Genre: A r Teacher’S Guide Frans Hals Johannes … · Teacher’S Guide Level W/60 ... creating a strong voice is a learned skill that requires ... the Review of the Artist’s

1 Reviews of ThRee DuTch ARTisTs ©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLCB e n c h m a r k e d u c a t i o n c o m p a n y

Skills and Strategies

Anchor Comprehension Strategies• Distinguish and evaluate fact

and opinion• Make judgments

Genre Study• Recognize genre features• Analyze genre texts• Make text-to-text genre connections

Tier Two Vocabulary• See book’s glossary

Word Study• Superlatives

Fluency• Read with varied speed/pacing

Writing• Writer’s tools: Writer’s voice• Write an art review using writing-process

steps

Frans Hals

Johannes Vermeer

Rembrandt van Rijn

Teacher’S Guide

Level W/60

Unit at a Glance

Day 1 Prepare to Read Day 4 Read “Rembrandt van Rijn”*

Day 2 Read “Frans Hals”* Day 5 Reread “Rembrandt van Rijn”*

Day 3 Read “Johannes Vermeer”* Days 6–15 Write an art review using the writing-process steps on page 10

*While you are meeting with small groups, other students can:• read independently from your classroom library• reflect on their learning in reading response journals• engage in literacy workstations

Genre: Art reviews

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2 Reviews of ThRee DuTch ARTisTs ©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

for how these features appear in each art review we read.

• Ask students to turn to pages 5–7. Say: During the 1600s, Dutch artists produced millions of fine artworks. Read to find out how and why this remarkable flowering of art occurred in the Netherlands.

• Have a student read aloud the background information while others follow along.

• Say: The Golden Age of Dutch painting began as the people of the Netherlands became prosperous world traders. What can you infer, or tell, from this? Allow responses. Prompt students to understand that new wealth enabled the people to indulge in luxuries such as paintings.

Introduce the Tools for Readers and Writers: Writer’s Voice• Read aloud “Writer’s Voice” on page 4. • Say: Like a fingerprint, a writer’s voice is unique.

By creating a distinct voice, a writer makes a strong impression on readers. The critic who wrote the reviews in this book used certain techniques to create a strong voice. Let’s practice identifying these techniques so we can understand how they affect the reviews we read.

• Distribute BLM 1 (Writer’s Voice). Read aloud sentence 1 with students.

• Model Identifying Writer’s Voice: “Dozing your way through an art gallery” shows that the writer isn’t usually excited by art. Yet the artworks of Georgia O’Keeffe wake him up “like a megawatt alarm clock.” The author chose a conversational and clever way to tell readers that even people who don’t love art will be excited by these paintings.

• Ask students to work with a partner or in small groups to identify the techniques used to create a strong voice in the remaining sentences and write several sentences of their own, creating a strong voice.

• Bring the groups together to share their findings. Point out that every writer has a voice. However, creating a strong voice is a learned skill that requires conscious use of a variety of techniques.

• Ask the groups to read one of the sentences they wrote. Use the examples to build students’ understanding of how and why writers create a strong voice. Remind them that a strong voice draws in readers and helps them understand and connect with the text.

• Ask the groups to hand in their sentences. Transfer student-written sentences to chart paper, title the page “Writer’s Voice,” and post it as an anchor chart in your classroom.

Prepare to ReadBuild Genre Background• Write the word genre on chart paper. Ask: Who

can explain what the word genre means? Allow responses. Say: The word genre means “a kind of something.” How many of you like to listen to rap? How many of you prefer country music? Rap and country are genres, or kinds, of music. All rap shares certain characteristics. All country songs have some features in common, too. As readers and writers, we focus on genres of literature. As readers, we pay attention to the genre to help us comprehend. Recognizing the genre helps us anticipate what will happen or what we will learn. As writers, we use our knowledge of genre to help us develop and organize our ideas.

• Ask: Who can name some literary genres? Let’s make a list. Allow responses. Post the list on the classroom wall as an anchor chart.

• Draw a concept web on chart paper or the board. Write Art Reviews in the center circle of the web.

• Say: Art reviews are one example of a literary genre. Think of any art reviews you know. How would you define what an art review is?

• Turn and Talk. Ask students to turn and talk to a classmate and jot down any features of an art review they can think of. Then bring students together and ask them to share their ideas. Record them on the group web. Reinforce the concept that all art reviews have certain common features.

Introduce the Book• Distribute a copy of the book to each student. Read

the title aloud. Ask students to tell what they see on the cover and table of contents.

