Overview
The purpose of this unit is to use the familiar willow plate design found on patterned dishes as a springboard for activities in writing, storytelling and technology. During the unit students will explore the willow plate design in great detail, create a power point presentation that will contain their own Blue Willow story, compare and contrast several different versions of the Blue Willow story, and create a Blue Willow plate design of their own.
As a special education teacher and classroom teacher it is apparent to us that many of the children with whom we work often have a very difficult time with creative writing. This unit gives the students a focus for their writing (the story elements from the plate), allows them the motivation of using technology, and uses other media (drawing/painting) to express their level of understanding of the elements of a story.
The story of the willow plate is one that has been written, revised, and altered by many different authors for many years. Students will become familiar with the different versions of the story, and at the same time create one of their own. While this unit concentrates on the Blue Willow plate and the Chinese culture, the format can be used in the study of many other cultures using the folk art of that culture. For example, Dutch tiles in the study of the Holland, Totems in the study of Native cultures, the whispering cloth of Cambodia, Tapestries from Europe, quilts from many cultures, etc.
Prerequisite:
Students should be familiar with story elements before beginning this unit as this unit reinforces this concept.
Time Table:
To execute the unit as it is written, a 5-6 week period is recommended. However, Parts of the unit can be used and adapted to other grade levels and use a shorter time frame.
Goals:
- Students will orally tell a story with the necessary elements.
- Students will be able to write a creative story based on the Willow Plate pattern using the story elements.
- Students will become familiar with, and develop a power point presentation with assistance.
- Students will demonstrate an understanding of the story of the Blue Willow through the explanation of the elements of the plate.
- Students will explore the Chinese culture through the Blue Willow story.
- Students will sequence the story.
- Students will read or tell their story with expression.
- Students will create their own Blue Willow plate design.
Evaluation:
Student’s final product will be evaluated using the attached rubric.
The website storyarts was beneficial for rubrics evaluating listening skills, performance skills, storytelling composition skills and students’ own assessment.
Resources and Materials:
These resources will be used throughout the unit. A list of materials specific to each lesson is listed on the individual lesson.
• The Willow Pattern Story by Allan Drummond
• Blue Willow by Pam Conrad
• The Winston Readers by Firman and Maltby
“ The Story on the Plate”
• Stories by Penny King and Clare Roundhill
• Songbird Story by Michael Rosen
Websites:
Blue Willow Pattern-
Willow Pattern
History of the Willow pattern from a UK site on pottery
The Story of Blue Willow:
Seniors2.com Information about the Blue Willow Pattern and about collecting.
Maitland Area School website featuring a play about the Blue Willow porcelain and related links.
Spode Museum website with information and links about the porcelain.
Graphic Organizers
Power of visual thinking
Introduction of the Unit
Springboard Activity:
(This activity is designed to excite the children about the unit).
One suggestion would be to treat the students to a plate of cookies on the Willow Plate. Before passing the cookies to the students, the teacher tells the students that there is a surprise under the plate. After the cookies have been passed out, the teacher holds the plate in the air and invites the students to examine it.
The teacher leads the students to discover that the plate tells a story. Students then brainstorm possible story ideas based on the plate, while keeping in mind the elements of a story. Teacher takes this opportunity to point out different aspects of the plate and asks the students to brainstorm possible settings, characters, problems, and solutions.
Activity 1:
Read the story Willow Pattern Story by Allan Drummond.
Teacher will explain to the students that there actually have been stories written about the Blue Willow Pattern. Teacher reviews the ideas the students brainstormed in the previous lesson and shows the plate again. As the teacher reads the story, the students reflect upon their previous predictions and make new ones.
After the story is read, the students can be invited to look at the plate again, and reflect on the story as relates to the various scenes on the plate.
Activity 2:
Prior to this lesson the teacher needs to create a visual sequencing activity of the plate dissected into the different aspects of the story. (See attached)
Teacher will review the plate and the story with the students. To evaluate the student’s understanding of the story sequence, the students will complete a visual sequencing activity on the computer.
Activity 3:
Students will compare and contrast two different versions of the story using a Venn diagram. If necessary reread the Willow Pattern Story and read another version of the story called Blue Willow. Depending upon the age and ability of the students, this activity can be done as a whole group or in small cooperative groups.
Activity 4:
(This activity should be carried out over a 3-4 day period) Students will work in small groups to choose individual elements from the plate and create a story told orally using that element as a focus. Students should record their group stories to use later in evaluating their story for the story elements and expression when telling the story.
- Students get into their groups of 4-5 and each student chooses an individual element from the plate to be the focus of their own original story.
- One student will start the story using his/her element and the next student will build upon the previously upon that story using his element of focus. Each student will then add to the story in the same way.
- Students listen to their story in the small groups and give one another constructive feedback.
- The student takes the story ideas and fills in a graphic organizer to develop a written version of their story. Students can choose to write an entire story individually, or write part of the group story. View samples of students' graphic organizers.
Activity 5
The students will create a blue willow plate design of their own. Student paints a paper plate with light blue tempera paint. Let completely dry. Paint over the blue paint with a black tempera paint. Student will scratch out their design with cue tips, scratching tools. See students' work. View samples.
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