4. Animal Assembly / Final Critique

Grade Level

Grades 9-12, 90 Minutes

Rationale

Every society and subset of society has their own virtues. Through this unit of study, students will learn what virtues their communities value and promote, allowing the students to assess whether their own personal beliefs align with these virtues. If they do, then students can move forward as a confident and engaged member of their own community and strive to cultivate these virtues in their own life. If their community’s virtues do not align with their beliefs, they will be encouraged to seek out or develop their own set of virtues to guide them as they progress through life.

In this unit of study, students will also work to develop their abstract thinking skills through the creation of symbols based off abstract concepts. Highly developed abstract thinking helps students to more easily process complex ideas and to use theories or metaphors to solve problems.

Key Concepts

   every society and subset of society has their own virtues
   virtues are context specific and highly situational
   virtues are an abstract concept often communicated through visual symbols in art
   animals have agreed upon associations that help them serve as visual representations of abstract concepts

Essential Questions

1. Why does my community value and promote these virtues?
2. How do we communicate the idea of a virtue to individuals in communities other than our own?

Objectives 

•   The student will be able to identify virtues that are valued and promoted in their communities today by interviewing friends and family and generating a list of their own virtues.
•   The student will be able to design and construct a sculpture that serves as a visual symbol of one virtue, of their choosing.
•   The student will be able to justify their choice of animal archetype by explaining how the animal they chose symbolizes their specific virtue, through class discussion and critique .

Specific Art Content

   art can be used as a form of communication
•   combinations of shape and form can be used to represent ideas
   sculpture can be used for self-expression and communication

Resources and Materials

computer, projector, large screen, sketchbooks, pencils, colored pencils, pens, markers, charcoal, pastel, clay slabs,  clay tools, small paintbrushes

Instruction and Its Sequencing:  Day 1

This lesson will cover two days of classes.  The first half of this lesson the students will be allowed to continue working on their animal sculptures for the entire class period.   During the second half/day of this lesson the students will finish up their animal sculptures and then participate in a class critique.  

Begin class by instructing all of the students to retrieve their in progress sculptures.  This day will be devoted entirely to working on this final project.   Move among the students providing instructions, demonstrations, and feedback as needed.    (85 minutes)

When there are only five minutes left in class, it is time to clean up – instruct the students to stop working, and begin cleaning up.  All of the in-progress sculptures will need to be covered in plastic trash bags and stored securely.  Ask the students to help return any supplies they used to their proper locations.  Inform them that we will continue working on this assignment during the next class.  (5 minutes)

1. Introduction/Motivation
Begin class by instructing all of the students to retrieve their in progress sculptures.  This day will be devoted entirely to working on this final project.
2. Guided Practice
How can we create an animal form with simplified geometric shapes?  How do these design constraints affect your choices as an artist.  Which virtue did you choose to investigate further?  Why did you choose this virtue?  What animal did you choose as a symbol of this virtue?  Why did you choose this animal?
3. Independent Practice
Students will practice the cutting out shapes from a hard clay slab and connecting them by scoring them and applying slip.  Students will use this method to complete a sculpture of an animal of their choosing that symbolizes a virtue valued and promoted in their community.
4. Closure
When there are only five minutes left in class, it is time to clean up – instruct the students to stop working, and begin cleaning up.  All of the in-progress sculptures will need to be covered in plastic trash bags and stored securely.  Ask the students to help return any supplies they used to their proper locations.  Inform them that we will continue working on this assignment during the next class.
5. Formative Evaluation
The guided practice questions listed in section 2 above will serve as formative evaluation. If the students are unable to answer these questions, then they will need to be rephrased or simplified in a way that allows the students to demonstrate that learning is taking place.  If a student is not clear on what they should be doing, the teacher will sit with them on an individual or small group basis and re-demonstrate the tasks that are required for the day’s lesson.
6. Classroom Management Procedures
Students should be encouraged to raise their hand before speaking. Do not allow students to speak when the teacher is speaking. Encourage questions and answers that contribute to the subject being discussed. Walk around the room while students are working to offer assistance and encouragement. Monitor conversations at the art tables. Do not allow students to use art materials improperly.

