Summary
This lesson explores how visual storytelling conveys meaning through illuminated manuscripts and book covers. Students begin by engaging in a word guessing game using medieval terms. They then watch an interview with a professional illustrator to reflect on visual storytelling. From there, they analyze historical illuminated manuscripts and book covers, noting how they communicate stories in a single image. Finally, students design an illuminated letter based on a song lyric of their choice, using watercolor, paint pens, and gold leaf. They apply artistic principles to capture the mood and meaning of the song. The lesson concludes with a gallery walk, where students showcase their artwork and provide peer reflections on the visual impact and storytelling elements of each other's works.
Essential Question(s)
How can we tell a story in one image? How can messages be conveyed visually?
Snapshot
Engage
Students play a definitions game where they guess the meaning of medieval words.
Explore
Students watch a video interview with a professional illustrator and book cover artists.
Explain
Students view and reflect on images of illuminated manuscripts and book covers throughout history.
Extend
Students create their own illuminated letter artwork for a song lyric of their choice.
Evaluate
Students view each other’s illuminated letters and write reflections on them.
Materials
Lesson Slides — A Letter Worth a Thousand Words (attached)
Mentimeter App to access Menti slides (student devices)
Triangle-Square-Circle Handout (attached; one copy per student)
See, Perceive, Reflect Handout (attached; one copy per student)
Balderdash Handout (attached; one copy for instructor)
Paired Texts H-Chart Handout (attached; one copy per student)
Magnetic Statements Handout (attached; one copy per class)
Illuminated Letter Art Techniques Handout (attached; one copy for instructor)
Watercolor paper
Watercolors
Paintbrushes
Paint pens
Gold leaf
Mod podge or gold leaf adhesive
Engage
30 Minute(s)
Move to Slide 2, “What Does it Mean?” Provide time for everyone to access the Mentimeter. Ask students to make up a definition for the words on each of the slides, moving through the Mentimeter slides for as many words as you have time for. Allow a minute or two for students to come up with a definition for the word displayed on the slide and then ask them to share the definition they wrote in the Mentimeter.
As everyone is entering their guesses, enter the correct definition as well. Then, have them vote in the Menti on the one they think is right.
Reveal the correct definition and give a point to any student who guessed correctly and to the student definition that received the most votes. Whoever ends with the most points wins.
Next, introduce the essential questions and objectives for this lesson on slides 3 & 4.
Explore
30 Minute(s)
Display slide 5. Explain to students that they will be watching an ICAP interview with Aster Kordona who is an artist and illustrator. Hand out the Triangle, Square, Circle handout. While students watch the video on slide 6, have them complete the Triangle, Circle, Square reflection prompts on the handout:
What are three important points that you have learned from the interview?
List four things that squared with your thinking, meaning you found them to be interesting or relatable.
What is one thing that is still circling in your head?
Display slide 7 and discuss their reflections.
Explain
30 Minute(s)
Have students examine slides 8-13. These are examples of illuminated texts. Ask them to write on the Paired Text H-Chart handout in the left column one thing that catches their eye and one thing that puzzles them about the images.
Then, have students work through slides 14-17. These slides demonstrate the evolution of book cover design. Have students write something that catches their eye and one thing the puzzles them about this set of images in the right column of their Paired Text H-Chart handout.
Have students share their notes from the Paired Text H-Chart in groups at their table. Share slide 18, a rephrase of the essential question, “How do both illuminated letters and book covers tell a story in one image?” Have students write their answer to this question in the center portion of their H-Chart handout. Depending on your class size and time allotted for this lesson, have each student share their answers or ask for a few volunteers to share out with the whole class.
Extend
60 Minute(s)
Display slide 19. Explain to students that they have the opportunity to watch a brief clip about the creation of illuminated letters.
Following the video, move to slide 20 and inform students that their upcoming assignment is to make their own illuminated letter to accompany a song of their choice. Their letter should represent the essence of the song. It can be inspired by the mood of the lyrics and/or the music. This is a good stopping point for the day so that students have time to listen to music they like and consider what song will be their inspiration.
Start the next day with slides 21 and 22 for a quick review of the videos Understanding the Elements of Art and Understanding the Principles of Design. Have students take a few minutes to reflect on which of the elements of art or design would have the greatest impact on the demonstration of their song.
For slides 23 and 24, ask students to move to the element of art that they have decided on as a starting point for their illuminated letter design. Instruct them to talk with others who share their interests and share why they’ve chosen this element as a starting point. After students have discussed their ideas, have them move to another design principle and talk with someone from a different element.
Display slide 25 and guide students to begin with sketches on scrap paper to work out their letter design and style elements that will best illustrate the lyrics or the song's meaning. Encourage them to play with 3-5 different ideas before deciding on and refining the one they will use in their final work of art.
After sketching, have students create their illuminated letter on watercolor paper, using watercolors, paint pens for detail work on top, and gold leaf.
This is a good time to introduce the materials (watercolor paper, watercolor paint, pens, gold leaf) they will use to create their letters. You may choose to do a demonstration of the techniques you desire your students to focus on. There are tips provided for facilitating this demonstration on the attachment called Illuminated Letters Art Techniques.
Display slide 26 and provide as much class time as you consider appropriate for students to create their illuminated letters based on the song lyrics they have chosen.
Evaluate
30 Minute(s)
Display slide 27. Distribute the See, Perceive, Reflect handout and instruct students to complete the chart questions for X number of classmates as they participate in a Gallery Walk of their class’s artwork. Remind students to focus on the positives.
See: What do you notice? What stands out? Do you feel like a message is being conveyed? How would you describe this art?
Perceive: What emotions/feeling/mood do you feel looking at the art? Are you sad? Happy? Melancholy? Angry? Disappointed? What message do you feel is being conveyed?
Reflect: What did you learn from this project? What can improve for next time?
Resources
Hopper, J. (2020). Understanding the elements of art. YouTube. Video: https://youtu.be/wQhuN1iR_9Q?si=7sWQDxGGk1l9BKT5
Hopper, J. (2020). Understanding the principles of design. YouTube. Video: https://youtu.be/65WjYDEzi88?si=ptXGRVwPtT0eadoX
K20 Center. (n.d.). Mentimeter. Tech tools. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/tech-tool/645
K20 Center. (n.d.). Triangle-square-circle. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/65
K20 Center. (n.d.). Paired texts h-chart. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/132
K20 Center. (n.d.). Gallery walk/Carousel with voicethread. Tech-integrated strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/tech-strategy/3043
Age of Empires. (2003). Hands on history - The illuminated manuscript. Video: YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laYxROekO-E
Google
Arts & Culture. (n.d.). Topics about "Illuminated manuscript." https://artsandculture.google.com/search?q=illuminated%20manuscript
Grapheine. (n.d.). History of book covers (part 1). Grapheine. https://www.grapheine.com/en/history-of-graphic-design/history-of-book-covers-1
Grapheine. (n.d.). History of book covers (part 2). Grapheine. https://www.grapheine.com/en/history-of-graphic-design/history-of-book-covers-1
Grapheine. (n.d.). History of book covers (part 3). Grapheine. https://www.grapheine.com/en/history-of-graphic-design/history-of-book-covers-3
Grapheine. (n.d.). History of book covers (part 4). Grapheine. https://www.grapheine.com/en/history-of-graphic-design/history-of-book-covers-4