Heroic Self Portrait: A Graphic Novel
Enduring Understanding:
Students will see that the characteristics they consider to be heroic can also be applied to themselves. Students will use a plot line to visualize themselves overcoming their obstacles by giving themselves super hero powers and create theri heroic graphic novels using colored pencils as well as pen and ink. Students will look at the work of pop artist Roy Lichtenstein and defend why they think his comic book pop art should or shouldn't be considered fine art.
PGC’s: Identify, compare and justify that the visual arts are a way to acknowledge, exhibit and learn about the diversity of peoples, cultures, and ideas.
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.
Recognize, interpret, and validate that the creative process builds on the development of ideas through a process of inquiry, discovery, and research
Transfer the value of visual arts to lifelong learning and the human experience.
Objectives:
1. Students will be able to demonstrate proportionate facial features within their heroic graphic novels.
(Applying; Create: Demonstrate technical proficiency and craftsmanship when planning.)
2. Students will be able to develop their heroic story with the aid of a plot line. LITERACY
(Creating; Reflect: Visual literacy skills help to establish personal meaning and artistic intent in works of art.)
3.Students will be able to demonstrate the use of stippling within their graphic novels.
(Applying; Create: Demonstrate technical proficiency and craftsmanship when planning.)
4. Students will be able to distinguish the five parts of a story line within the work of their peers graphic novels. LITERACY
(Analyzing; Comprehend: Art criticism strategies are used to analyze, interpret, and make informed judgments about works of art.)
Pre-assessment:
1.The first part of the pre-assessment will be a student demonstration. Have a large blank head drawn on the board. Have students come up to show where they believe parts of the face belong.
2. Draw a blank plot line on the board. Have them draw the same blank plot line in their DW’s and label the following parts; introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution.
3.Ask students if they are familiar with the technique known as stippling.
4.Ask students if they are familiar with the work of Roy Lichtenstien.
Accommodations and modifications:
Some students are behind on their reading and writing comprehension and may require additional time for inquiry responses. These students will have an opportunity to answer inquiry questions orally.
Have instructions and expectations written on the board so students can refer to them. Review instructions individually with students who struggle to stay on task to enhance comprehension.
Materials:
Developmental workbooks
12x 18 Paper
Scissors
Colored pencils
Resources:
1.Brown, John, and Moffett, Cerylle. The Hero’s Journey: How Educators can Transform Schools and Improve Learning.
Alexandria: ASCD Publications, 1999. Print.
2.Kleiner, Fred. Gardner’s Art Through the Ages: A Global History, Thirteenth Edition.
Boston: Thompson Wadsworth, 2009. Print.
3.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvjqA9QMOs0
Preparation:
Set up slideshow – always make sure technology is working!
Gather materials and have them ready to pass out quickly.
Safety:
The biggest potential safety issue with this assignment is the misuse of scissors during the creation of the graphic novels. Have supplies on hand but do not pass them out until they are required for that particular part of the lesson. This will decrease any risk of students playing with them during the introduction to the lesson. I have also found that students are not motivated to return/take care of materials unless it is really enforced. I find that when I remind students that proper use/clean up of their materials is part of the overall grade they are much more likely to work with them in a respectful manner.
Action to Motivation:
Show students the YouTube clip defining a hero. This will peak students curiosity because the video features students their own age talking about what a hero is to them. Students will also enjoy the intro because it is a short video.
Create a list of heroes on the board. Create a list of super powers.
“A hero is any individual (male or female) who transcends the norms of a group to embody the highest moral virtues reflected in the collected vision shared by the members of that group.” (The Hero’s Journey, pg. 12)
Grab student attention by reading them a heroic poem.
Ideation/Inquiry:
Have students fill out a plot line for their graphic novel. Have them figure out the five basic components of a plot line as it will relate to their heroic story.
What will their hero look like?
What heroic features will you possess?
What problem will you overcome?
Procedures:
Day 1
1. Introduction speech- (Lecture)
-discuss the idea of what it means for me to be a hero
- Willing to try even in the face of impossible odds
- read heroic poem to class
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure
It is our light, not or darkness, that most frightens us
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
Your playing small doesn’t serve the world.
There’s nothing wise about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you
We are all meant to shine, as children do
We were born to make manifest the hero that is within us
It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone.
As we let our own light shine, we give other people permission to do the same;
As we’re liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others.
- show hero slideshow (technology)
“The entire fruit is already present in the seed.”
