Contemporary Art Lesson Plans –
Elementary & Secondary
Ashley Singer
ARE 5359
University of Central Florida
Elementary 2-D
Faith Ringgold
Objectives
•
•
•
•
•
Understand that art can express stories
Based on images by Faith Ringgold
Examine how paintings can be created on fabric
Interpret meaning from the works of Ringgold
Understand how an artist's work can draw
inspiration from their families/heritage
• Create their own story quilt based on a personal
experience with their families
Statement of Origin
• Faith Ringgold
• Heather Anderson's -“Making
Women's Arts Visible” (1992).
• Work was colorful and relatable.
• Meaningful art experience
• Authentic art:
• Closely following artistic
practice
• Drawing from life
experiences (Giles, 1999
• Merge both of these practices in a
fun, relatable way.
Standards
• Critical Thinking
and Reflection
• Skills,
Techniques, and
Processes
• Organizational
Structure
• Innovation,
Technology, and
the Future
Faith Ringgold. Dancing at the Louvre. 1991
Acrylic on canvas, tie-dyed, pieced fabric border. 73.5 x 80"
Faith Ringgold. A Family Portrait. 1997
Acrylic on canvas; painted and pieced border. 79.5 x 80"
Faith Ringgold. The Sunflower Quilting Bee at Arles. 1991
Acrylic on canvas, tie-dyed, pieced fabric border. 74 x 80"
Procedures
1. Images and PBS video shown to students.
2. Discuss Ringgold’s work and method.
▫
How did Ringgold create her story quilt? How did she
take already made fabric her own artwork? Fabric art is
an ancient African tradition; why do you think Faith
Ringgold chose this method? What are some of the
subjects you see in her story quilts? Why do you think
these subjects mattered to her?
3. Use sketchbook and graphic organizer to develop
ideas.
4. Sketch and paint images on muslin and glue fabric
pieces for border.
5. Self-evaluation written in sketchbook.
Assessment
References
Anderson, H. (1992). “Making women artists visible.” Art Education, p.14-22.
Giles, A. (1999). “'School art' versus meaningful artistically authentic art
education.” NAEA Advisory. The National Art Education Association.
Johnson, E., Kukyndall, L., & Singer, A. (2013). Appendix B: “General
elementary and secondary assessment rubric.” University of Central
Florida.
PBS Video. (2009). “Craft in America: Faith Ringgold on creating Tar Beach
story quilt.” [Video]. WUCF. Retrieved from
http://video.pbs.org/video/2229400016/
Ringgold, F. (1991). Dancing at the Louvre. Retrieved from
http://www.faithringgold.com/ringgold/d11.htm
Ringgold, F. (1997). A Family Portrait. Retrieved from
http://www.faithringgold.com/ringgold/d23.htm
Ringgold, F. (1991). The Sunflower Quilting Bees at Arles. Retrieved from
http://www.faithringgold.com/ringgold/d15.htm
Elementary 3-D
Michelle Stitzlein
Objectives
• Examine how found objects and waste can be used
to create sculpture.
• Interpret meaning from the works of Stitzlein
• Understand how recycling ordinary objects into art
can give the objects new life.
• Discuss issue of consumerism, waste, etc.
• Assess art based on analysis from Linderman (1984)
• Create sculpture from found objects .
• Use similar critiquing strategies to assess each
other's work.
Statement of Origin
• Wanted to focus on found art using
the art of Louise Nevelson
• Found Michelle Stitzlein while
revising plans.
• Found art is an increasingly popular
and powerful art form, but it faces a
lot of scrutiny for being true art.
• Good way to incorporate some major
artistic assessment questions
• i.e. what makes something art,
what makes art beautiful, does it
have to be beautiful to be art, etc.
(Linderman, 1984).
Standards
• Critical Thinking
and Reflection
• Skills, Techniques,
and Processes
• Organizational
Structure
• Historical and
Global
Connections
• Innovation,
Technology, and
the Future
Michelle Stitzlein. Ochre Hornet Moth. 2007
80"h x 122"w x 12"d
Michelle Stitzlein. Clavichordium Blatta Moth. 2003.
44"h x 72"w x 15"d
Michelle Stitzlein. Sunburst Cilia Lichen. 2010.