• Ask students to turn to pages 2–3. Say: This week we are going to read art reviews that will help us learn about this genre. First we’re going to focus on this genre as readers. Then we’re going to study an art review from a writer’s perspective. Our goal this week is to really understand this genre.

• Ask a student to read aloud the text on page 2 while others follow along. Invite a different student to read the web on page 3.

• Point to your Art Reviews web on chart paper. Say: Let’s compare our initial ideas about art reviews with what we just read. What new features of this genre did you learn? Allow responses. Add new information to the class web.

• Post this chart in your classroom during your art reviews unit. Say: As we read art reviews this week, we will come back to this anchor chart. We will look

Day 1

©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC. All rights reserved. Teachers may photocopy the reproducible pages for classroom use. No other part of the guide may be reproduced or transmitted in whole or in part in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.ISBN: 978-1-4509-3052-9


©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC 3Reviews of ThRee DuTch ARTisTs

Reflect and Review • Turn and Talk. Write one or more of the following

questions on chart paper. What is a literary genre, and how can understanding

genres help readers and writers? What did you learn today about the art review

genre? What are some ways a writer creates a strong voice? Ask partners or small groups to discuss their ideas

and report them back to the whole group as a way to summarize the day’s learning.

Management Tips• Throughout the week, you may wish to use

some of the Reflect and Review questions as prompts for reader response journal entries in addition to Turn and Talk activities.

• Have students create genre folders. Keep blackline masters, notes, small-group writing, and checklists in the folders.

• Create anchor charts by writing whole-group discussion notes and mini-lessons on chart paper. Hang charts in the room where students can see them.

Before ReadingIntroduce “Frans Hals”• Reread the Art Reviews anchor chart or the web

on page 3 to review the features of an art review.• Ask students to turn to page 8. Ask: Based on

the title and photographs of artworks, what do you predict this art review will be about? Allow responses.

• Invite students to scan the text and look for the boldfaced terms (most gifted, most affluent, cleverest, liveliest, most memorable). Say: As you read, pay attention to these terms. If you don’t know what they mean, try to use clues in the surrounding text to help you define them. We’ll come back to these terms after we read.

Set a Purpose for Reading• Ask students to read the art review, focusing on

the genre elements they noted on their anchor chart. They should also look for evidence of writer’s voice and think about how the writer’s attitudes, emotions, and judgments help them better understand the artist’s work.

Read “Frans Hals”• Place students in groups based on their reading

levels. Ask them to read the art review silently, whisper-read, or read with a partner.

• Confer briefly with individual students to monitor their use of fix-up strategies and their understanding of the text.

Management TipAsk students to place self-stick notes in the margins where they notice evidence of writer’s voice or features of the genre.

After ReadingBuild Comprehension: Evaluate Fact and Opinion• Lead a student discussion using the “Analyze

the Review of the Artist’s Work” and “Focus on Comprehension” questions on pages 12–13. Then, use the following steps to provide explicit modeling of how to evaluate facts and opinions in an art review.

• Explain: We learned yesterday that an art review provides information and makes judgments about an artist and his or her work. When you read an art review, you need to distinguish the author’s opinions from facts. Facts can be proven true, but opinions cannot. Evaluating the facts and opinions can help you

Day 2

Name Date

Reviews of ThRee DuTch ARTisTs ©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLCBLM 1

Writer’s VoiceDirections: The list shows some of the ways writers create a strong voice. Read each sentence below the list. Underline the words the writer uses to create a strong voice. On the line, write the letter or letters of the techniques the writer uses in the sentence.

A. choosing words carefullyB. including certain detailsC. creating a specific style and moodD. using a voice like the writer’s natural speech

1. If you are dozing your way through an art gallery, the artworks of Georgia O’Keeffe will wake you up like a megawatt alarm clock.

2. You may ask, “What is special about paintings of enormous flowers and the Southwest desert?”

3. These are not pale bouquets of spring flowers but huge images of a single flower throbbing with vivid color and passion.

4. An O’Keeffe painting of the New Mexico desert is filled with powerful light.

5. That relentless light shows the power of open spaces. 6. That light reveals every detail in the bleached skull of a

steer. 7. O’Keeffe paints with a special kind of clarity that says, “The

truth is both beautiful and dangerous.”

Directions: Write several sentences about an artist or musician whose work you admire. Include words and details that give the sentences a strong voice.

Possible answer: The Southland Sisters are unsurpassed in country music. These artists sing what is important to them, not what they think the public expects. They aren’t glitzy and showy like some country music performers, but they express the truth honestly in their lyrics and melodies.

C, D

B, D

B

aa, B

a, C

a



• Use the Comprehension Question Card with small groups of students to practice answering text-dependent comprehension questions.

