An artist friend of mine has a recent body of work that explores capturing a movement, a dance, a wrestling match, an experience. She stages these events on a mat of clay. The clay records the movement of the tango by the impressions of the feet. The wrestlers' struggles are impressed in large gauges and sweeps across the clay mat. She even hired a pair of fencers to duel on a long strip of clay.
After the event takes place, she casts a copy of the clay in a type of foam rubber, which can then be sold as a record of the event. It's quite an interesting idea: having a tactile record of movements, feelings, motion. It's basically making a commodity out of a temporal, intangible experience. If you care to see pictures of her work, check out the link I've included for this 'blog.
Other than video, pictures, and language (journaling, etc.), how do we remember events and experiences? Our sensory memory can be quite helpful. Smells are very powerful reminders of experiences. I purchased an air freshener yesterday that smells like gingerbread and cinnamon. It reminds me of having a warm kitchen and baking holiday goodies in the house I grew up in. I can remember the cool feeling of the white tile counter as I reached up to peek at the hot goodies cooling on the baking rack. Sometimes, the smell of paint or clay will remind me of works I have created.
Souvenirs from places we go can be markers of memories. They're not quite the same as something you have created - evidence of your own existence and participation in the big scheme of life - but they do the trick.
I've recently taken up knitting again, although I'm horrible at it. I love knitting because for me it's a process of doing something while I work out the busy-ness in my mind. I often find solutions to problems, and I come to understandings while in the process of tatting away with the needles and yarn. At the end of the process, I have a knitted something-or-other as a tactile reminder of that time I spent working out the issues. It's an object created from the experience of meditations.
So, let's think about experiences we have had. Find a fond memory that you would want a souvenir of. How can you create a tactile representation of that experience?
Sometimes people make masks with certain pronounced facial expressions on them. You can record these expressions in papier mache, or plaster strips. The impression can further be recorded as a plaster cast of the impression. This cast can be altered be adding material (like antlers or extra teeth) to it, or subtracted from by carving, sanding, or filing.
The basics of art can be met in discussing the work as you create it. Talk about the elements of art, the principles of design. Find examples of them in what you are creating. Then find them in things that already exist. Begin thinking about aesthetics in your everyday experiences. Cameras are too easy for capturing images of events. It's much more of a challenge to have a tangible record of an experience. That is your challenge for the week. Can you do it?
Note: ALL information and links provided from this blog and subsequent issues are for educational purposes only. Please do not use copyrighted imagery without the consent of the image owner.
All lesson plans authored by Mrs. B are the expressed intellectual property of Stephanie T. Butler unless otherwise noted. Use of Mrs. B's lesson plans without Stephanie T. Butler's permission or failure of citation is considered intellectual theft and constitutes academic fraud.
Plaigarism is theft: what lessons will you teach our students?
Friday, September 29, 2006
Monday, September 18, 2006
The concept of Remembrance in homeschool art education
Many apologies for the tardiness of this weeks' blog. Baby B has been very ill with roseola, but thankfully is recovering. I was one of the rare adults to catch the illness, also, after baby recovered and so now I'm healthy, and back to work/school/life. It's amazing how the introduction if something new - or the subtraction of something familiar - can affect our bodies, and our lives. I'm learning some of my best lessons now, especially since I have been fortunate enough to become a mother.
So, without too much of my personal distractions, I had planned a letter surrounding 'remembrance'. The entire week prior to publishing - and prior to the week of roseola - had centered in the news media on the catastrophes of September 11, 2001. I am NOT going to use that day for any purpose in art, lessons, or otherwise. I think it would be disrespectful for me to do so. I also can't get aside from my own sorrow surrounding the events in order to be objective in teaching to this specific issue. I'm not saying that my student's questions will go unanswered. I am saying that I have a lot of information to give them, but very few answers.
What I have considered is the way in which the media focused on how we are remembering the tragedies that occurred that day. It was a reminder to me of how many cultures set aside a day for the departed: Day of the Dead. I was blessed and honored to be a part of the organization and fundraising efforts to hold the Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) event at my university in accordance with the Native tribes and elders' blessings and protocol. The experience has changed my own perspective of life and death, while allowing me to retain and celebrate more fully my own personal beliefs.
There has been loss in my personal life, as well as yours, I am sure. Being a part of the Dia de los Muertos Event helped me to see my losses as cause for mourning, but more so: causes for celebration of the people (or ideas, pets, etc.) I have lost. My life was made far more special by the people that have been in it. Now that some of them are no longer here, I honor them by celebrating how they have added to the enJOYment of my life. It doesn't mean I don't miss them: it means they are special to me, and I love them.
The event I assisted with was actually a part of a service-learning assignment in a course I took. So, I had to teach the Dia de los Muertos concept to a fifth-grade class in an inner-city school here in Long Beach. I know what you're thinking: teaching about DEATH to fifth graders?? Yes. It worked. I'm not saying without surprises - and potential disasters. But as teachers, we can't be afraid to broach touchy subjects - well... we can, just don't show it in front of your students.
I DID have a potentially horrible stumbling block when teaching this unit: My teaching partner and I focused on attributes of people/pets/famous heroes/ideas to honor for the celebration. The first lesson entailed drawing out attributes of the honored one. Some students drew hamster wheels for their dearly departed hamsters. Some drew leashes for the chihuahua that had not lasted as long as the pet-store sales clerk promised. My partner drew cinnamon-toast for his grandmother who had departed, and he was honoring. I drew a petticoat and shoes for my square-dancing grandmother... and a pot of chili (which we made together), and whoopee pies. Does anyone know the deadly addiction of the whoopee pies?? :-) Anyway, while asking each students to talk about the attributes, we arrived to Veronica's desk. She seemed a little nervous, but I chalked it up to speaking aloud in front of her peers. Veronica drew a young man with a big, brown, bushy beard. That was the young man's attribute. She talked about the drawing, ...and revealed to us that the beard was her dad's. He had passed at age 28, and she gave the details, then burst into tears.
Of course, this was really unexpected. At the beginning of the lesson, my teaching partner and I made it clear that we didn't want to bring anything too personal to the project if it's not something we care to share. Veronica was a brave one: trying to deal with her feelings in class through art. I admire her for reaching out to us with something so personal. I thanked her for sharing with us, gave a big hug, and reminded her that she could continue the project focusing on her dad (which we could make into an appropriate tribute) or she can choose a pet, or historical figure whom she admired, or a different relative to honor. It was her choice to make.
The lesson turned out fine. The class overcame their fear of upsetting Veronica after we established a "safe" word to interrupt the mood if anyone became uncomfortable with the concepts. Of course, we were tested a few times: students would utter "banana" (the safe word) under their breath to see what would happen. They were immediately met by a no-questions-asked impromptu game of Simon-says, or a round of jumping-jacks for the entire class to break up the mood. So, it worked beautifully after our stumbling blocks. The kids set the mood, and worked with genuine respect for the ideas and people they were honoring.
We visited the classroom for two hours a week, for five weeks. Here's a short summary of how our lessons broke down:
1. Introduction to Dia de Los Muertos event/origins/celebrations. Focus on attributes. Project: Drawings of attributes representing the deceased. (If students did not personally know anyone deceased, they could choose a pet, historical figure, sports figure, etc. We talked about how to draw while doing it, and talked about our drawings at the end of the lesson.
2. Tissue Paper Cut-outs. Focus on positive and negative space, pattern, repetition, composition, rhythm. This was a messy day, but well controlled by frequent trips around the room with a wastebasket.
3. Votives. Instead of using real candles which would be lit (fire hazard) we were able to adorn and embellish cardboard tubes to look like individualized votives. Focus was again on attributes, radial balance, composition, and use of texture in the materials.
4. Murals. The 3 murals were painted in groups by the students on huge sheets of canvas (painters drop-cloths from the hardware store in heavy weight is the same as painting canvas before it's stretched out and primed.) One group focused their mural on extinct animals (their clever idea!). One group focused on historical figures whom have positively affected their lives. The third was a class collaboration which focused on all the pets and people of the student's choice. We used acrylic paints on unprimed canvas - laid the sheets out on the playground and let the kids go at it. Focus was on composition, color theory - mixing colors, warm colors, cool colors, etc., and collaborating.
5. The EVENT! We were fortunate to be in a community where the native elders gave us their blessings to hold the event on our campus. We honored the tribe that is interred at a place which has since become our campus, and we involved the community. We hired Mexica dancers, held a ceremony to bless the event, and threw a big celebration to celebrate the lives of those whom we chose to honor. At the event, we created the altars: set up the murals, placed the tissue-paper cut-outs, placed the votives, and hung the drawings. We placed sweet breads and marigolds to keep with the traditions. The students were able to visit our campus (it fell on a Saturday) and celebrate along with us. It was a wonderful experience for them to see their work completed, and to have the celebration that we supported and organized.
It was a lot of work, but well worth the while. So, if you have the opportunity, I would suggest contacting the elders or Native organizations in your community. Ask if you can volunteer to help with the celebrations. This is an excellent opportunity for multi-cultural experiences, and collaboration in art. Research the traditions and histories of Dia de Los Muertos. Make your own personal altar, and honor someone/thing who has added to your life.
Now is a great time to get started: Day of the Dead is November 1st.
Note: ALL information and links provided from this blog and subsequent issues are for educational purposes only. Please do not use copyrighted imagery without the consent of the image owner.
All lesson plans authored by Mrs. B are the expressed intellectual property of Stephanie T. Butler unless otherwise noted. Use of Mrs. B's lesson plans without Stephanie T. Butler's permission or failure of citation is considered intellectual theft and constitutes academic fraud.
plagiarism is theft: what lessons will you teach our students?
So, without too much of my personal distractions, I had planned a letter surrounding 'remembrance'. The entire week prior to publishing - and prior to the week of roseola - had centered in the news media on the catastrophes of September 11, 2001. I am NOT going to use that day for any purpose in art, lessons, or otherwise. I think it would be disrespectful for me to do so. I also can't get aside from my own sorrow surrounding the events in order to be objective in teaching to this specific issue. I'm not saying that my student's questions will go unanswered. I am saying that I have a lot of information to give them, but very few answers.
What I have considered is the way in which the media focused on how we are remembering the tragedies that occurred that day. It was a reminder to me of how many cultures set aside a day for the departed: Day of the Dead. I was blessed and honored to be a part of the organization and fundraising efforts to hold the Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) event at my university in accordance with the Native tribes and elders' blessings and protocol. The experience has changed my own perspective of life and death, while allowing me to retain and celebrate more fully my own personal beliefs.
There has been loss in my personal life, as well as yours, I am sure. Being a part of the Dia de los Muertos Event helped me to see my losses as cause for mourning, but more so: causes for celebration of the people (or ideas, pets, etc.) I have lost. My life was made far more special by the people that have been in it. Now that some of them are no longer here, I honor them by celebrating how they have added to the enJOYment of my life. It doesn't mean I don't miss them: it means they are special to me, and I love them.
The event I assisted with was actually a part of a service-learning assignment in a course I took. So, I had to teach the Dia de los Muertos concept to a fifth-grade class in an inner-city school here in Long Beach. I know what you're thinking: teaching about DEATH to fifth graders?? Yes. It worked. I'm not saying without surprises - and potential disasters. But as teachers, we can't be afraid to broach touchy subjects - well... we can, just don't show it in front of your students.
I DID have a potentially horrible stumbling block when teaching this unit: My teaching partner and I focused on attributes of people/pets/famous heroes/ideas to honor for the celebration. The first lesson entailed drawing out attributes of the honored one. Some students drew hamster wheels for their dearly departed hamsters. Some drew leashes for the chihuahua that had not lasted as long as the pet-store sales clerk promised. My partner drew cinnamon-toast for his grandmother who had departed, and he was honoring. I drew a petticoat and shoes for my square-dancing grandmother... and a pot of chili (which we made together), and whoopee pies. Does anyone know the deadly addiction of the whoopee pies?? :-) Anyway, while asking each students to talk about the attributes, we arrived to Veronica's desk. She seemed a little nervous, but I chalked it up to speaking aloud in front of her peers. Veronica drew a young man with a big, brown, bushy beard. That was the young man's attribute. She talked about the drawing, ...and revealed to us that the beard was her dad's. He had passed at age 28, and she gave the details, then burst into tears.
Of course, this was really unexpected. At the beginning of the lesson, my teaching partner and I made it clear that we didn't want to bring anything too personal to the project if it's not something we care to share. Veronica was a brave one: trying to deal with her feelings in class through art. I admire her for reaching out to us with something so personal. I thanked her for sharing with us, gave a big hug, and reminded her that she could continue the project focusing on her dad (which we could make into an appropriate tribute) or she can choose a pet, or historical figure whom she admired, or a different relative to honor. It was her choice to make.
The lesson turned out fine. The class overcame their fear of upsetting Veronica after we established a "safe" word to interrupt the mood if anyone became uncomfortable with the concepts. Of course, we were tested a few times: students would utter "banana" (the safe word) under their breath to see what would happen. They were immediately met by a no-questions-asked impromptu game of Simon-says, or a round of jumping-jacks for the entire class to break up the mood. So, it worked beautifully after our stumbling blocks. The kids set the mood, and worked with genuine respect for the ideas and people they were honoring.
We visited the classroom for two hours a week, for five weeks. Here's a short summary of how our lessons broke down:
1. Introduction to Dia de Los Muertos event/origins/celebrations. Focus on attributes. Project: Drawings of attributes representing the deceased. (If students did not personally know anyone deceased, they could choose a pet, historical figure, sports figure, etc. We talked about how to draw while doing it, and talked about our drawings at the end of the lesson.
2. Tissue Paper Cut-outs. Focus on positive and negative space, pattern, repetition, composition, rhythm. This was a messy day, but well controlled by frequent trips around the room with a wastebasket.
3. Votives. Instead of using real candles which would be lit (fire hazard) we were able to adorn and embellish cardboard tubes to look like individualized votives. Focus was again on attributes, radial balance, composition, and use of texture in the materials.
4. Murals. The 3 murals were painted in groups by the students on huge sheets of canvas (painters drop-cloths from the hardware store in heavy weight is the same as painting canvas before it's stretched out and primed.) One group focused their mural on extinct animals (their clever idea!). One group focused on historical figures whom have positively affected their lives. The third was a class collaboration which focused on all the pets and people of the student's choice. We used acrylic paints on unprimed canvas - laid the sheets out on the playground and let the kids go at it. Focus was on composition, color theory - mixing colors, warm colors, cool colors, etc., and collaborating.
5. The EVENT! We were fortunate to be in a community where the native elders gave us their blessings to hold the event on our campus. We honored the tribe that is interred at a place which has since become our campus, and we involved the community. We hired Mexica dancers, held a ceremony to bless the event, and threw a big celebration to celebrate the lives of those whom we chose to honor. At the event, we created the altars: set up the murals, placed the tissue-paper cut-outs, placed the votives, and hung the drawings. We placed sweet breads and marigolds to keep with the traditions. The students were able to visit our campus (it fell on a Saturday) and celebrate along with us. It was a wonderful experience for them to see their work completed, and to have the celebration that we supported and organized.
It was a lot of work, but well worth the while. So, if you have the opportunity, I would suggest contacting the elders or Native organizations in your community. Ask if you can volunteer to help with the celebrations. This is an excellent opportunity for multi-cultural experiences, and collaboration in art. Research the traditions and histories of Dia de Los Muertos. Make your own personal altar, and honor someone/thing who has added to your life.
Now is a great time to get started: Day of the Dead is November 1st.
Note: ALL information and links provided from this blog and subsequent issues are for educational purposes only. Please do not use copyrighted imagery without the consent of the image owner.
All lesson plans authored by Mrs. B are the expressed intellectual property of Stephanie T. Butler unless otherwise noted. Use of Mrs. B's lesson plans without Stephanie T. Butler's permission or failure of citation is considered intellectual theft and constitutes academic fraud.
plagiarism is theft: what lessons will you teach our students?