2. Action to motivate – show students video clip to get them engaged and prime their minds for the new upcoming assignment.
3. Brainstorm characteristics that heroes possess (discussion)
- Ask students to name their heroes. Create a list on the board for students to refer to during the warm up activity. Ideas to consider while making this list should include; what does it mean to be a hero? Do all heroes have super powers?
4. Warm up- paper folding demo (demonstration)
The students know that warm up time is always supposed to be silent so this would be a great time to have the class work together to fold their graphic novels. Students will be better behaved if you front load what is expected of students before the demo begins .
-Students will follow along step by step. (skills)
-When they are finished with each step have them hold up their paper in the air so I can see when everyone is finished.
-Help someone next to you if they are struggling with a step.
-Don’t move on until each person is finished with each step
Demo steps
Step 1: fold sheet in half hamburger style
Step 2: take top edge and fold back to edge crease fold well
Step 3: flip paper over and fold back to center, this will create a mountain in the paper
Step 4: paper should now be long and narrow, fold in half long ways, and then re-open
Step 5: cut down the middle of the paper (cutting the mountain in half)
Step 6: after the paper is cut, fold one half to the top and one half to the bottom, fold the paper horizontally
Step 7: bring the edges together to create a book
5. Pre-assessment – elements of a plot line (concept)
- ask class by a show of hands if they are familiar with the concept of a plot line, take note of number of students who are familiar with the concept
- draw a blank plot line on the board
- next ask if anyone can define the five basic parts of a plot line
- as students answer the second question fill in the parts of a plot line on the example drawn on the board
- discuss the importance of this idea as it will be critical to their success on this assignment
6. Once students have completed folding their graphic novel have them start the ideation/inquiry part of the lesson
- Ask students to write about their personal hero in their developmental workbooks. Can they describe a time when this person was particularly heroic? What characteristics does this heroic person have? Do they share any of the same characteristics? (inquiry)
-Develop ideas about characteristics they will give themselves as a super hero
-As students finish their idea/inquiry assignments bring the class together as a whole and discuss ideas they have for their heroes. (discussion)
What are their strengths?
Where do they live and perform heroic acts?
What do they look like?
Day 2
1. Pre- assessment – Facial proportions (Concept)
Ask students if they can explain any guidelines they are familiar with concerning facial proportions. Key concepts I am looking for are;
-Eye line falls on halfway line of face
-the eye line is divided into five parts, the distant between the eyes is the length of one eye
-the nose is the width of the distance in between the eyes
- tip of nose is ½ way between eyes and bottom
-the mouth is the distance between the pupils of the eyes
-the ears start at the eyebrows and end at the bottom of the nose
As students discuss ideas draw a face on the board as well for a visual reference.
2. Warm up- Practicing Facial proportions (skills)
Have students practice what they learned from the pre-assessment. Draw a basic oval for the head and layout the facial features according to the proportions discussed in the pre-assessment.
3. Work time (skills)
-only if students have finished their inquiry assignment complete with an idea for their plot line allow them to start working on their assignment
-walk around class and address student needs on an individual basis
Day 3
1.Show students slide show on Roy Lichtenstein (Lecture)
-defining the pop art movement: using images from popular culture in fine art
-removing objects from their original context
Can something be called art simply because we place it in a new setting?
-Discuss Duchamp’s Fountain (Discussion)
Does looking at something from a new angle make it art?
Discuss the idea of appropriation.
Is it ok to use other people’s images and ideas?
Do you think Roy Lichtenstein’s work should be considered art? Why or why not? (Discussion)
2. Stippling Demo (Demonstration)
-create a value scale using stippling on the board
-explain that stippling is similar to cross hatching because both methods are a tool for building value
-remind students that I will be looking for this technique in their graphic novels.
3.Work time (Skills)
-engage students by asking them questions about their art and providing help and advice
Student reflective/inquiry activity:
Have students break into pairs. Switch projects with each other and read the other person’s graphic novel. See if they can identify the five parts of the plot line within their partner’s story.
Also ask questions such as,
Does the graphic novel demonstrate good use of proper facial proportions?
Does the graphic novel demonstrate good use of stippling?
What are the strengths of the graphic novel?
If there were a sequel to this graphic novel what would it be?
Have students answer these questions in their Developmental workbooks.
