Why Make Art about Family
This lesson is based off the entry "Mother and Child (pfemba)--Yombe People." in the TeachArt Wiki website.
Why Make Art about Family
_Art Lesson 1
Title: "Why Make Art about Family"
Grade level: Upper Elementary 4th-6th grades
Time for unit: 11 class periods (55 minutes per period).
(Students will be given an extra 5 days so that they can add
comments to the class website.)
Title: "Why Make Art about Family"
Grade level: Upper Elementary 4th-6th grades
Time for unit: 11 class periods (55 minutes per period).
(Students will be given an extra 5 days so that they can add
comments to the class website.)
Standards:
Content Standard 1:All students will apply skills and knowledge to perform in the arts.
ART.I.VA.EL.1 Use materials, techniques, media technology, and processes to communicate ideas and experiences.
ART.I.VA.EL.2 Use art materials and tools safely and responsibly.
ART.I.VA.EL.3 Use visual characteristics and organizational principles of art to communicate ideas.
ART.I.VA.EL.4 Be involved in the process and presentation of a final product or exhibit.
Content Standard 2:All students will apply skills and knowledge to create in the arts.
ART.II.VA.EL.1 Apply knowledge of materials, techniques, and processes to creative artwork.
ART.II.VA.EL.2 Apply knowledge of visual characteristics and organizational principles communicate ideas.
ART.II.VA.EL.3 Explore and understand prospective subject matter, ideas, and symbols for works of art.
ART.II.VA.EL.4 Select and use subject matter, symbols and ideas to communicate meaning.
ART.II.VA.EL.5 Know different purposes of visual art to creatively convey ideas.
Content Standard 3:All students will analyze, describe and evaluate works
of art.
ART.III.VA.EL.1 Generalize about the effects of visual structures and functions, and reflect upon these effects in personal work.
ART.III.VA.EL.2 Identify various purposes for creating works for visual art.
ART.III.VA.EL.3 Understand there are different responses to specific artworks.
Content Standard 4:All students will understand, analyze, and describe the
arts in their historical, social, and cultural contexts.
ART.IV.VA.EL.1 Know that the visual arts have a history and specific relationships to various cultures.
ART.IV.VA.EL.2 Identify specific works of art as belonging to particular cultures, times, and places.
ART.IV.VA.EL.3 Demonstrate how history, culture, and the visual arts can influence each other in making and studying works of art.
Content Standard 1:All students will apply skills and knowledge to perform in the arts.
ART.I.VA.EL.1 Use materials, techniques, media technology, and processes to communicate ideas and experiences.
ART.I.VA.EL.2 Use art materials and tools safely and responsibly.
ART.I.VA.EL.3 Use visual characteristics and organizational principles of art to communicate ideas.
ART.I.VA.EL.4 Be involved in the process and presentation of a final product or exhibit.
Content Standard 2:All students will apply skills and knowledge to create in the arts.
ART.II.VA.EL.1 Apply knowledge of materials, techniques, and processes to creative artwork.
ART.II.VA.EL.2 Apply knowledge of visual characteristics and organizational principles communicate ideas.
ART.II.VA.EL.3 Explore and understand prospective subject matter, ideas, and symbols for works of art.
ART.II.VA.EL.4 Select and use subject matter, symbols and ideas to communicate meaning.
ART.II.VA.EL.5 Know different purposes of visual art to creatively convey ideas.
Content Standard 3:All students will analyze, describe and evaluate works
of art.
ART.III.VA.EL.1 Generalize about the effects of visual structures and functions, and reflect upon these effects in personal work.
ART.III.VA.EL.2 Identify various purposes for creating works for visual art.
ART.III.VA.EL.3 Understand there are different responses to specific artworks.
Content Standard 4:All students will understand, analyze, and describe the
arts in their historical, social, and cultural contexts.
ART.IV.VA.EL.1 Know that the visual arts have a history and specific relationships to various cultures.
ART.IV.VA.EL.2 Identify specific works of art as belonging to particular cultures, times, and places.
ART.IV.VA.EL.3 Demonstrate how history, culture, and the visual arts can influence each other in making and studying works of art.
Central Concepts:
- Shrine Figures: Shrine figures are statues placed in a shrine to aid in the communication with the spirit world. They can also be used as aids in worship. Often these figures are believed to bring well-being to those who possess or worship the figurines. The Mother and Child Figure is an example of shrine figure. It is believed to bring good health to mothers and children.