Friday, September 08, 2006
Art for homeschoolers: lesson plans!
Here's a question I've been pondering:
How are educational content standards met in homeschoolers' Art lessons? Is it important to homeschoolers to meet state or federal education standards?
With the introduction (and enforcement) of the CAHSEE in the public schools of California - the California High School Exit Exam - should homeschoolers anticipate a similar exam in the future? Will it then be important to meet the standards?
There's not much to worry about in taking the CAHSEE. As part of my teacher prearation program, I took a sample exam. It's not difficult. It is biased in some of the information - not all of it. It is especially BORING, tedious, and very dry reading in the reading comprehension segment. However, students, teachers, and parents can prepare for the exam by looking up past questions on the internet.
All of our lesson plans in the teacher prep. program are tailored to meet and exceed the California Visual and Performing Arts Standards. As promised, this issue will conatin my lesson plans: 5 in all, comprising one unit. One unit usually covers one semester in high-school-level art. I have included the whole packet that I've turned in for my Methods class. It includes the Art Education philosohpy, a flowchart of lessons, and the actual lesson plans.
For most people, this also makes for dry reading. However, the lessons are here. I have many, many more that are far more interesting to read, but I'd like some input from homeschoolers on specific wants and needs from an Art lesson plan. Please comment or e-mail me so I may be able to post more lessons.
BULLETS
Teaching Philosophy - What an Art Curriculum should include:
· Students will develop observational skills that will help them investigate their daily surroundings, and heighten their awareness of the world.
· Students will expand their global outlook through multicultural lessons and projects.
· Students learning will be enriched by various active learning experiences that connect the curriculum to the careers in art and the use of art in everyday world.
· Students will gain an appreciation for the fellow human being through insightful lessons exploring their own perspective and opinion in comparison to others.
· Students will produce art that is insightful, exploratory, provocative in thought, and infused with meaning and purpose.
· Lessons will follow the guidelines of the California VAPA Standards.
· Students will develop an appreciation for the visual language and of art.
· Students will become aware of and explore the implications of the many art-based professions.
· Students will develop and expand their capability for creativity.
· Students will develop and expand an art-based vocabulary.
NARRATIVE:
An Art curriculum should develop student awareness of the world as infused in the many forms of art. This awareness and visual exploration includes the global world as well as the immediate environment. A development of acute observational skills will incorporate artistic experiences and appreciation into the students’ daily consciousness. Multicultural experiences and ways of seeing will help students improve their global outlook with a keen multicultural awareness, gaining appreciation for their fellow human. Artistic experiences will encourage creativity in students, leading to a higher level of thinking and problem-solving skills applicable in all subject matters.
Using the California VAPA Standards as a solid framework for instruction, art production lessons will strive to improve motor skills, time-management skills, art-production technique and skill, and the process of self-discovery through art making. Students will use new technology as available to further their skills in art making; exploring traditional forms and the many new applications. Students swill gain awareness of and explore the many professions in the Art fields.
Through talking and writing about Art, students will use the vocabulary of the visual language of Art; responding in word to the visual, further developing and strengthening the interdependent relationship of both Language and Art. Writing about and talking about Art will be helpful in developing and furthering an appreciation for Art. These interdisciplinary experiences will help students to relate the lessons to actual life concepts and events, further integrating artistic thinking and expression into daily adolescent life.
CONCEPT CHART:
TYPICAL EXTENDED LIFE CONCEPTS
elements symbolism Culture absence
line creativity Politics knowledge
shape originality Family meaning
color appropriation Community wisdom
form metaphor War depth
volume interpretation Peace personality
texture abstraction Death question
value style Life examine
space still-life famine analyze
principle production Hunger dominance
mass objective Want
balance focus Need
contrast theme Consume
rhythm display Gluttony
intensity active Truth
composition visual Lie
tone concept Work
emphasis issue Create
harmony contribution Health
unity technology Thought
opposition develop Religion
depth construct Goal
repetition perception Art
variation Courage
saturation Education
motion Information
orientation Motivate
Juxtaposition Experience
proportion Society
alternation Choice
gradation Freedom
eurythmy Become
horror vacui Friendship
tension Enemy
limitation Identity
coherence time
homogeneity Space
pattern Past
Present
Future
Reality
Here
Now
Surreal
FLOWCHART:
UNITS PLAN: This course is designed to provide an exploration of art as a concept, and possible career choice for the students. Art history and philosophy will be explored through the investigation of techniques in illustration, drawing, painting, and sculpture. Art production aspects of the course will reflect the above techniques and disciplines, and provide an in-depth look into the impact of the visual language upon the lives of our students. Introspection, reflection, and expression will be explored as life concepts, and as infused themes within each of the lessons. Critiques will serve to stimulate critical thinking about how we represent ourselves and our ideas within the visual language, and also further explore how the environment (local, and global) responds to our projected imagery. Cross-cultural influences will be infused within the lessons as artists are referenced, and different perspectives and values are surveyed. The Unit lessons will begin with the basic foundations in drawing and painting, and gradually move to a three-dimensional project in which space and depth are fundamental ideas.
Unit 1 Title:
Suspension of Disbelief; Creating Your World From a Drop of Ink
Unit Goals:
Ø Students will learn the importance of visual representation, how visual representation can be altered to convey a shift in ideas.
Ø A majority of the focus will use various drawing techniques to convey the illusion of 3-D depth on a 2-D surface.
Ø Lessons will progress from abstraction and simplified drawing techniques to more realistic compositions, while exploring unique styles of illustration and animation.
Ø Life concepts investigated will include (but are not limited to) representation, reflection, duality, value, illusion, movement.
Lesson 1 Title:
Mirror, Mirror... A Reflection And Representation Of Your SELF
Concepts:
Contrast, Shape, Representation, Reflection, Duality
Cultural-Historical:
High contrast drawings using examples from Monica Richards, High-contrast computer images using examples from David Myriam, scratchboard works including works from Michael Halbert, and High-contrast photography including works from Ansel Adams, Barri Olson and others.
Synopsis:
Students will explore the essential questions: “How do we represent ourselves visually?” and “What does it mean to be reflective?”. Students will use exaggerated contrast to explore how a 2-D drawing or image can represent a 3-D object. Life concepts addressed in this lesson include representation, reflection, and duality. Students will examine how they represent themselves, and how others perceive them; and also how duality comes into play in daily life situations. Exercises using attributes, worksheets addressing ink-blots and mirror-imagery, and the exploration of self-representation will lead to a final project of a mirror-image portfolio cover in high contrast images. The students will engage in an active critique using mirrors as they explore the composition, and explain their artistic choices.
Lesson 2 Title:
What A Character! Creating a Noir-Style Comic-Book Character
Concepts:
Contour, Depth, Form, Line
Cultural-Historical:
German Expressionism: Otto Dix and Käthe Kollwitz, Film Noir, Early Comic Book Animation, Rudolph Töpffer, Half-Tone Imagery, Perspective Drawings, Simon Dinnerstein
Synopsis:
Students will explore the essential question: “How do we show 3-D depth on a 2-D surface?”. Using basic drawing exercises and a history of comic book animation, students will exercise their skills in art production by creating a comic book style original character. Style will be close to that of Film Noir, and half-tone imagery to further explore the use of line, methods of shading, and creating the illusion of depth without the use of color. Life concepts investigated in this lesson include depth, and a revisiting of perception/perspective. Students will examine how depth can be illustrated within their lives by looking further than the surface: further than first appearances and into the details that make each person and situation unique. The final project for this lesson is the creation of their comic-book character in a Noir-style, complete with attributes of the character’s setting. Students will create a 2 page story from 5 characters of their own selection of the class’ works as a critique and check for understanding of the assignment.
Lesson 3 Title:
In Living Color: Movement and depth in a composition.
Concepts:
Color, 3-D, Illusion, Animation, Movement
Cultural-Historical:
Chronophotography: Etienne Jules Marey, Full-Color Scratchboard works: Norman Gaddini, Comic Books: Stan Lee, Marvel Comics, Computer Animation: Alejandra Liebovich, Michael Paulus, Michaela Pavlatova
Synopsis:
Students will explore the essential questions: “How does color work to give the illusion of depth?” and “How can we make an animated character appear to have volume and mass?”. By implementing Photoshop with the students’ previous works, students will scan and revision their comic character, and place it in different environmental contexts. An exercise using color with the character will bring to life and form the original being. With the limited resources of the computer lab, students will pair up to create a manual flip-book animation further enlivening the characters. Illusion and movement will be explored as life concepts in this lesson. Students will examine how appearance can not always be a reality: illusion, and its implications and consequences. Movement may become a life concept as we explore the concept of panta rae: everything flows. This age-old philosophy dating to Ancient Greece explains a world view of all things relating to each other and in a constant state of movement throughout time. A final Chronophotograph will be created highlighting the character’s attributes, movement capabilities, and depth through use of color, shading, line, and contour. Students will create a gallery to display their chronophotographs, and critique their works based on fluidity of movement, craftsmanship, success of color, and originality.
Unit 2 Title:
Escaping the Plane; Emerging into real space and time
Unit Goals:
Ø Lessons will continue to progress from abstraction and simplified drawing techniques to Three-dimensional, high-relief compositions, while continually exploring unique styles of illustration and animation.
Ø Life concepts investigated will include (but are not limited to) value, illusion, movement. Polarity, space, and environment.
Lesson 1 Title:
Pushing the boundaries of surface, a very-high-relief painting.
Concepts:
Dimension, Plane, Recede, Project, Perspective
Cultural-Historical:
Architectural Models, Origamic Architecture from artists like Keiko Nakazawa, Masahiro Chatani, Shunichi Ozawa, and Gerry Stormer; Trompe L’oeil from artists including Fra. Giovanni de Verona, Cornelis Gilbrechts, Otis Kaye, Claudio Bravo; Optical illusions from such artists as MC Escher, Manfred Staller, and Edgar Muller; and selected works from Charles Biederman, Roy Lichtenstein, and Pablo Picasso.
Synopsis:
Students will explore the essential questions: “What does it mean to escape the 2-D plane?” and “How can I use Trompe L’oeil?”. Worksheets exploring perspective and depth will be completed to provide a firm foundation in the illusion of making a 2-D surface appear 3-dimensional. Exercises completed will involve showing depth in a drawing so that it ‘fools the eye.’ The history of high-relief panels will be established before students create a high-relief panel in clay as an exercise. Life concept explored will be perspective as students examine a hypothetical situation (or perhaps a lateral-thinking puzzle) and recognize how many different answers and perspectives are possible solutions to one question. This can be related to world issues, political situations, etc. The final project will be a high-relief sculptural painting that will project from the picture plane. Perspective, illusion, and trompe l’oeil will be used to give the illusion of a real scene in which material is emerging from the picture plane. An active critique using a ring-toss game will help to identify which areas are the most successful in communicating the illusion of depth and space.
Lesson 2 Title:
My own environment, A sculptural response to the confines of dimension.
Concepts: Space, Environment
Cultural-Historical:
Installation and sculptural artists including James Khazar, Peter Sarkisian, Robert Marbury, and Robert Smithson
Synopsis:
Students will explore the essential question “What is a space?” and “How do you define your environment?”. Worksheets will help students to define the attributes of their own environments, and students will use attributes to help them create an environment of their own. Life concept addressed here will be space, including the astronomical arena, the area in between objects, molecules, etc., metaphorical space and distance, and the psychological attachment people place on their own personal spaces. Six sketches, representing each side of the sculptural cube, will help to create the final project: a sculptural cube in which students construct their own personal environment. Philosophical issues in the arts will be discussed including the value of installation art, art for art’s sake, having your own ‘private’ space, etc. A personal narrative will be created by each student about what they see, hear, and experience as they travel through their own personal environment. A gallery installation and critique of the works will conclude the assignment, although an active critique could include arranging the works end-to-end in a logical order that represents a logical transition from one environment to another.
LESSON PLANS:
LESSON ONE
Title:
Mirror, Mirror... A Reflection And Representation Of Your SELF
Major Goals:
Ø Students will learn the importance of self-representation through creating and assembling a portfolio for their works.
Ø Students will also explore the polarity of high-contrast imagery, and compare this idea to philosophical issues of high contrast.
Performance Objectives/Learning Outcomes:
Ø Anticipatory Set: After completing a pre-instruction discussion and activity investigating attribute imagery, students will complete a worksheet on mirror-images and ink-blots.
Ø After teacher provides feedback on the worksheets, Students will read an Art History segment regarding self-portraits and mandalas, than students will reflect upon their own attributes as they complete an exercise using mirror-imagery.
Ø After a teacher demonstration of the final project, students will create the final project of a portfolio cover in very high contrast, mirror-imagery self-portrait.
Ø A teacher-led critique question and answer session and discussion will wrap-up the lesson.
Major Concepts:
Contrast, shape, representation, reflection, duality
Vocabulary:
Contrast, shape, representation, reflection, duality, tag-board, attributes, mandala, scratchboard, portfolio, imagery
Relevant Artists:
Monica Richards, David Myriam, Michael Halbert, Ansel Adams, Barri Olson
Sequence of Teaching/Learning Events:
1. Administrative Duties; Contract and Syllabus, Seating, Classroom procedures, Materials management, etc.
2. Pre-Instruction Activity: Small discussion on attributes, students will select images from magazines, internet, newspapers, etc. that they would consider to be attributes of themselves. [VAPA 1,3,4]
3. After a discussion on mirror-imagery and inkblots, slideshow or multi-media presentation, students will complete a worksheet on mirror imagery and ink-blot works. [VAPA 3]
4. Students will read and respond to an article about the purpose and styles of mandalas, and another article of self-portraits. Two-paragraph responses will be written for each topic. [VAPA 3,5]
5. Students will complete a worksheet on attributes and one on mandalas to further explore the concepts of reflection and representation. [VAPA 5]
6. Teacher will demonstrate the creation of the high-contrast self-attribute mirror-image Portfolio Cover. [VAPA 2]
7. Students will gather information and resources from the internet, magazines, newspapers and create the final project: Portfolio Cover [VAPA 2,5]
8. After completion of the final project, there will be a reflective discussion and “anonymous critique” of the final projects. Students will take a mirror and drag it from left to right across the mirror-image, reconsidering the composition and the effects of high-contrast in a composition. [VAPA 1,4]
Description of Active Learning:
Selection of attribute imagery, response to readings, creation of portfolio covers, and active critique using mirrors at project completion.
Evaluation:
Criteria:
Completion of 3 assigned worksheets.
Completion of 2 2-paragraph reading responses.
Completion of final project.
Work is done neatly.
Final project is representative of student attributes.
Final project uses high-contrast mirror-imagery.
Portfolio Assessment:
Teacher assesses student portfolio and works with student input, providing specific help in areas in need of future improvement, specific examples of success in multiple compositions and techniques, and thoughts regarding student style and skills, discussion on student-specific goals for the remainder of the semester.
Rubric:
6 – Portfolio and breadth of work is 100% completed, shows meticulous care and quality in craftsmanship, responds creatively to concepts addressed in curriculum, may include extra works or works included go beyond expectations, an absolutely incredible portfolio!
5 – Portfolio and breadth of work is 100% completed, shows care and quality in craftsmanship, responds creatively to concepts addressed in curriculum, a fabulous portfolio!
4 – Portfolio and breadth of work is 80% completed, shows some care and almost great quality in craftsmanship, responds typically to concepts addressed in curriculum, very good portfolio, but has room for improvement.
3 – Portfolio and breadth of work is 60% completed, lacks care and quality in craftsmanship, responds grudgingly to concepts addressed in curriculum, or concepts are not addressed enough, a nice start to a portfolio, but not quite there, needs work.
