Age Appropriate Lessons

Age appropriate lessons are important to have especially in the art education classroom. If students are given a lesson with techniques they cannot yet do or do not understand, they will most likely become frustrated or give up when they can't get it. Instructors should want students to succeed in what they are doing and can ensure this by teaching lessons that are age appropriate. 

         The following lesson is a 4th grade lesson. This particular lesson is age appropriate for a couple of reasons. First, 4th grade students are older and usually will find a lesson about a certain artist more interesting and understandable than say a 1st grade class. As for symbols and using pastels, these are also techniques that 4th grade students can handle as they are getting to the point of being able to interpret symbols in other classes like history classes. The lesson will also span two to three days and 4th grade students are able to succeed in this kind of lesson plan as they can handle lessons that are longer and more time intense. This lesson would not be suitable for any grades younger than 4th grade simply because it is a bit more complex as are the techniques used with the pastels and glue.

Getting personal with Marc Chagall

Grade: 4^th

Description: Students will create a Chagall like picture with personal meaning in two classes
Materials Needed:
-scrap paper, at least 8.5" x 11"
-12" x 18" black construction paper
-pencils
-glue
-oil pastels (Cray-Pas are great)
-toothpicks/skewers for -scratching
-tissues for blending
Objectives:
-Students will understand the meanings of surrealism, symbolic and Marc Chagall. ©
-Students will create a piece of art from personal subject matter that has unity. (P)
- Students will practice oil pastel techniques. (P)
-Students will understand how to look at art, what to look for and how to talk about it. Will critique their own pieces. (A)
Standards Addressed:
-Implied Texture: Create visual texture
-Art Criticism: Use artist’s images to look at art, what to look for, how to talk about it.
-Examine how visual artists create the illusion of textures in their art.
-Unity: Elements in work look like they belong together.
-Further develop observational skills by adding structural lines and line designs to show self-expression in the interior features of objects.
Teacher Resources:
-Works by Marc Chagall
Pedagogy:
1. Display works by Chagall ("I And The Village", "Birthday", "Time Is A River without Banks") and lead the class in a discussion. Ask the students to describe what they see, which elements are realistic, and which could only happen in a dream. Have students find similarities between artworks.
2. Ask students to interpret what they see, noting that Chagall preferred not to explain his works in depth, so that many of them are mysterious.
3. Tell students that they will be illustrating a story from their life. Ask them to choose an event that has already happened to them or that they would like to happen in the future. Brainstorm possibilities, such as:
-moving to or from a town
-future careers
-favorite activities
-death of a loved one
-divorce
-baby stories (this always gets a huge response)
Remind students that the subject matter can be happy or sad, but it needs to be personal. Some will find this difficult, so be very careful with comments and critiques.
4. Ask students to sketch their idea onto the scrap paper. Refer to Chagall's works-he painted objects floating around, upside down, etc. Not a strictly realistic drawing, but should have a focal point, preferably in the middle of the page. If not in center, need to use other visual devices to lead our eyes to the most important part.
5. It’s a symbolic picture, and it doesn't necessarily have to make perfect sense to the viewer as long as it tells the story.
6. When students have an acceptable sketch, copy their idea onto the black paper, noting that their pencil lines will not show up quite as well, nor erase well, so they should work carefully.
7. Next, students trace their pencil lines with glue. The glue should dry clear, allowing the black paper to show through, giving the picture a stained-glass effect. There are some tricks to this, and I have found that the Crayola glue in the no-clog bottles (the ones with the strange lid) dries especially clear. You may also want to try black colored glue. When tracing small or detailed objects, have students trace only the outermost contours.
8. When the glue dry, have students begin coloring with oil pastels. Oil pastels look best when colored heavily, although coloring lightly and rubbing with a tissue can create a lovely background. Encourage them to blend colors, even in strange combinations, as it can have a really neat effect. The focal point should generally receive the brightest, richest coloring effects, but definitely not always.
9. Some other techniques to try are patterning (lay down a background color, then draw lines or dots on top; my students' favorite is a dense loop-de-loop), smearing, and scratching (lay down a heavy color/colors, then use a toothpick to scratch lines or details).

