Art Education Lesson Plan

Dr. Kathy Unrath / (Adapted/modified and simplified for the single lesson
being explored here),
Amy Ruopp

Name-Jenni Glendenning
Title of Lesson-Why art & what is art to me? TAKE TWO
Grade Level-5th
NATIONAL VISUAL ARTS STANDARDSVA:Cr1.1.5a Combine ideas to generate an innovative idea for art-making.
VA:Re7.1.5a Compare one's own interpretation of a work of art with the
interpretation of others.
VA:Cn11.1.5a Identify how art is used to inform or change beliefs, values, or
behaviors of an individual or society.
GRADE LEVEL EXPECTATIONS (GLE)5.VA1.A (Artistic Perceptions III) Discuss and develop answers to questions
about art, such as: Who decides what makes an artwork special, valuable or
good?
RATIONALE and GOAL(S) FOR THIS LESSONIt is important for students to understand that they must question what it is
they are doing at every opportunity. To formulate more questions based upon
reflecting on what they were told to do, and what they came up with, and
why the previous lesson was a lesson in process (how to) rather than a
lesson in true artistic practice. This is important so students can learn to
think of things more than just things and something to do. To question the
intent in what they do and why they have to do things a certain way in
making, and meaning making in art. I hope to foster greater questioning in
students by asking why and looking for deeper meanings in what they create
and why they create them, and who are they for? Are they creating for
themselves or the expectation of another?
In connecting this lesson to the reading I will engage students in The Power
of Why (Uhl & Stuchul 65). I believe this is important to teach because of
our innate desire to make meaning, to understand, and to exercise our
intellect. I hope to encourage students to persevere, and learn more about
their assumptions and recognize beliefs, then to ask why, to things within
their learning environments.
ENDURING BIG IDEA:
Investigating Identity through artistic ideas creating awareness of why/what
is art.

This lesson is a lesson in response to a previous lesson on ones identity

quote of what art is to them and why it is a part of who they are. Students
were to think about what art meant to them and combine these thoughts
with a high contrast photo utilizing iPad apps. This was inspired by the work
of Andy Warhol. The quote was generated in and from their identity and
beliefs, and the photograph represents themselves-yet the art poster itself
was the idea of the teacher in what it should look like. Is this meaning
making on a surface level, and how can we make it deeper for ourselves and
who we are as artists?
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
How and why is art used to impact the views of a society?
How do life experiences influence the way you relate to art and why is this
relevant to what we are doing?
What conditions, attitudes, and behaviors support or disable creativity and
innovative thinking?
What factors prevent or encourage us to take creative risks and why do you
think that?
KNOWLEDGE BASE AND KEY CONCEPTSStudents will learn that art making is a part of who they are, and to question
the validity of a creative assignment if the complete creating is not from
their own ideas. How we can have our own ideas in words yet to question
whether or not the actual art is completely their OWN, and reflects their
own inspirations and aesthetic purposes in creating the final identity piece.
Students will learn how questioning and asking why in art, and within
everything they learn can lead to more meaningful learning experiences.
The The strategy in exploring the power of the why-allows students the
opportunity to reflect on why they create what they create and how
restrictions can sometimes negate the artful experience in learning about
oneself.
OBJECTIVES
The students will question if what they created was truly theirs.
The students will question if their words match what they did in creating.
The Students will gain a better knowledge base as to why one might create
art.
The students will, With the knowledge presented in the previous lesson, be
given the opportunity to change his or her advocacy poster to better
graphically represent who they are in an approach that is not-the same for
all.
LESSON VIGNETTE
Lead in with questioning:
What did you all think about the advocacy posters?

Did you find anything unusual about what the assignment was for, and
what then I told you to do?
Would you rather have had more creative freedom in your art making and
why?
Begin by showing students the following:
http://www.conversation-of-art.com/question/why-does-art-matter-to-you
I see the students questioning what they are doing and why. I also hope to
inspire students to question more of what they do and ask why so their
learning can be truly theirs and meaningful. I will ask questions and allow the
students who are all 1:1 with iPad usage, the opportunity to revamp their
why art? advocacy poster. As students work I will be walking around to
answer questions, as well as pose new questions as to what they are doing.
Time: (10 minutes) Anticipatory Set- (Opening that engages and motivates
students)
Lead in with questioning and allow students to ponder and answer together:
-What did you all think about the advocacy posters?
-Did you find anything unusual about what the assignment was for, and
what then I told you to do?
-Would you rather have had more creative freedom in your art making and
why?
Begin by showing students the following:
http://www.conversation-of-art.com/question/why-does-art-matter-to-you
Then I will say to the students:
Now let us see your inner world in reference to art through YOUR eyes.
Time: (25 minutes) Body of lesson- Students will be given the opportunity to
edit and change their artist quote and image to better reflect their identity
on their iPads. Students have creative freedom to use the apps we used
originally or another app they are more familiar with.
Time: (15 minutes) ClosureHave students airplay their designs to the apple TV and give students an
opportunity to look at other work. Compare and contrast (whole group) how
the art has changed, and silently reflect upon the idea of whether they
liked the original design or the self-chosen design better.
Exit slip:
1. Did your quote change or stay the same? If so, why or why not?
2. If we had not completed the lesson on how to manipulate the three
apps to create one design, would you have known where to begin or

how to create this poster? (Why or Why not? If you would have already
known-what apps or app would you have used).
3. Do you think your new design reflects more of who you are, and why
art is important to you-better than the original guided design? Why or
why not?
4. Why is art important to you?
ASSESSMENTS;
Students will utilize the exit slip as assessment. They will also look at other
students art, and silently engage in why or why not they might like the
new poster better than the old.
As students are filling out the exit slips I will display this on the screen:
"Not everything that matters is measurable"
-Elliot Eisner, Professor Emeritus of Education and Art at Stanford University
For early finishers-I will have the following questions available to reflect
upon/going a step deeper in to why.
-What have you learned in your time at school that isn't reflected in a test?
-What about you has grown that a test can't measure? Your artistic abilities,
your confidence, your self-esteem, your humor, your courage, your kindness?
TEACHER REFLECTION: I will know this is successful through learner
engagement, and in what the students write in their reflection exit slip. It
would be my hope that students request more time (maybe another class)
to work on the poster. This is a lot to do in a short amount of time, and I
wasnt planning on spending this time-yet once I read the chapter I couldnt
help but think about how this could go to the next level to be more
meaningful for the learners. It most definitely enhanced the lesson (and
actually changed my initial lesson). It made me question why!!! This was
an experience I am truly grateful for in reading this amazing book.