- Realism: Art work that records the world as it is. The artist draws or depicts what s/he sees as closely as possible. Realism is a style that is not used in the Mother and Child Figure. It is used to contrast the Mother and Child Figure with Bloodline: Big Family No. 2
- Abstraction: Art work that has identifiable subject matter, but is not completely realistic. The subject matter is simplified, stretched, warped or exaggerated in some way. The simplification, stretching, warping, and exaggeration is done for expressive reasons. The Mother and Child Figure is abstracted. The Henry Moore piece, Family Group, is also abstracted.
Lesson Activities
Activity 1- Family Portraits: A Discussion (2 Class Periods)
In the first part of the lesson the teacher will introduce the four central concepts.
In the second part of the discussion students should compare each of the 4 images. In addition the purpose of each piece should be discussed. This discussion should include the relationship between the purpose of the piece and the style of the piece.
Activity 2 - Research (1 class period)
Students will collect a variety of images to help the generate ideas for the next activity. Students will do research with some guidelines.
Students will research images of families via the internet. This research will be a way for students to gather ideas for their studio project.
Students will research images of families via the internet. This research will be a way for students to gather ideas for their studio project.
Activity 3-My Family Portrait
Students will create a family portrait. Each student should include him/herself and at least one other person (mother, father, grandparent, sibling, etc.). Students can also include other people in their family portrait (aunts, uncles, friends, pets, etc.) as long as they can articulate their reasons.
The family portrait will be a mixed media painting. Students will paint with acrylic paint on canvas. Then students will be allowed to add collage elements to the composition.
When creating this portrait students should have a purpose behind creating the image. Possible Purposes: a historical record, a shrine or "good luck" image, or a memorial.
- A "historical record," which depicts the image as the family is now.
- A "shrine" or "good luck" image would depict the family. It would also include positive images or symbols.
- A memorial could depict a time or event that the family experienced together. It could also include deceased members of the family.
- A religious or spiritual purpose. These could represent what the family values and/or the families traditions. It could be a similar to purpose as the shine images.
- Abstract-could be used to express any of the purposes. The student should be able to justify his use of the style in the written artist statement (which is done as part of Activity 4.)
- Realist- would be particularly useful for the purpose of the historical record.
- Expressive- a style used to express emotion through stylistic choices. Could also be used to for any purpose.
- A combination of styles could be used.
- It is most important that students justify the use of the particular style.
Before starting the final project students will sketch their ideas. The student will then discuss with the teacher the idea that has the most potential for success. As the projects proceeds students will have the opportunity to engage in further discussion, as needed.
Activity 4 - Sharing their work (2 class periods, with an additional 5 days after the last class period)
During the two class periods students will be assisted in the documentation of their art piece. Students will be assisted in photographing their work using a digital camera. These .jpeg files will be then uploaded to blog dedicated to the class. Along with the image students will upload a brief artist statement* (1-2 paragraphs). This artist statement should discuss the following things:
Why did I include these individuals?
After, students have uploaded their image and artist statement students will then be asked to comment 3 other students’ work by posting comments on the classroom blog. They have the option of doing this in class or at home, as long as it is done within 5 days.
*The artist statement should be word processed. Then it can be pasted to the blog, placed after the family portrait image.
The community blog will be set up using blogger.com. The teacher will set up a blog for the class and then help students set up, or use existing .gmail accounts to make individual posts to the site.
- My subject: Who are included in my family portrait?
Why did I include these individuals?
- What style is employed?
- What is the purpose of my family portrait?
After, students have uploaded their image and artist statement students will then be asked to comment 3 other students’ work by posting comments on the classroom blog. They have the option of doing this in class or at home, as long as it is done within 5 days.
*The artist statement should be word processed. Then it can be pasted to the blog, placed after the family portrait image.
The community blog will be set up using blogger.com. The teacher will set up a blog for the class and then help students set up, or use existing .gmail accounts to make individual posts to the site.
Disclaimer:
This website has been created for educational purposes and is not for profit. It partially fulfills ARTE360 Technology in Art Education requirements at Eastern Michigan University. All images are the property of Matthew Koegler and may not be copied. Copyright 2012, Matthew Koegler
This website has been created for educational purposes and is not for profit. It partially fulfills ARTE360 Technology in Art Education requirements at Eastern Michigan University. All images are the property of Matthew Koegler and may not be copied. Copyright 2012, Matthew Koegler