Project

Project Summary
Every Picture Tells a Story

Brief Summary of the Project
Every Picture Tells a Story invites students to express their emotions through art and writing. Students will be asked to write a descriptive paragraph about a moment in their lives when they experienced an extreme emotion (anger, fear, sadness, embarrassment...). They will subsequently draw or paint a self portrait (or manipulate a digital photo) that represents that moment.
There are four distinct parts to the project:
Part 1
Students will examine and discuss the works and the distinct styles of a variety of artists. They will learn that the artists’ feelings and emotions are evident in the finished works of art and that art should stir emotions or feelings in the viewer. They will recognize how art elements can affect the mood of the work. They will recognize that there is a story behind every picture. Students will then create a self-portrait which represents a particular moment in their lives when they experienced an extreme emotion. They may wish to describe a time of sheer joy, great fear, extreme happiness, or embarrassment.

Part 2
The objective of this part is to give students an opportunity to create an original paragraph describing that moment. After organizing thoughts and brainstorming descriptive vocabulary, students will compose their descriptive paragraphs.

Part 3
Students will exchange their self portraits with their partner class via email or snail mail. Each student will develop a story for his or her partner’s artwork. They will identify feelings and tell the story behind the picture. Students will practice their descriptive writing skills, expanding their use of detail and adjectives to convey emotions.

Part 4
Once the descriptive paragraphs have been edited and proofed, they will be uploaded to the project website at www.flapjacks.us/everypicture. Artists will compare their intent with their partners’ interpretations of their artwork.