Post-assessment:
Assess student’s developmental workbook to determine if students comprehend and use plot lines in their graphic novels
See attached rubric
Self-Reflection:
The most important thing I learned from this assignment was about putting your lessons in the right order. I had students create their graphic novels as a warm up on the first day. This demo required several steps so it was good to have every one work step by step in a quiet and focused setting. What I didn’t realize was my timing was all off. The students didn’t need to create their graphic novels yet, first they needed to develop their character. It was as if I tried to tackle the entire assignment all at once.
After the lesson Judy pointed out that I was asking students to accomplish three things at once. They had to develop a character, make up a story for that character, and then begin work on the end product. It would have been better to simply spend the first day developing their characters. Giving students more time to think will ensure better results. I think students were turned off by the overload of text. There was too much to do all at once. Students didn’t really understand how to develop their stories. I asked them to focus on the story before I asked them to really have time to think about their hero. By being unsuccessful at the first step it discouraged them to try on the second. It would have been better to spend the first day just getting excited about developing their character so by the second day they would could create a story of their hero more easily.
I also needed to spend more time on the development of the plot line. I should have provided more examples about each step. This would have decreased confusion about the assignment. Students need to grasp a concept before they try it on their own. Because the plot line aspect of this project was rushed the students developed pretty basic stories. One student came up to me with his worksheet finished so I asked him to describe his idea to me. He said that in his story he would rescue a cat. I could see that all five parts of the plot line were clearly addressed, but I could also see that he was only fulfilling the assignment.
In this lesson the students were asked to make themselves the hero. By asking students to make themselves the lead role I think this actually stifled creativity. I had to turn some ideas down because they did not feature themselves as the hero. Next time I could ask them to incorporate themselves in the story somehow, not necessarily the lead role, this would allow for more ideas to be possible.
I had students do their planning on a worksheet I had printed out. I did this so they would be ready the night before so they could be handed out quickly. I thought this would be helpful because it would be fast, but what I didn’t think about was how impersonal a worksheet feels. At the end of the day I realized we spent the class period filling out a worksheet, it must have felt like English class to them. If I would have had students develop their characters their work book they would have been more creative because wold have been working in a more creative space. I could have written the key questions on the board and then had them copy those questions into their work books before they answered them. This might have taken some more time but I believe the results would have been more elaborate.
Again and again I am reminded that it is better to take things slow so students can develop their ideas. If you try to do things to fast the end result will be rushed and not well thought out.
Students will see that the characteristics they consider to be heroic can also be applied to themselves. Students will use a plot line to visualize themselves overcoming their obstacles by giving themselves super hero powers and create theri heroic graphic novels using colored pencils as well as pen and ink. Students will look at the work of pop artist Roy Lichtenstein and defend why they think his comic book pop art should or shouldn't be considered fine art.
PGC’s: Identify, compare and justify that the visual arts are a way to acknowledge, exhibit and learn about the diversity of peoples, cultures, and ideas.
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.
Recognize, interpret, and validate that the creative process builds on the development of ideas through a process of inquiry, discovery, and research
Transfer the value of visual arts to lifelong learning and the human experience.
Objectives:
1. Students will be able to demonstrate proportionate facial features within their heroic graphic novels.
(Applying; Create: Demonstrate technical proficiency and craftsmanship when planning.)
2. Students will be able to develop their heroic story with the aid of a plot line. LITERACY
(Creating; Reflect: Visual literacy skills help to establish personal meaning and artistic intent in works of art.)
3.Students will be able to demonstrate the use of stippling within their graphic novels.
(Applying; Create: Demonstrate technical proficiency and craftsmanship when planning.)
4. Students will be able to distinguish the five parts of a story line within the work of their peers graphic novels. LITERACY
(Analyzing; Comprehend: Art criticism strategies are used to analyze, interpret, and make informed judgments about works of art.)
Pre-assessment:
1.The first part of the pre-assessment will be a student demonstration. Have a large blank head drawn on the board. Have students come up to show where they believe parts of the face belong.
2. Draw a blank plot line on the board. Have them draw the same blank plot line in their DW’s and label the following parts; introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution.
3.Ask students if they are familiar with the technique known as stippling.
4.Ask students if they are familiar with the work of Roy Lichtenstien.
Accommodations and modifications:
Some students are behind on their reading and writing comprehension and may require additional time for inquiry responses. These students will have an opportunity to answer inquiry questions orally.
Have instructions and expectations written on the board so students can refer to them. Review instructions individually with students who struggle to stay on task to enhance comprehension.
Materials:
Developmental workbooks
12x 18 Paper
Scissors
Colored pencils
Resources:
1.Brown, John, and Moffett, Cerylle. The Hero’s Journey: How Educators can Transform Schools and Improve Learning.
