Space, Structure, and Story

Integrated Science and ELA Lessons for Gifted and Advanced Learners in Grades 4-6

Tamra Stambaugh, Emily Mofield

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2021
• ISBN:
  9781000503364
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education General

Winner of the 2017 NAGC Curriculum Studies Award

Space, Structure, and Story integrates Earth and space science with science fiction and nonfiction texts, poetry, and art. This unit, developed by Vanderbilt University's Programs for Talented Youth, is aligned to the Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards. Students explore advanced science and ELA content through the lens of structure—its parts, purpose, and function.

Mobius strips, the hero's journey, dystopian fiction, black holes, Einstein's relativity, stars, and moons are just a few of the captivating in-depth topics explored through accelerated content, engaging activities, and differentiated tasks.

Ideal for gifted classrooms or gifted pull-out groups, the unit features poetry from Carl Sandburg, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and C. S. Lewis; art from M. C. Escher, Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet, and Salvador Dali; a novel study featuring A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle; short stories from Isaac Asimov and Ray Bradbury; speeches from President John F. Kennedy and President Barack Obama; and informational texts about gravity, orbits, and black holes.

Grades 4-6

Lesson 1

The Paradox of Mobius Strips

DOI: 10.4324/9781003238102-4

Key Question

How do parts of art reveal purpose?

Objectives

Content: To analyze and interpret fiction, nonfiction, and art, students will be able to:

• cite evidence in discussion and writing to support a point of view illuminated through literature, art, or nonfiction.

Process: To develop interpretation, analysis, and communication skills in the language arts, students will be able to:

• respond to an analysis of literature, nonfiction, or art by developing arguments or elaborating on explanations through writing a variety of texts (e.g., essays, paragraphs, including relevant and sufficient evidence to support claims).

Concept: To develop conceptual thinking about structure in the language arts and science, students will be able to:

• use inductive reasoning to develop generalizations about structure and function, and
• examine the relationship between structure, cause and effect, and function in multiple contexts.

Accelerated CCSS for ELA

• W.7.10
• SL.6.1
• SL.6.1c
• SL.6.1d
• SL.7.2

Materials

• Examples of art by M. C. Escher: Waterfall, Drawing Hands, Cycle (to display; available online)
• Mobius Strip II by M. C. Escher (to display; available online)
• Strips of paper (1 inch x 11 inches) and pieces of tape (one set per student)
• Blank, unlined paper (two per student)
• Handout 1.1: Blank Visual Analysis Wheel
• Handout 1.2: Concept Organizer
• Rubric 1: Product Rubric (Appendix C)

Introductory Activities

1. Explain to students that in this unit they will be thinking about structure. They will read various texts, analyze art, and engage in science lessons that will guide them in developing an in-depth understanding of structure.
2. Distribute a blank piece of paper to each student. Ask students to think of an object (any ordinary object, chair, guitar, lamp, stapler, etc.) and draw it on their paper. Then, ask students to label the various parts of the object. Allow time for students to discuss their drawings with a partner.
3. Ask students to define the purpose of their object (e.g., TV = used for entertainment and media; ball = used for recreation and various sports) as well as the purpose of each labeled part. Ask them to also draw arrows to show how parts influence each other.
4. Discuss the commonalities and patterns noticed about how parts of an object help it achieve its purpose. Ask: What’s similar about all of the structures? What is important about the object’s shape? What is important about the shape of its parts? What other features are important to consider (e.g., size, color, weight, flexibility, durability), and why? List these on the board as students discuss.
5. Explain: Now, based on the patterns we have noticed about all of our objects, what are some broad statements we can say about structure? (If students need help, provide additional terms such as parts, function, influence, cause, relationship, etc., and ask students to use the word structure in a sentence with the other term.)
6. Explain: When we make broad statements that can be transferred across multiple objects and multiple contexts, these are called generalizations. In this unit, we will be focusing on four:
   • Structure promotes function or malfunction.
   • Structures are made up of parts that have functions.
   • Structure and function create cause-effect relationships.
   • Parts of structures interact to help achieve a purpose.
   These generalizations should be posted in the classroom so they might be referred to throughout the unit.
7. Ask students to relate their pictures and statements to the generalizations listed and explain. Clarify and ask for specific real-world examples of each generalization if students are unable to provide accurate examples from their drawings.

