In Tom’s 4th and 5th grade class, the topic that is essentially being taught is self portraiture through unique and different art approaches. The most prominent concept we are accentuating in their artwork is symbolism, however, we are focusing on these concepts as well: narratives (story-telling), expression, communication, theme, composition, style and more. The lessons within the unit all link with each other, allowing for the students to expand their learning from one lesson to the next. The first lesson introduces the idea of creating symbolic self portraits that is emphasized through sketching and brainstorming/planning. Then, moving to the second lesson and expanding on their generation of ideas into a mixed media collage including symbolic imagery. Last, the third lesson expands even further in translating the symbolic imagery into a three-dimensional form, using found objects as symbols to create a “creature.”
Unit Description:
“Unique Self Portraits”
In this unit, students explore various means of self-discovery through multiple mediums of art. The first lesson revolves around brainstorming techniques in the drawing medium, and the student’s sketches will serve as a plan or map for the following lessons. The second lesson is based in a mixed media/ collage format. In this lesson students will explore unique objects and materials particular to them, while using these mediums to construct a personal narrative. The third and final lesson students will gather their ideas/ findings from both previous lessons to create a three-dimensional character of themselves using symbolism and mixed media (found objects). After completing their sculpture, in an exhibition, students will display their three-dimensional character with their mixed media narrative to create a complete scene.
LESSON DESCRIPTIONS
Lesson 1 – “Gettin’ Sketchy”
Brainstorming, sketching, planning, symbolism, and elements of art are all key concepts/terms that we will be introducing in this first lesson. Students will experiment and explore with the processes of sketching and planning an artwork. They will further explore the term symbolism by investigating symbolic imagery that represents them. The symbolic imagery will then (hopefully) be incorporated into their next projects, “Mix it up” and “Building Me.” This will be an exploration for students that involve using various art materials that they will potentially incorporate in their future projects throughout the unit of Unique “Self Portraits.” Students will be exposed to the process of planning an artwork (Lesson 2/3) by referencing photographs from different referential resources (such as magazines, the internet, life around them, etc), finding symbolic imagery, and translating what they have found into drawings. Towards the end of the lesson students will have collected a variety of drawings that will then formulate portions of “their stories” (personal narrative).
Lesson 2- “Mix it Up”
Mixed media, personal narratives, self portraits, characters, symbolism, multi-media, and collage are all key concepts/terms that we will be working with further or introducing in this second lesson. Students will explore the relationship between materials and meaning. This exploration will be in the format of mixed media artwork, using a variety of materials to symbolize and express their “stories”. Using their preliminary sketches/drawings from the first lesson, students will have a foundation to further explore in creating a personal narrative. Using symbolic imagery, they will experiment further into the art practice of Mixed Media. The idea for this second part is to create a mixed media artwork that will tell a “story” that identifies themselves and their characteristics. Photographs of students will be taken and printed prior to starting assignment, in which students will pose in a gesture that they think best represents them. They will then cut out their photograph and include it somewhere within their mixed media narrative. Rather than solely creating a collage from cut out magazine images, students will explore mixed media in the sense that it incorporates a variety of imagery. For example, students will think about including natural objects, man-made objects, drawings, and the use of multiple art mediums (painting, drawings, fibers, photography, etc).
Lesson 3 – “Building Me”
Sculpture, mixed media, found art, self-characters, creating characters, three-dimensional form, personal narrative are all key concepts/terms that we will be using or introducing in this third (and final) lesson. Students will create a three-dimensional character of themselves expanding on the concepts of mixed media, personal narrative, and symbolism as introduced in the preliminary lessons. This stage will incorporate their findings and creativity that was developed in their first two lessons by creating a 3D “character” using found objects that are symbolic and pertinent to their “stories.” Students will be challenged to plan the assembly of their three-dimensional object as well as the design. Some things students will consider are: “how would they like their characters to be presented with the Mixed Media artwork as a backdrop environment for their character?”, the size and form of their character, and if they want to include protruding aspects of their character or environment.
Relevance of the Topic to Content Standards and Within Curricular Sequence:
In the entire unit, objectives are aligned with the four Colorado State Standards: Comprehend, Reflect, Create, and Transfer. In some way the student works in regards to these four standards. More specifically, each standard embodies an overall path to learning and understanding. Comprehend allows students to use the visual arts to express, communicate, and make meaning. Reflect allows students to articulate and implement critical thinking in the visual arts by synthesizing, evaluating, and analyzing visual information. Create allows students to generate works of arts that employ unique ideas, feelings, and values using different media, technologies, styles, and forms of expression. Transfer allows students to recognize, articulate, and validate the value of the visual arts to lifelong learning and the human experience. In all, the standards are specifically aligned with Prepared Graduate Competencies (concepts and skills that all students who complete the Colorado education system must master to ensure their success) and Grade Level Expectations, GLEs (The articulation (at each grade level), concepts, and skills of a standard that indicate a student is making progress toward being ready for high school).