Alexandria: ASCD Publications, 1999. Print.
2.Kleiner, Fred. Gardner’s Art Through the Ages: A Global History, Thirteenth Edition.
Boston: Thompson Wadsworth, 2009. Print.
3.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvjqA9QMOs0
Preparation:
Set up slideshow – always make sure technology is working!
Gather materials and have them ready to pass out quickly.
Safety:
The biggest potential safety issue with this assignment is the misuse of scissors during the creation of the graphic novels. Have supplies on hand but do not pass them out until they are required for that particular part of the lesson. This will decrease any risk of students playing with them during the introduction to the lesson. I have also found that students are not motivated to return/take care of materials unless it is really enforced. I find that when I remind students that proper use/clean up of their materials is part of the overall grade they are much more likely to work with them in a respectful manner.
Action to Motivation:
Show students the YouTube clip defining a hero. This will peak students curiosity because the video features students their own age talking about what a hero is to them. Students will also enjoy the intro because it is a short video.
Create a list of heroes on the board. Create a list of super powers.
“A hero is any individual (male or female) who transcends the norms of a group to embody the highest moral virtues reflected in the collected vision shared by the members of that group.” (The Hero’s Journey, pg. 12)
Grab student attention by reading them a heroic poem.
Ideation/Inquiry:
Have students fill out a plot line for their graphic novel. Have them figure out the five basic components of a plot line as it will relate to their heroic story.
What will their hero look like?
What heroic features will you possess?
What problem will you overcome?
Procedures:
Day 1
1. Introduction speech- (Lecture)
-discuss the idea of what it means for me to be a hero
- Willing to try even in the face of impossible odds
- read heroic poem to class
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure
It is our light, not or darkness, that most frightens us
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
Your playing small doesn’t serve the world.
There’s nothing wise about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you
We are all meant to shine, as children do
We were born to make manifest the hero that is within us
It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone.
As we let our own light shine, we give other people permission to do the same;
As we’re liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others.
- show hero slideshow (technology)
“The entire fruit is already present in the seed.”
2. Action to motivate – show students video clip to get them engaged and prime their minds for the new upcoming assignment.
3. Brainstorm characteristics that heroes possess (discussion)
- Ask students to name their heroes. Create a list on the board for students to refer to during the warm up activity. Ideas to consider while making this list should include; what does it mean to be a hero? Do all heroes have super powers?
4. Warm up- paper folding demo (demonstration)
The students know that warm up time is always supposed to be silent so this would be a great time to have the class work together to fold their graphic novels. Students will be better behaved if you front load what is expected of students before the demo begins .
-Students will follow along step by step. (skills)
-When they are finished with each step have them hold up their paper in the air so I can see when everyone is finished.
-Help someone next to you if they are struggling with a step.
-Don’t move on until each person is finished with each step
Demo steps
Step 1: fold sheet in half hamburger style
Step 2: take top edge and fold back to edge crease fold well
Step 3: flip paper over and fold back to center, this will create a mountain in the paper
Step 4: paper should now be long and narrow, fold in half long ways, and then re-open
Step 5: cut down the middle of the paper (cutting the mountain in half)
Step 6: after the paper is cut, fold one half to the top and one half to the bottom, fold the paper horizontally
Step 7: bring the edges together to create a book
5. Pre-assessment – elements of a plot line (concept)
- ask class by a show of hands if they are familiar with the concept of a plot line, take note of number of students who are familiar with the concept
- draw a blank plot line on the board
- next ask if anyone can define the five basic parts of a plot line
- as students answer the second question fill in the parts of a plot line on the example drawn on the board
- discuss the importance of this idea as it will be critical to their success on this assignment
6. Once students have completed folding their graphic novel have them start the ideation/inquiry part of the lesson
- Ask students to write about their personal hero in their developmental workbooks. Can they describe a time when this person was particularly heroic? What characteristics does this heroic person have? Do they share any of the same characteristics? (inquiry)
-Develop ideas about characteristics they will give themselves as a super hero
-As students finish their idea/inquiry assignments bring the class together as a whole and discuss ideas they have for their heroes. (discussion)
What are their strengths?
Where do they live and perform heroic acts?
What do they look like?