2 – Portfolio and breadth of work is 50% completed, shows no care and poor quality in craftsmanship, almost no response to concepts addressed in curriculum, now you know where to start to catch up, let’s get to work!
1 – Portfolio and breadth of work is 25% or less completed, shows disregard to craftsmanship, shows no artistic response to concepts addressed in lessons, you have much work to do to catch up, let’s talk – I think you can do much better than this.
Teacher and Learner Materials:
Marker, pencil, paper, tag-board, portfolio folder, scissors, x-acto, glue, magazines, newspaper, computer, internet, printer, slides or multi-media projector
California VAPA Standards:
STANDARD ONE Steps 2, 8
STANDARD TWO Steps 6,7
STANDARD THREE Steps 2,3,4
STANDARD FOUR Steps 2,8
STANDARD FIVE Steps 2,5,7
Developmental Considerations:
Developmental considerations will be met through tools selected for cutting and image placement assistance for the developmentally disabled students. Assistance in placement of imagery can be attained from using a mirror on half of the composition, and asking the DD student to match the shapes on the non-mirrored side.
Student Special Need Considerations:
As listed above, also with students who have diabetes (for example): allowance of time for injections and/or glucose monitoring. Always having fast-acting sucrose around in case of hypoglycemic reactions.
ESL Considerations:
SDAIE techniques are infused throughout the demonstrations and discussions, and also use of bi-lingual instruction (if available) or student-interpreter if necessary.
LESSON TWO
Title:
What A Character! Creating a Noir-Style Comic-Book Character
Major Goals:
Ø Students will learn how to show three-dimensional depth on a two-dimensional surface using only pencil, marker, and pen.
Performance Objectives/Learning Outcomes:
Ø After teacher provides instruction, students will complete a drawing exercise exploring how to make a shape appear as a form, students will read about the history of comic books and animation, and German Expressionism.
Ø After teacher leads a discussion on the readings, students will then go on to create drawings of their own original comic-book style character.
Ø After presenting a lesson and multi-media presentation on Film-Noir, students will complete drawing exercises in the Noir style.
Ø After teacher provides a demonstration, students will create the final project of a Stylized Noir Comic Character. The focus of the final project will be on stylization, and showing depth with the limits of the Noir style.
Ø In order for the teacher to critique the project and check for understanding, students will write a two-page story from five characters of the class works. Reading the stories in class will conclude the lesson.
Major Concepts:
Contour, depth, line, form
Vocabulary:
Contour, depth, line, form, Stylus, expressionism, animation, comic books, film noir, half-tone, perspective
Relevant Artists:
Otto Dix, Käthe Kollwitz, Rudolp Töpffer, Simon Dinnerstein, Film Noir, Comic Books
Sequence of Teaching/Learning Events:
1. After a demonstration, students will complete basic drawing exercises that transform various shapes into forms, creating the illusion of depth. [VAPA 2]
2. Teacher will deliver an Art history presentation on the history of Comic books and animation. [VAPA 1,3,4]
3. Students will complete an exercise in developing an original comic book character in an original setting, revealing depth of space. Three sketches will be completed before the final drawing is made. [VAPA 2]
4. Teacher will show segments of Film Noir films, and direct a discussion on common themes, visual elements, and film noir history. [VAPA 3,5]
5. Students will transform their comic character into a stylized noir character. Emphasis placed on high contrast while still showing depth and volume. Two sketches will be created before the final project: Stylized Noir Comic Character. [VAPA 2,1]
6. A short critique will take place upon displaying all the characters on a wall. [VAPA 4,1]
7. Students will select their 5 favorite characters and write a two-page story about the characters. [VAPA 2,5]
Description of Active Learning:
Completion of exercises in developing comic book characters in an original setting, Film Noir discussion, Critique story.
Evaluation:
Criteria:
Completion of 3 exercises, including appropriate sketches; and the 2-page story critique.
Completion of final project.
Work is done neatly.
Final project is representative of noir-style drawings and shows depth of perspective.
Portfolio Assessment:
Teacher assesses student works with student input, providing specific help in areas in need of future improvement, specific examples of success in multiple compositions and techniques, and thoughts regarding student technique, discussion on student-specific goals for the remainder of the semester. Paper is graded, edited for grammar and spelling, and scored on content and ideas.
Rubric:
6 – Unit work is 100% completed, shows meticulous care and quality in craftsmanship, responds creatively to concepts addressed in curriculum, may include extra works or works included go beyond expectations, an absolutely incredible portfolio!
5 – Unit work is 100% completed, shows care and quality in craftsmanship, responds creatively to concepts addressed in curriculum, a fabulous portfolio!
4 – Unit work is 80% completed, shows some care and almost great quality in craftsmanship, responds typically to concepts addressed in curriculum, very good portfolio, but has room for improvement.
3 – Unit work is 60% completed, lacks care and quality in craftsmanship, responds grudgingly to concepts addressed in curriculum, or concepts are not addressed enough, a nice start to a portfolio, but not quite there, needs work.
2 – Unit work is 50% completed, shows no care and poor quality in craftsmanship, almost no response to concepts addressed in curriculum, now you know where to start to catch up, let’s get to work!
1 – Unit work is 25% or less completed, shows disregard to craftsmanship, shows no artistic response to concepts addressed in lessons, you have much work to do to catch up, let’s talk – I think you can do much better than this.
Teacher and Learner Materials:
Paper,
pencil,
eraser,
pen,
marker,
television,
VCR or DVD player,
computers,
printer
California VAPA Standards:
STANDARD ONE Steps 2,5,6
STANDARD TWO Steps 1,3,5,7
STANDARD THREE Steps 2,4
STANDARD FOUR Steps 2,6
STANDARD FIVE Steps 4,7
Developmental Considerations:
Modifications may be made for those who have fine motor skill impairments: generalization of shapes and forms may be accepted in the works instead of very fine details in the composition.
Student Special Need Considerations:
Example: Degenerative Joint Disease
Student with DJD can use specialized tools to assist in drawing, or use the computer stylus and Illustrator program to complete the drawings in order to alleviate stress upon the joints and minimize painful exertion of the muscles used in completing tasks utilizing fine motor-skills.
ESL Considerations:
SDAIE techniques are infused throughout the demonstrations and discussions, and also use of bi-lingual instruction (if available) or student-interpreter if necessary.
LESSON THREE
Title:
In Living Color: Movement and depth in a composition.
Major Goals:
Ø Students will learn how color works to give the illusion of depth and space.
Ø Students will learn to make their animated characters appear to have volume and mass.
Ø Students will also learning about chronophotographs and early animation.
Performance Objectives/Learning Outcomes:
Ø Anticipatory Set: After a teacher-led philosophical debate and discussion on the question, “Are Comics Art?” Students will read an art history chapter on the use of new technology in animation.
Ø After teacher leads a discussion and question/answer session on the readings, students will use Photoshop to revision their Lesson Two comic character drawings.
Ø After addressing the variabilities of the revisioned drawings, students will create flip-book animation of their comic character showing movement, depth, color, and shade.
Ø After a demonstration of all the flip-books, and a discussion on their successes, students will create their final project: a Chronophotograph of their character displaying sequential movement, transformation, and depth.
Ø Teacher will provide guidance, upon completion of the final project, for students to install the works in the gallery, curation a show telling of a narrative of movement and depth.
Major Concepts:
Color, three-dimensional, illusion, animation, movement
Vocabulary:
Color, three-dimensional, illusion, animation, movement, primary palette, Photoshop, revisioning, flip-book,
Relevant Artists:
Etienne Jules Marey, Norman Gaddini, Stan Lee, Marvel Comics, Alejandra Liebovich, Michael Paulus, Michaela Pavlatove, chronophotograph
Sequence of Teaching/Learning Events:
1. Anticipatory Set: Philosophy discussion: “Are Comics Art? Is Illustration Art?” [VAPA 1,4]
2. After a philosophical debate and discussion on the question, “Are Comics Art?” Students will read an art history chapter on the use of new technology in animation. [VAPA 3]
3. Students will use Photoshop to revision their Lesson Two comic character drawings [VAPA 5,2]
4. Students will complete an exercise adding color, volume, and mass to the character, and displaying depth and shadow in the composition. [VAPA 2]
5. After creating pair-groups, students will create flip-book animation of their comic character showing movement, depth, color, and shade. [VAPA 2]
6. After a demonstration and discussion by the teacher, students will create their final project: a Chronophotograph of their character displaying sequential movement, transformation, and depth. [VAPA 2,5]
7. Upon completion of the final project, Students will install the works in the gallery, curation a show telling of a narrative of movement and depth. [VAPA 4,5]
8. After installation and viewing of the gallery, individual works critique will occur in a group discussion. [VAPA 1,4]
Description of Active Learning:
Flip-book creation in pair-groups, Creation of chronophotograph, gallery curating and narrative, critique and discussion.
Evaluation:
Criteria:
Completion of photoshop and printed exercises.
Completion of pair-group flip-book animation.
Completion of final project.
Work is done neatly.
Participation in gallery curation and installation.
Portfolio Assessment:
Teacher assesses student works with student input, providing specific help in areas in need of future improvement, specific examples of success in multiple compositions and techniques, and thoughts regarding student technique, discussion on student-specific goals for the remainder of the semester. Participation in gallery event is noted, graded on effort, initiative, and quality of work completed.
Rubric:
6 – Unit work is 100% completed, shows meticulous care and quality in craftsmanship, responds creatively to concepts addressed in curriculum, may include extra works or works included go beyond expectations, an absolutely incredible portfolio! Enthusiastically participated in gallery event and helped to coordinate others in their efforts.
5 – Unit work is 100% completed, shows care and quality in craftsmanship, responds creatively to concepts addressed in curriculum, a fabulous portfolio! Enthusiastically participated in gallery event.
4 – Unit work is 80% completed, shows some care and almost great quality in craftsmanship, responds typically to concepts addressed in curriculum, very good portfolio, but has room for improvement. Happily participated in gallery event.
3 – Unit work is 60% completed, lacks care and quality in craftsmanship, responds grudgingly to concepts addressed in curriculum, or concepts are not addressed enough, a nice start to a portfolio, but not quite there, needs work. Reluctantly participated in gallery event.
2 – Unit work is 50% completed, shows no care and poor quality in craftsmanship, almost no response to concepts addressed in curriculum, now you know where to start to catch up, let’s get to work! Grudgingly participated in gallery event, offered little help in cooperative effort.
1 – Unit work is 25% or less completed, shows disregard to craftsmanship, shows no artistic response to concepts addressed in lessons, you have much work to do to catch up, let’s talk – I think you can do much better than this. Did not participate in gallery event.
Teacher and Learner Materials:
Paper, pencils, pens, primary palette paints, palettes, computers, Photoshop, printer, disks
California VAPA Standards:
STANDARD ONE Steps 1,8
STANDARD TWO Steps 3,4,5,6
STANDARD THREE Step 2
STANDARD FOUR Steps 1,7,8
STANDARD FIVE Steps 3,6,7
Developmental Considerations:
Example: Vision Impairment. Students with severely impaired vision may use magnification sheets, overhead projectors, and high-contrast, large print on worksheets.
Student Special Need Considerations:
Students with poor motor skills can use adaptive tools to help improve their technique and performance results.
ESL Considerations:
SDAIE techniques are infused throughout the demonstrations and discussions, and also use of bi-lingual instruction (if available) or student-interpreter if necessary.
UNIT TWO
LESSON ONE
Title:
Pushing the boundaries of surface, a very-high-relief painting.
Major Goals:
Ø Students will learn what it means to escape the 2-D plane, from drawings to life-like 3-D imagery, and illusion.
Ø Students will explore the applications of optical illusions such as trompe l’oiel.
Performance Objectives/Learning Outcomes:
Ø Anticipatory Set: Teacher will show art reproductions that rely heavily upon optical illusions. After viewing the images, and leading a discussion, students will complete worksheets and exercises dealing with furthering the illusion of depth.
Ø After a demonstration and discussion of illusion and high-relief panels, students will create high-relief panel.
Ø After a short discussion, demonstration, and discussion of illusion and trompe l’oiel, students will create a final project of a high-relief sculptural painting.
Ø Teacher will lead an active critique involving a ring-toss to demonstrate the very-high-relief aspects of the paintings, and demonstrating the successes of the works.
Major Concepts:
Dimension, plane, polarity, perspective
Vocabulary:
Dimension, plane, polarity, perspective, Architecture, Trompe L’oeil, High-relief, panels, sculptural
Relevant Artists:
Architectural models, Origamic Architecture: Keiko Nakazawa, Shunichi Ozawa, Gerry Stormer, Fra. Giovanni da Verona, Cornelis Gilbrechts, Otis Kaye, Claudio Bravo, M.C. Escher, Manfred Staller, Edgar Muller, Charles Biederman, Roy Lichtenstein, Pablo Picasso, Lee Bontecou
Sequence of Teaching/Learning Events:
1. Anticipatory Set: a discussion on perspective and depth prior to a worksheet exploring the visual illusion of depth. [VAPA 1,2]
2. Students will complete an exercise drawing an architectural scene that shows dimension and depth through the use of perspective. [VAPA 2]
3. Teacher will show works of artists while leading a discussion: “What makes a painting?” Focus on images shown will be on very-high-relief panels and structural/sculptural paintings. [VAPA 3,4]
4. Art historical segment and readings on high-relief works, trompe l’oeil, and sculptural paintings. [VAPA 3]
5. Students will create a high-relief panel in clay [VAPA 2,4]
6. After reviewing the successful areas of the clay relief panels, students will make 2 sketches of their final project: The High-Relief Sculptural Painting utilizing trompe l’oeil effects in their composition to further the illusion of depth. [VAPA 2]
7. After a final sketch is approved by the teacher, students will create the final project: The High-Relief Sculptural Painting. [VAPA 2]
8. After completion of the final project, students will participate in an active participation ring-toss-critique, illustrating the effectiveness of the trompe l’oeil illusion and the sculptural elements of the paintings. [VAPA 4,5,1]
Description of Active Learning:
Active learning will occur during the anticipatory set, philosophical discussion on what makes a painting, and the ring-toss-critique.
Evaluation:
Criteria:
Completion of worksheets and exercises.
Completion of clay high-relief panel.
Completion of 2 sketches and final project.
Work is done neatly.
Portfolio Assessment:
Teacher assesses student works with student input, providing specific help in areas in need of future improvement, specific examples of success in multiple compositions and techniques, and thoughts regarding student technique, discussion on student-specific goals for the remainder of the semester.
Rubric:
6 – Unit work is 100% completed, shows meticulous care and quality in craftsmanship, responds creatively to concepts addressed in curriculum, may include extra works or works included go beyond expectations, an absolutely incredible portfolio! Work exceeds all expectations in trompe l’oeil effects and high-relief is outstanding.
5 – Unit work is 100% completed, shows care and quality in craftsmanship, responds creatively to concepts addressed in curriculum, a fabulous portfolio! Work meets all expectations in trompe l’oeil effects and high-relief is very good.
4 – Unit work is 80% completed, shows some care and almost great quality in craftsmanship, responds typically to concepts addressed in curriculum, very good portfolio, but has room for improvement. Work meets most expectations in trompe l’oeil effects and high-relief is good, could use some improvements.
3 – Unit work is 60% completed, lacks care and quality in craftsmanship, responds grudgingly to concepts addressed in curriculum, or concepts are not addressed enough, a nice start to a portfolio, but not quite there, needs work. Work doesn’t quite meet expectations in trompe l’oeil effects and high-relief needs work.
2 – Unit work is 50% completed, shows no care and poor quality in craftsmanship, almost no response to concepts addressed in curriculum, now you know where to start to catch up, let’s get to work Work fails all expectations in trompe l’oeil effects and high-relief is poor.
