Lesson: Creating Ideal Cities
Goal:
Students will learn that the world they live in is truly huge and because of that the possibilities and opportunities presented in front of them are limitless.
Pre Assessment:
1. Can students illustrate their ideal world?
2. Can students discuss positive characteristics and intended meaning about their art and the artwork of others?
3. Can students choose images and symbols to create a visual narrative?
Objectives/Standards:
1. Students will be able to illustrate their ideal world.
(Applying; Create: Use basic media to express ideas through the art making process)
2. Students will be able to discuss positive characteristics and intended meaning about their art and the artwork of others.
(Understanding; Reflect: Artists, viewers, and patrons use the language of art to respond to their own art and the art of others)
3. Students will be able to choose images and symbols to create a visual narrative
(Creating; Comprehend: Artists make choices that communicate ideas in works of art)
Accommodations:
Students who finish early will be asked to choose a specific piece of their city and elaborate on it by drawing detailed sketches of that component of their city.
Materials:
1. Paper cut to12”x12” squares - one for each student
2. Drawing utensils
-crayons
-markers
-colored pencils
3. Visuals for introduction
- Five 18x24 pieces of paper
- marble and a beach ball
4. Surveys and pencils for unit pre-assessment
5. two sheets of news print for making two lists during “discussing possibilities”
6. a bin for placing drawing utensils during clean up
7. a folder for collecting finished artwork
Preparation:
1. Make large18x24 visuals for introduction
2. Prepare map visuals
- Trace the United States on a map using tissue paper
- Use an exacto blade to cut out the state in which you currently reside (Colorado)
- Mount tissue paper on black mat board
3. Blow up a beach ball, (this is harder than you think)
4. Cut paper down to size – 12x12
5. Bundle drawing utensils with a rubber band into several groups for ease of distributing during instruction.
Motivation:
1. The main motivation will be props. Large colorful visuals will grab their attention. The visuals will also help explain the concept of the relative sizes of the city, state, country, and world in a way that is interesting as well as quick and efficient.
2. By giving students the freedom to draw anything in their ideal cities, their motivation to create will increase because their personal involvement with the project has increased.
Procedure:
Start the day- 8:00am – 8:30am
1. Tamara will ask students to gather at the red rug
2. Take attendance
3. Other “start the day” activities such as me bags
Introduction- 8:30- 8:35
1. Today we will be creating fantastic worlds which can look any way you want them to. We are going to discuss all the possibilities in this world and in the worlds you create yourselves.
2. Before we get started we will need you to fill out a quick survey
3. Ask students to return to their desks to take the survey
Survey- 8:35- 8:45
1. As students return to their desks hand out surveys and pencils
2. Remind students that this is not a test. They will not be receiving a grade; we would just like to see what they already know and what they don’t know so we can continue to show them new information
3. Read each question aloud so those who still struggle with reading can listen to the words while visualizing them
4. On the back of the assessment ask students to write anything they are interested in or would like to learn about in future art lessons
5. Collect surveys
Discussing Possibilities – 8:45 – 9:00
1. Have students regroup at the red rug, make sure to take the time to hold everyone’s attention
2. “We are going to start class today by creating a list of ideas”
- How many things can we do in this room? Read a book, tie your shoe, etc.
- Write down students answers on the board – it’s ok if they popcorn out their ideas
- Aim for at least10 ideas – more is always ok
3. “Now here is an interesting fact!”
- Use 18x24visuals to show the math which shows the possibilities of the world
- “you may not have thought we would start our art lesson with a math problem. But I wanted to use math to show you that there are endless possibilities in our world.”
4. Make a class list, at the top of the list write the word ideal
- What does the word ideal mean to you?
- Write down their answers on 18x24 sheet of newsprint and leave up while they work for them to reference
5. Make a list of ideal situations within a city such as Fort Collins
- Write their answers on newsprint and leave as a reference
- Examples: sunny all the time, money growing from trees, waterslides for transportation, etc.