36"diameter x 6"d
Procedures
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
▫
Collect found objects.
Open class with discussion on what art is made of and can
garbage be used for art.
Show Stitzlein images.
Discussion questions:
Do you like these images? Why or why not? What items do you
recognize in these images? Why do you think she chose to create
moths and lichens? (May need to define moth and lichen). What do
you think her point is? What do you think about the fact that this is
made up of garbage? What does that say about our waste in society?
Would you say that this art is beautiful? Does art have to be beautiful
to be good art? What is good art? What do we use to decide if it is
good?
Use sketchbook to develop sculpture idea.
Create sculpture using found objects.
Pair with other students and assess each other’s work using
worksheet.
Assessment
Assessed in two parts:
1. Sculpture
assessment
2. Peer assessment
worksheet
Assessment
References
Linderman, M. (1984). Art in the elementary school:
Drawing, painting, and creating for the classroom.
Dubuque, Iowa: W.C. Brown.
Stitzlein, M. (2003). Clavichordium Blatta Moth.
Retrieved from
http://www.artgrange.com/MichelleSculpture/michelles
sculpture14.html
Stitzlein, M. (2007). Ochre Hornet Moth. Retrieved from
http://www.artgrange.com/MichelleSculpture/michelles
sculpture3.html
Stitzlein, M. (2010). Sunburst Cilia Lichen. Retrieved from
http://www.artgrange.com/MichelleSculpture/michelles
sculpture18.html
Elementary Misc – Media Critique
Teen Magazines and Self-Image
Objectives
•
•
•
•
•
Examine the power of advertising
Explore the idea of personal image
Analyze cover images of teen magazines
Discuss the purposes and messages
Visit PBS Kids' website concerning media
enhancements
• Write a short paragraph about media tricks, a short
paragraph about how media affect their decisions
concerning their own or another's physical image,
and a short paragraph about how to deal with it
Statement of Origin
Standards
• Witnessed elementary school children
being affected by images from teen
magazines
• Never particularly liked the message teen
magazines communicate to children
• Students are impressionable
• Debatable age-range readership
• Expose advertisement techniques
• Discuss self-image
• Bullying and Cyber-Bulling
• Meaningful art
• Personal purpose “such as
confronting what is happening in
their world” (Giles, 1999).
• Critical
Thinking and
Reflection
• Historical and
Global
Connections
• Innovation,
Technology,
and the Future
Procedures
1.
2.
3.
4.
▫
Show images of front covers of Teen Vogue and Seventeen
Magazine.
Class discusses:
What is the first thing you see on each page? Why? What text stands
out most? Why? What about the subject stands out? Why? Is there
anything that you on the cover that makes you want to read the
magazine? What do you think they are trying to sell? To who? How are
they trying to sell it? What attributes do you think makes this person
beautiful or attractive? Do you think magazines like this tell you what
is beautiful? How do you think this can cause girls or boys to act about
themselves and how they look?
Pair at computers (potential trip to media center) and navigate
PBS KIDS advertisement education interactive website.
Write a five sentence paragraph about media tricks, a five
sentence paragraph about how they affect their decisions
concerning their own or another's physical image, and a five
sentence paragraph about how to deal with it.
Assessment
References
Blue, T. (2009, December 31). Taylor Momsen does Seventeen Magazine.
[Web log image]. Retrieved from http://tengossip.com/2009/12/31/taylormomsen-does-seventeen-magazine/
Don't buy it: Get media smart. (2004). PBS Kids. Retrieved from
http://pbskids.org/dontbuyit/advertisingtricks/
Faystyle. (2013). Magazine cover: AnnaSophia Robb by Jason Kibbler for Teen
Vogue February 2013. [Web log image] Retrieved from
http://faystyle.com/blog/2013/01/magazine-cover-annasophiarobbby-jason-kibbler-for-teen-vogue-february-2013/
Giles, A. (1999). “'School art' versus meaningful artistically authentic art
education.” NAEA
Advisory. The National Art Education Association.
Rimante. (2010, November 3). Planning and research – a girly music
magazine. [Web log image].
