From Assignment #10 choose three lessons and discuss the Master artistʼs style; then compare and contrast the artistic style and technique in the three lessons. Teach these lessons to a classroom or community based group.
I did a slightly different version of this lesson, since my lesson plans are for art practice, not art history. I created 10+ more lesson plans, giving everyone except Damien Hurst (!) one or more related 2 - hour lessons. As the year progresses, I’ll be creating exemplars for these lessons such as you saw for Picasso or Posada.
1 - 2 Turner: One-point perspective, Watercolor glazes & washes: http://museummasters.weebly.com/joseph-turner-1775-1851.html
3 - 4: Constable: Clouds, Trees: http://museummasters.weebly.com/john-constable-1776-1837.html
5: Cézanne: Color: http://museummasters.weebly.com/paul-ceacutezanne-1839-1906.html
6 - 7: Klimt: The Tree of Life, Patterns: http://museummasters.weebly.com/gustav-klimt-1862-1918.html
8: Munch: Composition: http://museummasters.weebly.com/edvard-munch-1863-1944.html
9 : O’Keeffe: Abstract Design: http://museummasters.weebly.com/georgia-okeeffe-1887-1986.html
10: Escher: Tesselation: http://museummasters.weebly.com/maurits-escher-1898-1972.html
11- 12: Brigit Riley: Op Art, Quilt: http://museummasters.weebly.com/bridgit-riley-1931.html
1 - 2 Turner: One-point perspective, Watercolor glazes & washes: http://museummasters.weebly.com/joseph-turner-1775-1851.html
3 - 4: Constable: Clouds, Trees: http://museummasters.weebly.com/john-constable-1776-1837.html
5: Cézanne: Color: http://museummasters.weebly.com/paul-ceacutezanne-1839-1906.html
6 - 7: Klimt: The Tree of Life, Patterns: http://museummasters.weebly.com/gustav-klimt-1862-1918.html
8: Munch: Composition: http://museummasters.weebly.com/edvard-munch-1863-1944.html
9 : O’Keeffe: Abstract Design: http://museummasters.weebly.com/georgia-okeeffe-1887-1986.html
10: Escher: Tesselation: http://museummasters.weebly.com/maurits-escher-1898-1972.html
11- 12: Brigit Riley: Op Art, Quilt: http://museummasters.weebly.com/bridgit-riley-1931.html
Write a 1-3 page evaluation and include any modifications you made to refine these lessons.
Introduction: In the past, I usually taught art using the emergent curriculum philosophy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergent_curriculum and http://www.learning-theories.com/vygotskys-social-learning-theory.html). This has had its amazing moments, but I find it difficult to muster the formal tone necessary to convince some of the kids that they really are learning something, when all it looks like is that they’re having fun and hangin’ with each other. So, this year, after having been asked by several of the students to do “art,” (which is what we have been doing btw), I signed up for this course and decided to do more traditional lessons with named goals and outcomes.
This has, for the most part, been successful. For one thing, it’s far less work! I can geek out about things in the privacy of my own office, optimize them, and then deliver them to the students, instead of winging it all the time, processing far too much rapidfire information for my Asperger-y brain, and juggling kids of all ages doing age-appropriate things that don’t speak to other projects at all. With more uniform lessons, we can meet at the end of class and discuss, and everyone is on the same page.
This has, for the most part, been successful. For one thing, it’s far less work! I can geek out about things in the privacy of my own office, optimize them, and then deliver them to the students, instead of winging it all the time, processing far too much rapidfire information for my Asperger-y brain, and juggling kids of all ages doing age-appropriate things that don’t speak to other projects at all. With more uniform lessons, we can meet at the end of class and discuss, and everyone is on the same page.
The Lessons: Oct 19
On Oct 19, I taught the lesson at http://museummasters.weebly.com/jose-guadalupe-posada-1851-1913.html. At right is an image from the Loteria station. I included a book on Posada and one on Artemio Rodriguez, which Gabriel is paging through (Hank is sniggering because Rodriguez has a lot of naked women in his images ... which is why I didn’t do an actual lesson on Rodriguez). Students are grades 3, 2, 7, and 5.
Don Quixote Station
From the Posadas “Don Quixote” table. Both Jasper (1st) and Kaiya (6th) were proud to produce recognizable skeletons.
Skull Station
James and Robert (8th) drawing skulls.
Lino Blocks
Cora (K) working on her lino block.
The Lessons: Oct 26
On the following Friday, Oct 26, I arrived dressed as Frida Kahlo, which elicited a LOT of discussion.
