A Peek Into Fiction with Tunnel Books

Students will explore the layers and imagery of a character or theme.

These tunnel books have three layers, which can be customized to meet the needs of the students. Students are challenged to visually represent the topic through illustration on the tunnel book pages. Students end the project with an artist statement that asks them to reflect on the class subject and the creative process.

Objectives:

• Students will create a tunnel book
• Students will explore various layers of a character or theme
• Students will write an artist statement

Basic Lesson Outline:

• Introduce project
• Demonstrate skills
• Create tunnel books
• Write an artist statement
• Create an art walk / display of tunnel books

Art Supplies:

• White cardstock (at least 7 sheets per student)
• Glue sticks
• Scissors
• Colored pens and pencils

Other Resources:

• Slide show to introduce project and related artwork (see outline at the end of the lesson plan)
• Examples of tunnel books

Idaho State Learning Standards

Arts and Humanities: Anchor Standard 4: Convey meaning through the presentation/performance/production of an original work or unique interpretation of a work

• Objective PR1.1 Combine knowledge and understanding from two or more disciplines to present/perform their original or interpreted works for an audience
• Objective PR1.2 Convey meaning through their presentation/performance
• RL.6.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments

Academic Language:

• Subject area language: theme, character, point of view, narrator
• Art language: tunnel book, perspective, background, middle ground, foreground

Student Use of Vocabulary:

Students will use the words when creating their projects and in their artist statements

Student Grouping:

Students will work individually