My Art, My Spot
Lesson Overview
This lesson is a series of three learning activities to comprise a study about how art is used to communicate ideas. Students will view art works by different artists to compare and analyze them for visual evidence of meanings. It is hoped that through this practice of analysis the student will understand how artists communicate messages through metaphor, and symbolic elements to make a personal statement in their own work of art.
Big Ideas
Art has meaning.
Essential Questions
What is a metaphor?
How do artists use metaphor and symbolism to create meaning in art work?
What does this art mean?
What is the visual evidence in this art work telling me?
How can I describe what I see and feel?
Evidence of Understanding
Students will participate in discussions. They will compare, analyze, evaluate, describe and interpret art work of at least two different artists; and document their understandings on a two-column organizer. They will create a personal work of art using metaphor to inspire the theme of special places. Students will also write an artist's statement describing the meaning of their art piece.
Instructional Learning Experience Number One
To prepare a personal art work with the theme, "Mapping my Spot" students will watch a short film by artist Jerry Gretzinger, to build understanding about the artistic process. Students should take note of his choices to break out of representational realism.
click on link below for Gretzinger video
Formative Assessment: Listen to students during class discussion and direct their thinking to the processes of creating art. What did they learn about process from watching the Gretzinger video?
Instructional Learning Experience Number Two
Students will work in pairs or small groups to do research to investigate art works based on maps and places by contemporary artists on a list. They will choose two artists as a focus for analysis and record notes on, on a two-column log. One column will be used to describe what they see at face value, the second column to describe an interpretation of what they see. They will use the information logged to write a three paragraph essay answering the questions, "What does it mean? What is the visual evidence telling me? How can I describe what I see and feel?"
Scroll down to see slide show of selected artists' work.
Formative Assessment: Check students' understanding by walking around and listening to small group discussions. Help students as needed with ideas about metaphor and two-column descriptions. A sample log may be drafted and discussed.
Summative Assessment: Students will select two artists and their work to evaluate and respond to in writing. It is expected that a three-paragraph essay will be written to compare features about the artists and their artworks. Students will use details from their two-column logs to justify their thinking.
Instructional Learning Experience Number Three
Students will create a work of art using metaphor and symbolism inspired by memories, familiar places, place names, family history, and geographic maps. Students may use digital images, maps, photos, or sketches of places to draw on for inspiration. This art production experience may creatively layer and juxtapose imagery in a montage effect, using mapping as a structure and theme.
Formative Assessment: Make sure students are employing imagination to express their ideas. Challenge students to think up word associations related to familiar places, and visualization of familiar places from memories, history, or even wishful thinking.
Summative Assessment: Students will write an artist's statement describing the meaning of their art piece. They must be sure to answer the questions, "What does it mean to me? What is the visual evidentce telling me? How can I describe what I see?"
Materials for this lesson:
Canvas board or canvas for building up layered media
Variety of media: paint, crayons, pastels, tissue paper, wire, pipe cleaners, etc
Glue
Scissors
Photographs, maps, words, sketches
Samples of artists work and/or websites
click here for resource to link on metaphor
click here for link to Jerry Gretzinger vimeo
click here for link to Australian artist, Margaret Napangardi Lewis
click here for link to Finnish artist, Satu Nikku
click here for link to Israeli artist, Nurit Gur-Lavy Karni
click here for link to Canadian artist, Landon MacKenzie
Two-column graphic organizer
Art has meaning.
Essential Questions
What is a metaphor?
How do artists use metaphor and symbolism to create meaning in art work?
What does this art mean?
What is the visual evidence in this art work telling me?
How can I describe what I see and feel?
Evidence of Understanding
Students will participate in discussions. They will compare, analyze, evaluate, describe and interpret art work of at least two different artists; and document their understandings on a two-column organizer. They will create a personal work of art using metaphor to inspire the theme of special places. Students will also write an artist's statement describing the meaning of their art piece.
Instructional Learning Experience Number One
To prepare a personal art work with the theme, "Mapping my Spot" students will watch a short film by artist Jerry Gretzinger, to build understanding about the artistic process. Students should take note of his choices to break out of representational realism.
click on link below for Gretzinger video
Formative Assessment: Listen to students during class discussion and direct their thinking to the processes of creating art. What did they learn about process from watching the Gretzinger video?
Instructional Learning Experience Number Two
Students will work in pairs or small groups to do research to investigate art works based on maps and places by contemporary artists on a list. They will choose two artists as a focus for analysis and record notes on, on a two-column log. One column will be used to describe what they see at face value, the second column to describe an interpretation of what they see. They will use the information logged to write a three paragraph essay answering the questions, "What does it mean? What is the visual evidence telling me? How can I describe what I see and feel?"
Scroll down to see slide show of selected artists' work.
Formative Assessment: Check students' understanding by walking around and listening to small group discussions. Help students as needed with ideas about metaphor and two-column descriptions. A sample log may be drafted and discussed.
Summative Assessment: Students will select two artists and their work to evaluate and respond to in writing. It is expected that a three-paragraph essay will be written to compare features about the artists and their artworks. Students will use details from their two-column logs to justify their thinking.
Instructional Learning Experience Number Three
Students will create a work of art using metaphor and symbolism inspired by memories, familiar places, place names, family history, and geographic maps. Students may use digital images, maps, photos, or sketches of places to draw on for inspiration. This art production experience may creatively layer and juxtapose imagery in a montage effect, using mapping as a structure and theme.
Formative Assessment: Make sure students are employing imagination to express their ideas. Challenge students to think up word associations related to familiar places, and visualization of familiar places from memories, history, or even wishful thinking.
Summative Assessment: Students will write an artist's statement describing the meaning of their art piece. They must be sure to answer the questions, "What does it mean to me? What is the visual evidentce telling me? How can I describe what I see?"
Materials for this lesson:
Canvas board or canvas for building up layered media
Variety of media: paint, crayons, pastels, tissue paper, wire, pipe cleaners, etc
Glue
Scissors
Photographs, maps, words, sketches
Samples of artists work and/or websites
click here for resource to link on metaphor
click here for link to Jerry Gretzinger vimeo
click here for link to Australian artist, Margaret Napangardi Lewis
click here for link to Finnish artist, Satu Nikku
click here for link to Israeli artist, Nurit Gur-Lavy Karni
click here for link to Canadian artist, Landon MacKenzie
Two-column graphic organizer
blank2column.pdf | |
File Size: | 25 kb |
File Type: |
Jerry's Map from Jerry Gretzinger on Vimeo.