Below is a chart that aligns the standards with PGCs and GLEs and how, in total, they are relevant and related to the topic of the unit (self portraiture artwork):
Standards
Prepared Graduate CompetenciesGrade Level Expectations
(Combined between 4th and 5thgrade)
Relevance to the Topic
Comprehend· Analyze, interpret and make meaning of art and design critically using oral and written discourse
· Explain, demonstrate, and interpret a range of purposes of art and design, recognizing that the making and study of art and design can be approached from a variety of viewpoints, intelligences, and perspectives
1. Artists and viewers learn about works of art and the artists’ intent by analyzing sensory qualities, as well as comparing and contrasting characteristics and expressive features of art and design.
At the beginning of each workday, we discuss the main concepts and terms that we want to emphasize in each project/lesson. We analyze the works of other artists that concentrate in whichever technique we are exploring (mixed media, sculpture), and Taylor and I pose questions to the students to observe and discuss that revolve around analyzing the sensory qualities and acknowledge characteristics and expressive features of art. For example, in lesson 2, we had shown images of mixed media artworks with underlying “themes,” students then acknowledged how different expressive features and characteristics (pattern, color, form, line, repetition, etc.) had helped make up the concept of “theme.”
Reflect· Identify, compare, and interpret works of art derived from historical and cultural settings, time periods, and cultural contexts
· Identify, compare and justify that the visual arts are a way to acknowledge, exhibit and learn about the diversity of peoples, cultures, and ideas
2. Methods of planning, processes, and philosophies of art and design support the development of an artists’ intended meaning and inform viewers’ interpretations.
In the third lesson, we posed a role-playing activity of being a mad scientist to the students and gave them a worksheet to record their ideation. The worksheet consisted of three parts (1. List the characteristics of yourself that you used through symbols in project 2, 2. Convert these symbols into objects, 3. Using the symbolic objects construct a creature.) The imagery on the worksheet allowed for students to understand the idea of mixing project 2 qualities with “potential” project 3 qualities to construct and create a creature like a “mad scientist potion.”
Create· Recognize, interpret, and validate that the creative process builds on the development of ideas through a process of inquiry, discovery, and research
· Develop and build appropriate mastery in art-making skills, using traditional and new technologies and an understanding of the characteristics and expressive features of art and design
· Create works of art that articulate more sophisticated ideas, feelings, emotions, and points of view about art and design through an expanded use of media and technologies
2. Apply an understanding of traditional, unique, and inventive art processes, including technological media, and apply creative thinking to plan and create art.
Before students were fully emerged into art-making for their mixed media works, we had set up the room into stations and had an “exploration” day. The stations consisted of drawing, painting, and mixed media, where materials and tools of each medium were accessible to students at each station. They were required to explore materials and create new explorations by combining materials. This then allowed students to apply their understanding of these materials after having explored with them to their mixed media artworks.
Transfer· Recognize, compare, and affirm that the making and study of art and design can be approached from a variety of viewpoints, intelligences, and perspectives
· Recognize, demonstrate, and debate philosophic arguments about the nature of art and beauty (aesthetics)
· Recognize, demonstrate, and debate the place of art and design in history and culture
1. Artists, viewers, patrons make personal meaning, infer artistic intent, and assign meaning to works of art.
The entire unit allows students as artists to make personal meaning and infer artistic intent in their work through creating symbolic imagery and applying narratives to their work. The first lesson allowed for students to brainstorm and research ways they could translate their characteristics into symbolic imagery. After expanding their ideas in each project, students were able to intently create their own meaning behind their imagery, composition, symbols, and more.
Significance to Topic:
Globally: In the unit, “Unique Self Portraits,” students were able to access their inner personalities and characteristics and translate them through symbolic art imagery and forms. The focusing lens of communication and expression allowed for students to understand the importance of expressing/communicating themselves and their traits/characteristics through different forms of visual art. It is important for students to understand how art can be understood through communicative and expressive aspects, specifically through creating symbolic imagery. The students were able to learn and master traditional and new art technologies, as well as expand their artistic vocabulary through learning important art concepts in depth.
Personally: When my teaching partner and I were creating this unit, we were interested in the students understanding how an artist can evoke a sense of themselves and/or communicate an personal meaning in visual imagery. We wanted students to have the idea of self portraiture as a foundation for their work, knowing self portraits are artworks that express the artist’s self. However, we were interested in students exploring the idea of self portraits through symbolism and meaning, rather than simple references of the artist’s physical features.