1 – Unit work is 25% or less completed, shows disregard to craftsmanship, shows no artistic response to concepts addressed in lessons, you have much work to do to catch up, let’s talk – I think you can do much better than this. Trompe l’oeil effects and high-relief are severely lacking in effort and quality.
Teacher and Learner Materials:
Brown paper bags,
scissors,
x-acto,
glue,
wood,
pencils,
paper,
slides,
multi-media projector, computer
California VAPA Standards:
STANDARD ONE Steps 1,8
STANDARD TWO Steps 1,2,5,6,7
STANDARD THREE Steps 3,4
STANDARD FOUR Steps 3,5,8
STANDARD FIVE Steps 8
Developmental Considerations:
Specially designed adaptive tools can help students to better negotiate the tools necessary for completion of this project.
Student Special Need Considerations:
Students with visual problems or learning impairments which preclude them from understanding the scope of trompe l’oeil works may use photography and collage to help utilize this effect in their projects.
ESL Considerations:
SDAIE techniques are infused throughout the demonstrations and discussions, and also use of bi-lingual instruction (if available) or student-interpreter if necessary.
LESSON FIVE
Title:
My Own Environment, A sculptural response to the confines of dimension.
Major Goals:
Ø Anticipatory Set: Teacher will Students will learn about space and environment by creating an entirely three-dimensional sculpture within the confines of a cubic structure.
Ø Students will further explore the concept of attributes as they pertain to an environment.
Performance Objectives/Learning Outcomes:
Ø After worksheets, slides, discussions of attributes, environments, and installation art, and a demonstration of the project, students will create a sculptural cube reflecting a created environment of their own choice.
Ø After a review of the projects finished, the teacher will help students to work collaboratively to curate a gallery showing of their cubes for a short installation and critique.
Ø After a gallery showing, and active critique: touring the gallery with the class and discussing works shown/arrangement, students will work collaboratively to arrange the cubes in an order of progressive travel (class assignment – separate of the gallery). This will help to address a progression or evolution of environments directed by the students.
Major Concepts:
Space, Environment
Vocabulary:
Space, Environment, Installation Art, narrative, traveling
Relevant Artists:
James Khazar, Peter Sarkisian, Robert Marbury, Robert Smithson
Sequence of Teaching/Learning Events:
1. Anticipatory Set: After a discussion and slide show about environmental art and installation art, students will complete a worksheet in response to attributes of an environment. [VAPA 1, 2, 3]
2. After reviewing the environmental attributes, the teacher will provide an introduction to the final project. [VAPA 5]
3. Students will create 6 sketches of a personal environment, one for each side of the cubic space of the project constraints. [VAPA2,5]
4. Teacher will lead a philosophical discussion on the question: “How do you value or sell installation art?” [VAPA 1]
5. Students will create their final project: Sculptural Cube, Creating a Space. [VAPA 2]
6. Students will work collaboratively to curate a gallery showing of their cubes for a short installation and critique. [VAPA 4,5]
7. Students will work collaboratively to arrange the cubes in an order of progressive travel. [VAPA 4]
Description of Active Learning:
Active learning will occur in the discussions, creation, and sketches.
Evaluation:
Criteria:
Completion of worksheet and 6 sketches.
Completion of final project.
Work is done neatly.
Participation in gallery curation and installation.
Active critique participation.
Portfolio Assessment:
Teacher assesses student works with student input, providing specific help in areas in need of future improvement, specific examples of success in multiple compositions and techniques, and thoughts regarding student technique, discussion on student-specific goals for the remainder of the semester. Participation in gallery event is noted, graded on effort, initiative, and quality of work completed.
Rubric:
6 – Unit work is 100% completed, shows meticulous care and quality in craftsmanship, responds creatively to concepts addressed in curriculum, may include extra works or works included go beyond expectations, an absolutely incredible portfolio! Enthusiastically participated in gallery event and helped to coordinate others in their efforts.
5 – Unit work is 100% completed, shows care and quality in craftsmanship, responds creatively to concepts addressed in curriculum, a fabulous portfolio! Enthusiastically participated in gallery event.
4 – Unit work is 80% completed, shows some care and almost great quality in craftsmanship, responds typically to concepts addressed in curriculum, very good portfolio, but has room for improvement. Happily participated in gallery event.
3 – Unit work is 60% completed, lacks care and quality in craftsmanship, responds grudgingly to concepts addressed in curriculum, or concepts are not addressed enough, a nice start to a portfolio, but not quite there, needs work. Reluctantly participated in gallery event.
2 – Unit work is 50% completed, shows no care and poor quality in craftsmanship, almost no response to concepts addressed in curriculum, now you know where to start to catch up, let’s get to work! Grudgingly participated in gallery event, offered little help in cooperative effort.
1 – Unit work is 25% or less completed, shows disregard to craftsmanship, shows no artistic response to concepts addressed in lessons, you have much work to do to catch up, let’s talk – I think you can do much better than this. Did not participate in gallery event.
Teacher and Learner Materials:
scissors,
x-acto,
glue,
wood,
pencils,
paper,
slides,
multi-media projector,
computer
California VAPA Standards:
STANDARD ONE Steps 1,4
STANDARD TWO Steps 1,3,5
STANDARD THREE Steps 1
STANDARD FOUR Steps 6,7
STANDARD FIVE Steps 2,3,6
Developmental Considerations:
Choice of materials used for this project can be adapted to student need on an individual basis.
Student Special Need Considerations:
Students with trouble concentrating for long periods of time, such as those with ADHD, etc., may prefer to work standing, or tour the room and help others in their efforts as they work in small doses on their own projects.
ESL Considerations:
SDAIE techniques are infused throughout the demonstrations and discussions, and also use of bi-lingual instruction (if available) or student-interpreter if necessary.
UNIT 1
Concepts Materials Historical/Cultural Activities
Lesson 1 contrast marker High-Contrast Drawings: ADMIN: Contract/Syllabus
shape pencil Monica Richards Pre-Instruction Activity: selecting attribute imagery
representation paper Website: http://www.monicarichards.com/thestudio/artwork/prophetess.html Worksheet: Mirror Imagery, Ink-Blot Works
reflection tagboard High-Contrast Computer-based images: AH: Mandalas, Self-Portraits
duality portfolio folder David Myriam Worksheet: Attributes, Mandalas
scissors website: http://art-engage.net/Recomposition.html Self-Attribute Mirror Images
x-acto Scratchboard: FINAL PROJECT: Portfolio Cover
glue Micheal Halbert AC: Critique, use mirrors to illustrate mirror-image
Magazines website: http://www.inkart.com/
High-Contrast Photography:
Ansel Adams
Barri Olson
website: http://www.pbase.com/madlights/high_contrast_photography
Lesson 2 contour paper German Expressionism: Drawing Exercises: shapes to forms
depth pencil Otto Dix AH: Comic Books, Animation
form eraser Kathe Kollwitz Stylized Drawings Exercises: developing character
line pen Film Noir AH: Film Noir
marker Early Comic Book Animation Noir Drawings Exercises
Rudolph Töpffer FINAL: Stylized Noir Comic Character
website:http://comicartcommunity.com AC: Create a story from 5 selected characters
Half-Tone Images of class works'
Perspective Drawings:
Simon Dinnerstein
Lesson 3 color paper Chronophotography: Philosophy: Are Comics Art?
3-D pencil Etienne Jules Marey AH: Animation in New Technology
illusion pen website: http://www.expo-marey.com Photoshop Exercise: revisioning the character
animation primary palette paints Full-Color Scratchboard: Exercise: using color to show depth (printed exercise)
movement brushes Norman Gaddini Pair Project: Create flip-book animation of characters
palettes website: http://www.getyourwordsworth.com/WORDSWORTH-normangaddini.html shows movement, depth, use of color and shade
computers Comic Books: Final: "Chronophotograph" of character
Photoshop Stan Lee shows movement, transformation, depth
disks Marvel Comics AC: Gallery Installation Showing and Critique
printers website: http://www.toonopedia.com/
Computer Animation:
Alejandra Liebovich
website: http://www.aleloop.com/page/index.html
Depth in animated characters:
Michael Paulus
website: http://michaelpaulus.com/gallery/character-Skeletons
Michaela Pavlatova
Concepts Materials Historical/Cultural Activities
Unit 2
Lesson 1 dimension brown paper bags Architectural Models Worksheet: Perspective, Depth
plane scissors Origamic Architecture Exercise: Drawing a scene showing depth
recede x-acto website: http://members.aol.com/kselena/OA/oamainpg.html Philosophy: What makes a painting?
project glue Keiko Nakazawa AH: High Relief Paintings and Panels
perspective wood Masahiro Chatani Exercise: High-relief Panel In Clay
pencils Shunichi Ozawa Final: High-Relief Sculptural Painting
paper Gerry Stormer AC: Ring-toss game for active critique
Trompe L'oiel:
Fra Giovanni da Verona
Cornelis Gijbrechts
Otis Kaye
Claudio Bravo
Optical Illusions
MC Escher, Depth 1955, Swans 1956
Ascending and Descending 1960
Manfred Staller
Edgar Muller
Other:
Charles Biederman
Roy Lichtenstein
Pablo Picasso
Lesson 2 space paper James Khazar Worksheet: Attributes of an environment
environment wood website: http://www.khazar.com/mfa/images.htm Exercise: 6 Sketches of personal environment
glue Peter Sarkisian Philosophy: How do you value Installation Art?
x-acto Robert Marbury Final: Sculptural Cube, Creating a space
scissors Robert Smithson AC: Personal narrative of travelling through 'my environment'
pencil AC: Gallery and Critique
Active critique: arrange cube spaces in order of logical travel
Second semester units will continue in sculpture with a lesson on site-specific environmental art; then a lesson in new technology focusing on a revisiting of old art creating methods and improving upon them with new technology; a further lesson will explore image making techniques such as photography and printmaking; a final lesson will be a collaboration of all techniques used into a culminative collaboration.
Note: ALL information and links provided from this blog and subsequent issues are for educational purposes only. Please do not use copyrighted imagery without the consent of the image owner.
All lesson plans authored by Mrs. B are the expressed intellectual property of Stephanie T. Butler unless otherwise noted. Use of Mrs. B's lesson plans without Stephanie T. Butler's permission or failure of citation is considered intellectual theft and constitutes academic fraud.
Plaigarism is theft: what lessons will you teach our students?
How are educational content standards met in homeschoolers' Art lessons? Is it important to homeschoolers to meet state or federal education standards?
With the introduction (and enforcement) of the CAHSEE in the public schools of California - the California High School Exit Exam - should homeschoolers anticipate a similar exam in the future? Will it then be important to meet the standards?
There's not much to worry about in taking the CAHSEE. As part of my teacher prearation program, I took a sample exam. It's not difficult. It is biased in some of the information - not all of it. It is especially BORING, tedious, and very dry reading in the reading comprehension segment. However, students, teachers, and parents can prepare for the exam by looking up past questions on the internet.
All of our lesson plans in the teacher prep. program are tailored to meet and exceed the California Visual and Performing Arts Standards. As promised, this issue will conatin my lesson plans: 5 in all, comprising one unit. One unit usually covers one semester in high-school-level art. I have included the whole packet that I've turned in for my Methods class. It includes the Art Education philosohpy, a flowchart of lessons, and the actual lesson plans.
For most people, this also makes for dry reading. However, the lessons are here. I have many, many more that are far more interesting to read, but I'd like some input from homeschoolers on specific wants and needs from an Art lesson plan. Please comment or e-mail me so I may be able to post more lessons.
BULLETS
Teaching Philosophy - What an Art Curriculum should include:
· Students will develop observational skills that will help them investigate their daily surroundings, and heighten their awareness of the world.
· Students will expand their global outlook through multicultural lessons and projects.
· Students learning will be enriched by various active learning experiences that connect the curriculum to the careers in art and the use of art in everyday world.
· Students will gain an appreciation for the fellow human being through insightful lessons exploring their own perspective and opinion in comparison to others.
· Students will produce art that is insightful, exploratory, provocative in thought, and infused with meaning and purpose.
· Lessons will follow the guidelines of the California VAPA Standards.
· Students will develop an appreciation for the visual language and of art.
· Students will become aware of and explore the implications of the many art-based professions.
· Students will develop and expand their capability for creativity.
· Students will develop and expand an art-based vocabulary.
NARRATIVE:
An Art curriculum should develop student awareness of the world as infused in the many forms of art. This awareness and visual exploration includes the global world as well as the immediate environment. A development of acute observational skills will incorporate artistic experiences and appreciation into the students’ daily consciousness. Multicultural experiences and ways of seeing will help students improve their global outlook with a keen multicultural awareness, gaining appreciation for their fellow human. Artistic experiences will encourage creativity in students, leading to a higher level of thinking and problem-solving skills applicable in all subject matters.
Using the California VAPA Standards as a solid framework for instruction, art production lessons will strive to improve motor skills, time-management skills, art-production technique and skill, and the process of self-discovery through art making. Students will use new technology as available to further their skills in art making; exploring traditional forms and the many new applications. Students swill gain awareness of and explore the many professions in the Art fields.
Through talking and writing about Art, students will use the vocabulary of the visual language of Art; responding in word to the visual, further developing and strengthening the interdependent relationship of both Language and Art. Writing about and talking about Art will be helpful in developing and furthering an appreciation for Art. These interdisciplinary experiences will help students to relate the lessons to actual life concepts and events, further integrating artistic thinking and expression into daily adolescent life.
CONCEPT CHART:
TYPICAL EXTENDED LIFE CONCEPTS
elements symbolism Culture absence
line creativity Politics knowledge
shape originality Family meaning
color appropriation Community wisdom
form metaphor War depth
volume interpretation Peace personality
texture abstraction Death question
value style Life examine
space still-life famine analyze
principle production Hunger dominance
mass objective Want
balance focus Need
contrast theme Consume
rhythm display Gluttony
intensity active Truth
composition visual Lie
tone concept Work
emphasis issue Create
harmony contribution Health
unity technology Thought
opposition develop Religion
depth construct Goal
repetition perception Art
variation Courage
saturation Education
motion Information
orientation Motivate
Juxtaposition Experience
proportion Society
alternation Choice
gradation Freedom
eurythmy Become
horror vacui Friendship
tension Enemy
limitation Identity
coherence time
homogeneity Space
pattern Past
Present
Future
Reality
Here
Now
Surreal
FLOWCHART:
UNITS PLAN: This course is designed to provide an exploration of art as a concept, and possible career choice for the students. Art history and philosophy will be explored through the investigation of techniques in illustration, drawing, painting, and sculpture. Art production aspects of the course will reflect the above techniques and disciplines, and provide an in-depth look into the impact of the visual language upon the lives of our students. Introspection, reflection, and expression will be explored as life concepts, and as infused themes within each of the lessons. Critiques will serve to stimulate critical thinking about how we represent ourselves and our ideas within the visual language, and also further explore how the environment (local, and global) responds to our projected imagery. Cross-cultural influences will be infused within the lessons as artists are referenced, and different perspectives and values are surveyed. The Unit lessons will begin with the basic foundations in drawing and painting, and gradually move to a three-dimensional project in which space and depth are fundamental ideas.
Unit 1 Title:
Suspension of Disbelief; Creating Your World From a Drop of Ink
Unit Goals:
Ø Students will learn the importance of visual representation, how visual representation can be altered to convey a shift in ideas.
Ø A majority of the focus will use various drawing techniques to convey the illusion of 3-D depth on a 2-D surface.
Ø Lessons will progress from abstraction and simplified drawing techniques to more realistic compositions, while exploring unique styles of illustration and animation.
Ø Life concepts investigated will include (but are not limited to) representation, reflection, duality, value, illusion, movement.
Lesson 1 Title:
Mirror, Mirror... A Reflection And Representation Of Your SELF
Concepts:
Contrast, Shape, Representation, Reflection, Duality
Cultural-Historical:
High contrast drawings using examples from Monica Richards, High-contrast computer images using examples from David Myriam, scratchboard works including works from Michael Halbert, and High-contrast photography including works from Ansel Adams, Barri Olson and others.
