Grades K-2: I Spy Irises (This lesson was designed for children with Autism.)
Rating: 
Common Core Standards
Kindergarten
Reading Literature
RL.K.6 With prompting and support, name the author and illustrator of a story and define the role of each in telling the story.
Speaking and Listening
SL.K.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
SL.K.4 Describe familiar people, places, things, and events and, with prompting and support, provide additional detail.
Grade 1
Speaking and Listening
SL.1.3 Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to gather additional information or clarify something that is not understood.
SL.1.4 Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly.
Language
L.1.6 Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts, including using frequently occurring conjunctions to signal simple relationships (e.g., because).
Grade 2
Speaking and Listening
SL.2.4 Tell a story or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking audibly in coherent sentences.
Language
L.2.6 Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts, including using adjectives and adverbs to describe (e.g., When other kids are happy that makes me happy).
Description of Lesson
This K-2 lesson titled “I Spy Irises” by Chandra Collins for the J. Paul Getty Museum is designed for students with autism. It is intended to be completed in one 30 to 40-minute class period of ELA/Literacy/Visual Arts. In this lesson, students listen to a read aloud as elements of art are reviewed: colors, shapes, and different types of lines. They identify these elements in a famous painting and then practice drawing different types of lines and shapes in different colors. In the culminating activity, students use these elements of art to produce an original crayon-resist piece inspired by the painting.
Cautions
Connecticut teachers are cautioned that to complete this lesson as intended, additional time may be required. Materials will require familiarity to be used effectively. While assessment guidelines are included, the use of a Common Core-aligned rubric that elicits direct, observable evidence of the degree to which students can independently demonstrate the targeted standards is suggested.
Rationale for Selection
The lesson plan is an exemplary example of integrating Visual Arts and ELA/Literacy content with appropriate supports in reading, listening, and speaking for students with autism. It includes a clear and explicit purpose for instruction, as it cultivates student interest and engagement. This lesson could be adapted for use in a heterogeneous classroom setting and/or by substituting books and art work.