• Say: Today I will help you learn how to answer Find It! questions. The answer to a Find It! question is right in the book. You can find the answer in one place in the text.

• Model. Read the Find It! question. Say: When I read the question, I look for important words that tell me what to look for in the book. What words in this question do you think will help me? Allow responses. Say: Yes, I’m looking for the words Hals and apprenticed. On page 8, I read “Hals became an apprentice to a master painter.” This sentence has the words I’m looking for. This sentence answers the question.

• Guide Practice. Use the Power Tool Flip Chart to help you develop other Find It! questions.

Focus on Vocabulary: Superlatives• Explain/Model. Read aloud “Superlatives” on

page 4. Say: Superlatives are forms of adjectives used to compare three or more things by adding -est or using the word most. For example, happy can describe a person; happiest compares that person to two or more others. When you see a superlative in your reading, cover the -est ending or the word most and identify the meaning of the adjective. Then, look for the word it describes and think about what the author is comparing.

• Practice. Ask students to think of superlatives they use regularly, such as most exciting, most boring, cutest, saddest, and silliest. List the superlatives on the board and ask students to suggest what each one might describe.

• Say: Let’s find the boldfaced terms in this review. What can you do if you don’t know what these terms mean? Allow responses. Say: You can find the base adjective by removing the -est or most. You can also look in the words around the superlative for clues and ask yourself, “What is the writer comparing? Why?”

• Ask students to work with a partner to complete the “Focus on Words” activity on page 13 using BLM 3 (Focus on Superlatives). Explain that the word being described generally, but not always, follows the superlative. Students should be able to explain what the superlative adds to the meaning of the sentence.

• Transfer Through Oral Language. Ask groups of students to share their findings. Then challenge individual students to use the superlatives to describe new people, places, or events. Ask other students to listen carefully and offer their own opinions.

• Ask students to save their work in their genre studies folders to continue on Days 3 and 4.

Day 2 (cont.)review your own impressions of the art and decide whether you want to see it yourself.

• Distribute copies of BLM 2 (Evaluate Fact and Opinion) and/or draw a chart like the one below.

Opinions Facts That Support Opinions

When you see a portrait by Hals, you will feel as if a living, breathing person is looking back at you.

• captured subject’s likeness• revealed individual’s personality• wide array of emotions of people in all

walks of life

Banquet of the Officers of the St. George Civic Guard . . . is also one of the most extraordinary group portraits of the time.

• has each man doing something different around dinner table

• conveyed energy of hungry men• carefully positioned the guards by rank

Nowhere is the spirit of fun more evident than in Jonker Ramp and His Sweetheart.

• jovial gentleman holding a glass of wine • making toast or inviting people to

join him• good spirits of people in background

Hals did a terrific job with [Jester with a Lute].

• merriment in a devilish grin on his face• right hand looks as if it is actually

strumming • so lifelike expect him to burst into song• pulsating with energy

• Model: In “Frans Hals,” the author states that the artist’s painting of officers of the St. George Civic Guard is one of the most extraordinary group portraits of the time. She supports this opinion by describing how Hals arranged the men around a dinner table rather than using the straight line composition popular in his day, positioned the guards by their rank, and has each man doing something different, with the effect of conveying great energy. These details provide evidence that suggests Hals’s artistry, innovation, and talent. The strong support helps the author prove her point.

• Guide Practice. Work with students to evaluate other facts and opinions in “Frans Hals.” Help them understand that the author admires Hals’s ability to capture personality and feeling as well as likeness in a portrait. Help students see that the details that describe the artist’s paintings support the idea that Hals’s portraits seem alive.

• Have students keep BLM 2 in their genre studies folders.

Practice Text Comprehension Strategies for ELA Assessment• Remind students that when they answer questions

on standardized assessments, they must be able to support their answers with facts or clues and evidence directly from the text.



Page Superlative What word is the superlative describing?

8 most gifted portrait painters

8 most affluent time

9 cleverest things (about this painting)

10 liveliest paintings

11 most memorable works (of art)

Reflect and Review • Turn and Talk. Ask partners or small groups to

reread the “Features of an Art Review” web on page 3 and decide whether all of these features are present in “Frans Hals.” Ask groups to share and support their findings.

Fluency: Read with Varied Speed/Pacing• You may wish to have students reread the art

review with a partner during independent reading time, focusing on varying their speed to match the difficulty and content of the text. Remind students to read difficult or sad passages more slowly and read simple or exciting text more quickly. For example, they would read a sentence describing details in a painting more slowly to give listeners time to refer to the painting. Ask students to read page 9 aloud at a pace that makes the content understandable to listeners.

