Instruction and Management Plan
Sequence and Organization of the Unit:
Every lesson created in this unit revolves around self-reflection. I wanted students to work on projects that were personal so they would learn more about themselves. Each lesson took a different approach to allow students to discover what makes them personally unique.
The first lesson taught was a still life. I showed students that even a still life carries a deeper artistic meaning than what is represented on the surface. The goal of the first lesson was to show students they could use symbolism in their art to create a visual language. I helped demonstrate this idea by showing students genre paintings from Flemish painters such as Jan van Eyck. This helped students gain an understanding that every day objects and images can be used to imply a deeper meaning. In order to have students put this idea into action I had them choose the item they would add to the still life. The object the chose had to have personal meaning attached to it, which transformed the assignment from an ordinary still life into a still life self-portrait.
For the second lesson the students created a comic book in which they were the hero. . The lesson began by having students brainstorm characteristics they considered to be heroic. Then they applied those characteristics to themselves as the main character of their story. You could say that this lesson was creating a heroic self-portrait. The main goal of this lesson was to show students that the qualities the see in their heroes can also be found in themselves.
It is interesting to think that every single person has a completely different perspective of the world. The goal of this assignment was to have the artist show the viewer what it means to see the world through their eyes. The third lesson started with the use of a grid to enlarge an image to scale properly. I took a photograph of the student’s eyes and then had them draw them on a much larger scale. I wanted students to become technically skilled at drawing a difficult subject matter realistically, but I also wanted them to have room for creativity. To do this I then asked students fill in the eye with personal imagery and color. To complete this assignment students used charcoal, pen and ink, and collage. The goal of this lesson was to have students focus on their personal interests while developing technical skill in the arts.
The fourth lesson was an exploration in value. One of the key hooks to this lesson was to expose students to the idea that there is so much more value than lights and darks within an image. I started the lesson by looking at sides of the word value. Students were first asked to describe that which they valued most in their lives. They also created a value scale which was a list of the top ten personal characteristics they valued about themselves. I then showed them how to create a monochromatic value scale using acrylic paint. After this we painted a monochromatic self portrait and in the background the students wrote their personal value scale in the background. In this way we combined personal and artistic values in a single painting.
Every lesson created in this unit revolves around self-reflection. I wanted students to work on projects that were personal so they would learn more about themselves. Each lesson took a different approach to allow students to discover what makes them personally unique.
The first lesson taught was a still life. I showed students that even a still life carries a deeper artistic meaning than what is represented on the surface. The goal of the first lesson was to show students they could use symbolism in their art to create a visual language. I helped demonstrate this idea by showing students genre paintings from Flemish painters such as Jan van Eyck. This helped students gain an understanding that every day objects and images can be used to imply a deeper meaning. In order to have students put this idea into action I had them choose the item they would add to the still life. The object the chose had to have personal meaning attached to it, which transformed the assignment from an ordinary still life into a still life self-portrait.
For the second lesson the students created a comic book in which they were the hero. . The lesson began by having students brainstorm characteristics they considered to be heroic. Then they applied those characteristics to themselves as the main character of their story. You could say that this lesson was creating a heroic self-portrait. The main goal of this lesson was to show students that the qualities the see in their heroes can also be found in themselves.
It is interesting to think that every single person has a completely different perspective of the world. The goal of this assignment was to have the artist show the viewer what it means to see the world through their eyes. The third lesson started with the use of a grid to enlarge an image to scale properly. I took a photograph of the student’s eyes and then had them draw them on a much larger scale. I wanted students to become technically skilled at drawing a difficult subject matter realistically, but I also wanted them to have room for creativity. To do this I then asked students fill in the eye with personal imagery and color. To complete this assignment students used charcoal, pen and ink, and collage. The goal of this lesson was to have students focus on their personal interests while developing technical skill in the arts.
The fourth lesson was an exploration in value. One of the key hooks to this lesson was to expose students to the idea that there is so much more value than lights and darks within an image. I started the lesson by looking at sides of the word value. Students were first asked to describe that which they valued most in their lives. They also created a value scale which was a list of the top ten personal characteristics they valued about themselves. I then showed them how to create a monochromatic value scale using acrylic paint. After this we painted a monochromatic self portrait and in the background the students wrote their personal value scale in the background. In this way we combined personal and artistic values in a single painting.
Methods for Integrating Literacy, Numeracy, Technology and Other Relevant Subjects
I have always said that I am not an art teacher; I am a life teacher who uses art as a vehicle for learning. I continue to be
amazed at the ability art has to teach students vital life skills. Each of my lessons does much more than have students work with a particular medium. Instead I like to present students with a problem and allow them so solve it in an artistic and visual way. Whenever I design a lesson I always consider how to incorporate literacy, numeracy, technology, and 21st century skills into the project.