6. Show examples from my art books of artists who have depicted ideal cities
- Edward Hopper
- Vincent Van Gogh
7. Have students return to their desks
Activity- 9:00 – 9:35
1. Hand out supplies and ask students to begin creating their ideal worlds
2. During the activity the teacher should float around the room helping students according to their individual needs
3. While students are working be sure to ask lots of questions such as,
- What would the buildings look like in an ideal world?
- What would the plants look like?
- What would transportation be like?
- What would schools be like?
- What would cities be like?
- What sort of creatures would live there?
- Why?
Clean up- 9:35 – 9:40
1. Ask one student to collect all the drawings and put them in the finished bin
2. Ask on of the larger tables to collect the drawing utensils and put them in a bin
3. When the drawings are collected and the drawing utensils put away, everyone meet at the red rug
Discussion- 9:40 – 9:50
1. Hang all of the cities on the wall to create a giant world
2. Discuss how when all the pictures hang together they form a community which creates a new world full of new possibilities
3. Ask “what are some of the possibilities in you city?”
4. Ask students to describe why they incorporated certain imagery in their art work
5. Ask if students can understand what others were trying to say in their drawings
Post Assessment:
1. Did students illustrate their ideal world?
2. Did students discuss positive characteristics and intended meaning about their art and the artwork of others?
3. Did students choose images and symbols to create a visual narrative?
Reflection:
Today was the first day but I have already learned a lot. I am beginning to see all the work that goes on behind the scenes, I am learning how to manage a class when the energy level starts boiling over and you think you are going to have a panic attack, I am watching my peers come in tears telling me just how hard the next step in student teaching will be, I am paying for lessons out of my pocket when necessary, and I am learning that it is all worth it. There is definitely more work involved than I previously expected but the rewards are greater too. Amazing things happen in the classroom every day. Today a student was beginning to throw a temper tantrum because there was only one brown and he wanted to draw trees. I grabbed my Van Gogh book and said, “Look at Van Gogh’s trees, they are brown but they also have red and yellow and purple in them too, trees aren’t only brown, what other color could you use for your trees?” A light bulb in his young mind went off. And because of that one moment all the time, hard work, money and tears were worth it.
Goal:
Students will learn that the world they live in is truly huge and because of that the possibilities and opportunities presented in front of them are limitless.
Pre Assessment:
1. Can students illustrate their ideal world?
2. Can students discuss positive characteristics and intended meaning about their art and the artwork of others?
3. Can students choose images and symbols to create a visual narrative?
Objectives/Standards:
1. Students will be able to illustrate their ideal world.
(Applying; Create: Use basic media to express ideas through the art making process)
2. Students will be able to discuss positive characteristics and intended meaning about their art and the artwork of others.
(Understanding; Reflect: Artists, viewers, and patrons use the language of art to respond to their own art and the art of others)
3. Students will be able to choose images and symbols to create a visual narrative
(Creating; Comprehend: Artists make choices that communicate ideas in works of art)
Accommodations:
Students who finish early will be asked to choose a specific piece of their city and elaborate on it by drawing detailed sketches of that component of their city.
Materials:
1. Paper cut to12”x12” squares - one for each student
2. Drawing utensils
-crayons
-markers
-colored pencils
3. Visuals for introduction
- Five 18x24 pieces of paper
- marble and a beach ball
4. Surveys and pencils for unit pre-assessment
5. two sheets of news print for making two lists during “discussing possibilities”
6. a bin for placing drawing utensils during clean up
7. a folder for collecting finished artwork
Preparation:
1. Make large18x24 visuals for introduction
2. Prepare map visuals
- Trace the United States on a map using tissue paper
- Use an exacto blade to cut out the state in which you currently reside (Colorado)
- Mount tissue paper on black mat board
3. Blow up a beach ball, (this is harder than you think)
4. Cut paper down to size – 12x12
5. Bundle drawing utensils with a rubber band into several groups for ease of distributing during instruction.
Motivation:
1. The main motivation will be props. Large colorful visuals will grab their attention. The visuals will also help explain the concept of the relative sizes of the city, state, country, and world in a way that is interesting as well as quick and efficient.