Note Regarding This Teacher’s GuideEach book provides an opportunity for students to focus on an additional comprehension strategy that is typically assessed on state standards. The strategy is introduced on page 4 (the third item in the “Tools for Readers and Writers” section) with text-specific follow-up questions found on the Reread pages. Some Reread sections also introduce an advanced language arts concept or comprehension strategy, such as protagonist/antagonist, perspective, or subtitles, because students at this level should be able to consider more than one comprehension strategy per text.

Before ReadingIntroduce “Johannes Vermeer”• Ask students to turn to page 14. Say: You are

going to read another art review today. Turn to a partner to discuss how you will use your genre knowledge as a reader to help you understand the art review.

• Ask the partners to summarize what they heard. • Say: Let’s look at the title and photographs of

artworks in this art review. What do you predict the review will be about?

• Ask students to scan the text and look for the boldfaced terms (most renowned, most successful, most prized). Ask: What do you notice about these terms? Why do you think they appear in boldfaced type? (All of these terms are superlatives formed with the word most.)

• Say: As you read, try to figure out the meanings of these terms by noting what they describe. After we read, we will talk about how you used the context clues provided by the author.

Set a Purpose for Reading• Ask students to read the art review, focusing on

how descriptions, facts, and opinions help them understand what Vermeer’s artworks are like and whether they might like to see them. Encourage students to notice the writer’s voice.

Read “Johannes Vermeer”• Place students in groups based on their reading



After ReadingBuild Comprehension: Evaluate Fact and Opinion• Say: Yesterday we evaluated facts and opinions

in “Frans Hals.” What are the author’s opinions about Johannes Vermeer? What facts does she provide to support her opinions? Record responses on a whole-group chart like the one below.

• Discuss Facts and Opinions Across Texts. Lead a discussion using the following questions: In what ways does the reviewer find the works of Hals and Vermeer similar? What does the reviewer think makes the work of each artist unique? How does information about the life of each artist help you understand his work? Where can you identify the writer’s voice? How does the writer’s voice affect your attitude toward each artist?

Day 3



Focus on Vocabulary: Superlatives• Ask students to work with a partner to complete the

“Focus on Words” activity on page 19 using BLM 3. Have groups of students share their findings.

• Transfer Through Oral Language. Invite pairs of students to tell about a favorite artist, writer, moviemaker, actor, or musician using the superlatives from the selection. Encourage students to use each word multiple times in a new context.


14 most renowned works (of art)

15 most successful paintings

16 most prized painting

Reflect and Review • Turn and Talk. Ask partners or small groups to

discuss the following questions and report their ideas to the whole group.

Both Hals and Vermeer are much admired today for their artworks. How are their special talents different? In what ways are their artworks alike?

How are Hals and Vermeer similar in the circumstances of their lives?

How do you feel about the fact that a gifted artist can make many paintings and still be poor and unknown? Why do you feel this way?

Fluency: Read with Varied Pacing/Speed• You may wish to have students reread the art review

with a partner during independent reading time, focusing on varying the pace of their reading to help listeners understand the text. Model slowing your pace to read a longer, more difficult sentence, such as the first sentence in the second paragraph on page 14, and then varying your pace for the rest of the long paragraph to make it interesting. Invite students to choose a passage and read it aloud varying their pace to match the text information or to help listeners understand a difficult part.

Day 3 (cont.)


That any artwork could look so realistic 200 years before photography was invented is amazing!

• crisp edges of building stand out sharply against sky

• each brick looks real• cracks covered up with plaster• buildings in background give painting depth• ordinary people at work and play

This painting [Girl Reading a Letter by an Open Window] is a wonderful example of Vermeer’s treatment of light.

• soft light makes young woman’s face and hair glow

• reflection of her face seen in panels of the glass window

• light reflecting on curtain and Oriental carpet on table achieves remarkable realism

The Milkmaid is another painting in which Vermeer uses light in a wonderful way.

• light is one of the first things you notice• bright light shines through the window• the bright colors she is wearing add to the

brightness of the room

In my opinion the Vermeer painting [Girl with a Pearl Earring] is more successful [than Mona Lisa].

• looks as if the girl has just turned to look at us• great deal of light on the face of the girl• no background shown• looks alive, hard to look away from her

Practice Text Comprehension Strategies for ELA Assessment • Use the Comprehension Question Card to practice

answering text-dependent questions.• Say: Today we will learn how to answer Look Closer!

questions. The answer to a Look Closer! question is in the book. You have to look in more than one place, though. You find the different parts of the answer. Then you put the parts together to answer the question.