Synopsis:
Students will explore the essential questions: “How do we represent ourselves visually?” and “What does it mean to be reflective?”. Students will use exaggerated contrast to explore how a 2-D drawing or image can represent a 3-D object. Life concepts addressed in this lesson include representation, reflection, and duality. Students will examine how they represent themselves, and how others perceive them; and also how duality comes into play in daily life situations. Exercises using attributes, worksheets addressing ink-blots and mirror-imagery, and the exploration of self-representation will lead to a final project of a mirror-image portfolio cover in high contrast images. The students will engage in an active critique using mirrors as they explore the composition, and explain their artistic choices.
Lesson 2 Title:
What A Character! Creating a Noir-Style Comic-Book Character
Concepts:
Contour, Depth, Form, Line
Cultural-Historical:
German Expressionism: Otto Dix and Käthe Kollwitz, Film Noir, Early Comic Book Animation, Rudolph Töpffer, Half-Tone Imagery, Perspective Drawings, Simon Dinnerstein
Synopsis:
Students will explore the essential question: “How do we show 3-D depth on a 2-D surface?”. Using basic drawing exercises and a history of comic book animation, students will exercise their skills in art production by creating a comic book style original character. Style will be close to that of Film Noir, and half-tone imagery to further explore the use of line, methods of shading, and creating the illusion of depth without the use of color. Life concepts investigated in this lesson include depth, and a revisiting of perception/perspective. Students will examine how depth can be illustrated within their lives by looking further than the surface: further than first appearances and into the details that make each person and situation unique. The final project for this lesson is the creation of their comic-book character in a Noir-style, complete with attributes of the character’s setting. Students will create a 2 page story from 5 characters of their own selection of the class’ works as a critique and check for understanding of the assignment.
Lesson 3 Title:
In Living Color: Movement and depth in a composition.
Concepts:
Color, 3-D, Illusion, Animation, Movement
Cultural-Historical:
Chronophotography: Etienne Jules Marey, Full-Color Scratchboard works: Norman Gaddini, Comic Books: Stan Lee, Marvel Comics, Computer Animation: Alejandra Liebovich, Michael Paulus, Michaela Pavlatova
Synopsis:
Students will explore the essential questions: “How does color work to give the illusion of depth?” and “How can we make an animated character appear to have volume and mass?”. By implementing Photoshop with the students’ previous works, students will scan and revision their comic character, and place it in different environmental contexts. An exercise using color with the character will bring to life and form the original being. With the limited resources of the computer lab, students will pair up to create a manual flip-book animation further enlivening the characters. Illusion and movement will be explored as life concepts in this lesson. Students will examine how appearance can not always be a reality: illusion, and its implications and consequences. Movement may become a life concept as we explore the concept of panta rae: everything flows. This age-old philosophy dating to Ancient Greece explains a world view of all things relating to each other and in a constant state of movement throughout time. A final Chronophotograph will be created highlighting the character’s attributes, movement capabilities, and depth through use of color, shading, line, and contour. Students will create a gallery to display their chronophotographs, and critique their works based on fluidity of movement, craftsmanship, success of color, and originality.
Unit 2 Title:
Escaping the Plane; Emerging into real space and time
Unit Goals:
Ø Lessons will continue to progress from abstraction and simplified drawing techniques to Three-dimensional, high-relief compositions, while continually exploring unique styles of illustration and animation.
Ø Life concepts investigated will include (but are not limited to) value, illusion, movement. Polarity, space, and environment.
Lesson 1 Title:
Pushing the boundaries of surface, a very-high-relief painting.
Concepts:
Dimension, Plane, Recede, Project, Perspective
Cultural-Historical:
Architectural Models, Origamic Architecture from artists like Keiko Nakazawa, Masahiro Chatani, Shunichi Ozawa, and Gerry Stormer; Trompe L’oeil from artists including Fra. Giovanni de Verona, Cornelis Gilbrechts, Otis Kaye, Claudio Bravo; Optical illusions from such artists as MC Escher, Manfred Staller, and Edgar Muller; and selected works from Charles Biederman, Roy Lichtenstein, and Pablo Picasso.
Synopsis:
Students will explore the essential questions: “What does it mean to escape the 2-D plane?” and “How can I use Trompe L’oeil?”. Worksheets exploring perspective and depth will be completed to provide a firm foundation in the illusion of making a 2-D surface appear 3-dimensional. Exercises completed will involve showing depth in a drawing so that it ‘fools the eye.’ The history of high-relief panels will be established before students create a high-relief panel in clay as an exercise. Life concept explored will be perspective as students examine a hypothetical situation (or perhaps a lateral-thinking puzzle) and recognize how many different answers and perspectives are possible solutions to one question. This can be related to world issues, political situations, etc. The final project will be a high-relief sculptural painting that will project from the picture plane. Perspective, illusion, and trompe l’oeil will be used to give the illusion of a real scene in which material is emerging from the picture plane. An active critique using a ring-toss game will help to identify which areas are the most successful in communicating the illusion of depth and space.
Lesson 2 Title:
My own environment, A sculptural response to the confines of dimension.
Concepts: Space, Environment
Cultural-Historical:
Installation and sculptural artists including James Khazar, Peter Sarkisian, Robert Marbury, and Robert Smithson
Synopsis:
Students will explore the essential question “What is a space?” and “How do you define your environment?”. Worksheets will help students to define the attributes of their own environments, and students will use attributes to help them create an environment of their own. Life concept addressed here will be space, including the astronomical arena, the area in between objects, molecules, etc., metaphorical space and distance, and the psychological attachment people place on their own personal spaces. Six sketches, representing each side of the sculptural cube, will help to create the final project: a sculptural cube in which students construct their own personal environment. Philosophical issues in the arts will be discussed including the value of installation art, art for art’s sake, having your own ‘private’ space, etc. A personal narrative will be created by each student about what they see, hear, and experience as they travel through their own personal environment. A gallery installation and critique of the works will conclude the assignment, although an active critique could include arranging the works end-to-end in a logical order that represents a logical transition from one environment to another.
LESSON PLANS:
LESSON ONE
Title:
Mirror, Mirror... A Reflection And Representation Of Your SELF
Major Goals:
Ø Students will learn the importance of self-representation through creating and assembling a portfolio for their works.
Ø Students will also explore the polarity of high-contrast imagery, and compare this idea to philosophical issues of high contrast.
Performance Objectives/Learning Outcomes:
Ø Anticipatory Set: After completing a pre-instruction discussion and activity investigating attribute imagery, students will complete a worksheet on mirror-images and ink-blots.
Ø After teacher provides feedback on the worksheets, Students will read an Art History segment regarding self-portraits and mandalas, than students will reflect upon their own attributes as they complete an exercise using mirror-imagery.
Ø After a teacher demonstration of the final project, students will create the final project of a portfolio cover in very high contrast, mirror-imagery self-portrait.
Ø A teacher-led critique question and answer session and discussion will wrap-up the lesson.
Major Concepts:
Contrast, shape, representation, reflection, duality
Vocabulary:
Contrast, shape, representation, reflection, duality, tag-board, attributes, mandala, scratchboard, portfolio, imagery
Relevant Artists:
Monica Richards, David Myriam, Michael Halbert, Ansel Adams, Barri Olson
Sequence of Teaching/Learning Events:
1. Administrative Duties; Contract and Syllabus, Seating, Classroom procedures, Materials management, etc.
2. Pre-Instruction Activity: Small discussion on attributes, students will select images from magazines, internet, newspapers, etc. that they would consider to be attributes of themselves. [VAPA 1,3,4]
3. After a discussion on mirror-imagery and inkblots, slideshow or multi-media presentation, students will complete a worksheet on mirror imagery and ink-blot works. [VAPA 3]
4. Students will read and respond to an article about the purpose and styles of mandalas, and another article of self-portraits. Two-paragraph responses will be written for each topic. [VAPA 3,5]
5. Students will complete a worksheet on attributes and one on mandalas to further explore the concepts of reflection and representation. [VAPA 5]
6. Teacher will demonstrate the creation of the high-contrast self-attribute mirror-image Portfolio Cover. [VAPA 2]
7. Students will gather information and resources from the internet, magazines, newspapers and create the final project: Portfolio Cover [VAPA 2,5]
8. After completion of the final project, there will be a reflective discussion and “anonymous critique” of the final projects. Students will take a mirror and drag it from left to right across the mirror-image, reconsidering the composition and the effects of high-contrast in a composition. [VAPA 1,4]
Description of Active Learning:
Selection of attribute imagery, response to readings, creation of portfolio covers, and active critique using mirrors at project completion.
Evaluation:
Criteria:
Completion of 3 assigned worksheets.
Completion of 2 2-paragraph reading responses.
Completion of final project.
Work is done neatly.
Final project is representative of student attributes.
Final project uses high-contrast mirror-imagery.
Portfolio Assessment:
Teacher assesses student portfolio and works with student input, providing specific help in areas in need of future improvement, specific examples of success in multiple compositions and techniques, and thoughts regarding student style and skills, discussion on student-specific goals for the remainder of the semester.
Rubric:
6 – Portfolio and breadth of work is 100% completed, shows meticulous care and quality in craftsmanship, responds creatively to concepts addressed in curriculum, may include extra works or works included go beyond expectations, an absolutely incredible portfolio!
5 – Portfolio and breadth of work is 100% completed, shows care and quality in craftsmanship, responds creatively to concepts addressed in curriculum, a fabulous portfolio!
4 – Portfolio and breadth of work is 80% completed, shows some care and almost great quality in craftsmanship, responds typically to concepts addressed in curriculum, very good portfolio, but has room for improvement.
3 – Portfolio and breadth of work is 60% completed, lacks care and quality in craftsmanship, responds grudgingly to concepts addressed in curriculum, or concepts are not addressed enough, a nice start to a portfolio, but not quite there, needs work.
2 – Portfolio and breadth of work is 50% completed, shows no care and poor quality in craftsmanship, almost no response to concepts addressed in curriculum, now you know where to start to catch up, let’s get to work!
1 – Portfolio and breadth of work is 25% or less completed, shows disregard to craftsmanship, shows no artistic response to concepts addressed in lessons, you have much work to do to catch up, let’s talk – I think you can do much better than this.
Teacher and Learner Materials:
Marker, pencil, paper, tag-board, portfolio folder, scissors, x-acto, glue, magazines, newspaper, computer, internet, printer, slides or multi-media projector
California VAPA Standards:
STANDARD ONE Steps 2, 8
STANDARD TWO Steps 6,7
STANDARD THREE Steps 2,3,4
STANDARD FOUR Steps 2,8
STANDARD FIVE Steps 2,5,7
Developmental Considerations:
Developmental considerations will be met through tools selected for cutting and image placement assistance for the developmentally disabled students. Assistance in placement of imagery can be attained from using a mirror on half of the composition, and asking the DD student to match the shapes on the non-mirrored side.
Student Special Need Considerations:
As listed above, also with students who have diabetes (for example): allowance of time for injections and/or glucose monitoring. Always having fast-acting sucrose around in case of hypoglycemic reactions.
ESL Considerations:
SDAIE techniques are infused throughout the demonstrations and discussions, and also use of bi-lingual instruction (if available) or student-interpreter if necessary.
LESSON TWO
Title:
What A Character! Creating a Noir-Style Comic-Book Character
Major Goals:
Ø Students will learn how to show three-dimensional depth on a two-dimensional surface using only pencil, marker, and pen.
Performance Objectives/Learning Outcomes:
Ø After teacher provides instruction, students will complete a drawing exercise exploring how to make a shape appear as a form, students will read about the history of comic books and animation, and German Expressionism.
Ø After teacher leads a discussion on the readings, students will then go on to create drawings of their own original comic-book style character.
Ø After presenting a lesson and multi-media presentation on Film-Noir, students will complete drawing exercises in the Noir style.
Ø After teacher provides a demonstration, students will create the final project of a Stylized Noir Comic Character. The focus of the final project will be on stylization, and showing depth with the limits of the Noir style.
Ø In order for the teacher to critique the project and check for understanding, students will write a two-page story from five characters of the class works. Reading the stories in class will conclude the lesson.
Major Concepts:
Contour, depth, line, form
Vocabulary:
Contour, depth, line, form, Stylus, expressionism, animation, comic books, film noir, half-tone, perspective
Relevant Artists:
Otto Dix, Käthe Kollwitz, Rudolp Töpffer, Simon Dinnerstein, Film Noir, Comic Books
Sequence of Teaching/Learning Events:
1. After a demonstration, students will complete basic drawing exercises that transform various shapes into forms, creating the illusion of depth. [VAPA 2]
2. Teacher will deliver an Art history presentation on the history of Comic books and animation. [VAPA 1,3,4]
3. Students will complete an exercise in developing an original comic book character in an original setting, revealing depth of space. Three sketches will be completed before the final drawing is made. [VAPA 2]
4. Teacher will show segments of Film Noir films, and direct a discussion on common themes, visual elements, and film noir history. [VAPA 3,5]
5. Students will transform their comic character into a stylized noir character. Emphasis placed on high contrast while still showing depth and volume. Two sketches will be created before the final project: Stylized Noir Comic Character. [VAPA 2,1]
6. A short critique will take place upon displaying all the characters on a wall. [VAPA 4,1]
7. Students will select their 5 favorite characters and write a two-page story about the characters. [VAPA 2,5]
Description of Active Learning:
Completion of exercises in developing comic book characters in an original setting, Film Noir discussion, Critique story.
Evaluation:
Criteria:
Completion of 3 exercises, including appropriate sketches; and the 2-page story critique.
Completion of final project.
Work is done neatly.
Final project is representative of noir-style drawings and shows depth of perspective.
Portfolio Assessment:
Teacher assesses student works with student input, providing specific help in areas in need of future improvement, specific examples of success in multiple compositions and techniques, and thoughts regarding student technique, discussion on student-specific goals for the remainder of the semester. Paper is graded, edited for grammar and spelling, and scored on content and ideas.
Rubric:
6 – Unit work is 100% completed, shows meticulous care and quality in craftsmanship, responds creatively to concepts addressed in curriculum, may include extra works or works included go beyond expectations, an absolutely incredible portfolio!
5 – Unit work is 100% completed, shows care and quality in craftsmanship, responds creatively to concepts addressed in curriculum, a fabulous portfolio!
4 – Unit work is 80% completed, shows some care and almost great quality in craftsmanship, responds typically to concepts addressed in curriculum, very good portfolio, but has room for improvement.
3 – Unit work is 60% completed, lacks care and quality in craftsmanship, responds grudgingly to concepts addressed in curriculum, or concepts are not addressed enough, a nice start to a portfolio, but not quite there, needs work.
2 – Unit work is 50% completed, shows no care and poor quality in craftsmanship, almost no response to concepts addressed in curriculum, now you know where to start to catch up, let’s get to work!
1 – Unit work is 25% or less completed, shows disregard to craftsmanship, shows no artistic response to concepts addressed in lessons, you have much work to do to catch up, let’s talk – I think you can do much better than this.
Teacher and Learner Materials:
Paper,
pencil,
eraser,
pen,
marker,
television,
VCR or DVD player,
computers,
printer
California VAPA Standards:
STANDARD ONE Steps 2,5,6
STANDARD TWO Steps 1,3,5,7
STANDARD THREE Steps 2,4
STANDARD FOUR Steps 2,6
STANDARD FIVE Steps 4,7
Developmental Considerations:
Modifications may be made for those who have fine motor skill impairments: generalization of shapes and forms may be accepted in the works instead of very fine details in the composition.
Student Special Need Considerations:
Example: Degenerative Joint Disease
Student with DJD can use specialized tools to assist in drawing, or use the computer stylus and Illustrator program to complete the drawings in order to alleviate stress upon the joints and minimize painful exertion of the muscles used in completing tasks utilizing fine motor-skills.