For this Population: Students, at ages of 4th and 5th graders, are at point in their lives where they are starting to develop very unique personalities and are very interested in their identities, how they want to present themselves to the world. After having the chance to get to know each individual student, it is easy to identify their personalities and interests; they are all very different. This unit was a great way for students to acknowledge themselves and their identities and translate these identities and interests through visual art. The artwork radiates each students’ persona and personality.
Unit Description:
“Unique Self Portraits”
In this unit, students explore various means of self-discovery through multiple mediums of art. The first lesson revolves around brainstorming techniques in the drawing medium, and the student’s sketches will serve as a plan or map for the following lessons. The second lesson is based in a mixed media/ collage format. In this lesson students will explore unique objects and materials particular to them, while using these mediums to construct a personal narrative. The third and final lesson students will gather their ideas/ findings from both previous lessons to create a three-dimensional character of themselves using symbolism and mixed media (found objects). After completing their sculpture, in an exhibition, students will display their three-dimensional character with their mixed media narrative to create a complete scene.
LESSON DESCRIPTIONS
Lesson 1 – “Gettin’ Sketchy”
Brainstorming, sketching, planning, symbolism, and elements of art are all key concepts/terms that we will be introducing in this first lesson. Students will experiment and explore with the processes of sketching and planning an artwork. They will further explore the term symbolism by investigating symbolic imagery that represents them. The symbolic imagery will then (hopefully) be incorporated into their next projects, “Mix it up” and “Building Me.” This will be an exploration for students that involve using various art materials that they will potentially incorporate in their future projects throughout the unit of Unique “Self Portraits.” Students will be exposed to the process of planning an artwork (Lesson 2/3) by referencing photographs from different referential resources (such as magazines, the internet, life around them, etc), finding symbolic imagery, and translating what they have found into drawings. Towards the end of the lesson students will have collected a variety of drawings that will then formulate portions of “their stories” (personal narrative).
Lesson 2- “Mix it Up”
Mixed media, personal narratives, self portraits, characters, symbolism, multi-media, and collage are all key concepts/terms that we will be working with further or introducing in this second lesson. Students will explore the relationship between materials and meaning. This exploration will be in the format of mixed media artwork, using a variety of materials to symbolize and express their “stories”. Using their preliminary sketches/drawings from the first lesson, students will have a foundation to further explore in creating a personal narrative. Using symbolic imagery, they will experiment further into the art practice of Mixed Media. The idea for this second part is to create a mixed media artwork that will tell a “story” that identifies themselves and their characteristics. Photographs of students will be taken and printed prior to starting assignment, in which students will pose in a gesture that they think best represents them. They will then cut out their photograph and include it somewhere within their mixed media narrative. Rather than solely creating a collage from cut out magazine images, students will explore mixed media in the sense that it incorporates a variety of imagery. For example, students will think about including natural objects, man-made objects, drawings, and the use of multiple art mediums (painting, drawings, fibers, photography, etc).
Lesson 3 – “Building Me”
Sculpture, mixed media, found art, self-characters, creating characters, three-dimensional form, personal narrative are all key concepts/terms that we will be using or introducing in this third (and final) lesson. Students will create a three-dimensional character of themselves expanding on the concepts of mixed media, personal narrative, and symbolism as introduced in the preliminary lessons. This stage will incorporate their findings and creativity that was developed in their first two lessons by creating a 3D “character” using found objects that are symbolic and pertinent to their “stories.” Students will be challenged to plan the assembly of their three-dimensional object as well as the design. Some things students will consider are: “how would they like their characters to be presented with the Mixed Media artwork as a backdrop environment for their character?”, the size and form of their character, and if they want to include protruding aspects of their character or environment.
Relevance of the Topic to Content Standards and Within Curricular Sequence:
In the entire unit, objectives are aligned with the four Colorado State Standards: Comprehend, Reflect, Create, and Transfer. In some way the student works in regards to these four standards. More specifically, each standard embodies an overall path to learning and understanding. Comprehend allows students to use the visual arts to express, communicate, and make meaning. Reflect allows students to articulate and implement critical thinking in the visual arts by synthesizing, evaluating, and analyzing visual information. Create allows students to generate works of arts that employ unique ideas, feelings, and values using different media, technologies, styles, and forms of expression. Transfer allows students to recognize, articulate, and validate the value of the visual arts to lifelong learning and the human experience. In all, the standards are specifically aligned with Prepared Graduate Competencies (concepts and skills that all students who complete the Colorado education system must master to ensure their success) and Grade Level Expectations, GLEs (The articulation (at each grade level), concepts, and skills of a standard that indicate a student is making progress toward being ready for high school).