• Model. Read the Look Closer! question. Say: The clue words same and different tell me I must compare and contrast the two portraits. Now I need to look for other important information to find in the book. What information do you think will help me? Allow responses. Say: Yes, I’m looking for sentences that describe the same elements in both paintings. On page 16 I read that both paintings are portraits of beautiful women who smile slightly and mysteriously. On page 17, I read that Vermeer’s painting lights up the subject and makes her appear alive, while da Vinci’s painting has less dramatic use of light and is posed. I have found the answer in the book. I looked in several sentences to find the answer.

• Guide Practice. Use the Power Tool Flip Chart to help you develop other Look Closer! questions.



Before ReadingIntroduce “Rembrandt van Rijn”• Ask students to turn to page 20. Say: This review

is written in a different format from the other art reviews we have read. Notice the notes in the margins. First, we will read to understand the review, focusing on the descriptions, facts, and opinions. Tomorrow, we will reread this review like a writer and think about how the notes in the margins can help us write our own art reviews.

• Point out the boldfaced terms (finest, most famous, most extraordinary). Say: When you see these superlatives in the review, look for the words they describe. Remember that analyzing superlatives and the words they describe in context is a strategy to help you understand an author’s comparison.

Set a Purpose for Reading• Ask students to read the art review, focusing on how

facts and descriptions reinforce the writer’s opinions. Encourage students to notice the writer’s voice and think about how it influences their view of the artist.

Read “Rembrandt van Rijn”• Place students in groups based on their reading



After ReadingBuild Comprehension: Evaluate Fact and Opinion• Lead a whole-class discussion about the strategy

of evaluating fact and opinion. Ask: What are you looking for when you evaluate facts and opinions in an art review? Allow responses. Remind students that authors try to convince readers to agree with their opinions by supporting them with valid, relevant facts and descriptions. In an art review, opinions are specific and are often accompanied by photographs.

• Divide students into four teams. Ask each team to record four opinions about Rembrandt or his works on BLM 2 along with facts from the review to support each opinion.

• After a group has presented its opinions and support, poll the rest of the class. If a majority were convinced by the team’s argument, that team receives a point. Continue until all the opinions have been used. The team with the most points wins.


What a powerful portrait this [A Polish Nobleman] is!

• his outfit, walking stick, and pose give man dignified air

• wrinkled brow and thoughtful, sad eyes• use of light and shade add dimension

to painting

It [Self-Portrait (1637)] is not a very interesting painting.

• depicts refined but expressionless gentleman

• the kind of work that could have been painted by other artists of the time

Self-Portrait (1669) is wonderful because of the artist’s honesty about himself.

• a Rembrandt who is tired, aging, and a bit sad

• had lived through the deaths of several children, his first wife, and other loved ones

For his amazing portraits alone, I think Rembrandt deserves his place as the greatest Dutch painter of all time.

• use of light and shadow to focus on faces• unique ability to capture expressions• honest self-portraits

Practice Text Comprehension Strategies for ELA Assessment • Use the Comprehension Question Card to practice

answering text-dependent questions.• Say: Today we will learn how to answer Prove It!

questions. The answer to a Prove It! question is not stated in the book. You have to look for clues and evidence to prove the answer.

• Model. Read the Prove It! question. Say: I will show you how I answer a Prove It! question. This question asks me to draw a conclusion. I know because it asks “How do you know this?” Now I need to look for other important information in the question. What information do you think will help me? Allow responses. Say: Yes, I need to find evidence that shows Rembrandt was successful at an early age. On page 21 I read that by the 1630s, Rembrandt had already made a name for himself with his wonderful portraits. He was getting many commissions, his business was booming, and he and his family lived in a large, impressive home. I have found the evidence I need.

• Guide Practice. Use the Power Tool Flip Chart to help you develop other Prove It! questions.

Focus on Vocabulary: Superlatives• Ask students to work with a partner to complete

the “Focus on Words” activity on page 29 using BLM 3. Have groups of students share their findings.

Day 4



Before ReadingSummarize and Make Connections Across Texts• Engage students in a discussion about the art reviews

in this book. Invite a different student to summarize each review. Encourage other students to add details and their reactions to the reviews.

• Ask students to turn to the inside back cover of the book. Say: Good readers think about how literary works are related. We know, for example, that all of these art reviews share certain features. They all give information about an artist. They all include descriptions of an artist’s work. What else do they have in common? Allow responses. Say: Today we will think about the similarities between and differences among these artists. We will also think about how the reviewer’s opinions of the artists and their work are alike and different and how well the reviewer supported her opinions.