ESL Considerations:
SDAIE techniques are infused throughout the demonstrations and discussions, and also use of bi-lingual instruction (if available) or student-interpreter if necessary.
LESSON THREE
Title:
In Living Color: Movement and depth in a composition.
Major Goals:
Ø Students will learn how color works to give the illusion of depth and space.
Ø Students will learn to make their animated characters appear to have volume and mass.
Ø Students will also learning about chronophotographs and early animation.
Performance Objectives/Learning Outcomes:
Ø Anticipatory Set: After a teacher-led philosophical debate and discussion on the question, “Are Comics Art?” Students will read an art history chapter on the use of new technology in animation.
Ø After teacher leads a discussion and question/answer session on the readings, students will use Photoshop to revision their Lesson Two comic character drawings.
Ø After addressing the variabilities of the revisioned drawings, students will create flip-book animation of their comic character showing movement, depth, color, and shade.
Ø After a demonstration of all the flip-books, and a discussion on their successes, students will create their final project: a Chronophotograph of their character displaying sequential movement, transformation, and depth.
Ø Teacher will provide guidance, upon completion of the final project, for students to install the works in the gallery, curation a show telling of a narrative of movement and depth.
Major Concepts:
Color, three-dimensional, illusion, animation, movement
Vocabulary:
Color, three-dimensional, illusion, animation, movement, primary palette, Photoshop, revisioning, flip-book,
Relevant Artists:
Etienne Jules Marey, Norman Gaddini, Stan Lee, Marvel Comics, Alejandra Liebovich, Michael Paulus, Michaela Pavlatove, chronophotograph
Sequence of Teaching/Learning Events:
1. Anticipatory Set: Philosophy discussion: “Are Comics Art? Is Illustration Art?” [VAPA 1,4]
2. After a philosophical debate and discussion on the question, “Are Comics Art?” Students will read an art history chapter on the use of new technology in animation. [VAPA 3]
3. Students will use Photoshop to revision their Lesson Two comic character drawings [VAPA 5,2]
4. Students will complete an exercise adding color, volume, and mass to the character, and displaying depth and shadow in the composition. [VAPA 2]
5. After creating pair-groups, students will create flip-book animation of their comic character showing movement, depth, color, and shade. [VAPA 2]
6. After a demonstration and discussion by the teacher, students will create their final project: a Chronophotograph of their character displaying sequential movement, transformation, and depth. [VAPA 2,5]
7. Upon completion of the final project, Students will install the works in the gallery, curation a show telling of a narrative of movement and depth. [VAPA 4,5]
8. After installation and viewing of the gallery, individual works critique will occur in a group discussion. [VAPA 1,4]
Description of Active Learning:
Flip-book creation in pair-groups, Creation of chronophotograph, gallery curating and narrative, critique and discussion.
Evaluation:
Criteria:
Completion of photoshop and printed exercises.
Completion of pair-group flip-book animation.
Completion of final project.
Work is done neatly.
Participation in gallery curation and installation.
Portfolio Assessment:
Teacher assesses student works with student input, providing specific help in areas in need of future improvement, specific examples of success in multiple compositions and techniques, and thoughts regarding student technique, discussion on student-specific goals for the remainder of the semester. Participation in gallery event is noted, graded on effort, initiative, and quality of work completed.
Rubric:
6 – Unit work is 100% completed, shows meticulous care and quality in craftsmanship, responds creatively to concepts addressed in curriculum, may include extra works or works included go beyond expectations, an absolutely incredible portfolio! Enthusiastically participated in gallery event and helped to coordinate others in their efforts.
5 – Unit work is 100% completed, shows care and quality in craftsmanship, responds creatively to concepts addressed in curriculum, a fabulous portfolio! Enthusiastically participated in gallery event.
4 – Unit work is 80% completed, shows some care and almost great quality in craftsmanship, responds typically to concepts addressed in curriculum, very good portfolio, but has room for improvement. Happily participated in gallery event.
3 – Unit work is 60% completed, lacks care and quality in craftsmanship, responds grudgingly to concepts addressed in curriculum, or concepts are not addressed enough, a nice start to a portfolio, but not quite there, needs work. Reluctantly participated in gallery event.
2 – Unit work is 50% completed, shows no care and poor quality in craftsmanship, almost no response to concepts addressed in curriculum, now you know where to start to catch up, let’s get to work! Grudgingly participated in gallery event, offered little help in cooperative effort.
1 – Unit work is 25% or less completed, shows disregard to craftsmanship, shows no artistic response to concepts addressed in lessons, you have much work to do to catch up, let’s talk – I think you can do much better than this. Did not participate in gallery event.
Teacher and Learner Materials:
Paper, pencils, pens, primary palette paints, palettes, computers, Photoshop, printer, disks
California VAPA Standards:
STANDARD ONE Steps 1,8
STANDARD TWO Steps 3,4,5,6
STANDARD THREE Step 2
STANDARD FOUR Steps 1,7,8
STANDARD FIVE Steps 3,6,7
Developmental Considerations:
Example: Vision Impairment. Students with severely impaired vision may use magnification sheets, overhead projectors, and high-contrast, large print on worksheets.
Student Special Need Considerations:
Students with poor motor skills can use adaptive tools to help improve their technique and performance results.
ESL Considerations:
SDAIE techniques are infused throughout the demonstrations and discussions, and also use of bi-lingual instruction (if available) or student-interpreter if necessary.
UNIT TWO
LESSON ONE
Title:
Pushing the boundaries of surface, a very-high-relief painting.
Major Goals:
Ø Students will learn what it means to escape the 2-D plane, from drawings to life-like 3-D imagery, and illusion.
Ø Students will explore the applications of optical illusions such as trompe l’oiel.
Performance Objectives/Learning Outcomes:
Ø Anticipatory Set: Teacher will show art reproductions that rely heavily upon optical illusions. After viewing the images, and leading a discussion, students will complete worksheets and exercises dealing with furthering the illusion of depth.
Ø After a demonstration and discussion of illusion and high-relief panels, students will create high-relief panel.
Ø After a short discussion, demonstration, and discussion of illusion and trompe l’oiel, students will create a final project of a high-relief sculptural painting.
Ø Teacher will lead an active critique involving a ring-toss to demonstrate the very-high-relief aspects of the paintings, and demonstrating the successes of the works.
Major Concepts:
Dimension, plane, polarity, perspective
Vocabulary:
Dimension, plane, polarity, perspective, Architecture, Trompe L’oeil, High-relief, panels, sculptural
Relevant Artists:
Architectural models, Origamic Architecture: Keiko Nakazawa, Shunichi Ozawa, Gerry Stormer, Fra. Giovanni da Verona, Cornelis Gilbrechts, Otis Kaye, Claudio Bravo, M.C. Escher, Manfred Staller, Edgar Muller, Charles Biederman, Roy Lichtenstein, Pablo Picasso, Lee Bontecou
Sequence of Teaching/Learning Events:
1. Anticipatory Set: a discussion on perspective and depth prior to a worksheet exploring the visual illusion of depth. [VAPA 1,2]
2. Students will complete an exercise drawing an architectural scene that shows dimension and depth through the use of perspective. [VAPA 2]
3. Teacher will show works of artists while leading a discussion: “What makes a painting?” Focus on images shown will be on very-high-relief panels and structural/sculptural paintings. [VAPA 3,4]
4. Art historical segment and readings on high-relief works, trompe l’oeil, and sculptural paintings. [VAPA 3]
5. Students will create a high-relief panel in clay [VAPA 2,4]
6. After reviewing the successful areas of the clay relief panels, students will make 2 sketches of their final project: The High-Relief Sculptural Painting utilizing trompe l’oeil effects in their composition to further the illusion of depth. [VAPA 2]
7. After a final sketch is approved by the teacher, students will create the final project: The High-Relief Sculptural Painting. [VAPA 2]
8. After completion of the final project, students will participate in an active participation ring-toss-critique, illustrating the effectiveness of the trompe l’oeil illusion and the sculptural elements of the paintings. [VAPA 4,5,1]
Description of Active Learning:
Active learning will occur during the anticipatory set, philosophical discussion on what makes a painting, and the ring-toss-critique.
Evaluation:
Criteria:
Completion of worksheets and exercises.
Completion of clay high-relief panel.
Completion of 2 sketches and final project.
Work is done neatly.
Portfolio Assessment:
Teacher assesses student works with student input, providing specific help in areas in need of future improvement, specific examples of success in multiple compositions and techniques, and thoughts regarding student technique, discussion on student-specific goals for the remainder of the semester.
Rubric:
6 – Unit work is 100% completed, shows meticulous care and quality in craftsmanship, responds creatively to concepts addressed in curriculum, may include extra works or works included go beyond expectations, an absolutely incredible portfolio! Work exceeds all expectations in trompe l’oeil effects and high-relief is outstanding.
5 – Unit work is 100% completed, shows care and quality in craftsmanship, responds creatively to concepts addressed in curriculum, a fabulous portfolio! Work meets all expectations in trompe l’oeil effects and high-relief is very good.
4 – Unit work is 80% completed, shows some care and almost great quality in craftsmanship, responds typically to concepts addressed in curriculum, very good portfolio, but has room for improvement. Work meets most expectations in trompe l’oeil effects and high-relief is good, could use some improvements.
3 – Unit work is 60% completed, lacks care and quality in craftsmanship, responds grudgingly to concepts addressed in curriculum, or concepts are not addressed enough, a nice start to a portfolio, but not quite there, needs work. Work doesn’t quite meet expectations in trompe l’oeil effects and high-relief needs work.
2 – Unit work is 50% completed, shows no care and poor quality in craftsmanship, almost no response to concepts addressed in curriculum, now you know where to start to catch up, let’s get to work Work fails all expectations in trompe l’oeil effects and high-relief is poor.
1 – Unit work is 25% or less completed, shows disregard to craftsmanship, shows no artistic response to concepts addressed in lessons, you have much work to do to catch up, let’s talk – I think you can do much better than this. Trompe l’oeil effects and high-relief are severely lacking in effort and quality.
Teacher and Learner Materials:
Brown paper bags,
scissors,
x-acto,
glue,
wood,
pencils,
paper,
slides,
multi-media projector, computer
California VAPA Standards:
STANDARD ONE Steps 1,8
STANDARD TWO Steps 1,2,5,6,7
STANDARD THREE Steps 3,4
STANDARD FOUR Steps 3,5,8
STANDARD FIVE Steps 8
Developmental Considerations:
Specially designed adaptive tools can help students to better negotiate the tools necessary for completion of this project.
Student Special Need Considerations:
Students with visual problems or learning impairments which preclude them from understanding the scope of trompe l’oeil works may use photography and collage to help utilize this effect in their projects.
ESL Considerations:
SDAIE techniques are infused throughout the demonstrations and discussions, and also use of bi-lingual instruction (if available) or student-interpreter if necessary.
LESSON FIVE
Title:
My Own Environment, A sculptural response to the confines of dimension.
Major Goals:
Ø Anticipatory Set: Teacher will Students will learn about space and environment by creating an entirely three-dimensional sculpture within the confines of a cubic structure.
Ø Students will further explore the concept of attributes as they pertain to an environment.
Performance Objectives/Learning Outcomes:
Ø After worksheets, slides, discussions of attributes, environments, and installation art, and a demonstration of the project, students will create a sculptural cube reflecting a created environment of their own choice.
Ø After a review of the projects finished, the teacher will help students to work collaboratively to curate a gallery showing of their cubes for a short installation and critique.
Ø After a gallery showing, and active critique: touring the gallery with the class and discussing works shown/arrangement, students will work collaboratively to arrange the cubes in an order of progressive travel (class assignment – separate of the gallery). This will help to address a progression or evolution of environments directed by the students.
Major Concepts:
Space, Environment
Vocabulary:
Space, Environment, Installation Art, narrative, traveling
Relevant Artists:
James Khazar, Peter Sarkisian, Robert Marbury, Robert Smithson
Sequence of Teaching/Learning Events:
1. Anticipatory Set: After a discussion and slide show about environmental art and installation art, students will complete a worksheet in response to attributes of an environment. [VAPA 1, 2, 3]
2. After reviewing the environmental attributes, the teacher will provide an introduction to the final project. [VAPA 5]
3. Students will create 6 sketches of a personal environment, one for each side of the cubic space of the project constraints. [VAPA2,5]
4. Teacher will lead a philosophical discussion on the question: “How do you value or sell installation art?” [VAPA 1]
5. Students will create their final project: Sculptural Cube, Creating a Space. [VAPA 2]
6. Students will work collaboratively to curate a gallery showing of their cubes for a short installation and critique. [VAPA 4,5]
7. Students will work collaboratively to arrange the cubes in an order of progressive travel. [VAPA 4]
Description of Active Learning:
Active learning will occur in the discussions, creation, and sketches.
Evaluation:
Criteria:
Completion of worksheet and 6 sketches.
Completion of final project.
Work is done neatly.
Participation in gallery curation and installation.
Active critique participation.
Portfolio Assessment:
Teacher assesses student works with student input, providing specific help in areas in need of future improvement, specific examples of success in multiple compositions and techniques, and thoughts regarding student technique, discussion on student-specific goals for the remainder of the semester. Participation in gallery event is noted, graded on effort, initiative, and quality of work completed.
Rubric:
6 – Unit work is 100% completed, shows meticulous care and quality in craftsmanship, responds creatively to concepts addressed in curriculum, may include extra works or works included go beyond expectations, an absolutely incredible portfolio! Enthusiastically participated in gallery event and helped to coordinate others in their efforts.
5 – Unit work is 100% completed, shows care and quality in craftsmanship, responds creatively to concepts addressed in curriculum, a fabulous portfolio! Enthusiastically participated in gallery event.
4 – Unit work is 80% completed, shows some care and almost great quality in craftsmanship, responds typically to concepts addressed in curriculum, very good portfolio, but has room for improvement. Happily participated in gallery event.
3 – Unit work is 60% completed, lacks care and quality in craftsmanship, responds grudgingly to concepts addressed in curriculum, or concepts are not addressed enough, a nice start to a portfolio, but not quite there, needs work. Reluctantly participated in gallery event.
2 – Unit work is 50% completed, shows no care and poor quality in craftsmanship, almost no response to concepts addressed in curriculum, now you know where to start to catch up, let’s get to work! Grudgingly participated in gallery event, offered little help in cooperative effort.
1 – Unit work is 25% or less completed, shows disregard to craftsmanship, shows no artistic response to concepts addressed in lessons, you have much work to do to catch up, let’s talk – I think you can do much better than this. Did not participate in gallery event.
Teacher and Learner Materials:
scissors,
x-acto,
glue,
wood,
pencils,
paper,
slides,
multi-media projector,
computer
California VAPA Standards:
STANDARD ONE Steps 1,4
STANDARD TWO Steps 1,3,5
STANDARD THREE Steps 1
STANDARD FOUR Steps 6,7
STANDARD FIVE Steps 2,3,6
Developmental Considerations:
Choice of materials used for this project can be adapted to student need on an individual basis.
Student Special Need Considerations:
Students with trouble concentrating for long periods of time, such as those with ADHD, etc., may prefer to work standing, or tour the room and help others in their efforts as they work in small doses on their own projects.
ESL Considerations:
SDAIE techniques are infused throughout the demonstrations and discussions, and also use of bi-lingual instruction (if available) or student-interpreter if necessary.
