Jackson Pollock in Action
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LESSON 10 TEACHER’S GUIDE Jackson Pollock in Action by Barbara Tillman Fountas-Pinnell Level S Biography Selection Summary Jackson Pollock pursued his passion for art in high school and at the Art Students League in New York. He studied the work of artists he admired and eventually developed his own style of abstract art. Number of Words: 1,263 Characteristics of the Text Genre • Biography Text Structure • Narrative text organized in fi ve short chapters. • Details help the reader understand the author’s purpose. Content • Abstract art • How Pollock became an artist • Reactions to an artist’s work Themes and Ideas • Artists can be inspired by their surroundings. • An artist’s work communicates his own thoughts, feelings, and ideas. • Abstract art appeals to some, but not all, viewers. Language and • Descriptive language Literary Features • Conversational tone Sentence Complexity • Longer complex sentence structures with embedded phrases and clauses • Sentences with parenthetical material Vocabulary • Many art terms, some of which might not be familiar, such as composition, mural, technique Words • Many multisyllable words some of them challenging, such as reservations, muralist, unattractive • Phonetic pronunciation provided Illustrations • Illustrations support text and add interest. Book and Print Features • Eleven pages of text with a timeline at the end • Table of contents with easy-to-read chapter headings • Captions and text box support text. © 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H. Copyright © by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company All rights reserved. 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Printed in the U.S.A. 978-0-547-30570-7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 0940 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 If you have received these materials as examination copies free of charge, Houghton Miffl in Harcourt Publishing Company retains title to the materials and they may not be resold. Resale of examination copies is strictly prohibited. Possession of this publication in print format does not entitle users to convert this publication, or any portion of it, into electronic format. 4_305707_OL_LRTG_L10_PollockinAction.indd 1 11/4/09 11:17:39 PM Jackson Pollock in Action by Barbara Tillman Build Background Help students use their knowledge of art, and in particular painting, to visualize the biography. Build interest by asking a question such as the following: What types of paintings do you enjoy looking at? Read the title and author and talk about the cover photograph. Point out the chapter heads and the timeline. Tell students that this is a biography, so it describes events in a real person’s life, written by another person. Introduce the Text Guide students through the text, noting important ideas, and helping with unfamiliar language and vocabulary so they can read the text successfully. Here are some suggestions: Page 4: Explain that Jackson Pollock’s early experiences likely inspired his interest in art. Suggested Language: Pollock grew up near the Grand Canyon, which is shown in this photograph. Ask: What about the Grand Canyon might have inspired Pollock? Page 5: Tell students that Pollock moved to Los Angeles with his family. In Los Angeles, Pollock received permission to enter Manual Arts High School. Page 6: Tell students that next, Jackson went to study in New York. Have students look at the painting. At the Art Students League, Pollock studied the work of other artists as he searched for his own style. Ask: How would you describe Pollock’s style in this painting? Pages 8–9: Explain that several life changes helped Pollock fi nd his own technique. Pollock fell in love and moved out to the country, where he enjoyed exploring nature. At a workshop, he began to drip paint onto canvas. Ask: How does Pollock’s technique differ from other that of other painters? Page 14: Explain that the timeline lists important events in Pollock’s life and career. Now turn back to the beginning of the biography and read to fi nd out about the life and career of Jackson Pollock. Target Vocabulary border – a boundary or an edge, hauling – pulling or carrying, p. 5 toured – took a trip through a p. 4 mournful – sad and serious p. 7 place, p. 9 debut – a performer’s fi rst public permission – being allowed to do towered – stood above experience, p. 5 something, p. 5 something else, p. 9 discouraged – feeling hopeless stubborn – lasting and not easily triumph – a victory or success, or disappointed, p. 4 changed, p. 5 p. 9 Grade 4 2 Lesson 20: Jackson Pollock in Action © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 44_305707_OL_LRTG_L10_PollockinAction.indd_305707_OL_LRTG_L10_PollockinAction.indd 2 77/28/09/28/09 44:13:29:13:29 PPMM Read Have students read silently while you listen to individual students read aloud. Support their understanding of the text as needed. Remind students to use the Analyze/Evaluate Strategy and to think about the text and form an opinion about it. Discuss and Revisit the Text Personal Response Invite students to share their personal responses to the biography. Suggested language: Imagine that you are an art critic. What do you see, think, or feel when you look at Jackson Pollock’s paintings? Do you think that the critics who didn’t like his work were wrong? Why or why not? Ways of Thinking As you discuss the text, help students understand these points: Thinking Within the Text Thinking Beyond the Text Thinking About the Text • Jackson Pollock studied art in • Artistic expression is personal. • The style and color of the school and on his own. chapter headings fi ts with the • While an artist wants others theme of artistic expression. • Jackson Pollock noticed, and to like his work, he must fi rst was inspired by, the natural please himself. • The descriptive language helps world around him. the reader “see” what the author describes. • Jackson Pollock became known for his unique style of abstract • The author includes phonetic painting. pronunciations to help readers pronounce diffi cult names. © 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H. Choices for Further Support • Fluency Invite students to participate in a readers’ theater. Encourage them to use punctuation and content as signals for pausing, and to read at a pace that is appropriate to the text and purpose. • Comprehension Based on your observations of the students’ reading and discussion, revisit parts of the text to clarify or extend comprehension. Remind students to go back to the text to support their ideas. • Phonics/Word Work Provide practice as needed with words and word parts, using examples from the text. Remind students that many longer words have Greek or Latin roots. The prefi x ad- in the word admired on page 6 is also a Latin word that means “to” or “toward.” Other words that use this prefi x include admiral, admit, addition, and additive. Grade 4 3 Lesson 20: Jackson Pollock in Action © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 4_305707_OL_LRTG_L10_PollockinAction.indd 3 11/4/09 11:17:51 PM Writing about Reading Critical Thinking Have students complete the Critical Thinking questions on BLM 10.8. Responding Have students complete the activities at the back of the book, using their Reader’s Notebook. Use the instruction below as needed to reinforce or extend understanding of the comprehension skill. Target Comprehension Skill Author’s Purpose Remind students that they determine an author’s purpose for writing a selection by examining details from the text. Model how to add details to the Graphic Organizer, using a “Think Aloud” like the one below: Think Aloud On page 9, the author writes that Pollock sold fi fteen oil paintings and several works on paper for between $25 and $750 at Peggy Guggenheim’s show. On page 11, she writes that an article in an art magazine mentioned Pollock along with Picasso, a very famous artist. These details support the author’s purpose of showing that Pollock was a great artist. Practice the Skill Have students share their examples of another biography in which the author’s purpose was to show readers how important that person was. Writing Prompt: Thinking Beyond the Text Have students write a response to the prompt on page 6. Remind them that when they think beyond the text, they use their personal knowledge to reach new understandings. Assessment Prompts • The main purpose of this biography is to ________________________________________________________________. • Which sentences from the biography show that moving to The Springs was good for Pollock and his work? • What can readers tell about the reaction to Pollock’s show from the fi rst paragraph on page 12? Grade 4 4 Lesson 20: Jackson Pollock in Action © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 4_305707_OL_LRTG_L10_PollockinAction.indd 4 11/4/09 11:17:54 PM English Language Development Reading Support Pair advanced and intermediate readers to read the biography softly, or have students listen to the audio or online recordings. Remind students that this selection describes a great artist who had a unique style. Cultural Support The biography includes references to locations in the United States, such as the Grand Canyon and East Hampton, as well as events, such as the Great Depression.