emotions through color, express gratitude and empathy through sculpture and storytelling, reflect on the impact of words, and consider how even small choices like the placement of a single dot can shape our shared world.
These lessons were developed in a classroom but inspired by the museum, and they reflect our belief in the power of cross-institutional learning. We are deeply grateful to Anne for sharing her practice—and her students—with us, and to Jacqueline Bradley and Clarence Otis for their generosity in funding this fellowship. We hope this resource sparks new ideas, strengthens connections between museums and classrooms, and helps students not only learn about art, but grow through it.
David Matteson, Ph.D. Associate Curator of Education Rollins Museum of Art
Examples of artworks created by Mollie Rae Elementary students as part of a lesson inspired by Richard Baker ’s book portraits.
Lesson 1: The Richard Baker Book Project: The Art of Beloved Books
OVERVIEW OF THE LESSON
This lesson was inspired by Richard Baker’s book portraits in the collection of the Rollins Museum of Art. Students will explore books, reading, and self-awareness by creating their own book covers using gouache on mixed media paper. These covers may represent a favorite book, a meaningful reading experience, or a story about themselves or their family. The lesson supports engagement with artworks from the collection while fostering self-expression and painting skills. It is organized into three main activities, each designed to last approximately 45 minutes, with flexibility based on students’ age and progress.
Objectives
The students will...
o Learn about the artist Richard Baker and his book portraits.
o Create an original book cover inspired by Richard Baker’s paintings.
o Discover how to use and practice working with gouache on paper.
o Strengthen self-awareness through artmaking.
Grade Level(s)
3-5, can be adapted for Grade Levels 3 -12
OPPORTUNITIES FOR SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING (SEL)
CASEL Framework SEL Strategies Self-Awareness
Self-awareness: The abilities to understand one’s own emotions, thoughts, and values and how they influence behavior across contexts. This includes capacities to recognize one’s strengths and limitations with a well-grounded sense of confidence and purpose Such as:
o Integrating personal and social identities
o Identifying personal, cultural, and linguistic assets
o Identifying one’s emotions
o Demonstrating honesty and integrity
o Linking feelings, values, and thoughts
o Examining prejudices and biases
o Experiencing self-efficacy
o Having a growth mindset
o Developing interests and a sense of purpose
*Social and emotional learning referenced are taken directly from the Interactive CASEL Wheel
FLORIDA STATE STANDARDS – GRADE 5
Using the Elements of Art and Principles of Design to Create a Work of Art
o VA.5. O.1.1 Use structural elements of art and organizational principles of design to develop content in artwork.
o VA.5. S.2.1 Organize the structural elements of art to support planning, strengthen focus, and implement artistic vision.
o VA.5. S.1.1 Use various art tools, media, and techniques to discover how different choices change the effect on the meaning of an artwork.
o VA.5. F.1.1 Examine and experiment with traditional or non-traditional uses of media to apply imaginative techniques in two- and/or three-dimensional artworks.
Critiquing Works of Art
o VA.5. C.1.3 Examine and discuss exemplary works of art to distinguish which qualities may be used to evaluate personal works of art.
o VA.5. H.1.4 Explain the importance of artwork to show why respect is or should be given to the work of peers or specified professional artists.
Following Procedures to Create Works of Art
o VA.5. S.2.2 - Identify sequential procedures to engage in art production.
Revising Artwork
o VA.5. C.2.1 - Revise artwork as a necessary part of the creative process to achieve an artistic goal.
o VA.5. C.2.2 - Analyze personal artworks to articulate the motivations and intentions in creating personal works of art.
Communicating by Creating a Meaningful Work of Art
o VA.5. O.3.1 Create meaningful and unique works of art to effectively communicate and document a personal voice.
o VA.5. F.3.2 Create artwork that shows procedural and analytical thinking to communicate ideas.
LEARNING GOALS – FLORIDA STATE STANDARDS
o Use structural elements of art and organizational principles of design to develop content in artwork. (O.1.1)
o Visualize the product to justify artistic choices of tools, techniques, and processes. (S.2.3)
o Revise artwork as a necessary part of the creative process to achieve an artistic goal. (C.2.1)
o Examine and discuss exemplary works of art to distinguish which qualities may be used to evaluate personal works. (C.1.3)
o Explain the importance of artwork to show why respect is or should be given to the work of peers or specified professional artists. (H.1.4)
o Analyze personal artworks to articulate the motivations and intentions in creating personal works of art. (C.2.2)
o Create meaningful and unique works of art to effectively communicate and document a personal voice. (O.3.1)
o Create artwork that shows procedural and analytical thinking to communicate ideas. (F.3.2)
*Standards and Learning Goals referenced are taken directly from the CPALMS, which is the State of Florida's official source for standards.
**The Florida State and National Standards provide a roadmap or framework for what students should learn. Teachers should decide how to implement them in the classroom according to the needs of their students and school districts.
MATERIALS
o ARThink Sheet: Richard Baker
o Book Cover Template
o Sketching Pencils 9H-5H
o RTN-154 | Colored Pencils - 12pc
o Erasers
o Mixed media paper or Watercolor Paper BEE-808 Series Super Deluxe Mixed Media Paper 9”-12" Sheet Pack 100 Sheets
o Royal-Langnickel Essentials Gouache paints (tubes or palettes)
o Palettes
o Royal-Langnickel Big Kid’s Choice Brushes
LESSON PROCEDURE
Activity 1: Introduction and Sketching
1. Begin by letting students know they will explore their love of reading and self-expression through art, inspired by contemporary still-life paintings by American artist Richard Baker, on view at the Rollins Museum of Art.
2. Use the Collection Connection: Richard Baker resource to guide students through a discussion of Baker’s artworks, with images available on the RMA website.
3. Explain that Baker uses gouache, a vibrant, opaque water-based paint, to create still-life "book portraits" that reflect the identity of the reader through signs of use, wear, and personal history.
4. Distribute the ARThink Sheet and ask students to consider the following question: What type of book cover do you want to create and why?
o The cover of your favorite book.
o The cover of a book you read for school.
o The cover of a story about you or your family.
Students should write 2–3 sentences explaining their choice.
5. Write the question prompt on the board. As students share, circle keywords and themes that emerge to build vocabulary and concept connections.
6. Ensure students understand the prompt by encouraging them to talk through their ideas.
7. Provide the Book Cover Template. Students will create a sketch of their chosen book cover using pencil, based on their response on the ARThink Sheet.
8. Using drawing and colored pencils, students will illustrate their book cover on the template, focusing on visual storytelling and expressive detail.
9. Circulate and ask follow-up questions to assess understanding. Encourage students to expand on their ideas in conversation they love this!
10. Introduce the concept of revision and emphasize that sketches are an important planning step in creating thoughtful, finished artworks.
11. Assist with spelling and drawing as needed. Offer encouragement and help students refine their sketches.
12. Invite students to share their sketches and explain their chosen book cover. Encourage peer feedback and connection.
Activity 2: Painting with Gouache
1. On heavyweight mixed-media paper, pre-draw the book template from the worksheet for each student.
2. Provide students with their pre-drawn paper, a pencil, a gouache palette (with primary and secondary colors), and a brush.
3. Ask students to redraw their book cover from the worksheet directly onto the mixed-media paper.
4. Talk about object placement focal point, foreground, midground, and background. Reference Richard Baker’s work as a model.
5. Remind students to focus on basic shapes first, then refine details. They’ll complete the details during the painting phase.
6. Students will fill in their sketch with gouache, recreating their imagined book cover or personal storybook.
7. Demonstrate how to activate gouache with small amounts of water to keep it thick and creamy. Emphasize:
o Rinse brushes between colors.
o Avoid too much water.
o Use brushes gently to preserve bristles.
8. Explain that once a layer dries, students can paint over it. Mistakes can be covered gouache is forgiving.
9. Invite students to mix primary colors to create new shades and textures. Encourage background design as well as book details.