UNIT 1
Concepts Materials Historical/Cultural Activities
Lesson 1 contrast marker High-Contrast Drawings: ADMIN: Contract/Syllabus
shape pencil Monica Richards Pre-Instruction Activity: selecting attribute imagery
representation paper Website: http://www.monicarichards.com/thestudio/artwork/prophetess.html Worksheet: Mirror Imagery, Ink-Blot Works
reflection tagboard High-Contrast Computer-based images: AH: Mandalas, Self-Portraits
duality portfolio folder David Myriam Worksheet: Attributes, Mandalas
scissors website: http://art-engage.net/Recomposition.html Self-Attribute Mirror Images
x-acto Scratchboard: FINAL PROJECT: Portfolio Cover
glue Micheal Halbert AC: Critique, use mirrors to illustrate mirror-image
Magazines website: http://www.inkart.com/
High-Contrast Photography:
Ansel Adams
Barri Olson
website: http://www.pbase.com/madlights/high_contrast_photography
Lesson 2 contour paper German Expressionism: Drawing Exercises: shapes to forms
depth pencil Otto Dix AH: Comic Books, Animation
form eraser Kathe Kollwitz Stylized Drawings Exercises: developing character
line pen Film Noir AH: Film Noir
marker Early Comic Book Animation Noir Drawings Exercises
Rudolph Töpffer FINAL: Stylized Noir Comic Character
website:http://comicartcommunity.com AC: Create a story from 5 selected characters
Half-Tone Images of class works'
Perspective Drawings:
Simon Dinnerstein
Lesson 3 color paper Chronophotography: Philosophy: Are Comics Art?
3-D pencil Etienne Jules Marey AH: Animation in New Technology
illusion pen website: http://www.expo-marey.com Photoshop Exercise: revisioning the character
animation primary palette paints Full-Color Scratchboard: Exercise: using color to show depth (printed exercise)
movement brushes Norman Gaddini Pair Project: Create flip-book animation of characters
palettes website: http://www.getyourwordsworth.com/WORDSWORTH-normangaddini.html shows movement, depth, use of color and shade
computers Comic Books: Final: "Chronophotograph" of character
Photoshop Stan Lee shows movement, transformation, depth
disks Marvel Comics AC: Gallery Installation Showing and Critique
printers website: http://www.toonopedia.com/
Computer Animation:
Alejandra Liebovich
website: http://www.aleloop.com/page/index.html
Depth in animated characters:
Michael Paulus
website: http://michaelpaulus.com/gallery/character-Skeletons
Michaela Pavlatova
Concepts Materials Historical/Cultural Activities
Unit 2
Lesson 1 dimension brown paper bags Architectural Models Worksheet: Perspective, Depth
plane scissors Origamic Architecture Exercise: Drawing a scene showing depth
recede x-acto website: http://members.aol.com/kselena/OA/oamainpg.html Philosophy: What makes a painting?
project glue Keiko Nakazawa AH: High Relief Paintings and Panels
perspective wood Masahiro Chatani Exercise: High-relief Panel In Clay
pencils Shunichi Ozawa Final: High-Relief Sculptural Painting
paper Gerry Stormer AC: Ring-toss game for active critique
Trompe L'oiel:
Fra Giovanni da Verona
Cornelis Gijbrechts
Otis Kaye
Claudio Bravo
Optical Illusions
MC Escher, Depth 1955, Swans 1956
Ascending and Descending 1960
Manfred Staller
Edgar Muller
Other:
Charles Biederman
Roy Lichtenstein
Pablo Picasso
Lesson 2 space paper James Khazar Worksheet: Attributes of an environment
environment wood website: http://www.khazar.com/mfa/images.htm Exercise: 6 Sketches of personal environment
glue Peter Sarkisian Philosophy: How do you value Installation Art?
x-acto Robert Marbury Final: Sculptural Cube, Creating a space
scissors Robert Smithson AC: Personal narrative of travelling through 'my environment'
pencil AC: Gallery and Critique
Active critique: arrange cube spaces in order of logical travel
Second semester units will continue in sculpture with a lesson on site-specific environmental art; then a lesson in new technology focusing on a revisiting of old art creating methods and improving upon them with new technology; a further lesson will explore image making techniques such as photography and printmaking; a final lesson will be a collaboration of all techniques used into a culminative collaboration.
Note: ALL information and links provided from this blog and subsequent issues are for educational purposes only. Please do not use copyrighted imagery without the consent of the image owner.
All lesson plans authored by Mrs. B are the expressed intellectual property of Stephanie T. Butler unless otherwise noted. Use of Mrs. B's lesson plans without Stephanie T. Butler's permission or failure of citation is considered intellectual theft and constitutes academic fraud.
Plaigarism is theft: what lessons will you teach our students?
Saturday, September 02, 2006
The Museum and the Aesthetic Experience
To artists, art historians, art educators, art enthusiasts, and many, many others, the museum has become a sacred space of sorts. To many people the art museum is foreign territory. It's a strange place of strange objects and strange ideas. Very little in the museum is not intimidating - either because the art is finely crafted, or the subject matter is foreign, or the concept behind itself is just not easily understood. The way in which the work is displayed many times to be inaccessible to the viewer, even times placed 'on a pedestal.' Velvet ropes and guards with badges sometimes intrude on the enjoyment of a work. Mrs. B goes to museums alone many times to enjoy the works, to pay respect to the ideas and craftsmanship, and to not be interrupted in her aesthetic experience by Mr. B's remarks.
We all have different styles of living, of being, and of experienceing the museum - if we visit one at all. I came upon an article about this very topic, you can view it here:
http://www.2blowhards.com/archives/002279.html
Did you know: the average time spent viewing a work of art at a museum is between 30 seconds and two minutes? That varies by age, and if it is your first time visiting the exhibit or not. 65% of museum visitors do not even look at every work in the exhibit. (Human-Computer Interaction - Interact'01 By Michitaka (EDT) Hirose, Published by IOS Press, Page 440 )
Imagine how much time the painter spent creating the work. How much time did the artist ponder over the idea behind the work? How many trips to the art supply store did they make? All for thirty seconds to two minutes of viewing on average. I remember going to the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, and spending four hours there. I had an assignment to write a paper on one painting from one artist. I ended up going during the weekday, finding the painting I selected to study, and sitting on the floor in front of it. I was taking notes and detailing my observations when the guard changed shifts. The new guard offered to bring me a chair from the front desk. Realizing that I had enough notes for my paper, I declined, gathered my scribblings and stretched my legs, then explored the rest of the museum. At the end of my '30-second stroll' from work to work, my eyes needed a break. Luckily, the Norton Simon has a peaceful and extraordinarily beautiful garden courtyard, perfect for resting the over-stimulated eyes and mind.
John Dewey wrote about the 'aesthetic experience'. I won't bore you with the details, of which there are too many. I'll try to sum up in my own feeble writings what took him volumes and books to do:
The aesthetic experience is that moment of encountering a work of art, a natural wonder, a moment in time, (etc.) in which you are entirely present. There is a profound personal understanding and interaction between you and the work/environment/moment. The second you are aware of the experience, or try to name it, it's gone. It no longer exists.
In our instant-gratification society with increasing technology and decreasing attention spans and spare time, these experiences may be increasingly difficult to come by. According to Dewey, they don't happen if you try for them, either. You can't construct the aesthetic experience - only be open to experiencing it.
I have been back to the Norton Simon a few times, because in my '30-second stroll' I noticed works that I wanted to experience further. I had spent so much time with the assignment, that I was unable to have the same aesthetic experience with most of the others. I came close and had much enjoyment and response to many works, but it wasn't the same as that one day. I still remember the smell of the museum dust from the floors as I brushed it off of my book bag when I stood back up. All I remember from my subsequent visits are the other works and the sore feet. I couldn't have recreated the aesthetic experience. I interacted with the works, but they weren't the same. I wasn't the same.
Dear students, you have probably already guessed this week's assignment: Visit an art museum. Take some time to experience and enjoy it. Go with an open mind. If you find that you don't understand the work, remind yourself that it's o.k. to still have mystery in your life. You don't have to have all the answers. The little placard next to the work won't provide ALL the answers anyway. Think about why some works draw you to experience them more than others do. If you really feel up to the challenge, wear a watch with a second-hand. When you find yourself at a work for only a few seconds, make yourself stay for 3 more minutes. Find things in the work to notice. Evidence of brush strokes, carve-marks, or even try to find evidence of mistakes? Ask yourself questions about the work, the content, the medium. 'Why' is one of the most beautiful questions in the world. Ask it. Don't get too hung up in what the artist wants you to 'get' from the work. The work is finished and the artists' job is done. What do YOU get from it?
More advanced students can do research after the visit: Who owns the museum? Are they represented by a company? An Industry? Who curated the museum? What is the exhibit about? What do the owners/curators have to gain by displaying this exhibit? How are things displayed? Is there a narrative in the exhibit? - and some of my personal favorites: How many works from women artists are displayed? How many cultures are represented in the breadth of artists daisplayed? Where are their works placed in the exhibit? Is there significance to the placement?
So, dear students, it's a long weekend but it will pass quickly. Enjoy it.
Experience it.
Look.
Look closer.
By the way, did you play with your new tools? What happened when you tried something new? Did you learn anything about the tools? Did you lean anything about you? Did you have an aesthetic experience? You're welcome to leave comments for us to discuss.
Mrs. B
Note: ALL information and links provided from this blog and subsequent issues are for educational purposes only. Please do not use copyrighted imagery without the consent of the image owner.
All lesson plans authored by Mrs. B are the expressed intellectual property of Stephanie T. Butler unless otherwise noted. Use of Mrs. B's lesson plans without Stephanie T. Butler's permission or failure of citation is considered intellectual theft and constitutes academic fraud.
Plaigarism is theft: what lessons will you teach our students?
We all have different styles of living, of being, and of experienceing the museum - if we visit one at all. I came upon an article about this very topic, you can view it here:
http://www.2blowhards.com/archives/002279.html
Did you know: the average time spent viewing a work of art at a museum is between 30 seconds and two minutes? That varies by age, and if it is your first time visiting the exhibit or not. 65% of museum visitors do not even look at every work in the exhibit. (Human-Computer Interaction - Interact'01 By Michitaka (EDT) Hirose, Published by IOS Press, Page 440 )
Imagine how much time the painter spent creating the work. How much time did the artist ponder over the idea behind the work? How many trips to the art supply store did they make? All for thirty seconds to two minutes of viewing on average. I remember going to the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, and spending four hours there. I had an assignment to write a paper on one painting from one artist. I ended up going during the weekday, finding the painting I selected to study, and sitting on the floor in front of it. I was taking notes and detailing my observations when the guard changed shifts. The new guard offered to bring me a chair from the front desk. Realizing that I had enough notes for my paper, I declined, gathered my scribblings and stretched my legs, then explored the rest of the museum. At the end of my '30-second stroll' from work to work, my eyes needed a break. Luckily, the Norton Simon has a peaceful and extraordinarily beautiful garden courtyard, perfect for resting the over-stimulated eyes and mind.
John Dewey wrote about the 'aesthetic experience'. I won't bore you with the details, of which there are too many. I'll try to sum up in my own feeble writings what took him volumes and books to do:
The aesthetic experience is that moment of encountering a work of art, a natural wonder, a moment in time, (etc.) in which you are entirely present. There is a profound personal understanding and interaction between you and the work/environment/moment. The second you are aware of the experience, or try to name it, it's gone. It no longer exists.
In our instant-gratification society with increasing technology and decreasing attention spans and spare time, these experiences may be increasingly difficult to come by. According to Dewey, they don't happen if you try for them, either. You can't construct the aesthetic experience - only be open to experiencing it.
I have been back to the Norton Simon a few times, because in my '30-second stroll' I noticed works that I wanted to experience further. I had spent so much time with the assignment, that I was unable to have the same aesthetic experience with most of the others. I came close and had much enjoyment and response to many works, but it wasn't the same as that one day. I still remember the smell of the museum dust from the floors as I brushed it off of my book bag when I stood back up. All I remember from my subsequent visits are the other works and the sore feet. I couldn't have recreated the aesthetic experience. I interacted with the works, but they weren't the same. I wasn't the same.
Dear students, you have probably already guessed this week's assignment: Visit an art museum. Take some time to experience and enjoy it. Go with an open mind. If you find that you don't understand the work, remind yourself that it's o.k. to still have mystery in your life. You don't have to have all the answers. The little placard next to the work won't provide ALL the answers anyway. Think about why some works draw you to experience them more than others do. If you really feel up to the challenge, wear a watch with a second-hand. When you find yourself at a work for only a few seconds, make yourself stay for 3 more minutes. Find things in the work to notice. Evidence of brush strokes, carve-marks, or even try to find evidence of mistakes? Ask yourself questions about the work, the content, the medium. 'Why' is one of the most beautiful questions in the world. Ask it. Don't get too hung up in what the artist wants you to 'get' from the work. The work is finished and the artists' job is done. What do YOU get from it?
More advanced students can do research after the visit: Who owns the museum? Are they represented by a company? An Industry? Who curated the museum? What is the exhibit about? What do the owners/curators have to gain by displaying this exhibit? How are things displayed? Is there a narrative in the exhibit? - and some of my personal favorites: How many works from women artists are displayed? How many cultures are represented in the breadth of artists daisplayed? Where are their works placed in the exhibit? Is there significance to the placement?
So, dear students, it's a long weekend but it will pass quickly. Enjoy it.
Experience it.
Look.
Look closer.
By the way, did you play with your new tools? What happened when you tried something new? Did you learn anything about the tools? Did you lean anything about you? Did you have an aesthetic experience? You're welcome to leave comments for us to discuss.
Mrs. B
Note: ALL information and links provided from this blog and subsequent issues are for educational purposes only. Please do not use copyrighted imagery without the consent of the image owner.
All lesson plans authored by Mrs. B are the expressed intellectual property of Stephanie T. Butler unless otherwise noted. Use of Mrs. B's lesson plans without Stephanie T. Butler's permission or failure of citation is considered intellectual theft and constitutes academic fraud.
Plaigarism is theft: what lessons will you teach our students?
Friday, August 25, 2006
Tools of the Trade: Respecting Your Self and Your Work
"Macaroni Art." I heard that term many times in a very thick Brazilian accent from a professor in art school. It was always said with a sneer, and a hint of disgust. It's the kind of art created with beans, noodles, cotton balls, popsicle sticks, and - you guessed it - macaroni. I'm quite supportive of using a non-traditional medium in art. I have made many works myself out of non-traditional items. This is one of the few times I will ever criticize an artist's choice of medium, but in this case I must.
Macaroni Art has its' place: in physical therapy for rehabilitating hands and fingers, in teaching severely disabled people about tactile and sensory explorations, and in building motor skills and hand-eye coordination. I think it should not have a place in teaching art to anyone. I can already hear the whines from the elementary school teachers, (because I've heard them before). This is a major reason why I'm writing this blog and offering these lessons. Multiple-Subject teachers (K - 8 in California) have often undervalued student ability and potential in the Arts. I have seen many K-8 teachers undervalue the Arts and Visual Communication in their curriculum, and quality lessons in art are rare without the help of an artist.
The old stand-by is just not good enough. Students deserve better, and teachers should not be intimidated by the subject, nor the medium. If you want to make fluffy snowmen with cotton balls for holiday cards, that's great for an activity, but it is a terrible inadequacy as an art lesson.
The medium you choose to use is your tool. It would be ridiculous for any mechanic to use a wooden ruler as a replacement for the torque wrench. A baker would never use a rope to mix a cake batter. Using food as a tool in creating art (specifically in creating macaroni art) undermines the art created. It sends a message to the student that the teacher doesn't think the student is capable enough to use the real thing - that they aren't good enough, or smart enough. It sends a message that art isn't to be taken seriously, or there is nothing of value to be learned from creating art. Macaroni art also undermines the purpose and enjoyment of the food. Another issue I have with macaroni art is something not all teachers have to deal with - but we do here in this metropolitan district; some of the students are hungry. Placing food in front of them and expect them to paste it to construction paper is cruel and wasteful.