Literacy was applied to all of the lessons within the unit. As Cache La Poudre Middle School was in a transition year towards
becoming an IB school the art department had to really focus on the entire design cycle rather than primarily concerning ourselves with the end product. Because of this reflections became a key element in all of the lessons taught. At the end of each class students would take five minutes to write about what they had learned for the day. They could discuss what they learned, discoveries with materials, or what they were planning to do next. Often times students would ask if it was ok if they changed their minds about the direction their project was heading. My answer would always be yes, if they were able to explain why and defend their reasoning within their daily reflection. This not only incorporated literacy but it also incorporated the
21st century skill of flexibility and adaptability as well. Students were working efficiently in a changing artistic climate by accepting and incorporating feedback while negotiating with me as their teacher to reach new solutions.
The second lesson specifically had a strong use of literacy.Students developed a comic book in which they were the hero. While creating their stories students used the aid of a plot line to develop their stories. This reinforced the concept of setting, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution in order to complete a more interesting and well-rounded story.
The inclusion of numeracy was evident in the first and third lesson. Our first lesson was a still life in which students used
view finders to organize their composition. The viewfinders were also used as a tool in understanding accurately enlarging and their image to their final drawing. Students placed marks on the on the top, bottom, and middle of their viewfinders and then placed marks on the top, bottom, and middle of their final drawing. This helped them visually dissect their drawing into quadrants and better understand the proportion of the objects they were drawing as it related to the whole page. The third lesson incorporated numeracy through the use of grid drawing to complete a finished work of art. Students had to work with
rulers and ratios to accurately transfer a small image to their larger final drawing. This lesson also addressed the 21st century skill of initiative and self-direction. Once students completed drawing their eye they were free to incorporate the imagery of their choice. This required them to work independently and create their own goals without direct supervision.
The most prevalent incorporation of technology within the lessons in this unit took place outside the classroom. Students were always encouraged, and in the second and third lesson required, to gather ideas and influences for their project from the internet. The internet and the use of technology will be an important resource for future generations.Therefore I make sure to incorporate 21st century skills such as media and technology literacy as often as possible in all of my lessons.
I am an advocate for the arts because if it is taught well it has so many potential avenues for learning. Once you take a look at the lessons in this unit you will see that they go much deeper than simply representing an object, they address important areas of student learning.
amazed at the ability art has to teach students vital life skills. Each of my lessons does much more than have students work with a particular medium. Instead I like to present students with a problem and allow them so solve it in an artistic and visual way. Whenever I design a lesson I always consider how to incorporate literacy, numeracy, technology, and 21st century skills into the project.
Literacy was applied to all of the lessons within the unit. As Cache La Poudre Middle School was in a transition year towards
becoming an IB school the art department had to really focus on the entire design cycle rather than primarily concerning ourselves with the end product. Because of this reflections became a key element in all of the lessons taught. At the end of each class students would take five minutes to write about what they had learned for the day. They could discuss what they learned, discoveries with materials, or what they were planning to do next. Often times students would ask if it was ok if they changed their minds about the direction their project was heading. My answer would always be yes, if they were able to explain why and defend their reasoning within their daily reflection. This not only incorporated literacy but it also incorporated the
21st century skill of flexibility and adaptability as well. Students were working efficiently in a changing artistic climate by accepting and incorporating feedback while negotiating with me as their teacher to reach new solutions.
The second lesson specifically had a strong use of literacy.Students developed a comic book in which they were the hero. While creating their stories students used the aid of a plot line to develop their stories. This reinforced the concept of setting, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution in order to complete a more interesting and well-rounded story.
The inclusion of numeracy was evident in the first and third lesson. Our first lesson was a still life in which students used
view finders to organize their composition. The viewfinders were also used as a tool in understanding accurately enlarging and their image to their final drawing. Students placed marks on the on the top, bottom, and middle of their viewfinders and then placed marks on the top, bottom, and middle of their final drawing. This helped them visually dissect their drawing into quadrants and better understand the proportion of the objects they were drawing as it related to the whole page. The third lesson incorporated numeracy through the use of grid drawing to complete a finished work of art. Students had to work with
rulers and ratios to accurately transfer a small image to their larger final drawing. This lesson also addressed the 21st century skill of initiative and self-direction. Once students completed drawing their eye they were free to incorporate the imagery of their choice. This required them to work independently and create their own goals without direct supervision.