 Assessment:

Formative: As students work, discuss what the personal subject matter is, and what symbols are being used to  represent. Discuss with students one on one as they work, how they are using pastels to create textures.

Summative: Rubric with 1-5 scale based on 4 areas.

                        -Did student use symbols to communicate meaning of personal subject matter?

                        -Did student experiment with surrealistic style?

                        -Is there clear focal point?

                        - Did students use at least one texture within piece?

 Adaptations/Integrations/Accommodations:

-Can integrate with language arts by having students write poem or haiku about their picture.

Arts and Crafts.

          In Elementary schools often children do crafts within classrooms such as making a popsicle stick pencil holder or certain Christmas ornaments. During the week however, they also attend art class where they create art. Arts and crafts, while many people use the words interchangeably are quite different for a couple of reasons and often should not be interchanged.

          So what are these differences? And is there a more important one within the elementary art curriculum? Well to start off one must understand the difference between the two. “A craft is usually a cookie-cutter or close-ended activity…based on a formula or recipe and all participants follow the same directions and end up with roughly the same result every time” ( Rayme). Crafts then are more like projects that everyone can do by following steps or a recipe and there is often not much variation to the end result no matter who is doing it. A craft for instance that is common in elementary schools is to make a certain ornament around Christmas time. The teacher or room helper will pass out the same materials to each child and then guide the children step by step in what to do, this results in the children all ending up with say a popsicle stick snowman ornament for their tree. Something that is considered a craft however, does not mean that it is any better than a piece of art or vice versa. “With a craft, the individual is de-emphasized, and the focus is the quality of the product…Craft emphasizes the incremental and long-term” (Hadkins). “Often, if the skill is being used in a common…way, people will consider it a craft…on the other hand, crafts and design are sometimes considered applied art.” (ART).

          When it comes to art, the definition is quite different, “An art activity is more open-ended, meaning the end product is not always going to be the same” (Rayme). “Art emphasizes the role of the person and uniqueness of the object produced” (Hadkins).  For instance, in a given classroom a teacher could instruct students on how to use pastels, a technique, give them the same materials, paper, etc., and ask them to draw a picture that represents them. The results, while similar due to the medium, will surely be extremely different and original based on each child’s perspective. “Art creates an expression or original statement in a meaningful and enduring way” (Rayme). 

          While the two are different ways to create, is there one that is more important? I believe that there is only a slight difference. Crafts are a great way to get a child’s mind to understand certain techniques that they will need to know all their life, for instance cutting and pasting which is common in crafts. I think that crafts should be implemented at least once in a while in the classroom because they give the children opportunities to produce a great piece and again just have some simple fun in the creation process. However, creating art is slightly more important because art projects will provide the child with numerous opportunities and items they will use throughout life. While creating art projects, children learn to think critically, use their imagination, understand how to express themselves, etc. Children will more likely understand and implement these and other concepts throughout the rest of their life if they get to learn them in a fun environment such as an art project where they got to create something special, unique and different.

"ART." Wikipedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2010. 

     <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art#Classification_disputes>.

 Hadkins, Evan. "My Father's Work." Compelling Resource. N.p., 23 Feb. 2010. Web. 22

     Oct. 2010. <http://counsellingresource.com/features/2010/02/23/art-and-craft/>.

Rayme, Mary. "Art vs. Craft." Suite101.com. N.p., 13 Oct. 2010. www.google.com. Web. 22 Oct. 2010.

     <http://www.suite101.com/content/art-vs-craft-a296484>.