My intent is not to criticize those who use this method, but to remind us all that we can do better than that. Our students can do much better than that. Let's not sell them short. Give the students an opportunity to show you what they are capable of - it's not for you to decide.
My own experience with under-estimating students came when I taught an art lesson to a class of first graders. Their teacher was quite intimidated by art, claimed she didn't know much about it, and reminded me to keep the lesson short (20 minutes at most) because the attention spans of the young students were so short. I delivered a very quick and simple lesson in color theory, and brought oil pastels for the students to use in creating their works. Yes, oil pastels to first-graders! The students were excited about the medium, its tactile experience, and about using real artists' tools. They were engaged and involved for a very long time. The teacher was able to do her grading and lesson planning as they worked QUIETLY. Imagine that: 28 first-graders, all quietly concentrating, all working, and all happy. We were both shocked when the bell rang. Two hours had passed from the beginning of the lesson to the ring of the bell. The real art lesson, the real artists' tools, and the time and encouragement to explore kept the students engaged and learning for two hours.
Note about oil pastels: don't be afraid to try them! They're vibrant, saturated in color, they blend easily, and, believe it or not, they're a cinch to clean up. Any brand of baby wipes will lift oil pastel off of hands, desks, table-tops, walls, even out of carpet. Oil pastels are quite inexpensive, too - a good starter box will cost about 2 to 3 dollars.
The medium is your tool! It is a reflection of how much you care about your creative expression, your work. It is taking yourself seriously, and asking others to take you seriously. It's wearing a clean shirt and a smile to the party instead of smelly old sweats with stains and holes. Macaroni art is fine in its place (see above), but you can do better than that, we all can. So, that brings me to the assignment of the week:
Visit an art supply store - A place where real artists shop, and real art supplies are sold. I'm not talking about the places that have the 1 cent frame and poster sale, and I'm not talking about the place that has art supplies in a small section of the store filled with potpurri and craft supplies. A real art supply store. If you don't know where to find one, call your local university and ask the Art Department. They may even have an art store on campus! If you're in a very rural community, find a good store on the internet - but try to find an art store to visit the next time you are in a neighboring town. The internet is great for many things, but real people are better.
Your assignment is to spend at least one hour exploring the art store. You may have to schedule an appointment with a clerk there - ask for a tour if you want. Look at the pencils and charcoal - why do they have numbers and letters on them? What's the difference in oil pastels and chalk pastels? What's gouache? Why do artists use certain brushes for acrylic paints, and different ones for oil paints, and even more different ones for watercolor paints? Why would someone paint on cotton paper instead of on a canvas? How do you stretch a canvas? Do people still carve linoleum to make prints with ink? Why would someone use modeling clay when a big bag of stoneware clay is so much less expensive? Ah - prices - this is one time you are encouraged to pester about WHY things cost what they do. Why DO oil pastels cost so little? Why do some paint colors cost more than others?
Ask as many questions as you have, and learn about your tools. You will have the chance to learn the technique - Mrs. B will be posting lesson plans very soon - and you will have the chance to explore what you are capable of creating. Don't let yourself become overwhelmed, or discouraged. Just be open to learning about the possibilities. Find something that you didn't know before, and find something that you want to explore further. If you have the opportunity to do so, make a purchase of some materials that interest you. Play with them and explore how they work for you. Don't worry about how you're "supposed" to use them, just use them. We will get to technique and styles later.
If you don't know where to start, drop 5 bucks on some oil pastels and break out that stack of construction paper in your closet. Color - sort of like you do with the old crayons! Have your baby wipes handy if you need them for clean-up, but just try it out. Use different pressures, try to blend the colors, SMEAR them around on the page. See what happens when you try it out. We'll chat more about it next time.
Until then,
- Mrs. B
Note: ALL information and links provided from this blog and subsequent issues are for educational purposes only. Please do not use copyrighted imagery without the consent of the image owner.
All lesson plans authored by Mrs. B are the expressed intellectual property of Stephanie T. Butler unless otherwise noted. Use of Mrs. B's lesson plans without Stephanie T. Butler's permission or failure of citation is considered intellectual theft and constitutes academic fraud.
Plaigarism is theft: what lessons will you teach our students?
Macaroni Art has its' place: in physical therapy for rehabilitating hands and fingers, in teaching severely disabled people about tactile and sensory explorations, and in building motor skills and hand-eye coordination. I think it should not have a place in teaching art to anyone. I can already hear the whines from the elementary school teachers, (because I've heard them before). This is a major reason why I'm writing this blog and offering these lessons. Multiple-Subject teachers (K - 8 in California) have often undervalued student ability and potential in the Arts. I have seen many K-8 teachers undervalue the Arts and Visual Communication in their curriculum, and quality lessons in art are rare without the help of an artist.
The old stand-by is just not good enough. Students deserve better, and teachers should not be intimidated by the subject, nor the medium. If you want to make fluffy snowmen with cotton balls for holiday cards, that's great for an activity, but it is a terrible inadequacy as an art lesson.
The medium you choose to use is your tool. It would be ridiculous for any mechanic to use a wooden ruler as a replacement for the torque wrench. A baker would never use a rope to mix a cake batter. Using food as a tool in creating art (specifically in creating macaroni art) undermines the art created. It sends a message to the student that the teacher doesn't think the student is capable enough to use the real thing - that they aren't good enough, or smart enough. It sends a message that art isn't to be taken seriously, or there is nothing of value to be learned from creating art. Macaroni art also undermines the purpose and enjoyment of the food. Another issue I have with macaroni art is something not all teachers have to deal with - but we do here in this metropolitan district; some of the students are hungry. Placing food in front of them and expect them to paste it to construction paper is cruel and wasteful.
My intent is not to criticize those who use this method, but to remind us all that we can do better than that. Our students can do much better than that. Let's not sell them short. Give the students an opportunity to show you what they are capable of - it's not for you to decide.
My own experience with under-estimating students came when I taught an art lesson to a class of first graders. Their teacher was quite intimidated by art, claimed she didn't know much about it, and reminded me to keep the lesson short (20 minutes at most) because the attention spans of the young students were so short. I delivered a very quick and simple lesson in color theory, and brought oil pastels for the students to use in creating their works. Yes, oil pastels to first-graders! The students were excited about the medium, its tactile experience, and about using real artists' tools. They were engaged and involved for a very long time. The teacher was able to do her grading and lesson planning as they worked QUIETLY. Imagine that: 28 first-graders, all quietly concentrating, all working, and all happy. We were both shocked when the bell rang. Two hours had passed from the beginning of the lesson to the ring of the bell. The real art lesson, the real artists' tools, and the time and encouragement to explore kept the students engaged and learning for two hours.
Note about oil pastels: don't be afraid to try them! They're vibrant, saturated in color, they blend easily, and, believe it or not, they're a cinch to clean up. Any brand of baby wipes will lift oil pastel off of hands, desks, table-tops, walls, even out of carpet. Oil pastels are quite inexpensive, too - a good starter box will cost about 2 to 3 dollars.
The medium is your tool! It is a reflection of how much you care about your creative expression, your work. It is taking yourself seriously, and asking others to take you seriously. It's wearing a clean shirt and a smile to the party instead of smelly old sweats with stains and holes. Macaroni art is fine in its place (see above), but you can do better than that, we all can. So, that brings me to the assignment of the week:
Visit an art supply store - A place where real artists shop, and real art supplies are sold. I'm not talking about the places that have the 1 cent frame and poster sale, and I'm not talking about the place that has art supplies in a small section of the store filled with potpurri and craft supplies. A real art supply store. If you don't know where to find one, call your local university and ask the Art Department. They may even have an art store on campus! If you're in a very rural community, find a good store on the internet - but try to find an art store to visit the next time you are in a neighboring town. The internet is great for many things, but real people are better.
Your assignment is to spend at least one hour exploring the art store. You may have to schedule an appointment with a clerk there - ask for a tour if you want. Look at the pencils and charcoal - why do they have numbers and letters on them? What's the difference in oil pastels and chalk pastels? What's gouache? Why do artists use certain brushes for acrylic paints, and different ones for oil paints, and even more different ones for watercolor paints? Why would someone paint on cotton paper instead of on a canvas? How do you stretch a canvas? Do people still carve linoleum to make prints with ink? Why would someone use modeling clay when a big bag of stoneware clay is so much less expensive? Ah - prices - this is one time you are encouraged to pester about WHY things cost what they do. Why DO oil pastels cost so little? Why do some paint colors cost more than others?
Ask as many questions as you have, and learn about your tools. You will have the chance to learn the technique - Mrs. B will be posting lesson plans very soon - and you will have the chance to explore what you are capable of creating. Don't let yourself become overwhelmed, or discouraged. Just be open to learning about the possibilities. Find something that you didn't know before, and find something that you want to explore further. If you have the opportunity to do so, make a purchase of some materials that interest you. Play with them and explore how they work for you. Don't worry about how you're "supposed" to use them, just use them. We will get to technique and styles later.
If you don't know where to start, drop 5 bucks on some oil pastels and break out that stack of construction paper in your closet. Color - sort of like you do with the old crayons! Have your baby wipes handy if you need them for clean-up, but just try it out. Use different pressures, try to blend the colors, SMEAR them around on the page. See what happens when you try it out. We'll chat more about it next time.
Until then,
- Mrs. B
Note: ALL information and links provided from this blog and subsequent issues are for educational purposes only. Please do not use copyrighted imagery without the consent of the image owner.
All lesson plans authored by Mrs. B are the expressed intellectual property of Stephanie T. Butler unless otherwise noted. Use of Mrs. B's lesson plans without Stephanie T. Butler's permission or failure of citation is considered intellectual theft and constitutes academic fraud.
Plaigarism is theft: what lessons will you teach our students?
Friday, August 18, 2006
Creation of the Creative Environment
A very large part of experiencing the visual arts is becoming more visually aware of your environment. Our world around us: the home, the office, the playground, school, the library, and even the grocery store are filled with art. Art and visual communications have shaped the very way we make even the smallest decisions. You don't believe me? Take a look at the cereal box you poured in to a bowl this morning for breakfast. Notice the design on the box, the setting of the type, the line, shape and color in the drawings of cartoon characters, the composition of the photo of the athlete on the box. Everything about that box was designed to appeal to your sense of visual taste. It's part of what made you decide to get the sunny yellow box with the shiny, golden-colored cereal flakes over the muted grey box with the brown boring puffs. That design on the box uses the elements of art and the priciples of design.
Take another look at the bowl, and the spoon if you like. That bowl was made by hand or machine - but was ultimately designed and created by a person. The shape, weight, color, form, and functionality of the bowl were all considered in its creation all long before it reached your hands. Look closer, you are holding a work of art.
When you are open to experiencing the world aesthetically, you realize that everything around you is connected to art. Art is NOT just the exclusive works that hang on a wall in a dusty old room. Art is not just an object suffering under the glare of gallery lights, or confined to a life behind the velvet ropes. It's everywhere, in some medium or another, and that - dear student - is what we will explore this week.
Your assignment:
Dear student, you are going to become an 'Art Detective' this week. Look up the 5 Elements of Art (line, shape, color, texture, and space) to find out what they all mean. You can use books, or the internet to help you out with this. Mrs. B's hint: try any museum's education web page. Then, dear Art Detective, you are going to find examples of each element in your environment. Bring along a sketchbook or camera and record examples of your finds. Variation is key here, and the world has provided you with much to find. When the week is up, see how many examples you have, and talk with your teacher about how each Element of Art is shown in your example.
Parents and teachers:
Adapt this lesson to your student's ability and comprehension level:
Little guys may have to focus on one Element per day. Let's say we assign 'Line' for day 1. Your Art Detective is going to find examples of Line wherever you go that day. The edge of buildings or furniture are a good place to start. Cracks in sidewalks, horizons, leaf-veins, and edges of any object are also excellent sources of line. Try to find many different types of line: thin, thick, straight, curved, short, long, etc.. A collection of papers, leaves, twigs, etc. in a book or shoebox will be helpful with this assignment.
Older Art Detectives may require the assistance of a camera for their assignment. (Digital cameras, polaroid-types, or even disposable cameras work great for this.) If you have more than one Art Detective, this can easily become a competition: the most examples of pattern, the first to reach 25 examples in every Element, etc., or add to the criteria all the Principles of Design.
A further challenge for the most sophisticated of Art Detectives is to revision or alter the print-out of their favorite Element images. Explore the elements in microcosms and macrocosms.
The idea is to look around and notice what the world is showing you. Try to appreciate the aesthetics of nature and man-made creations. Talk about why the Elements are important, and how they are present around you. Don't worry about using the 'art' vocabulary. That will come more as you explore what is already around you.
Happy clue-hunting, Art Detectives!
- Mrs. B
Note: ALL information and links provided from this blog and subsequent issues are for educational purposes only. Please do not use copyrighted imagery without the consent of the image owner.
All lesson plans authored by Mrs. B are the expressed intellectual property of Stephanie T. Butler unless otherwise noted. Use of Mrs. B's lesson plans without Stephanie T. Butler's permission or failure of citation is considered intellectual theft and constitutes academic fraud.
Plaigarism is theft: what lessons will you teach our students?
Take another look at the bowl, and the spoon if you like. That bowl was made by hand or machine - but was ultimately designed and created by a person. The shape, weight, color, form, and functionality of the bowl were all considered in its creation all long before it reached your hands. Look closer, you are holding a work of art.
When you are open to experiencing the world aesthetically, you realize that everything around you is connected to art. Art is NOT just the exclusive works that hang on a wall in a dusty old room. Art is not just an object suffering under the glare of gallery lights, or confined to a life behind the velvet ropes. It's everywhere, in some medium or another, and that - dear student - is what we will explore this week.
Your assignment:
Dear student, you are going to become an 'Art Detective' this week. Look up the 5 Elements of Art (line, shape, color, texture, and space) to find out what they all mean. You can use books, or the internet to help you out with this. Mrs. B's hint: try any museum's education web page. Then, dear Art Detective, you are going to find examples of each element in your environment. Bring along a sketchbook or camera and record examples of your finds. Variation is key here, and the world has provided you with much to find. When the week is up, see how many examples you have, and talk with your teacher about how each Element of Art is shown in your example.
Parents and teachers:
Adapt this lesson to your student's ability and comprehension level:
Little guys may have to focus on one Element per day. Let's say we assign 'Line' for day 1. Your Art Detective is going to find examples of Line wherever you go that day. The edge of buildings or furniture are a good place to start. Cracks in sidewalks, horizons, leaf-veins, and edges of any object are also excellent sources of line. Try to find many different types of line: thin, thick, straight, curved, short, long, etc.. A collection of papers, leaves, twigs, etc. in a book or shoebox will be helpful with this assignment.
Older Art Detectives may require the assistance of a camera for their assignment. (Digital cameras, polaroid-types, or even disposable cameras work great for this.) If you have more than one Art Detective, this can easily become a competition: the most examples of pattern, the first to reach 25 examples in every Element, etc., or add to the criteria all the Principles of Design.
A further challenge for the most sophisticated of Art Detectives is to revision or alter the print-out of their favorite Element images. Explore the elements in microcosms and macrocosms.
The idea is to look around and notice what the world is showing you. Try to appreciate the aesthetics of nature and man-made creations. Talk about why the Elements are important, and how they are present around you. Don't worry about using the 'art' vocabulary. That will come more as you explore what is already around you.
Happy clue-hunting, Art Detectives!
- Mrs. B
Note: ALL information and links provided from this blog and subsequent issues are for educational purposes only. Please do not use copyrighted imagery without the consent of the image owner.
All lesson plans authored by Mrs. B are the expressed intellectual property of Stephanie T. Butler unless otherwise noted. Use of Mrs. B's lesson plans without Stephanie T. Butler's permission or failure of citation is considered intellectual theft and constitutes academic fraud.
Plaigarism is theft: what lessons will you teach our students?
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