10. Guide students in cleaning brushes thoroughly and laying them flat to dry.
Activity 3: Reflection and Artist Statement
1. Guide students through answering the following questions on the back side of the ARThink Sheet:
o If you could choose a book for Richard Baker to paint, what book would you choose and why?
o If you were writing a book about yourself, what would the book be about?
o What emotions would we feel if we read a book about you?
o How would a book about you begin?
o How would a book about you end?
2. Students should review their responses on the ARThink Sheet and write a 2-3 sentence artist statement that includes:
o The type of book you illustrated and why.
o How your book cover reflects your identity, experience, or imagination.
o How sketching, revising, and painting helped shape your final artwork.
3. Students will share their artist statements with a partner or small group.
4. Students will submit their final artworks and artist statement.
Optional Extension: Display finished artworks alongside artist statements in a classroom “Baker-Inspired Book Gallery.” Invite students to view and respond to their peers' works.
Assessment
o Did students actively engage in discussion of the works of art, the prompt, and responses?
o Did the students complete the ARThink Sheet?
o Were the students able to sketch an illustration in response to the prompt?
o Did the students REVISE their story and illustration as necessary?
o Did the students create a personal work of art on the mixed media “book cover” provided, thus articulating their intentions and motivations?
o What did the students discover about painting with gouache?
o What did the students discover about themselves and about the books they love?
o Did the students write a 2-3 sentence artist statement?
RESOURCES
o Rollins Museum of Art American Art Index
o National Core Arts Standards – Visual Art
o Florida’s Next Generation Sunshine State Standards (Visual Arts)
o Empowering Education – SEL in Florida
o OCPS LaunchPad IMS – Grade Specific Standards
o OCPS Elementary Visual Arts Standards
o What Is the CASEL Framework?
o LaunchPad IMS Visual Arts Scope & Sequence (Art Intermediate 3 - 5001060)
o Harvard Graduate School of Education – Project Zero: Exploring Art Images and Objects
o OCPS Strategic Plan
VOCABULARY
American Art: Art made by artists who live in or are from the United States. It often shows stories, people, and places that are important in American life.
Gouache: A special kind of paint that is thick and bright, kind of like watercolor but more colorful. Artists use it to make bold pictures that stand out.
Portrait: A picture of a person. It can show just the face or the whole body and often tells us something about who the person is.
Revise / Revision: To make changes to improve your artwork. This can mean fixing a mistake, adding more details, or trying something a different way.
Still Life: A drawing or painting of things that don’t move like books, fruit, or flowers carefully arranged by the artist.
Collection Connection: Richard Baker
Books are special. They can be our friends, help us remember the past, and let us imagine exciting new worlds. Even though people sometimes say that books are disappearing because of computers and screens, many of us still treasure them. Books hold memories. A bent corner, a wrinkled cover, or a note in the margin shows how much someone cared about that book.
Artist Richard Baker (American, b. 1959) paints book covers but not just any books. He paints the covers of books that were chosen by college teachers (called professors) at Rollins College. These professors picked books that were especially meaningful to them books that helped shape the way they think or feel.
Baker paints them carefully using a kind of paint called gouache, and he shows the book cover and spine clearly, almost like the book is posing for a picture. These are the actual books that belonged to the teachers, showing signs of use and wear. When we look at these book portraits, we learn a lot not just about the books, but about the teachers who picked them. What kind of story meant so much to them? What ideas did the book help them understand?
Even though the paintings might look like still lifes which are artworks of inanimate or nonhuman objects like fruit or flowers these are actually more like portraits. Usually, a portrait is a painting of a person. But Baker treats these books like people, showing how each one tells us something about the person who read it.
Baker’s art helps us see that books aren’t just objects they are full of meaning, memory, and personality. Just like a favorite toy or a well-worn backpack, a book can tell a story about who we are.
QUESTIONS FOR THE CLASSROOM
o What do you notice first about the book in this painting?
o Why do you think your eyes went there first?
o What clues show that this book was read and loved?
o Can you find smudges, bent corners, writing, or worn spots?
o What kind of person might have chosen or read this book? Why?
o What do the book’s condition or title tell you about them?
o Why do you think the artist painted just the book, instead of the person who read it?
o How can objects tell stories about people?
o How does this painting make you feel about books?
o Does it remind you of a book that matters to you?
o What do we learn about ourselves from the books we love?
o Why is it important for a book to have an impactful cover?
o What is a commissioned work of art, and why do you think these paintings were commissioned?
o Why do you think Richard Baker started painting books?
o Why might an artist choose to paint still-life images?
o What is self-awareness, and how might artworks like these help us reflect on our identities?
Image Credits: Richard Baker (American, b. 1959), Gulliver’s Travels, 2013, Gouache on paper, 14 ¼ x 11 ¾ in. The Alfond Collection of Contemporary Art, Rollins Museum of Art. Gift of Barbara ’68 and Theodore ’68 Alfond. | Richard Baker (American, b. 1959), New Hampshire, 2013, Gouache on paper, 14 ¼ x 11 ¾ in. The Alfond Collection of Contemporary Art, Rollins Museum of Art. Gift of Barbara ’68 and Theodore ’68 Alfond. | Richard Baker (American, b. 1959), A Challenge for the Actor, 2013, Gouache on paper, 14 ¼ x 11 ¾ in. The Alfond Collection of Contemporary Art, Rollins Museum of Art. Gift of Barbara ’68 and Theodore ’68 Alfond. Images courtesy of the artist and Clark Gallery, Lincoln, Massachusetts.
NAME: ________________________________
DATE: ________________
GRADE: _______
ARThink Sheet: Richard Baker
1. What type of book cover do you want to create? Choose one option:
o The cover of your favorite book.
o The cover of a book you read for school.
o The cover of a story about you or your family. Students should write 2–3 sentences explaining their choice.
2. Why do you want to create the book cover you chose?
3. If you could choose a book for Richard Baker to paint, what book would you choose and why?
4. If you were writing a book about yourself, what would the book be about?
5. What emotions would we feel if we read a book about you?
6. How would a book about you begin?
7. How would a book about you end?
Cover Template
Lesson 2: Self-Portraits: Color as Storytelling
OVERVIEW OF THE LESSON
This lesson was inspired by Jordan Casteel’s painting Shirley (Spa Boutique2go), part of the Rollins Museum of Art collection. Students will explore self-portraiture, emotional expression, and the power of color through the lens of Plutchik’s Color Wheel of Emotion a tool that helps visualize and understand a broad range of human feelings. Using Casteel’s portrait as a point of departure, students will create self-portraits that tell a story while engaging with concepts of self-manag ement, self-regulation, and emotional awareness. The Lesson Procedure includes three activities, each designed to last approximately 45 minutes, though this may vary depending on students’ age and pace.
Objectives
The students will...
o Learn about the artist Jordan Casteel (American, b. 1989) and her painting Shirley (Spa Boutique2go) in the Rollins Museum of Art collection.
o Create a self-portrait in a meaningful setting, using color to help tell part of your story.
o Explore how color can represent emotion and be used as a tool for creative expression.
o Reflect on self-management and self-regulation, using color choices to express current thoughts and feelings.
Grade Level(s)
3-5, can be adapted for Grade Levels 3 -12
OPPORTUNITIES
FOR SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING (SEL)
CASEL Framework SEL Strategies for Self-Management
Self-management: The ability to manage one's emotions, thoughts, and behaviors effectively in different situations and to achieve goals and aspirations. This includes the capacity to delay gratification, manage stress, and feel motivation and agency to accomplish personal and collective goals. Such as:
o Managing one's emotions
o Identifying and using stress management strategies
o Exhibiting self-discipline and self-motivation
o Setting personal and collective goals
o Using planning and organizational skills
o Showing the courage to take initiative
o Demonstrating personal and collective agency
*Social and emotional learning referenced are taken directly from the Interactive CASEL Wheel
FLORIDA STATE STANDARDS – GRADE 5
Using the Elements of Art and Principles of Design to Create a Work of Art
o VA.5. O.1.1 - Use structural elements of art and organizational principles of design to develop content in artwork.
o VA.5. S.2.1 - Organize the structural elements of art to support planning, strengthen focus, and implement artistic vision.
o VA.5. S.1.1 - Use various art tools, media, and techniques to discover how different choices change the effect on the meaning of an artwork.