Motivation

     Motivation for everyone is different especially depending on what the class, task or item is. Motivation for me comes in many different forms depending on what I am doing. For instance, in college and with classes and school, my main motivation comes from my own personal want to learn. I believe that knowledge is one of the most important things we can acquire and if I had all the time and money in the world I would take countless classes. Wanting to learn and know more about various subjects is definitely a huge motivator. Another large part of my motivation comes from wanting to be a good teacher and help others in the world. The reason I am becoming a teacher is because I want to teach children. I think too often children are not given the attention and respect they deserve and I am so motivated by my want to teach them and give them what they deserve. Wanting my parents, family and friends to be proud of me is another thing that motivates me as a learner, which is what motivates many learners. When times get tough whether it's having trouble with a concept or simply being tired of school, what keeps me going is knowing that I want to make my parents proud. I want to graduate and be able to have them be proud of their daughter who graduated college. There are often other reasons I stay motivated as a learner but these are surely the top reasons which I am sure are the same for many.

    As for my future students, I am certain they will be motivated by similar reasons, however at the Elementary age level the reasons can often be different. For instance, many students in elementary grades are motivated by their need for approval and to be praised. Any child in school will automatically get a pleased look on their face when a teacher or parent says they have done a good job or they are proud of them. There again, no matter how young the child, they want their parents to be happy and proud of them. Sometimes another aspect that can motivate learners at those ages is wanting to keep up and be accepted by their classmates. Students, especially in today's society, want more than anything to fit in and be accepted. If s an instructor it will be my job to make sure that students stay motivated but try to gear them in the right direction for being motivated. An example of this being that I want my students to be motivated to learn because they love learning. If students start to enjoy learning at a young age they will be more likely to carry that on throughout their life.

It's about what you taste

Taste is different for everyone. Making an abstract watercolor based on what we tasted in different foods was a wonderful activity that really allowed some expression as well as getting to learn about different watercolor techniques. Who knew that putting salt on watercolors could have such an effect! Trying to draw what I tasted versus what the food looked like was a challenge but I think I managed. My favorites were probably the bottom row, I think those came out better than the above ones.

Visual Culture

Visual culture is all around us and changes every day. Thinking of my current visual culture, things I see every day I came up with a couple of ideas I wanted to incorporate. Chapstick because I use it every day as well as Gmail because I check my email more than once every day. These two things are a huge part of who I am currently and my visual culture. The other object I chose to use was a chocolate chip cookie because cookies are my favorite treat and have been a large part of what I see for years. The interesting part of making this print came from having to get texture on the print. I tried cross-hatching to give the cookie more shape. Overall, I probably would have changed it to only use one or two objects but I think it represents my visual culture well.

Teaching children to write Artist Statements

      While the majority of focus in art classrooms is just having children learn concepts and how to create certain types of art, it is equally important that they learn to develop artist statements to accompany their work. When teaching children of various ages to write artist statements for their work, the instructor should first begin by teaching them why artist statements are important to develop. “ An Artist’s Statement provides valuable insight for artists into their own work and process…it can help make their ideas more cohesive, give greater self-confidence…fulfills a vital role as an evaluation and monitoring exercise for the artist to assess their own work”(Jeffs). If children understand why artist statements are helpful, they will be more willing to put real work into writing them. Artist statements also help the artist communicate the language of their art to those viewing it (Bamberger). The next aspect of writing an artist’s statement that should be taught is that, “There is no one right answer on how to write an Artist Statement” (Jeffs). Students should know that they cannot write a wrong artist’s statement as it is a personal piece of writing (Gordon).

      Before students begin to write their artist statements, there are a few guidelines that if given, will help them to create a more professional piece that can better convey what they are trying to do. Firstly and one of the most important things to remember is to,

      “Write your statement in language that anyone can understand…not that you or your friends understand. An effective statement reaches out and welcomes people to your art, no matter how little or how much they know about art to begin with; it never excludes” (Bamberger). The artist must always remember to write their statement in the first person, using “I” voice. It also helps to use the present tense. Another guideline is that it is better if the artist statement is brief no more than a page in length (Jeffs). Once beginning to write the statement, remind students to, “Keep your sentences authentic and direct” (Gordon).

