Lesson 02 — Describing What I Made

Learners look at what they made and describe it — with words, or by pointing to a color, shape, or line. Describing deepens their looking and honors every piece.

D07 P3: Intellectual & Cognitive Awareness D07.S1 45 minutes Draft

Objectives

D07.S1.K.01 Create art with different materials and describe what they made.

Essential question

How do I tell someone about what I made?

describeshapecolorlinestoryshare

Materials

Standard materials

The learner's own artwork (from Lesson 1 or fresh) · 1 per learner Any piece the learner made
Paper and crayons · per learner
A turn marker · 1 Any small object — a stone, a shell, a soft ball — that shows whose turn it is

Low-tech / no-cost

The artwork and a voice or hand Describe aloud or point; no extra supplies needed
A friend or grown-up to listen A listening partner is the only "material" required

Enriched / lab & device

A photo or tablet of the artwork · 1 per pair Photograph the piece and zoom in on one part to describe together
Word-and-picture cards · 1 set Cards showing shape, color, and line words (circle, red, wavy) to point to

Works in different contexts

large-group Use a gallery walk — everyone sets their piece out and takes turns standing by their work while the group notices one thing about it
multi-age Pair a younger and older learner; the older asks gentle questions ("What is this part?") and the younger answers or points
self-directed A learner looks at their own piece and tells it to a mirror, a toy, or a recording, naming one color and one shape
level-grouped Group by how much language the learner uses — some name one word, others tell a whole story — and match the prompting to each
outdoor-only Describe a piece made from natural things by pointing to its parts on the ground and naming colors and shapes found in nature

A framed child's artwork with a red circle, a blue wiggly line, and a green triangle, each named by a speech bubble — "red circle", "wiggly line", "triangle" — beside a smooth stone labeled "turn marker — my turn to share". Teaches that naming or pointing to a color, shape, or line is a way to describe art; the words carry the meaning, so it prints clearly in grayscale.

Lesson 2 — Describing What I Made

Summary

Learners revisit their own artwork and practice describing it. They name what they see — a color, a shape, a line — and tell a little of the story behind it. Pointing counts as describing; art does not require words.

Objectives

Create art with different materials and describe what they made. (D07.S1.K.01)

Connection

When you make something and show it to someone, they might ask, “What is it?” or “Tell me about it.” Describing your work helps them see it the way you do. Even pointing to a part and saying “red” or “round” is a way of sharing your making.

Materials

Each learner’s own artwork (from Lesson 1 or made fresh)
Paper and crayons
A turn marker (a stone, shell, or soft ball to show whose turn it is)

Preparation

Gather or finish each learner’s artwork.
Arrange a circle with a turn marker for sharing time.

Facilitator note

This lesson is written to the learner (“you”) so it works in a classroom and for a self-directed learner. As facilitator, model describing with the same gentle, non-judging words you want to hear: “I see a blue circle and a long line.” Never ask “what is it supposed to be?” — instead ask “what do you see?” or “tell me about this part.” Honor pointing and gestures as full answers. Learners who cannot see may describe their piece by touch and feel — rough or smooth, big or small, round or straight — and that is full describing too.

Procedure

Gather (5 min). Sit with your artwork in front of you. Look at it slowly. What do you notice first?
Look closely (10 min). Find one color, one shape, and one line in your piece. Say each one, or point to it: “red,” “circle,” “wiggly line.”
Tell its story (10 min). Think: what were you doing when you made it? What does this part make you think of? You can say a whole story or just one word.
Share with a partner (15 min). Take turns. Hold the turn marker while you describe your work; listen while your partner describes theirs.
Close (5 min). Remember: every piece has a story, and describing it — with words or by pointing — helps others see it your way.

Differentiation

Support: Offer a single prompt (“find one color”) and accept pointing as the answer.
Extension: Invite learners to describe a friend’s artwork and notice something the maker might not have said.

Assessment

Formative (observation): Can the learner point to or name one color, shape, or line in their own work?
Artifact (portfolio): The artwork paired with a one-sentence (or drawn) description.

Home connection

Show someone at home one thing you made and tell them about one color and one shape in it. Ask them what they notice, too.