Critiquing Works of Art
o VA.5. C.1.3 - Examine and discuss exemplary works of art to distinguish which qualities may be used to evaluate personal works of art.
Following Procedures to Create Works of Art
o VA.5.S.2.3 - Visualize the end product to justify artistic choices of tools, techniques, and processes.
Revising Artwork
o VA.5. C.2.1 - Revise artwork as a necessary part of the creative process to achieve an artistic goal.
o VA.5. C.2.2 - Analyze personal artworks to articulate the motivations and intentions in creating personal works of art.
Communicating by Creating a Meaningful Work of Art
o VA.5. O.3.1 Create meaningful and unique works of art to effectively communicate and document a personal voice.
LEARNING GOALS – FLORIDA STATE STANDARDS
o Organize the structural elements of art to support planning, strengthen focus, and implement artistic vision. (S.2.1)
o Use various art tools, media, and techniques to discover how different choices change the effect on the meaning of an artwork. (S.1.1)
o Revise artwork as a necessary part of the creative process to achieve an artistic goal. (C.2.1)
o Analyze personal artworks to articulate the motivations and intentions in creating personal works of art. (C.2.2)
o Create meaningful and unique works of art to effectively communicate and document a personal voice. (O.3.1)
o Create artwork that shows procedural and analytical thinking to communicate ideas. (F.3.2)
*Standards and Learning Goals referenced are taken directly from the CPALMS, which is the State of Florida's official source for standards.
**The Florida State and National Standards provide a roadmap or framework for what students should learn. Teachers should decide how to implement them in the classroom according to the needs of their students and school districts.
MATERIALS
o Sketching Pencils 9H-5H
o RTN-154 | Colored Pencils – 12pc
o Erasers
o Royal Brush Watercolor Paper BEE-808 Series Super Deluxe Mixed Media Paper
o 9x12 in. drawing paper
o Royal Brush Azure Markers
LESSON PROCEDURE
Activity 1: Introduction and Planning Drawings
1. Let students know they will be exploring how color can represent emotion and tell stories through self-portraits, inspired by artist Jordan Casteel (American, b. 1989) and her painting Shirley (Spa Boutique2go) from the Rollins Museum of Art collection.
2. Use the Collection Connection: Jordan Casteel and images on the RMA website to guide students through Casteel’s work and other portraits in the collection. Use presenter notes to highlight key visual details, emotional cues, and thematic elements.
3. Explain how Casteel uses vibrant colors and specific settings to communicate the personality, mood, and story of the subject in Shirley. Emphasize how background, posture, and color all contribute to visual storytelling.
4. Distribute the ARThink Sheet and ask:
o How did the artist use color and setting to share information about Shirley?
o What can you learn about Shirley just by looking at her portrait?
5. Introduce Plutchik’s Color Wheel of Emotions. Display a labeled copy and guide students in labeling their own blank version on the ARThink Sheet by identifying the eight core emotions and their corresponding colors.
6. Optionally, introduce Picasso’s Blue and Rose Periods. Discuss how artists use color to express mood and draw comparisons between Picasso’s emotional color choices and Casteel’s.
7. Pose the reflective question: If you could paint yourself in a scene that tells your story, what setting would you choose, and what colors would you use to show how you feel?
8. Prompt students to brainstorm a meaningful setting (real or imagined) that reflects who they are this could be a favorite place, a family memory, or a dream space. Ask them to identify a color that represents how they feel in that space.
9. Write the prompt on the board and circle keywords that emerge during discussion to reinforce vocabulary and thematic connections.
10. Support brainstorming through group conversation, ensuring all students understand the prompt and feel encouraged to share their ideas.
11. Depending on age and comfort level, you might rephrase prompts such as:
o What place tells a story about who you are?
o What emotion do you think the color yellow represents in Casteel’s portrait?
o How do color and background help us understand Shirley?
12. Ask students to color in the eight basic emotions on the color wheel using colored pencils (joy, sadness, fear, anger, anticipation, surprise, trust, disgust).
13. Based on their brainstorm and ARThink Sheet, students will begin a planning drawing for their self-portrait using pencil. Emphasize visual storytelling what setting are they in, and how does color communicate emotion?
14. Using colored pencils, students will refine their planning drawings with expressive details and intentional color choices.
15. Circulate and ask open-ended questions to deepen their reflection. Support revision and help with drawing as needed.
16. Invite students to share their planning drawings, explaining their color and setting choices. Encourage peer feedback and connections.
Note: Class discussions around emotions, self-expression, and identity should be responsive and supportive. Allow time for students to share their thoughts in a way that respects their comfort and voice.
Activity 2: Creating a Self-Portrait
1. Revisit the Plutchik Color Wheel and the previous discussion on color and emotion. Ask students:
o What color might you use to show anger? Sadness? Joy?
o What do you remember about how Picasso or Casteel used color to express emotion?
2. Provide materials:
o Sketching pencils (9H–5H)
o Colored pencils
o Erasers
o Mixed media paper (Royal Brush Super Deluxe, 9x12”)
o Royal Brush Azure Markers
3. Students will recreate their planning drawings as final self-portraits on mixed media paper. They should include themselves in a setting that tells a personal story, using color to reflect their emotional state.
4. Demonstrate how to begin with an oval for the head and simple guidelines for facial features. Realism is not the goal focus on storytelling through setting and color.
5. Prompt students to think:
o What setting tells a story about you?
o What small objects or details can help create that setting? (e.g., books, trees, pets)
6. Encourage students to refer back to their color wheel and emotion choices as they complete their artworks.
7. Allow time for students to share their final portraits and discuss their stories.
Activity 3: Reflection and Artist Statement
1. Return to the ARThink Sheet, guide students through these reflective prompts:
o Why do you think Casteel used yellow in the background of Shirley’s portrait?
o What is the focal point of her painting?
o According to Plutchik’s Wheel, what does yellow represent?
o What setting did you choose for your self-portrait, and why?
o What colors did you use to express your emotions?
o Do your emotions change depending on your setting? Why or when might that happen?
2. Ask students to write a 2–3 sentence artist statement including:
o The setting of their self-portrait and why it was chosen
o How color was used to express emotion
o How planning, revising, and creating helped shape their final artwork
3. Invite students to share their artist statements in small groups or with a partner.
4. Collect final artworks and artist statements.
Optional Extension: Create a classroom gallery to display self-portraits alongside artist statements. Invite students to view and reflect on each other’s work.
Assessment
o Did students actively engage with the discussion of artworks and emotional storytelling?
o Did they complete the ARThink Sheet and color wheel?
o Were they able to make a planning drawing and translate it into a final artwork?
o Did they use color meaningfully to express emotion and personal narrative?
o Did they demonstrate understanding of self-regulation and emotional awareness through their choices?
o Did they write a thoughtful artist statement connecting their ideas, process, and final work?
RESOURCES
o Rollins Museum of Art American Art Index
o National Core Arts Standards – Visual Art
o Florida’s Next Generation Sunshine State Standards (Visual Arts)
o Empowering Education – SEL in Florida
o OCPS LaunchPad IMS – Grade Specific Standards
o OCPS Elementary Visual Arts Standards
o What Is the CASEL Framework?
o LaunchPad IMS Visual Arts Scope & Sequence (Art Intermediate 3 - 5001060)
o Harvard Graduate School of Education – Project Zero: Exploring Art Images and Objects
o OCPS Strategic Plan
o Plutchik’s Color Wheel of Emotions
VOCABULARY
Portrait: A picture of a person. It can show their face, body, and even the place they’re in to help tell a story about who they are.
Emotion: A feeling like happiness, sadness, anger, or surprise. We all have emotions, and they can change depending on what’s happening around us.