      Then it’s time to instruct the students on actually writing their statement. If they don’t really know what to write, the following questions and statements can help them out. Have them write on, “Why you make your art, how you make it, what it’s made out of, and what it means to you” (Bamberger). Bamberger also states that it should “hook…like a really good story is about to be told” as well as, “connect what your art expresses with the medium you’re expressing it in. For example if your art is about world piece, and consists of twigs protruding from pieces of clay, explain the connection”. Finally, there are various options for younger children when constructing artist statements. Teachers can simply have them fill out a short worksheet with questions and use that as an artist’s statement until they can develop them on their own.

Questions that work wonderfully for worksheets and other methods of writing statements for younger students follow:

-What is your favorite tool? Why

-What is your favorite material? Why?

-What do you like best about what you do?

-What do you mean when you say that a piece has turned out really well?

-What patterns emerge in your work? Is there a pattern in the way you select materials? In the way you use color, texture or light?

-What do you do differently from the way you were taught? Why?

-What is your favorite color? List three qualities of the color. Consider that these qualities apply to your work.

-Write five sentences that tell the truth about your connection to your work. If you are stuck, start by filling in the blanks below.

When I work with __________ I am reminded that ___________.

I begin a piece by ______________.

I know a piece is done when __________________.

When my work is going well, I am filled with a sense of _____________.

When people see my work, I'd like them to ________________.

Bamberger, Alan. "Your Artist Statement: Explaining the Unexplainable." Art Business.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Oct. 2010.  
Gordon, Molly. "How to Write an Artist's Statement with Creativity and Integrity ." creativity portal. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Oct. 2010.
Jeffs, Cherry. "How to Write an Artist's Statement." suite101.com. N.p., 9 Mar. 2010. Web. 8 Oct. 2010. .

A Bug's Life: Starring Gus

Within class one day, we were asked to go outside and study bugs. After returning we were told to create our own bug, anything we wanted. Instead of using classic shapes or simply combing parts of real bugs, I decided to really create an ideal bug. With thoughts running through my head there was one I kept coming across, The Lion King/ lions. I really wanted my bug to have the head of a lion with a mane. So that's what I created.From there I thought about the structure and wanted something like a butterfly. While I created some semi-normal looking wings, I decided to put geometric shapes on it to give it more symmetry. Then for the body, I decided it would be really fun to create scales and if he has scales he may as well have fins on the end of his body. Throughout the process I loved what my bug ended up looking like. I believe this assignment brought out a surge of creativity in the moment giving me something I will treasure and will probably hang up in my room. So here is my bug, I named Gus. The collographs we made were a great way to bring the bugs to life. The one done with crayons helped give the bugs more personality by adding various colors together and adding to it's personality. This assignment I am certainly going to use in the future in the classroom. As for the print done with paint, it gave the bug a sophisticated look to it. I love that my bug, in the print with paint, now looks like a work of art.

Creating Bamboo

Learning to paint bamboo with the same style used in Asian cultures was a fascinating project. As we learned to hold the brush a certain way and the 3 different strokes to use, I began to realize how precious similar works I have seen before are. I didn't realize how much work goes into creating certain pieces. Perhaps I only found it difficult because I am accustomed to using the 'common' styles and holding it like a pencil, but the more I practiced, the more my appreciation grew. While my piece, that I put my chop on was not my favorite, I did end up with a piece I loved (will post later) once I got the hang of the swift light movements of the brush. However it was great to see how such simple movements can create such realistic looking plants As for the chop we made to mark our work, I loved the idea of how it's used. It took a lot of creativity to fit my name in a little square but once it was done I loved how it looked and the purpose of having it. This is the type of project I can surely see myself incorporating in my life as a teacher for I feel it teaches us valuable lessons about appreciating and the importance of learning about art in various cultures.