Instruction and Its Sequencing:  Day 2

Begin class by instructing all of the students to retrieve their in progress sculptures.  The first half of this day will be devoted entirely to working on this final project.  (45 minutes)

If all of the students have not yet finished, ask them to get to a stopping point in order to participate in class critique.  Instead of gathering everyone in one large group for critique, have the class walk around to each student’s work area to see their animal sculpture.  Each student should speak to their choice of virtue, and their choice of animal symbol.  They should explain how the animal they chose symbolizes their virtue.   Encourage the students to speak to challenges and successes they experienced when working on this project.   Allow time for one or two pieces of constructive feedback for each student.  (40 minutes)

When there are only five minutes left in class, it is time to clean up – wrap up the critique and instruct the students to stop working and begin cleaning up.   Ask the students to help return any supplies they used to their proper locations.   (5 minutes)

1. Introduction/Motivation
Begin class by instructing all of the students to retrieve their in progress sculptures.  Inform them that this will be the last day they will be able to work on the project in class and that they will be required to participate in an informal class critique during the second half of class.
2. Guided Practice
How can we create an animal form with simplified geometric shapes?  How do these design constraints affect your choices as an artist.  Which virtue did you choose to investigate further?  Why did you choose this virtue?  What animal did you choose as a symbol of this virtue?  Why did you choose this animal?  How does your animal symbolize this virtue?
3. Independent Practice
Students will practice the cutting out of shapes from hard clay slabs and connecting them together by scoring and applying slip.  Students will use this method to complete a sculpture of an animal of their choosing that symbolizes a virtue valued and promoted in their community.
4. Closure
When there are only five minutes left in class, it is time to clean up – instruct the students to stop working, and begin cleaning up.   Ask the students to help return any supplies they used to their proper locations.
5. Formative Evaluation
The guided practice questions listed in section 2 above will serve as formative evaluation. If the students are unable to answer these questions, then they will need to be rephrased or simplified in a way that allows the students to demonstrate that learning is taking place.  If a student is not clear on what they should be doing, the teacher will sit with them on an individual or small group basis and re-demonstrate the tasks that are required for the day’s lesson.
6. Classroom Management Procedures
Students should be encouraged to raise their hand before speaking. Do not allow students to speak when the teacher is speaking. Encourage questions and answers that contribute to the subject being discussed. Walk around the room while students are working to offer assistance and encouragement. Monitor conversations at the art tables. Do not allow students to use art materials improperly.

Summative Assessment and Evaluation

The clay forms created during class will serve as summative assessment for the days activities.  The clay forms will demonstrate that the students are able to relate the abstract concept of virtues to concrete visual symbols and that they are able to use these symbols to create art. The students will also be given a rubric to guide them and to encourage self-evaluation as they create their sculptures.  The rubric will be used to grade the final versions of the animal sculpture assignment as well.  That rubric can be found here.

References and Resources

Aristotle, ., Ross, W. D., & Brown, L. (2009). The Nicomachean ethics. Oxford: Oxford  University Press.

 

Art TEKS

•  117.111 (b)(1)(A) – explore ideas from life experiences about self, peers, family, school, or community and from the imagination as sources for original works of art;
•  117.111 (b)(2)(A) – integrate ideas drawn from life experiences to create original works of art;
•  117.111 (b)(2)(C) – produce drawings; paintings; prints; sculpture, including modeled forms; and other art forms such as ceramics, fiber art, constructions, mixed media, installation art, digital art and media, and photographic imagery using a variety of materials.
•  117.111 (b)(3)(A) – identify simple main ideas expressed in artworks from various times and places;

National Art Standards

•  Anchor Standard #1. Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.
•  Anchor Standard #6. Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work.
•  Anchor Standard #7. Perceive and analyze artistic work.
•  Anchor Standard #8. Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work.
•  Anchor Standard #10. Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art.