The most prevalent incorporation of technology within the lessons in this unit took place outside the classroom. Students were always encouraged, and in the second and third lesson required, to gather ideas and influences for their project from the internet. The internet and the use of technology will be an important resource for future generations.Therefore I make sure to incorporate 21st century skills such as media and technology literacy as often as possible in all of my lessons.
I am an advocate for the arts because if it is taught well it has so many potential avenues for learning. Once you take a look at the lessons in this unit you will see that they go much deeper than simply representing an object, they address important areas of student learning.
Strategies for Classroom Management Relevant to Lesson Taught in the Unit
The key to management within any classroom is the establishment of effective routines. Routines create order within the class and if implemented and practiced properly they actually begin to run themselves. The most effective routine that was established in this unit was a ten minute warm up drawing. Before every class one student would be selected as the model and the rest of the class would draw that person in their sketchbook. The students enjoyed this warm up so much that by the end of the unit they began to grab their sketchbooks, select a model, and set up the lights without instruction to do so. Students knew that this time was meant to be done in almost total silence. This was a great tool for me to take role and complete any other responsibilities while my students were warming up. It also provided me an opportunity to create art of my own. I would sketch the model in their sketchbook. This further enhanced the students engagement with the warm up because they knew when it was their turn to be the model they would receive a portrait of themselves from the teacher.
Another important routine developed during this unit was my power spot. At the beginning of the semester I was having trouble quieting the class and making important announcements. I found that students were very receptive to the idea that the most important information would always be delivered when I was in one particular part of the room. In my case it happened to be sitting down on top of the file cabinet that stored student’s artwork. By the end of the unit all I had to do to quiet the class was move to my power spot in order to give important instructions.
Another important management strategy I discovered was working as a team to get through a process with multiple steps. During the second lesson students had to create a comic book out of a single sheet of 12x18 paper. I utilized the warm up time when students were accustomed to being quiet to most effectively use the strategy of working as a team. Rather than showing the class twelve steps and then asking them to repeat what I had just done, I showed them one step at a time and had them hold up their paper when they were done with each step. I did not try this technique the first time I taught the lesson and what wound up taking over thirty minutes the first time around only took five for the next class. This was an important lesson for me that showed that effective instruction naturally creates easier classroom management.
I also learned a lesson about the importance of effective set-up for a still life. The first time around I had students tape off their objects on the table. What I did not consider was the tables were shared by eight different classes and after ceramics covered them with clay and wiped them down for clean up the tape had all but disappeared. On my second attempt I had developed a much more effective method for set-up. Rather than taping their objects off on the table, students taped their object off on top of a drawing board which could be stored safely and easily replaced for a much quicker set-up.
What this semester has taught me is that effective classroom management depends entirely on the teacher. When students misbehave it is typically not because they are bad students, it is because they are bored or confused about an assignment. Once you establish routines and develop effective methods for instruction and set-up you will be amazed at your ability to manage your class.
Another important routine developed during this unit was my power spot. At the beginning of the semester I was having trouble quieting the class and making important announcements. I found that students were very receptive to the idea that the most important information would always be delivered when I was in one particular part of the room. In my case it happened to be sitting down on top of the file cabinet that stored student’s artwork. By the end of the unit all I had to do to quiet the class was move to my power spot in order to give important instructions.
Another important management strategy I discovered was working as a team to get through a process with multiple steps. During the second lesson students had to create a comic book out of a single sheet of 12x18 paper. I utilized the warm up time when students were accustomed to being quiet to most effectively use the strategy of working as a team. Rather than showing the class twelve steps and then asking them to repeat what I had just done, I showed them one step at a time and had them hold up their paper when they were done with each step. I did not try this technique the first time I taught the lesson and what wound up taking over thirty minutes the first time around only took five for the next class. This was an important lesson for me that showed that effective instruction naturally creates easier classroom management.
I also learned a lesson about the importance of effective set-up for a still life. The first time around I had students tape off their objects on the table. What I did not consider was the tables were shared by eight different classes and after ceramics covered them with clay and wiped them down for clean up the tape had all but disappeared. On my second attempt I had developed a much more effective method for set-up. Rather than taping their objects off on the table, students taped their object off on top of a drawing board which could be stored safely and easily replaced for a much quicker set-up.
What this semester has taught me is that effective classroom management depends entirely on the teacher. When students misbehave it is typically not because they are bad students, it is because they are bored or confused about an assignment. Once you establish routines and develop effective methods for instruction and set-up you will be amazed at your ability to manage your class.