I gave them a bit of info about Frida but said we’d have to wait until Nov 2 for more. I taught a mini-lesson on her husband Diego Rivera, who said he was inspired by Posada.
I gave them a bit of info about Frida but said we’d have to wait until Nov 2 for more. I taught a mini-lesson on her husband Diego Rivera, who said he was inspired by Posada.
Papel Picado station
We talked about Mexican decorations, especially the Puebla papeles picados. Our Mona Brooks warm-up was on symmetry so that students would understand what would happen as they folded and cut.
Lino block prints
The stations were a review of Posadas, tissue paper collage, papel picado, and Lotería cards. The last half of class was devoted to finishing up the linoleum prints.
The Lessons: Nov 2 (upcoming)
On Nov 2, I plan to do the self-portrait lesson on the Frida Kahlo page. Stations will be as indicated on the website, plus one to finish up your lino block print if you didn’t already.
Evaluation and Modifications
What works about these lessons are the mini-lectures. To my astonishment, the group that wiggled and rolled around all last year, this year soaks up lectures as though they were fun. I’ve ended up giving far more information than I planned when even the younger students ask probing questions: “Why was Rivera famous and Kahlo not so famous?” Why did Posada do so many skeletons?” “Can I go to the bathroom?” and “How can I make my Lotería card look more Mexican?” I’ve found that geeking out on the artist of the day is well rewarded with student interest in class, and any relationships between artists and their styles I point out are eagerly soaked up.
After much resistance to the relaxation exercises at the beginning of the year, all but one student loves them. I have to remember to include more reminders to relax, especially with some of my perfectionist students. We sometimes talk about balancing relaxation with attention to the work. How do you do both things at once? I think this might be the most valuable take-home of all.
As far as the 15-minute stations are concerned, they have been getting progressively more demanding in a very short space of time. On the one hand, the students do ask for direct instruction on how to draw eyes, skulls, etc, but on the other hand, I think I’m a bit too responsive. They do need at least one station which takes them back to just lines and colors and not much else. Hand-eye coordination is difficult for some of them. I was especially interested in how many of the kids chose the tissue paper collage station on Oct 26. They just used random scraps from the papel picado station and were happy as pigs in the mud, and as dirty. Sometimes I think that the stations are chosen not by interest in the subject, but by what the most popular kids pick. That’s just as well, since the most popular kids are also artistically inclined.
The masterwork section of class needs work (or maybe it doesn’t - I’m not really sure about this). The youngest children are done in about two minutes flat. Then, since it is 2:32 on a Friday afternoon, they racket around and poke each other. I need to find some activity that my aide can do with them that’s high interest, low demand, and art related. Maybe read-aloud, maybe collage... The older children, on the other hand, need more than just a half hour. They begin complicated and sophisticated projects, and just as they’ve got their ducks in a row, it’s time to share, clean up, do chores, and rush out the doors. I’ve told them they can work on previous weeks’ projects, but they get pretty involved in the new week’s ideas. So far, we’ve settled on the idea that sometimes art is more about process than about product. Sometimes.
After much resistance to the relaxation exercises at the beginning of the year, all but one student loves them. I have to remember to include more reminders to relax, especially with some of my perfectionist students. We sometimes talk about balancing relaxation with attention to the work. How do you do both things at once? I think this might be the most valuable take-home of all.
As far as the 15-minute stations are concerned, they have been getting progressively more demanding in a very short space of time. On the one hand, the students do ask for direct instruction on how to draw eyes, skulls, etc, but on the other hand, I think I’m a bit too responsive. They do need at least one station which takes them back to just lines and colors and not much else. Hand-eye coordination is difficult for some of them. I was especially interested in how many of the kids chose the tissue paper collage station on Oct 26. They just used random scraps from the papel picado station and were happy as pigs in the mud, and as dirty. Sometimes I think that the stations are chosen not by interest in the subject, but by what the most popular kids pick. That’s just as well, since the most popular kids are also artistically inclined.
The masterwork section of class needs work (or maybe it doesn’t - I’m not really sure about this). The youngest children are done in about two minutes flat. Then, since it is 2:32 on a Friday afternoon, they racket around and poke each other. I need to find some activity that my aide can do with them that’s high interest, low demand, and art related. Maybe read-aloud, maybe collage... The older children, on the other hand, need more than just a half hour. They begin complicated and sophisticated projects, and just as they’ve got their ducks in a row, it’s time to share, clean up, do chores, and rush out the doors. I’ve told them they can work on previous weeks’ projects, but they get pretty involved in the new week’s ideas. So far, we’ve settled on the idea that sometimes art is more about process than about product. Sometimes.