Retrieved from http://dngrimante.blogspot.com/2010/11/planning-and-research-girly-music.html
Secondary 2-D
Lesley Dill
Objectives
• Understand how images and literature can be
merged together in art
• Examine works by Lesley Dill
• Interpret the meanings of Dill’s work
• Understand how artists can draw inspiration
from what they read in poetry, novels,
newspapers, etc.
• Read through their own text choices
• Create an image that is inspired from their
reading.
Statement of Origin
• Inspired by reading development
class
• Part of the success in content-area
learning comes from students
interacting with a variety texts
(Coe & Smith, 2010).
• Learned about Dill in previous class
• Appropriate way to implement the
reading in art
• “An artistically authentic experience
closely follows the practices of artists”
(Giles, 1999)
Standards
• Critical Thinking
and Reflection
• Skills, Techniques,
and Processes
• Organizational
Structure
• Historical and
Global
Connections
• Innovation,
Technology, and
the Future
Lesley Dill
Eye Drop
1994
Balsa wood, metal,
copper & paper
assemblage
26.5 x 20.5"
Lesley Dill
A Word Made
Flesh...Arms
1994
Etching on rice paper,
thread
Lesley Dill
Poem Eyes #3
1996
photo silkscreen shellac,
thread on tea stained
muslin
Procedures
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
▫
Collect various text material.
Show Dill images.
Class discussion questions:
What do these images have in common? Do you recognize the
poet being quoted in the images? Why do you think poetry is
important enough to Dill that she includes it in her work? Can
you think of any other artists who uses text in their images?
How does reading and writing affect the artistic process?
Research through literary material and discuss in groups.
Use sketchbooks to develop art pieces using literary
inspiration.
Create piece using at least two media types on card board.
Write self-evaluation in sketchbooks.
Assessment
References
Coe, V. & Smith, L. (2010). “Learning Module 2”. WebCourses.
University of Central Florida. Retrieved from
https://webcourses.ucf.edu/courses/969999
Dill, L. (1994). A Word Made Flesh...Arms. Retrieved from
http://www.lesleydill.net/printmaking.html
Dill, L. (1994). Eye Drop. Retrieved from
http://www.lesleydill.net/graphicStudio.html
Dill, L. (1996). Poem Eyes #3. Retrieved from
http://www.lesleydill.net/textiles.html
Giles, A. (1999). “'School art' versus meaningful artistically
authentic art education.” NAEA Advisory. The National Art
Education Association.
Johnson, E., Kukyndall, L., & Singer, A. (2013). Appendix B:
“General elementary and secondary assessment rubric.”
University of Central Florida.
Secondary 3-D
Jean Shin
Objectives
• Understand that art can confront social issues
• Examine sculptures of Jean Shin
• Examine how ordinary objects can be used to create more
powerful messages
• Interpret meaning from the works of Shin
• Understand how artists can draw inspiration from everyday
occurrences and objects
• Assess images based on art analysis from Linderman (1984)
• Design a sculpture that they would like to create
• Write a short paragraph about how sculpture to addresses a
current issue and what objects would be most effective to use
• Use similar critiquing strategies to assess each other's work
Statement of Origin
Standards
• Found Jean Shin while looking
through web pages on
contemporary artists who work
with found objects in sculpture
• Content is extremely relevant and
clear
• Encourage students to produce
work that increases awareness
about current issues
• Reshaping the image of youth
to be “seen (and see
themselves) as contributors to
public life, not as public
nuisances” (Gude, 2007).
• Critical Thinking
and Reflection
• Organizational
Structure
• Historical and
Global
Connections
• Innovation,
Technology, and
the Future
Jean Shin. Sound Wave. 2007.
Melted 78 rpm records on wooden armature. 5.2 ft h x 12 ft w x 12 ft d
Jean Shin
Altered Trophies 1-9
(Everyday Monuments)
2009
Sets of five sports
trophies, painted and
cast resin
Jean Shin. Chance City. 2001-2009.
$32,404 worth of discarded "Scratch & Win" losing lottery tickets (no adhesive).
Approximately 7 ft h x 21 ft w x 10 ft d
Procedures
1. Show Shin images.
2. Use student analysis cards to discuss assess Shin’s
work.