View Art

1. Explain: Today we will study a piece of art to see how the artist achieves a purpose through the work’s parts. First, show a few examples of art from M. C. Escher (e.g., Waterfall, Drawing Hands, or Cycle). Ask students to examine his art and note interesting details about it.
2. Provide some background information: Escher was a famous 20th-century Dutch artist (1898–1972) who is known for developing impossible structures and optical illusions within his art. He made more than 448 lithographs (original prints) and woodcarvings, and more than 2,000 drawings (M. C. Escher Foundation, 2017). Escher also wrote many poems and essays, and he studied architecture, although he never graduated from high school. He used many mathematical aspects in his works. Most of Escher’s works involve his own fascination with the concept of reality. His works showing paradoxes, tessellations, and impossible objects have had an influence on graphic art, psychology, philosophy, and logic.
3. Display Mobius Strip II by M. C. Escher. Ask:
   • How are the ants similar? How are they different?
   • Which ant is the leader? Who or what is leading them?
   • What ideas are represented in this art?
   • Is the strip one-sided or two-sided? How do you know?
   • How does the piece of art reveal a paradox? (You may need to guide students to understand the concept of paradox, or when two contrasting ideas exist at the same time. For example: This statement is false. If I say the statement is true, then it is false, but if I say it is false, it makes the statement true. On the Mobius strips, the ants never leave one side, but they travel on both sides.)

Visual Analysis

Distribute Handout 1.1: Blank Visual Analysis Wheel. Guide students through the following questions to analyze the art. Refer students to the key question (How do parts of art achieve purpose?), and explain that they will learn how to use an analysis tool to see how the structure of art achieves a purpose. See Appendix A for additional guidance on using the Visual Analysis Wheel. Alternatively, students may use literary cubes to guide discussion (see Appendix A).

• Images: What are the main images and what might they symbolize? Why did he choose ants and not another animal? What do ants represent? Ants are leaders and followers and busy workers; Mobius strip = infinity.
• Organization: Where are your eyes drawn to first? How does the structure and organization of the art affect its meaning? Consider how the art would be different if turned 90 degrees.
• Techniques: What techniques does the artist use? Consider how the use of a Mobius strip is different than simply a circle. Why do you think he drew the strip so that it appears to be made out of metal? Why is the strip made like a grid (e.g., it conveys an idea of a fence or being trapped; it helps us see there are two sides)?
• Artist’s background: What do we know about M. C. Escher? How might this influence his techniques, point of view, or main idea? Refer students to the artist’s background information.
• Emotions: What emotions are evoked in you? How did the artist achieve this?
• Purpose: What do you think Escher’s purpose was in making this art? His purpose is to show the idea of infinity. Link this back to a generalization about structure: Parts of a structure interact to achieve a purpose.
• Main Idea: What is the main idea of this art? The idea of infinity, followers versus leaders, cycles, being stuck in routine, blindly following without question, being too busy to notice.
• Point of View: What is Escher’s point of view about the main idea? People may get “stuck” in routine, people may follow without understanding the scope of the journey, etc.
• Evaluation: Do you like this art? Why or why not? Students may explain a paradox of feelings. They may like it because it promotes them to think, but they may not like the ideas conveyed in the art.
• Implications: What are the implications (effects) of this art on you as a viewer?

Have students make connections between these “parts” of a visual analysis, asking: How do these parts influence each other? Students should draw arrows to show connections.

Note: Although sample responses are provided, varied interpretations are encouraged. Add complexity to questions by adding multiple elements (e.g., What techniques are used to develop the images?), or ask students to think about how various parts are related and note the relationship by asking: How do parts of this analysis relate to each other (e.g., the purpose relates to the images chosen)?

In-Class Activities to Deepen Learning

1. Discuss the structure of the Mobius strip. Explain that a Mobius strip has only one surface and one edge. Distribute 1-inch x 11-inch strips of pape...