Lesson 2
Puzzle Quad Symbolic Story
Handout one of each 8”x8” “puzzle piece” (total of four, they interlock into a quad when put together). The student will create their own symbol for each of the following four groups:
1. Environment (such as earth, air, ocean, city, forest, bedroom, playground, etc)
2. Activity (such as surfing, shopping, sports, cleaning, sleeping, daydreaming, etc)
3. Subject (such as human, animal, insect, alien, monster, etc)
4. Emotion or Attribute (such as hungry, strong, angry, smart, happy, brave, sad, etc)
The created symbols from each student will all be combined into their separate categories and mixed together. One by one the students will reach in and grab a puzzle piece (no peeking) from each group and take them back to their stations where they will interlock the pieces into a quad (hopefully they haven’t picked their own puzzle piece but even if they do its ok). Before the quad is assembled the student will write a short paragraph explaining his/her interpretation for each of the four pieces. After assembling the quad a second paragraph is written to tell the story of the finished artwork. The artwork and its written description will be hung together in the hall in which the class will critique and discuss as a group.
Part two involves the students observing each quad and choosing one (other than the one they created) to write a brief review of their perception on the quad and how it may differ with the original classmates description. The idea is to see how the same symbol can have a different meaning to another person.
1. Environment (such as earth, air, ocean, city, forest, bedroom, playground, etc)
2. Activity (such as surfing, shopping, sports, cleaning, sleeping, daydreaming, etc)
3. Subject (such as human, animal, insect, alien, monster, etc)
4. Emotion or Attribute (such as hungry, strong, angry, smart, happy, brave, sad, etc)
The created symbols from each student will all be combined into their separate categories and mixed together. One by one the students will reach in and grab a puzzle piece (no peeking) from each group and take them back to their stations where they will interlock the pieces into a quad (hopefully they haven’t picked their own puzzle piece but even if they do its ok). Before the quad is assembled the student will write a short paragraph explaining his/her interpretation for each of the four pieces. After assembling the quad a second paragraph is written to tell the story of the finished artwork. The artwork and its written description will be hung together in the hall in which the class will critique and discuss as a group.
Part two involves the students observing each quad and choosing one (other than the one they created) to write a brief review of their perception on the quad and how it may differ with the original classmates description. The idea is to see how the same symbol can have a different meaning to another person.