Self-Portrait: A picture an artist makes of themselves. It can show what they look like and how they feel.
Setting: The place where something happens. In art, a setting is the background or scene that helps tell the story in a picture.
Color Wheel: A circle that shows how colors are related to each other. It helps artists choose colors that look good together or show different feelings.
Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions: A special chart that shows how colors can represent different emotions, like red for anger or yellow for joy.
Planning Drawing: A first version of an artwork where you sketch your ideas before painting. It helps you plan what your picture will look like.
Artist Statement: A few sentences where an artist explains what they made, why they made it, and what it means to them.
Collection Connection: Jordan Casteel
Jordan Casteel is an American artist who paints big, colorful portraits of people she knows friends, neighbors, and community members from Harlem, New York City. Her paintings show everyday people doing everyday things working, relaxing, or simply being themselves.
In this painting, Casteel shows Shirley, a massage therapist in Harlem, sitting in her spa, Spa Boutique2go. Shirley is barefoot, smiling kindly, and surrounded by soft pinks and warm yellows. She looks relaxed and proud, like she’s welcoming you into her space.
Casteel started this painting with a pink base layer, which helps give the portrait a gentle glow. She paints Shirley’s face, hands, and clothing with care, but leaves other details like bottles and tools in the background less finished. This helps us focus on Shirley herself.
Casteel says that when she paints someone, it’s like she’s building a connection. She sees parts of herself in her subjects, and painting becomes a way of showing all the different sides of a person joy, sadness, calm, or hope. She once said, “Every painting becomes an opportunity for me to give a little slice of myself.”
Even though this painting doesn’t show someone famous, Casteel makes Shirley look important just like big portraits of kings, queens, or wealthy people you might see in museums. That’s part of what makes Casteel’s art special. She paints everyday heroes the people in our neighborhoods. Her paintings help make sure their stories are remembered.
QUESTIONS FOR THE CLASSROOM
o Who do you think Shirley is? What do you notice first about her?
o How does Shirley’s pose or facial expression make you feel?
o What colors did the artist use in this painting? What do they make you think of?
o Why do you think some parts of the painting are more detailed than others?
o Why might it be important to paint everyday people like Shirley?
o What does this portrait tell you about Shirley’s personality or her job?
o If someone painted a portrait of you, what would you want to be doing in it?
o What colors would you choose to show how you feel?
o Why do you think it matters who gets painted and hung on museum walls?
o Can a portrait be a way to tell a story? What story do you think this one tells?
Image Credit: Jordan Casteel (American, b. 1989) Shirley (Spa Boutique2go), 2018, Oil on canvas, 78 x 60 1/8 in. The Alfond Collection of Contemporary Art, Rollins Museum of Art. Gift of Barbara ’68 and Theodore ’68 Alfond. 2018.1.25 © Jordan Casteel
NAME: ________________________________
DATE: ________________
GRADE: _______
ARThink Sheet: Jordan Casteel
1. Look Closely:
o How did the artist use color and setting to share information about Shirley?
o What can you learn about Shirley just by looking at her portrait?
2. Think and Write:
o What do you think Shirley is feeling in this portrait?
o What clues help you guess her emotions?
3. Learn About Emotions: Psychologist Robert Plutchik created a chart called the Wheel of Emotions. It shows eight basic emotions we feel: Joy Sadness Anger Fear Trust Disgust Surprise Anticipation
4. Color the Wheel: Use colored pencils to color in each emotion on your blank Plutchik Wheel. You can use the color you think best matches the feeling
5. Draw Your Ideas: Sketch a self-portrait that shows how you are feeling today. Think about:
o What colors show your emotion?
o What setting tells a story about you?
Lesson 3: Boxes of Our Minds: Inside Out, Right Side Up
OVERVIEW OF THE LESSON
This lesson was inspired by Tobi Kahn’s sculpture Patuach Sagur Patuach (2012), in the collection of the Rollins Museum of Art, and by interviews with Sudanese artist Salah Elmur, who describes his paintings as “boxes of his mind.” In this three-dimensional (3D) lesson, students will explore social awareness by creating personalized cube sculptures. Each side of their cube will represent a different aspect of their lives or identities through collage. Students will use a variety of materials and techniques to reflect on community, family, and individual experiences. The lesson is organized into three activities. Each is intended to last approximately 45 minutes, with flexibility based on students’ age and pace.
Objectives
The students will...
o Learn about the artist Tobi Kahn and his sculpture Patuach Sagur Patuach (2012).
o Explore the idea of “boxes of the mind” inspired by Salah Elmur’s reflections on memory and cultural heritage.
o Create a 3D artwork using collage techniques.
o Practice cutting, arranging, and gluing various materials.
o Use each side of a cube to reflect on personal, cultural, and social connections.
o Develop social awareness through visual storytelling.
Grade Level(s)
3-5, can be adapted for Grade Levels 3 -12
OPPORTUNITIES FOR SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL
LEARNING (SEL)
CASEL Framework SEL Strategies for Social Awareness
Social awareness: The ability to understand the perspectives of and empathize with others, including those from diverse backgrounds and cultures. This includes the capacities to feel compassion for others, understand broader historical and social norms for behavior in different settings, and recognize family, school, and community resources and supports. Such as:
o Taking others’ perspectives
o Recognizing strengths in others
o Demonstrating empathy and compassion
o Showing concern for the feelings of others
o Understanding and expressing gratitude
o Identifying diverse social norms, including unjust ones
o Recognizing situational demands and opportunities
o Understanding the influences of organizations and systems on behavior
o Integrating personal and social identities
o Identifying personal, cultural, and linguistic assets
o Identifying one’s emotions
o Demonstrating honesty and integrity
o Linking feelings, values, and thoughts
o Examining prejudices and biases
o Experiencing self-efficacy
o Having a growth mindset
o Developing interests and a sense of purpose
*Social and emotional learning referenced are taken directly from the Interactive CASEL Wheel
FLORIDA STATE STANDARDS – GRADE 5
Creating a Cultural Work of Art
o VA.5.S.1.3 Create artworks to depict personal, cultural, and/or historical themes.
o VA.5.H.1.1 Examine historical and cultural influences that inspire artists and their work.
o VA.5. H.1.3 Identify and describe the importance a selected group or culture places on specific works of art.
o VA.5.H.2.1 Compare works of art based on style, culture, or artist across time to identify visual differences.
o VA.5.O.2.1 Analyze works of art that document people and events from a variety of places and times to synthesize ideas for creating artwork.
o VA.5.S.3.1 Use materials, tools, techniques, and processes to achieve expected results in two-and/or three-dimensional artworks.
LEARNING GOALS – FLORIDA STATE STANDARDS
o Create artworks to depict personal, cultural, and/or historical themes. (S.1.3)
o Examine historical and cultural influences that inspire artists and their work. (H.1.1)
o Identify and describe the importance a selected group or culture places on specific works of art. (H.1.3)
o Compare works of art on the basis of style, culture, or artist across time to identify visual differences. (H.2.1)
o Analyze works of art that document people and events from a variety of places and times to synthesize ideas for creating artwork. (O.2.1)
o Use materials, tools, techniques, and processes to achieve expected results in twoand/or three-dimensional artworks. (S.3.1)
*Standards and Learning Goals referenced are taken directly from the CPALMS, which is the State of Florida's official source for standards.
**The Florida State and National Standards provide a roadmap or framework for what students should learn. Teachers should decide how to implement them in the classroom according to the needs of their students and school districts.
MATERIALS
o Cube template ARThink Sheet
o Uline 3x3x3 in. Gift Boxes (or similar)
o Colored paper and tissue paper
o Scissors
o Glue sticks or white glue
o Markers, crayons, or colored pencils
o Printed and/or hand-drawn images (photos, magazine cutouts, student drawings
LESSON PROCEDURE
Activity 1: Introduction and Planning Drawings
1. Begin by introducing students to the sculpture Patuach Sagur Patuach by Tobi Kahn. Use the Collection Connection: Tobi Kahn resource and images on the RMA website to guide discussion and observation.