• Ask students to work individually or in small groups to complete BLM 4 (Make Connections Across Texts). Then bring students together to share and synthesize their ideas.

Directions: Use the chart to record information about each artist as well as the reviewer’s judgments about the three artists and their work.

Subjects Painted

Painting Style

Painting Titles

Reviewer’s Opinion

Frans Hals • people from all walks of life

• lighter side of life

• vivid, detailed; experimented with rough brushstrokes

• reveals personalities

• shows wide array of emotions

Banquet of the Officers of the St. George Civic Guard; The Laughing Cavalier; Jonker Ramp and His Sweetheart; Jester with a Lute; Malle Babbe

• one of the most gifted portrait painters of all time

• ahead of his time in his brushwork and range of subjects and emotions

Johannes Vermeer

• everyday life of his times (houses, streets, people)

• photographic detail and sharpness gives an almost 3-D look

• subtle, powerful use of light

• animated feel of subject

• sense of what is about to happen

The Little Street; Girl Reading a Letter by an Open Window; The Milkmaid; Girl with a Pearl Earring; View of Delft

• each painting is an incredible gem

• admires the remarkable detail

• impressed by the use of light, dark, and colors

Rembrandt van Rijn

• portraits• self-

portraits

• uses light and shade (chiaroscuro)

• portraits show both the bad and the good, the “pretty” and the “ugly” about subject

• details show a person’s circumstances

• faces reveal emotions, troubles, maturity

Self Portrait (various); A Polish Nobleman; Night Watch

• one of the finest artists who ever lived

• deserves his reputation as the most famous Dutch painter of all time

• compelling; unique ability to capture people’s expressions

• admires the honesty in his work

Set a Purpose for Rereading• Have students turn to page 20. Say: Until now,

we have been thinking about art reviews from the perspective of the reader. Learning the features of art reviews has helped us be critical readers. Now we are going to put on a different hat. We are going to reread “Rembrandt van Rijn” and think like

• Transfer Through Oral Language. Divide the class into three teams. Assign each team one of the superlatives and have them generate sentences using the superlative for one minute. Count all sentences that use the superlative correctly to compare three or more things. The team with the greatest number of correct sentences wins.


20 finest artists

20 most famous Dutch painter

23 most extraordinary self-portraits

Reflect and Review • Ask and discuss the following questions: What new

terms have you added to your vocabulary this week? Which is your favorite? Which artist’s work interests you the most? Why? How can you use superlatives and writer’s voice as a writer?

Fluency: Read with Varied Speed/Pacing• You may wish to have students reread the art review

with a partner during independent reading time, focusing on varying their speed and pacing. Remind students that reading more slowly will help listeners focus on important points and that varying their speed to match what the author is saying will help listeners better understand the text. Ask students to keep these points in mind as they choose a passage from the art review and decide how they will read it aloud.

Day 4 (cont.) Day 5



• Read step 3. Say: The reviews we read provided clear descriptions as well as reproductions of the artworks discussed in the text. The descriptions point out specific details and techniques. What details and techniques could we highlight in the artworks we choose? Allow responses. Write down students’ ideas on chart paper.

• Read step 4. Say: An art review must also point out qualities that make an artwork worthwhile or controversial. The writer expresses opinions and supports them with relevant details about the art, the artist, or the era. When you write your review, think through your views about the artworks and list the details that prove your judgment is valid. Choose one of the artists, one or more of the artworks by that artist, and some of the techniques or details the class has brainstormed, and work as a group to brainstorm descriptions of the art and the strengths and weaknesses of the artist’s work.

Build Comprehension: Make Judgments• Explain: Art critics make judgments about the

works they review. In the reviews we read, the author concludes by giving her opinion of the artist or his work. As readers, we evaluate the author’s judgments and then make our own judgments about whether we agree with the author’s ideas and opinions.

• Model: The author ends “Frans Hals” by stating that people today appreciate his genius. This statement tells me that the author admires his work. Once I understand her judgment, I can decide whether I have the same judgment. In this case, I do. The portraits of a young man and his sweetheart and a spirited woman seem alive with emotion and good humor, although they are nearly 300 years old. I also admire the spirit of an artist who created them despite his large debts and problems.

• Guide Practice. Invite students to work in small groups to identify the author’s concluding judgment about the artists in the remaining two reviews. Then challenge students to make their own judgments about the artists. Do they agree with the author? Do they have a different judgment? Ask the groups to share and support their ideas by referring to specific elements in the artworks.

writers. We’ll pay attention to the annotations in the margins. These annotations will help us understand what the author did and why she did it.