Below is a chart that aligns the standards with PGCs and GLEs and how, in total, they are relevant and related to the topic of the unit (self portraiture artwork):
Standards
Prepared Graduate CompetenciesGrade Level Expectations
(Combined between 4th and 5thgrade)
Relevance to the Topic
Comprehend· Analyze, interpret and make meaning of art and design critically using oral and written discourse
· Explain, demonstrate, and interpret a range of purposes of art and design, recognizing that the making and study of art and design can be approached from a variety of viewpoints, intelligences, and perspectives
1. Artists and viewers learn about works of art and the artists’ intent by analyzing sensory qualities, as well as comparing and contrasting characteristics and expressive features of art and design.
At the beginning of each workday, we discuss the main concepts and terms that we want to emphasize in each project/lesson. We analyze the works of other artists that concentrate in whichever technique we are exploring (mixed media, sculpture), and Taylor and I pose questions to the students to observe and discuss that revolve around analyzing the sensory qualities and acknowledge characteristics and expressive features of art. For example, in lesson 2, we had shown images of mixed media artworks with underlying “themes,” students then acknowledged how different expressive features and characteristics (pattern, color, form, line, repetition, etc.) had helped make up the concept of “theme.”
Reflect· Identify, compare, and interpret works of art derived from historical and cultural settings, time periods, and cultural contexts
· Identify, compare and justify that the visual arts are a way to acknowledge, exhibit and learn about the diversity of peoples, cultures, and ideas
2. Methods of planning, processes, and philosophies of art and design support the development of an artists’ intended meaning and inform viewers’ interpretations.
In the third lesson, we posed a role-playing activity of being a mad scientist to the students and gave them a worksheet to record their ideation. The worksheet consisted of three parts (1. List the characteristics of yourself that you used through symbols in project 2, 2. Convert these symbols into objects, 3. Using the symbolic objects construct a creature.) The imagery on the worksheet allowed for students to understand the idea of mixing project 2 qualities with “potential” project 3 qualities to construct and create a creature like a “mad scientist potion.”
Create· Recognize, interpret, and validate that the creative process builds on the development of ideas through a process of inquiry, discovery, and research
· Develop and build appropriate mastery in art-making skills, using traditional and new technologies and an understanding of the characteristics and expressive features of art and design
· Create works of art that articulate more sophisticated ideas, feelings, emotions, and points of view about art and design through an expanded use of media and technologies
2. Apply an understanding of traditional, unique, and inventive art processes, including technological media, and apply creative thinking to plan and create art.
Before students were fully emerged into art-making for their mixed media works, we had set up the room into stations and had an “exploration” day. The stations consisted of drawing, painting, and mixed media, where materials and tools of each medium were accessible to students at each station. They were required to explore materials and create new explorations by combining materials. This then allowed students to apply their understanding of these materials after having explored with them to their mixed media artworks.
Transfer· Recognize, compare, and affirm that the making and study of art and design can be approached from a variety of viewpoints, intelligences, and perspectives
· Recognize, demonstrate, and debate philosophic arguments about the nature of art and beauty (aesthetics)
· Recognize, demonstrate, and debate the place of art and design in history and culture
1. Artists, viewers, patrons make personal meaning, infer artistic intent, and assign meaning to works of art.
The entire unit allows students as artists to make personal meaning and infer artistic intent in their work through creating symbolic imagery and applying narratives to their work. The first lesson allowed for students to brainstorm and research ways they could translate their characteristics into symbolic imagery. After expanding their ideas in each project, students were able to intently create their own meaning behind their imagery, composition, symbols, and more.
Significance to Topic:
Globally: In the unit, “Unique Self Portraits,” students were able to access their inner personalities and characteristics and translate them through symbolic art imagery and forms. The focusing lens of communication and expression allowed for students to understand the importance of expressing/communicating themselves and their traits/characteristics through different forms of visual art. It is important for students to understand how art can be understood through communicative and expressive aspects, specifically through creating symbolic imagery. The students were able to learn and master traditional and new art technologies, as well as expand their artistic vocabulary through learning important art concepts in depth.
Personally: When my teaching partner and I were creating this unit, we were interested in the students understanding how an artist can evoke a sense of themselves and/or communicate an personal meaning in visual imagery. We wanted students to have the idea of self portraiture as a foundation for their work, knowing self portraits are artworks that express the artist’s self. However, we were interested in students exploring the idea of self portraits through symbolism and meaning, rather than simple references of the artist’s physical features.
For this Population: Students, at ages of 4th and 5th graders, are at point in their lives where they are starting to develop very unique personalities and are very interested in their identities, how they want to present themselves to the world. After having the chance to get to know each individual student, it is easy to identify their personalities and interests; they are all very different. This unit was a great way for students to acknowledge themselves and their identities and translate these identities and interests through visual art. The artwork radiates each students’ persona and personality.