2. Explain how Kahn uses layered paint and geometric forms to reflect ideas of spirituality, memory, and ritual.
3. Discuss how artist Salah Elmur uses the metaphor of “boxes of the mind” to explore cultural identity and family memories.
4. Ask students to think about their own “boxes of the mind.” What people, memories, or places matter most to them?
5. Distribute the ARThink Sheet cube template and introduce the following six reflective prompts:
o Someone whose perspective has helped you see things differently
o A person who shows strength you admire
o Someone you feel empathy or compassion for
o Someone you’re grateful for
o Someone who is different from you but has taught you something important
o A place, moment, or person that helped shape who you are
6. Write the prompts on the board. Lead a discussion to build vocabulary around themes like identity, empathy, and community.
7. On the ARThink Sheet, students will sketch an image for each of the six sides of their cube, using pencils and colored pencils to begin planning.
8. Emphasize the role of revision encourage students to refine their sketches to better communicate their ideas.
9. Invite students to share sketches and explain the meanings behind their choices.
Activity 2: Creating Collage Cube
1. Using scissors, glue, tissue paper, magazine clippings, and drawings, students will transform their box into a personal 3D artwork.
2. Each side of the cube should reflect one of the six social awareness prompts.
3. Encourage students to layer materials for texture and visual interest.
4. Demonstrate proper cutting and gluing techniques. Discuss design concepts like balance, contrast, and object placement.
5. Prompt students to think about how collage and found imagery can express emotion, memory, or meaning.
6. Allow time for students to revisit their planning sketches as they build the cube.
7. When finished, invite students to share their cubes with peers and discuss what each side represents.
Activity 3: Reflection and Artist Statement
1. Ask students to review their cube and complete a short artist statement, referring back to their ARThink Sheet to help clarify their thinking
2. Their 2–3 sentence statement should summarize:
o What story their cube tells
o What materials they used and why
o How the artwork reflects their personal or social awareness
3. Provide time for students to read their statements to a partner or small group.
4. Submit the completed cube and artist statement.
Optional Extension: Create a classroom “Gallery of the Mind” exhibition with cubes and written reflections.
Assessment
o Did the student complete six distinct responses on their cube?
o Did the planning drawing reflect thoughtful engagement with the prompt?
o Did the student revise their ideas as needed during the process?
o Did the final artwork show a personal connection and creative use of collage?
o Did the artist statement demonstrate reflection on identity, empathy, or community?
RESOURCES
o Rollins Museum of Art American Art Index
o National Core Arts Standards – Visual Art
o Florida’s Next Generation Sunshine State Standards (Visual Arts)
o Empowering Education – SEL in Florida
o OCPS LaunchPad IMS – Grade Specific Standards
o OCPS Elementary Visual Arts Standards
o What Is the CASEL Framework?
o LaunchPad IMS Visual Arts Scope & Sequence (Art Intermediate 3 - 5001060)
o Harvard Graduate School of Education – Project Zero: Exploring Art Images and Objects
o OCPS Strategic Plan
o Art21, “Fixing Time: Salah Elmur”
VOCABULARY
3D Artwork: Art that has depth, width, and height, like a sculpture or cube.
Collage: A work of art made by assembling different images, papers, and textures on a surface.
Perspective: Understanding how someone else sees or feels about something.
Social Awareness: Recognizing the feelings, needs, and viewpoints of people around you.
Revision: Making changes to improve your work.
Cube: A box-shaped object with six equal square sides.
Collection Connection: Tobi Kahn
Tobi Kahn (American, b. 1952) is an artist who makes sculptures inspired by special traditions, memories, and feelings. One of his artworks at the Rollins Museum of Art is called Patuach Sagur Patuach, which means "Open Closed Open" in Hebrew.
The sculpture is based on a tradition from the Jewish New Year, where people throw crumbs of bread into water to let go of mistakes and start fresh. Kahn’s box is painted in soft layers, with curved shapes and ripples that make us think of flowing water. He builds his sculpture from wood and adds many coats of paint to give it depth and feeling.
Kahn says that art helps us remember what matters and imagine new possibilities. Even though his sculptures are abstract (they don’t look like real people or things), they still tell stories. They help us think about change, memory, and the parts of our lives we want to hold on to or let go of.
When we look at Patuach Sagur Patuach, we may ask ourselves: What are the things I want to remember? What do I want to move past? And how can a box be more than just a box?
QUESTIONS FOR THE CLASSROOM
o What is a 3D work of art, and how is it different from a painting or drawing?
o Why do you think an artist like Tobi Kahn used a box to tell a story?
o What people or experiences helped shape your identity?
o What does it mean to be socially aware? Why is it important?
o How can art help us connect with others?
o What might be on the “six sides” of your life story?
Image Credit: Tobi Kahn (American, b. 1952), Patuach Sagur Patuach, 2012, acrylic on wood, 9 3/4 x 12 3/8 x 8 3/4 in. A Gift from the Acorn Foundation, funded by Barbara and Theodore Alfond, in honor of Bruce A. Beal Director Ena Heller. 2015.8.1 © Tobi Kahn
NAME: ________________________________
DATE: ________________
ARThink Sheet: Tobi Kahn
GRADE: _______
1. Think About a Box: Tobi Kahn made an artwork shaped like a box. A cube has six sides and you’ll use each side to tell part of your story.
2. Look Inside Your Life: Think about people who have helped you, inspired you, or taught you something:
o Who has helped you see things in a new way?
o Who is strong in a way you admire?
o Who do you feel care or compassion for?
o Who are you thankful for?
o Who is different from you but helped you grow?
o Who or what has shaped who you are today?
3. Plan Your Cube: Draw a planning sketch for your sculpture. Show what you might include on each side of your cube. You will use pictures, symbols, or designs to tell your story.
4. Get Creative: As you refine your planning drawing, consider: o What colors, textures, or images might you use to show how you feel? o How can your cube show the people and memories that matter most to you?
Lesson 4: Words That Help, Words That Hurt: Exploring Language Through
Printmaking
OVERVIEW OF THE LESSON
This lesson was inspired by text-based artworks in the Rollins Museum of Art collection, including Mel Bochner’s Blah Blah Blah (2013) and Sam Durant’s Everyone Deserves a Dream (2018). Students will explore the power of language and the visual impact of words through the art of printmaking. By creating their own prints using words that help or hurt, students will examine how language shapes relationships, identity, and emotions. The lesson is organized into four activities. Each is designed to last approximately 45 minutes, with flexibility based on students’ age and experience.
Objectives
The students will...
o Learn about artists in the RMA collection who use words in their art
o Explore the visual and emotional impact of language
o Brainstorm, sketch, and print words that help and words that hurt
o Practice printmaking techniques using Styrofoam and ink
o Reflect on how words can build or break relationships
Grade Level(s)
3-5, can be adapted for Grade Levels 3 -12
OPPORTUNITIES FOR SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING (SEL)
CASEL Framework SEL Strategies for Relationship Skills
Relationship skills: The abilities to establish and maintain healthy and supportive relationships and to effectively navigate settings with diverse individuals and groups. This includes the capacities to communicate clearly, listen actively, cooperate, work collaboratively to problem solve and negotiate conflict constructively, navigate settings with differing social and cultural demands and opportunities, provide leadership, and seek or offer help when needed. Such as:
o Communicating effectively
o Developing positive relationships
o Demonstrating cultural competency
o Practicing teamwork and collaborative problem-solving
o Resolving conflicts constructively
o Resisting negative social pressure
o Showing leadership in groups
o Standing up for the rights of others
*Social and emotional learning referenced are taken directly from the Interactive CASEL Wheel
FLORIDA STATE STANDARDS – GRADE 5
Using the Elements of Art and Principles of Design to Create a Work of Art
o VA.5.O.1.1 - Use structural elements of art and organizational principles of design to develop content in artwork.
o VA.5.S.2.1 - Organize the structural elements of art to support planning, strengthen focus, and implement artistic vision.
o VA.5.S.1.1 - Use various art tools, media, and techniques to discover how different choices change the effect on the meaning of an artwork.