Reread “Rembrandt van Rijn”• Place students in groups based on their reading

levels. Ask them to reread the art review silently or whisper-read and to pay attention to the annotations.

After ReadingAnalye the Mentor Text• Read and discuss the mentor annotations with the

whole group.

Practice Text Comprehension Strategies for ELA Assessment• Use the Comprehension Question Card with small

groups of students to practice answering text-dependent questions.

• Say: Today I will help you learn how to answer Take It Apart! questions. The answer to a Take It Apart! question is not stated in the book. You must think like the author to figure out the answer.

• Model. Read the Take It Apart! question. Say: This question asks me to evaluate the author’s purpose. I know because I must determine why the author began the review a certain way. Now I need to look for other important information in the question. What information do you think will help me? Allow responses. Say: Yes, I need to analyze what the author says about Rembrandt. I believe the author wants to grab readers’ attention. Ranking someone among “the finest artists who ever lived” is high praise. Readers will want to find out more about someone who is this talented. They will also want to find out what makes the writer feel this strongly about Rembrandt.

• Guide Practice. Use the Power Tool Flip Chart to help you develop other Take It Apart! questions.

Analyze the Writer’s Craft• Ask students to turn to page 30. Explain: Over the

next few days, you will have the opportunity to write your own art reviews. First, let’s think about how the author wrote “Rembrandt van Rijn.” When she developed this review, she followed certain steps. You can follow these same steps to write your own art reviews.

• Read steps 1 and 2. Say: The first thing you’ll do is select one or more artworks by a specific artist to write about. You’ll also decide who you want to tell about this artist. What artist and works would you like to explore? Who do you think would enjoy these artworks? Why? Allow responses. Write down students’ ideas on chart paper.

Day 5 (cont.)


10Reviews of ThRee DuTch ARTisTs ©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

Write an Art Review• Use the suggested daily schedule to guide

students through the writing-process steps. Allow approximately 45 to 60 minutes per day. As students work independently, circulate around the room and monitor student progress. Confer with individual students to discuss their ideas and help them move forward. Use the explicit mini-lessons, conferencing strategies, and assessment rubrics in Using Genre Models to Teach Writing for additional support.

• Before students begin planning their reviews, pass out copies of BLM 5 (Art Review Checklist). Review the characteristics and conventions of writing that will be assessed. Tell students that they will use this checklist when they complete their drafts.

• This daily plan incorporates the generally accepted six traits of writing as they pertain to art reviews.

Days 6–7: Plan • Ask students to use BLM 6 (Art Review Planning

Guide) to brainstorm artist, artwork(s), descriptive details, and examples of strengths and weaknesses for their reviews.

• Encourage students to refer to the “Features of an Art Review” web on page 3 and to the steps in “The Writer’s Craft” on pages 30–31 of the book.

• Confer with individual students and focus on their ideas. Did students include information about the art and artist? Did they conclude with a clearly worded judgment of the artist’s work?

Days 8–9: Draft • Tell students that they will be using their completed

Art Review Planning Guides to begin drafting their reviews.

• Say: Remember that when writers draft their ideas, they focus on getting their ideas on paper. They can cross things out. They can make mistakes in spelling. What’s important is to focus on describing and evaluating the art and identifying its strengths and weaknesses. You will have an opportunity to make corrections and improvements later.

• Confer with students as they complete their drafts. Use the Art Review Checklist to draw students’ attention to characteristics of the art review genre that they may have overlooked. Focus on how students have organized their ideas and the voice of the writer. Did students include photographs of the works of art? Did they discuss the artworks’ strengths and weaknesses? Does the review have a strong voice? Will the voice keep readers interested?

• Pair students for peer conferencing.

Days 10–11: Edit and Revise • Based on your observations of students’ writing,

select appropriate mini-lessons from Using Genre Models to Teach Writing.

• Remind students to use the Art Review Checklist as they edit and revise their reviews independently.

• Confer with students focusing on sentence fluency, word choice, and conventions. Did students include both long and short sentences? Do the sentences read smoothly? Have students used interesting words and phrases? Did they use techniques to create a strong writer’s voice? Did they use appropriate spelling, punctuation, and grammar?

• You may want students to continue their editing and revision at home.

Days 12–13: Create Final Draft and Illustrations • Ask students to rewrite or type a final draft of their

reviews.• Invite students to illustrate their final drafts with one

or more photographs of specific artworks or drawings that depict events or places important to the artist.

• Confer with students about their publishing plans and deadlines.