2. By giving students the freedom to draw anything in their ideal cities, their motivation to create will increase because their personal involvement with the project has increased.
Procedure:
Start the day- 8:00am – 8:30am
1. Tamara will ask students to gather at the red rug
2. Take attendance
3. Other “start the day” activities such as me bags
Introduction- 8:30- 8:35
1. Today we will be creating fantastic worlds which can look any way you want them to. We are going to discuss all the possibilities in this world and in the worlds you create yourselves.
2. Before we get started we will need you to fill out a quick survey
3. Ask students to return to their desks to take the survey
Survey- 8:35- 8:45
1. As students return to their desks hand out surveys and pencils
2. Remind students that this is not a test. They will not be receiving a grade; we would just like to see what they already know and what they don’t know so we can continue to show them new information
3. Read each question aloud so those who still struggle with reading can listen to the words while visualizing them
4. On the back of the assessment ask students to write anything they are interested in or would like to learn about in future art lessons
5. Collect surveys
Discussing Possibilities – 8:45 – 9:00
1. Have students regroup at the red rug, make sure to take the time to hold everyone’s attention
2. “We are going to start class today by creating a list of ideas”
- How many things can we do in this room? Read a book, tie your shoe, etc.
- Write down students answers on the board – it’s ok if they popcorn out their ideas
- Aim for at least10 ideas – more is always ok
3. “Now here is an interesting fact!”
- Use 18x24visuals to show the math which shows the possibilities of the world
- “you may not have thought we would start our art lesson with a math problem. But I wanted to use math to show you that there are endless possibilities in our world.”
4. Make a class list, at the top of the list write the word ideal
- What does the word ideal mean to you?
- Write down their answers on 18x24 sheet of newsprint and leave up while they work for them to reference
5. Make a list of ideal situations within a city such as Fort Collins
- Write their answers on newsprint and leave as a reference
- Examples: sunny all the time, money growing from trees, waterslides for transportation, etc.
6. Show examples from my art books of artists who have depicted ideal cities
- Edward Hopper
- Vincent Van Gogh
7. Have students return to their desks
Activity- 9:00 – 9:35
1. Hand out supplies and ask students to begin creating their ideal worlds
2. During the activity the teacher should float around the room helping students according to their individual needs
3. While students are working be sure to ask lots of questions such as,
- What would the buildings look like in an ideal world?
- What would the plants look like?
- What would transportation be like?
- What would schools be like?
- What would cities be like?
- What sort of creatures would live there?
- Why?
Clean up- 9:35 – 9:40
1. Ask one student to collect all the drawings and put them in the finished bin
2. Ask on of the larger tables to collect the drawing utensils and put them in a bin
3. When the drawings are collected and the drawing utensils put away, everyone meet at the red rug
Discussion- 9:40 – 9:50
1. Hang all of the cities on the wall to create a giant world
2. Discuss how when all the pictures hang together they form a community which creates a new world full of new possibilities
3. Ask “what are some of the possibilities in you city?”
4. Ask students to describe why they incorporated certain imagery in their art work
5. Ask if students can understand what others were trying to say in their drawings
Post Assessment:
1. Did students illustrate their ideal world?
2. Did students discuss positive characteristics and intended meaning about their art and the artwork of others?
3. Did students choose images and symbols to create a visual narrative?
Reflection:
Today was the first day but I have already learned a lot. I am beginning to see all the work that goes on behind the scenes, I am learning how to manage a class when the energy level starts boiling over and you think you are going to have a panic attack, I am watching my peers come in tears telling me just how hard the next step in student teaching will be, I am paying for lessons out of my pocket when necessary, and I am learning that it is all worth it. There is definitely more work involved than I previously expected but the rewards are greater too. Amazing things happen in the classroom every day. Today a student was beginning to throw a temper tantrum because there was only one brown and he wanted to draw trees. I grabbed my Van Gogh book and said, “Look at Van Gogh’s trees, they are brown but they also have red and yellow and purple in them too, trees aren’t only brown, what other color could you use for your trees?” A light bulb in his young mind went off. And because of that one moment all the time, hard work, money and tears were worth it.