Revising Artwork
o VA.5.C.2.1 - Revise artwork as a necessary part of the creative process to achieve an artistic goal.
o VA.5.C.2.2 - Analyze personal artworks to articulate the motivations and intentions in creating personal works of art
o VA.5.F.1.2 - Develop multiple solutions to solve artistic problems and justify personal artistic or aesthetic choices.
LEARNING GOALS – FLORIDA STATE STANDARDS
o Organize the structural elements of art to support planning, strengthen focus, and implement artistic vision. (O.1.1)
o Use various art tools, media, and techniques to discover how different choices change the effect on the meaning of an artwork. (C.1.1)
o Examine and experiment with traditional or non-traditional uses of media to apply imaginative techniques in two- and/or three-dimensional artworks. (S.1.1)
o Analyze personal artworks to articulate the motivations and intentions in creating personal works of art. (C.2.1)
o Use a variety of sources for ideas to resolve challenges in creating original works. (C.2.2)
o Develop multiple solutions to solve artistic problems and justify personal artistic or aesthetic choices. (O.2.2)
*Standards and Learning Goals referenced are taken directly from the CPALMS, which is the State of Florida's official source for standards
**The Florida State and National Standards provide a roadmap or framework for what students should learn. Teachers should decide how to implement them in the classroom according to the needs of their students and school districts.
MATERIALS
o ARThink Sheet for planning and reflection
o Styrofoam printing plates or recycled trays
o Ballpoint pens or dull carving tools
o Printmaking ink or washable tempera
o Brayers and inking trays
o Gelli Arts® printing plates (optional)
o White multi-purpose or printmaking paper
LESSON PROCEDURE
Activity 1: Introduction and Planning Drawing
1. Begin by letting students know they will explore the power of words how language can hurt or help through the art of printmaking. Use the Collection Connection resources to introduce works by Mel Bochner and Sam Durant from the RMA Collection
2. Highlight how Bochner’s work uses repetition and bold typography to emphasize how words feel when seen visually, and how Durant’s lightbox works carry hopeful, sociallyconscious messages.
3. Ask: Have you ever heard words that really helped you? Have you heard words that hurt? What happened, and how did those words make you feel?
4. Write the terms “Words That Help” and “Words That Hurt” on the board. As students respond, circle vocabulary that emerges focus on emotional resonance, kindness, empathy, and conflict.
5. Distribute the ARThink Sheet. Guide students through a reflective brainstorm. Prompts might include:
o What words do you use to help others? Why?
o Have you ever used words that hurt someone? What happened?
o How can words be used to stand up for someone or to solve a problem?
6. Students brainstorm a list of helping and hurting words on the ARThink Sheet. Then, they choose two words (one from each category) to illustrate.
7. On the back of the ARThink Sheet, students sketch their chosen words using bold, expressive lettering. Discuss font style, line weight, spacing, and legibility.
8. Introduce color as a tool to express tone and feeling have students experiment with how color choices can amplify the emotional impact of their chosen words.
9. Circulate and ask follow-up questions to assess students' understanding. Encourage peer sharing and help students refine their sketches as needed.
10. Reinforce that this sketch is a planning step, and it’s okay to revise and explore different ideas before carving.
Activity 2: Carving and Preparing the Plate
1. Begin by introducing students to the basics of relief printmaking. Explain that this technique creates a mirror image, so their word must be carved backwards in order to print correctly.
2. Use visuals or demonstrate with a sample to show how bold, simple words appear after printing. Highlight how deep vs. shallow carving affects ink transfer.
3. Provide each student with a piece of Styrofoam or recycled tray.
4. Review their ARThink Sheet sketches and guide students as they transfer their selected word(s) onto paper, then flip and trace it onto their Styrofoam plate.
5. Demonstrate proper technique using ballpoint pens or dull tools pressing firmly but not too deep to avoid tearing the foam.
6. Encourage students to test different types of lines, textures, or borders if they are ready for more experimentation.
7. Circulate the room to offer support with spelling, spacing, and tool safety. Check to be sure students have readable, well-placed carvings.
8. Remind students that they will be printing more than once mistakes can become learning moments and revisions are welcome.
9. Set aside finished foam plates for the next printing session.
Activity 3: Inking and Printing the Plate
1. Show students how to pour a small amount of ink onto an inking tray or plate. Use a brayer to roll out the ink until it is smooth and evenly coated.
2. Demonstrate how to roll the brayer across the surface of the foam plate. Explain that only the raised (uncarved) areas will pick up the ink this is what will transfer to the paper.
3. Place a clean sheet of paper over the inked plate and show how to press gently but firmly with your hands, smoothing over all areas to ensure a clean print.
4. Peel back the paper slowly to reveal the print. Celebrate the reveal this is often the most exciting part for students!
5. Invite students to make multiple prints, experimenting with different colors, orientations, or backgrounds.
6. Encourage students to notice how small changes in pressure or inking can affect the final result.
7. Use this as an opportunity to discuss craftsmanship, experimentation, and patience in the creative process.
8. Set prints aside to dry. Have students clean up their space, tools, and hands using soap, water, and damp paper towels.
Activity 4: Reflection and Artist Statement
1. Once prints are complete and drying, gather students for a reflective conversation. Revisit the key ideas of the lesson: how words shape how we feel, how we relate to others, and how we can use words to lift people up.
2. Invite students to return to their ARThink Sheet and respond to these prompts:
o Why did you choose the words you printed?
o How do your words make people feel either helped or hurt?
o How did the colors and design you used help express the feeling behind your words?
3. Students will write a short artist statement (2–3 sentences) describing:
o What words they chose and why.
o What emotions or messages their artwork expresses
o How it felt to turn their ideas into a printed image
4. Give students time to share their artist statements in pairs or small groups. Encourage them to listen actively, ask follow-up questions, and connect their experiences.
5. Conclude with a whole-group share-out or gallery walk, where students place their prints and statements around the room. Invite students to walk through quietly and leave stickynote compliments or reflections.
Optional Extension: Create a bulletin board titled “Words Matter” featuring student prints and artist statements to celebrate how their words and art can make a difference.
Assessment
o Did students engage with the artworks and class discussion?
o Did they thoughtfully select and sketch their helping/hurting words?
o Did they successfully transfer and print their words using correct technique?
o Did their artist statement reflect relationship skills and insight into the power of language?
RESOURCES
o Rollins Museum of Art American Art Index
o National Core Arts Standards – Visual Art
o Florida’s Next Generation Sunshine State Standards (Visual Arts)
o Empowering Education – SEL in Florida
o OCPS Elementary Visual Arts Standards
o What Is the CASEL Framework?
o LaunchPad IMS Visual Arts Scope & Sequence (Art Intermediate 3 - 5001060)
o Harvard Graduate School of Education – Project Zero: Exploring Art Images and Objects
VOCABULARY
Printmaking: Making pictures or words by pressing ink onto paper from a carved surface
Relief Print: A type of print where the raised parts of a surface get inked and printed
Positive Language: Words that help, encourage, or show kindness
Negative Language: Words that hurt, discourage, or show disrespect
Artist Statement: A short paragraph where you describe what you made and why
Collection Connection: Mel Bochner
Mel Bochner is an artist who works with words. For more than 50 years, he has used language what we say, how we say it, and how it looks to make bold and funny art that also asks serious questions.
In this artwork, Blah Blah Blah, Bochner prints the same word over and over again. Fourteen rows of the word “blah,” written in bright colors, stretch across the paper. At first, it might make you laugh. But the more you look, the more you might wonder: Why is the artist repeating this? What is he trying to say?
Bochner is part of a group of artists known as Conceptual artists they care more about the ideas behind a work of art than about making something realistic or traditional. He uses repetition and color to explore how language can be powerful, confusing, or even meaningless.