Days 14–15: Publish and Share• Explain: Authors work long and hard to develop

their works. You have worked very hard. And one of the great joys of writing is when you can share it with others. Authors do this in many ways. They publish their books so that people can buy them. They make their work available on the Internet. They hold readings. We can share our writing, too.

• Use one or more of the ideas below for sharing students’ work:

Make a class display of students’ completed art reviews.

Hold a class reading in which students can read their reviews to one another and/or to parents.

Create a binder of all the reviews and loan it to the library so that other students can read them.

Create a binder of all the reviews for your classroom library.

Days 6–15

Name Date


Title:

Features of the Genre Checklist Yes No1. My art review follows a pattern. 2. My art review includes a written description of the art. 3. My art review includes information about the artists. 4. My art review includes a copy of the art. 5. My art review evaluates the effectiveness of the art,

identifying strengths and weaknesses. 6. My art review identifies the intended audience. 7. My art review has a strong ending that sums up

the art and the artist. 8. My art review shows my voice.

Quality Writing Checklist Yes No I looked for and corrected . . .

• run-on sentences • sentence fragments • subject/verb agreement • correct verb tense • punctuation • capitalization • spelling • indented paragraphs

Art Review Checklist

Name Date


Art Review Planning GuideDirections: Use the steps below to plan your own art review.

1. Choose a painting, sculpture, or several works by one artist to write about.

2. Identify the audience for the review.

3. Provide a brief description.

4. Identify and give examples of strengths and weaknesses.

Strengths Supporting Evidence

Weaknesses Supporting Evidence


Name Date


Writer’s VoiceDirections: The list shows some of the ways writers create a strong voice. Read each sentence below the list. Underline the words the writer uses to create a strong voice. On the line, write the letter or letters of the techniques the writer uses in the sentence.

A. choosing words carefullyB. including certain detailsC. creating a specific style and moodD. using a voice like the writer’s natural speech

1. If you are dozing your way through an art gallery, the artworks of Georgia O’Keeffe will wake you up like a megawatt alarm clock.

2. You may ask, “What is special about paintings of enormous flowers and the Southwest desert?”

3. These are not pale bouquets of spring flowers but huge images of a single flower throbbing with vivid color and passion.

4. An O’Keeffe painting of the New Mexico desert is filled with powerful light.

5. That relentless light shows the power of open spaces. 6. That light reveals every detail in the bleached skull of a

steer. 7. O’Keeffe paints with a special kind of clarity that says, “The

truth is both beautiful and dangerous.”

Directions: Write several sentences about an artist or musician whose work you admire. Include words and details that give the sentences a strong voice.


Name Date


Evaluate Fact and OpinionDirections: Use the chart below to evaluate facts and opinions in each of the art reviews.

Frans HalsOpinions Facts That Support Opinions

Johannes VermeerOpinions Facts That Support Opinions

Rembrandt van RijnOpinions Facts That Support Opinions


Name Date


Focus on SuperlativesDirections: Reread each review. Then record what each superlative listed below is describing.


8 most gifted

8 most affluent

9 cleverest

10 liveliest

11 most memorable


14 most renowned

15 most successful

16 most prized


20 finest

20 most famous

23 most extraordinary


Name Date


Make Connections Across TextsDirections: Use the chart to record information about each artist as well as the reviewer’s judgments about the three artists and their work.

Subjects Painted

Painting Style

Painting Titles

Reviewer’s Opinion

Frans Hals

Johannes Vermeer

Rembrandt van Rijn


Name Date


Title:

Features of the Genre Checklist Yes No1. My art review follows a pattern. 2. My art review includes a written description of the art. 3. My art review includes information about the artists. 4. My art review includes a copy of the art. 5. My art review evaluates the effectiveness of the art,

identifying strengths and weaknesses. 6. My art review identifies the intended audience. 7. My art review has a strong ending that sums up

the art and the artist. 8. My art review shows my voice.

Quality Writing Checklist Yes No I looked for and corrected . . .

• run-on sentences • sentence fragments • subject/verb agreement • correct verb tense • punctuation • capitalization • spelling • indented paragraphs

Art Review Checklist


Name Date


Art Review Planning GuideDirections: Use the steps below to plan your own art review.

1. Choose a painting, sculpture, or several works by one artist to write about.

2. Identify the audience for the review.

3. Provide a brief description.

4. Identify and give examples of strengths and weaknesses.

Strengths Supporting Evidence

Weaknesses Supporting Evidence


Documents

Genre: A r Teacher’S Guide Frans Hals Johannes … · Teacher’S Guide Level W/60 ... creating a strong voice is a learned skill that requires ... the Review of the Artist’s