Day 2
1. Pre- assessment – Facial proportions (Concept)
Ask students if they can explain any guidelines they are familiar with concerning facial proportions. Key concepts I am looking for are;
-Eye line falls on halfway line of face
-the eye line is divided into five parts, the distant between the eyes is the length of one eye
-the nose is the width of the distance in between the eyes
- tip of nose is ½ way between eyes and bottom
-the mouth is the distance between the pupils of the eyes
-the ears start at the eyebrows and end at the bottom of the nose
As students discuss ideas draw a face on the board as well for a visual reference.
2. Warm up- Practicing Facial proportions (skills)
Have students practice what they learned from the pre-assessment. Draw a basic oval for the head and layout the facial features according to the proportions discussed in the pre-assessment.
3. Work time (skills)
-only if students have finished their inquiry assignment complete with an idea for their plot line allow them to start working on their assignment
-walk around class and address student needs on an individual basis
Day 3
1.Show students slide show on Roy Lichtenstein (Lecture)
-defining the pop art movement: using images from popular culture in fine art
-removing objects from their original context
Can something be called art simply because we place it in a new setting?
-Discuss Duchamp’s Fountain (Discussion)
Does looking at something from a new angle make it art?
Discuss the idea of appropriation.
Is it ok to use other people’s images and ideas?
Do you think Roy Lichtenstein’s work should be considered art? Why or why not? (Discussion)
2. Stippling Demo (Demonstration)
-create a value scale using stippling on the board
-explain that stippling is similar to cross hatching because both methods are a tool for building value
-remind students that I will be looking for this technique in their graphic novels.
3.Work time (Skills)
-engage students by asking them questions about their art and providing help and advice
Student reflective/inquiry activity:
Have students break into pairs. Switch projects with each other and read the other person’s graphic novel. See if they can identify the five parts of the plot line within their partner’s story.
Also ask questions such as,
Does the graphic novel demonstrate good use of proper facial proportions?
Does the graphic novel demonstrate good use of stippling?
What are the strengths of the graphic novel?
If there were a sequel to this graphic novel what would it be?
Have students answer these questions in their Developmental workbooks.
Post-assessment:
Assess student’s developmental workbook to determine if students comprehend and use plot lines in their graphic novels
See attached rubric
Self-Reflection:
The most important thing I learned from this assignment was about putting your lessons in the right order. I had students create their graphic novels as a warm up on the first day. This demo required several steps so it was good to have every one work step by step in a quiet and focused setting. What I didn’t realize was my timing was all off. The students didn’t need to create their graphic novels yet, first they needed to develop their character. It was as if I tried to tackle the entire assignment all at once.
After the lesson Judy pointed out that I was asking students to accomplish three things at once. They had to develop a character, make up a story for that character, and then begin work on the end product. It would have been better to simply spend the first day developing their characters. Giving students more time to think will ensure better results. I think students were turned off by the overload of text. There was too much to do all at once. Students didn’t really understand how to develop their stories. I asked them to focus on the story before I asked them to really have time to think about their hero. By being unsuccessful at the first step it discouraged them to try on the second. It would have been better to spend the first day just getting excited about developing their character so by the second day they would could create a story of their hero more easily.
I also needed to spend more time on the development of the plot line. I should have provided more examples about each step. This would have decreased confusion about the assignment. Students need to grasp a concept before they try it on their own. Because the plot line aspect of this project was rushed the students developed pretty basic stories. One student came up to me with his worksheet finished so I asked him to describe his idea to me. He said that in his story he would rescue a cat. I could see that all five parts of the plot line were clearly addressed, but I could also see that he was only fulfilling the assignment.
In this lesson the students were asked to make themselves the hero. By asking students to make themselves the lead role I think this actually stifled creativity. I had to turn some ideas down because they did not feature themselves as the hero. Next time I could ask them to incorporate themselves in the story somehow, not necessarily the lead role, this would allow for more ideas to be possible.
I had students do their planning on a worksheet I had printed out. I did this so they would be ready the night before so they could be handed out quickly. I thought this would be helpful because it would be fast, but what I didn’t think about was how impersonal a worksheet feels. At the end of the day I realized we spent the class period filling out a worksheet, it must have felt like English class to them. If I would have had students develop their characters their work book they would have been more creative because wold have been working in a more creative space. I could have written the key questions on the board and then had them copy those questions into their work books before they answered them. This might have taken some more time but I believe the results would have been more elaborate.
Again and again I am reminded that it is better to take things slow so students can develop their ideas. If you try to do things to fast the end result will be rushed and not well thought out.
rubric.pdf | |
File Size: | 71 kb |
File Type: |
inquiry_worksheet.pdf | |
File Size: | 123 kb |
File Type: |