Even the way this piece is made is important. It’s a monoprint, which means it was created by pressing one sheet of paper onto a plate that was painted with ink or color. Only one copy can be made, and the result is always a little surprising. That’s part of the fun.
So, what does Blah Blah Blah mean? Maybe it’s about how we talk without really saying anything. Maybe it’s making fun of big speeches or art-world jargon. Or maybe it’s showing us how words just like art can mean different things to different people.
QUESTIONS FOR THE CLASSROOM
o What do you think the artist means by repeating the word “blah”?
o How do the colors affect how the artwork feels?
o Have you ever heard someone say “blah blah blah”? What do they usually mean?
o Does this artwork feel silly, serious, or both? Why?
o Why do you think Bochner chose to make art with only words?
o If you could make a print using one repeated word, what would it be?
Image Credit: Mel Bochner (American, b. 1940), Blah Blah Blah, 2013, Monoprint with collage, engraving, and embossment on hand-dyed Twinrocker handmade paper The Alfond Collection of Contemporary Art, Rollins Museum of Art. Gift of Barbara ’68 and Theodore ’68 Alfond, 2013.24.116.
Collection Connection: Sam Durant
Sam Durant is an American artist who uses language and signs to get people thinking about fairness, justice, and how we treat one another. In his artwork Everyone Deserves a Dream , he takes a powerful protest slogan and turns it into something bright and colorful like a glowing sign you might see in a store window.
But instead of selling a product, this sign shares a message: “Everyone Deserves a Dream.” It’s simple, but it makes us stop and think. What kind of dream? Who gets to dream? Is that dream possible for everyone?
Durant often uses words from protests in his artwork. A protest is when people come together to speak up about something they think is unfair. It might be a march, a sign, a chant, or a peaceful gathering where people share their voices to ask for change.
By turning a protest slogan into glowing art, Durant invites us to look at these words in a new way. He wants us to reflect on history, ask questions, and think about what these messages mean in our lives today.
This artwork reminds us that words can shine not just with light, but with meaning. And they can help us imagine a better, fairer future.
QUESTIONS FOR THE CLASSROOM
o What do you think of when you hear the words “Everyone Deserves a Dream”?
o What kind of dream do you think the artist is talking about?
o Why might Durant have chosen to use a protest slogan in his art?
o How do the colors and glowing light affect the way you feel when you look at it?
o Can an artwork made of just a few words be powerful? Why or why not?
o If you could make your own glowing sign with a message, what would it say?
Image Credit: Sam Durant (American, b. 1961), Everyone Deserves a Dream, 2018, Screenprint on translucent film, light box, Ed. 12 of 25 The Alfond Collection of Contemporary Art, Rollins Museum of Art Gift of Barbara ’68 and Theodore ’68 Alfond, 2018.1.16.
NAME: ________________________________
DATE: ________________
GRADE: _______
1. Look Closely:
o A text-based artwork is a work of art made using words, not just pictures.
o Artists like Mel Bochner and Sam Durant use words to make us think, feel, and reflect.
o These words can be funny, serious, or even surprising but they always have power.
2. Reflect:
o What words do you use that help others?
o What words might hurt someone’s feelings?
o Why do you think the words we say are important?
3. Think and Write:
o Have you ever used a word that hurt someone? What happened?
o Can words be used to solve problems or stand up for others?
o Write 2–3 sentences about why your words matter.
ARThink Sheet: Mel Bochner & Sam Durant
4. List and Compare:
5. Draw Your Words: Choose one helping word and one hurting word from your list. Draw each word below like it’s a work of art!
o Think about the size, shape, and color of your letters.
o Use colors that match how the word feels, based on Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions
Helping Word:
Hurting Word:
Lesson 5: Connecting the Dots: A Collage Project
OVERVIEW OF THE LESSON
This multimedia collage lesson is inspired by two works in the Rollins Museum of Art collection that explore dots, circles, and pattern: Rosemarie Castoro’s Green Blue Orange Y (1965) and Tim Rollins and K.O.S.’s Midsummer Night’s Dream (2011). Students will experiment with collage, layering, and mixed media to explore how individual choices like the placement of a single dot can have a ripple effect on the whole composition. As a metaphor for responsible decision-making and our interconnectedness, this project invites students to reflect on how we affect the people and environments around us. This lesson includes three activities each designed for approximately 45 minutes, but they may be adapted depending on student age and progress.
Objectives
The students will...
o Explore pattern, color, and composition using dots and circular forms
o Create an original work of art using collage, drawing, and layering
o Develop decision-making skills through creative exploration
o Reflect on how small actions can have larger impact
o Practice responsible behavior and collaboration in the classroom
Grade Level(s)
3-5, can be adapted for Grade Levels 3 -12
OPPORTUNITIES
FOR SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING (SEL)
CASEL Framework SEL Strategies for Responsible Decision-Making
Responsible Decision-Making: The abilities to make caring and constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions across diverse situations. This includes the capacities to consider ethical standards and safety concerns, and to evaluate the benefits and consequences of various actions for personal, social, and collective well-being. Such as:
o Demonstrating curiosity and open-mindedness
o Learning how to make a reasoned judgment after analyzing information, data, and facts
o Identifying solutions for personal and social problems
o Anticipating and evaluating the consequences of one’s actions
o Recognizing how critical thinking skills are useful both inside and outside of school
o Reflecting on one’s role to promote personal, family, and community well-being
o Evaluating personal, interpersonal, community, and institutional impacts
*Social and emotional learning referenced are taken directly from the Interactive CASEL Wheel
FLORIDA STATE STANDARDS – GRADE 5
Communicating by Creating a Meaningful Work of Art
o VA.5.O.3.1 - Create meaningful and unique works of art to effectively communicate and document a personal voice.
Using the Elements of Art and Principles of Design to Create a Work of Art
o VA.5.O.1.1 - Use structural elements of art and organizational principles of design to develop content in artwork.
o VA.5.S.2.1 - Organize the structural elements of art to support planning, strengthen focus, and implement artistic vision.
o VA.5.S.1.1 - Use various art tools, media, and techniques to discover how different choices change the effect on the meaning of an artwork.
LEARNING GOALS – FLORIDA STATE STANDARDS
o Create meaningful and unique works of art to effectively communicate and document a personal voice. (O.3.1)
o Organize the structural elements of art to support planning, strengthen focus, and implement artistic vision. (S.2.1)
o Use various art tools, media, and techniques to discover how different choices change the effect on the meaning of an artwork. (S.1.1)
o Examine and experiment with traditional or non-traditional uses of media to apply imaginative techniques in two- and/or three-dimensional artworks. (F.1.1)
*Standards and Learning Goals referenced are taken directly from the CPALMS, which is the State of Florida's official source for standards
**The Florida State and National Standards provide a roadmap or framework for what students should learn. Teachers should decide how to implement them in the classroom according to the needs of their students and school districts.
MATERIALS
o ARThink Sheet for planning and reflection
o Paint pens and/or Sharpies
o Do-A-Dot markers
o Glue sticks
o Assorted pre-punched paper dots (varied sizes and colors)
o Mixed media paper cut into circles
o Construction paper, scrap paper, and additional collage materials
LESSON PROCEDURE
Activity 1: Dot Exploration and Planning
1. Begin by inviting students to think about the idea of a dot simple, small, but full of potential. What can a dot become? What can it represent?
2. Introduce students to two artworks from the Rollins Museum of Art collection:
o Rosemarie Castoro, Green Blue Orange Y, 1965
o Tim Rollins and K.O.S., Midsummer Night’s Dream, 2011
3. Use the Collection Connection resources and images from the RMA website to guide students through each work. Share how these artists used repetition, rhythm, and layering to create bold, engaging compositions using dots and circles.
4. Lead a visual discussion. Ask:
o Where do you see dots or circles?
o What kinds of feelings or energy do the colors create?
o Do the dots remind you of anything from nature or everyday life?