▫
Description, subject, visual structure, historical
significance, interpretation, aesthetics, and
judgement (Linderman, 1984)
3. Design sculpture in sketchbook.
4. Write short paragraph about purpose of piece and
what objects they would use and why.
5. Assess each other’s work in groups of four and
write feedback in at least five of Linderman’s
analysis areas.
Assessment
References
Gude, O. (2007). Principles and possibilities:
Considerations for a 21st-century art & culture
curriculum. Art Education, 60(1), p. 6-17.
Linderman, M. (1984). Art in the elementary school:
Drawing, painting, and creating for the classroom.
Dubuque, Iowa: W.C. Brown.
Shin, J. (2001-09). Chance City. Retrieved from
http://www.jeanshin.com/chance_city.htm
Shin, J. (2009). Everyday Monuments. Retrieved from
http://www.jeanshin.com/everyday_monuments.htm
Shin, J. (2007). Sound Wave. Retrieved from
http://www.jeanshin.com/soundwave.htm
Secondary Misc – Photography
Shirin Neshat
Objectives
• Examine works by Shirin Neshat
• Understand how art is used to identify with global
struggles on a personal scale
• Interpret meaning from the works of Neshat
• Understand how an artist's work can inform other
cultures about their culture and how they can draw
inspiration from their own backgrounds and societal
issues
• Write a one page paper about a personal struggle,
societal issue, or cultural problem, how it makes them
similar to Neshat, and in what ways are they different.
• Class will work collectively to create a photography
project based on The Book of Kings Exhibit
Statement of Origin
•
•
•
•
Found Shirin Neshat in a previous class
Story is:
Inspirational
Relevant considering our society's current
focus on Middle Eastern culture and
beliefs
• Understanding the life behind art allows
us to “begin to see the connections
between art history and virtually every
realm of human experience” (Martin,
1993).
• Photography - new and exciting element
in the class
• Show how art does connect the various
aspects of our humanity.
Standards
• Critical Thinking
and Reflection
• Skills, Techniques,
and Processes
• Organizational
Structure
• Historical and
Global
Connections
• Innovation,
Technology, and
the Future
Shirin Neshat
The Book of Kings Exhibit
2012
(top Roja)
Ink on LE gelatin silver print
Shirin Neshat
Allegience with
Wakefulness
1994
C-print
13.5x10.4in
Shirin Neshat
Speechless
1996
Gelatin silver print
14x11in
Procedures
1.
Class discussion to state what we do know about Iranian culture,
struggles, and women’s issues.
Show Neshat images.
Conduct class discussion:
2.
3.
▫
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Do you think a man or a woman created these images? Do you think someone
from Iran created them or an “outsider”? What significance do you think there
is about the presence of guns in the images? What about the exposed faces,
feet, arms, etc? What do you think the writing might be about?
Give brief Neshat background and show Neshat’s TED Talk.
Class discussion for feedback about video.
Write a one page paper about a personal struggle, societal issue, or
cultural problem, how it makes them similar to Neshat, and in what ways
are they different.
Pair up to write partner’s message in cursive in sketchbooks.
Message written in cursive using water-based acrylic pens.
Pose for pictures to use for The Book of Kings inspired class piece.
Assessment
References
Martin, F. (1993). “Teaching art history: Research and synthesis”. University
of Arkansas at Little Rock. University Reader.
Neshat, S. (1994). Allegiance with Wakefulness. Retrieved from
http://www.medienkunstnetz.de/works/allegiance-with-wakefulness/
Neshat, S. (2012). The Book of Kings Exhibit. Retrieved from
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012 01-17/arab-spring-dotty-hirst-275-million-for-sunflower-seeds-chelsea-art.html
Neshat, S. (2012). Roja. Retrieved from
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-17/arab-spring dotty-hirst-275-million-for-sunflower-seeds-chelsea-art.html
Neshat, S. (1996). Speechless. Retrieved from
http://micasaesmimundo.blogspot.com/2007/03/shirin neshatdocumenta-la-mujer-irani.html
TED Talks. (2010). “Shirin Neshat: Art in exile.” [Video]. TED Conferences.
Retrieved from
http://www.ted.com/talks/shirin_neshat_art_in_exile.html