Unit Plan 13 (Grade 2 Art): Telling My Story Through Art
Grade 2 art unit where students plan artwork from a personal experience, generate two ideas, choose the strongest, and explain how their art connects to real life.
Focus: Plan artwork based on a personal experience, generating more than one idea and choosing the strongest.
Grade Level: 2
Subject Area: Art (Visual Arts • Creating • Connecting)
Total Unit Duration: 1–3 weeks, 50–60 minutes per session
I. Introduction
Students explore how their own lives, memories, and feelings can inspire artwork. Through guided discussion, picture books, and simple examples, they think about special moments (a celebration, a trip, a favorite game, a time they felt proud). Students then brainstorm two different ideas for artwork based on one personal experience and decide which idea tells their story best. They begin planning simple sketches and words that connect the artwork to their lives.
Essential Questions
- How can my own life and experiences become ideas for artwork?
- Why is it helpful to think of more than one idea before choosing one to complete?
- How can I explain the connection between my artwork and my personal story?
- What choices (subject, details, color, setting) help my art tell a clear story about me?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Recall and describe at least one personal experience that could become a story for artwork.
- Brainstorm two different ideas for artwork based on the same experience (e.g., different moments, viewpoints, or layouts).
- Choose one idea to develop further and explain why it is the stronger choice for telling their story.
- Create a simple planning sketch that shows main characters, setting, and key details from their experience.
- Use simple sentence starters or labels to describe how their planned artwork connects to their life.
Standards Alignment — 2nd Grade (NCAS-Aligned)
- VA:Cn10.2a — Create artwork inspired by personal experiences and explain those connections.
- Example: Students draw a family celebration and describe its importance.
- VA:Cr1.2b — Create more than one possible idea before choosing one to complete.
- Example: Students sketch two possible animal drawings before selecting one.
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can think of a real-life moment that I want to turn into art.
- I can draw two different ideas for my story before I choose one.
- I can tell which idea shows my story better and explain why.
- I can make a planning sketch that shows who is in my story, where it happens, and what is happening.
- I can explain how my plan connects to something that really happened to me.