5. Pass out the ARThink Sheet and prompt students to reflect:
o Have you ever felt like a small part of something bigger?
o How can the choices you make like where to place a dot change what others see or feel?
6. Invite students to experiment with materials like hole-punched dots, Do-A-Dot markers, paint pens, and tissue paper to build their own dot-based compositions on a large paper circle.
7. Encourage them to explore balance, layering, and pattern. Ask question like: What happens when you overlap shapes? What mood does your dot world create?
8. Once complete, place artworks aside to dry and have students write names on the back.
Activity 2: Collage Composition
1. Return the dried dot artworks to students and introduce the next step. Let them know they’ll now transform their dot explorations into a finished work of art using collage just like artists who build with color, shape, and texture.
2. Review what a collage is: a picture or design made by sticking different materials like paper, fabric, or found objects onto a surface. Collage allows us to layer, combine, and remix ideas.
3. Provide students with additional materials: colored paper scraps, dot shapes in different sizes, textured bits, and glue sticks.
4. Encourage students to first plan their collage before gluing. They can arrange their elements, move pieces around, and see what combinations they like best. This is a time to make thoughtful design choices.
5. As they begin to glue, invite them to consider contrast, repetition, and rhythm. What happens when big and small dots interact? When colors clash or harmonize?
6. After completing the collage, students can further personalize their work by:
o Adding drawn or painted details that highlight or connect parts of the collage
o Writing a short word or phrase that describes their mood or message
o Incorporating sequins, yarn, or textured pieces for extra dimension and flair
Activity 3: Reflection and Artist Statement
1. Now that their collages are complete, invite students to reflect on the process and meaning behind their choices.
2. Ask them to return to their ARThink Sheet to help guide their thinking.
3 Instruct them to then write a short artist statement. They might respond to questions like:
o What decisions did you make when creating your collage? Why?
o How do your dots, colors, or materials say something about who you are?
o What message or feeling do you hope your artwork shares with others?
4. Encourage students to read their statements aloud in small groups or turn and talk with a partner. This sharing time supports confidence, empathy, and connection through creative expression.
Optional Extension: Display final works in a collaborative “Dot in the World” gallery.
Assessment
o Did students engage with the artworks and discussion?
o Did they experiment with dot-making techniques and collage?
o Did they make thoughtful decisions in their artwork?
o Did they reflect on their choices in a written artist statement?
RESOURCES
o Rollins Museum of Art American Art Index
o National Core Arts Standards – Visual Art
o Florida’s Next Generation Sunshine State Standards (Visual Arts)
o Empowering Education – SEL in Florida
o OCPS Elementary Visual Arts Standards
o What Is the CASEL Framework?
o LaunchPad IMS Visual Arts Scope & Sequence (Art Intermediate 3 - 5001060)
o Harvard Graduate School of Education – Project Zero: Exploring Art Images and Objects
VOCABULARY
Collage: A type of artwork made by gluing materials together
Pattern: A design that repeats shapes or colors
Mixed media: Using more than one type of art material
Abstract art: Art that uses color, shape, and line instead of realistic images
Balance: When things in an artwork feel even or complete
Collection Connection: Rosemarie Castoro
Rosemarie Castoro was an artist who loved movement, color, and shapes. Before she became a painter, she was a dancer and choreographer. That’s why her paintings often feel full of motion even though they don’t show people or places. Instead, she used color and shape to express feelings, ideas, and energy.
In her painting Green Blue Orange Y, Castoro created a large letter “Y” using bright colors and clean edges. The “Y” shape stretches across the canvas, pointing in different directions. It looks bold and balanced, like it’s dancing across the space.
This painting is a great example of abstract art. Abstract art doesn’t try to look like real things, like a person or a tree. Instead, it uses shapes, lines, and colors to show emotions, ideas, or energy.
Castoro said she didn’t want people to look at her paintings and search for a single meaning. She believed that all of her experiences from walking on the cobblestone streets in New York City to practicing dance found their way into her artwork. If you look closely, you can even see pencil marks beneath the paint, showing where she planned her design.
Her art connects her to a group of artists called Minimalists, who believed that simple forms and clean lines could say a lot. But Castoro’s version of minimalism still feels personal her shapes move and pulse with life.
QUESTIONS FOR THE CLASSROOM
o What do you notice first about the shapes and colors in this painting?
o How does the “Y” shape make your eyes move?
o What kind of energy or feeling do the colors create?
o Why do you think the artist didn’t want to give the “Y” a specific meaning?
o Can art still be meaningful if it doesn’t show people, animals, or places?
o If you were going to make your own abstract shape, what would it look like?
Optional Extension: Provide students with silk scarves and prompt them to move the scarf in a way that best expresses the mood, energy, or emotion of the painting.
Image Credit: Rosemarie Castoro (American, 1939–2015), Green Blue Orange Y, 1965, Acrylic on canvas, 84 x 84 in. The Alfond Collection of Contemporary Art, Rollins Museum of Art Gift of Barbara ’68 and Theodore ’68 Alfond, 2014.1.20 © Rosemarie Castoro. Image courtesy of the artist and Broadway 1602.
Collection Connection: Tim Rollins and K.O.S.
Tim Rollins was an artist and teacher who believed that art could change lives. In the early 1980s, he started teaching special education students at a middle school in the South Bronx. What began as a short visit turned into a life-changing journey for him and his students.
Rollins didn’t just teach art. He read books with his students, listened to music with them, and asked big questions about life. Together, they became a group called K.O.S., which stands for Kids of Survival. They used art to learn, to grow, and to speak up. And they made their artwork as a team.
One of their pieces, called A Midsummer Night’s Dream (after Shakespeare and Mendelssohn), was made by layering real sheet music from a famous play with drawings, flowers, and even tiny mustard seeds. The students had studied Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the music that goes with it. Then they made a painting that brings those stories to life.
In the play, there’s a magical flower that makes people fall in love. Rollins said it reminded him of what great art can do it makes us feel something surprising and beautiful. That’s what
Rollins and K.O.S. wanted to do with their artwork: make something that helps people see the world differently.
Their art is full of love, learning, and imagination and it reminds us that books, music, and friendship can help us grow.
QUESTIONS FOR THE CLASSROOM
o What makes this artwork special or different from a painting or a drawing?
o Why do you think Rollins wanted to use real book pages and music scores?
o How can reading and learning inspire art?
o What do you think the flowers and mustard seeds represent?
o How is working together as a group different from working alone?
o If you could make art inspired by a book, what book would you choose?
Image Credit: Tim Rollins (American, 1955–2017) and K.O.S. (Kids of Survival) (founded 1982), Midsummer Night’s Dream (after Shakespeare and Mendelssohn), 2011, Watercolor, India and acrylic inks, Thai mulberry paper, collage, mustard seed, offset lithography on music score pages on canvas, 60 x 72 in. The Alfond Collection of Contemporary Art, Rollins Museum of Art, Gift of Barbara ’68 and Theodore ’68 Alfond, 2013.34.072.
NAME: ________________________________
DATE: ________________ GRADE: _______
ARThink Sheet: Rosemarie Castoro & Tim Rollins and K.O.S.
1. Look Closely:
o Have you ever seen an artwork made with dots or circles?
o What artists throughout history have created artwork using dots or circles?
o How do you think they decided where to place their dots?
o Are there a lot of dots or just a few? How does that change the artwork?
2. Reflect:
Dots might look small but they can be powerful! Artists use them to create movement, pattern, and even meaning. Some people think a single dot can stand for a person, an idea, or a moment.
3. Think and Write:
o What do you think a dot can represent?
o How are dots on a page like people in the world? Is a dot on a page, a metaphor for our interconnectedness on earth?
o What would your dot look like? Think about color, line, texture, and pattern.
4. Sketch
Use pencils to sketch dots in each of the squares
o What size will you make your dots?
o Will you create a pattern?
o Did you sketch dots close together or far apart?
Draw 5 dots in the box below
Draw 10 dots in the box below
Draw 15 dots in the box below
Draw 20 dots in the box below