UNIT PLAN TITLE
Thinking in Three Dimensions-and Beyond!
TEACHER(S)
ARTIST(S)
Ellen McNamara & Kat Henry
John Lyons, with Brian Brubach
SCHOOL
GRADE
ART FORM(S)
Pulaski International School of Chicago
7th grade
Film
OVERVIEW & BIG IDEAS FOR UNIT
This residency will teach students how to move through the steps of making a film, from
pre-production, to production to post-production and connect the filmmaking process and
theme to content areas in each classroom, and social emotional skills of team work,
planning, and execution.
GUIDING QUESTIONS FOR UNIT
How can we teach about two and three dimensional thinking across math and film?
How can we utilize our students’ interests in Goosebumps books and horror stories to engage them in this
project?
How can the composition of each shot in film reinforce the ideas in the story to be told?
How can film help students to be able to better visualize, execute and communicate ideas?
INTENTIONS FOR TEACHING & LEARNING
AS A RESULT OF THIS UNIT, WHAT DO YOU WANT YOUR STUDENTS
TO KNOW AND BE ABLE TO DO IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS?
ART FORM(S) AND PROCESS:
ACADEMIC CONTENT AREA(S):
SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT:
Using Film for 3-D Thinking
Pre-production
Visualization, Storyboarding
Production
Composition, Shot Size,
Perspective, focus, 3-D models
Post-production
Editing, sequencing
-Two and three dimensional
thinking in Math
Language Arts-Visualization,
perspective, point-of-view
Persuasive Writing: pitching ideas
-Become more organized in their
work. To make a plan and follow it
step-by-step.
-Participate in constructive and
respectful critiques
-Work as a team to come to
consensus in ideas
-Gain confidence in presenting
and pitching ideas
-Feel ownership of own and
group’s ideas.
How to create “nets” in math to
build 3-D objects
Visualization
-Circumference of a circle
©Columbia College Chicago, 2011
PLANS FOR DOCUMENTING THIS UNIT
[ ] journals
[ ] photos
[x] audio
[ ] video
[x] pre/post examples of student work
[ ] other:
PLANS FOR ASSESSING STUDENT LEARNING/DEVELOPMENT
Students will be asked to make a drawing at the beginning and end of the residency to show how they can
compose a shot based on communicating an idea. They can compare their understanding of 3 dimensional
thinking pre and post the residency. They will work from their own texts-the horror stories they wrote in
class already.
TEXT & IMAGE SOURCES OF
INSPIRATION / MODEL ARTWORKS
Hitchcock films-Scenes from
Rear Windon
Work by students at Snow
City Arts Foundation-Horror
film
Goosebump Books
ART AND ACADEMIC CONTENT VOCABULARY
1)
COMPOSITION
EQUIPMENT & MATERIALS
LCD projector
Speakers
PERSPECTIVE
FOCUS
3-prong binder/folders (total
of 27 needed)
SHOT SIZE
POINT-OF-VIEW
CHARACTER (CLOSAT)
LOCATION
Flatland movie trailer
OBJECT
ENGAGE
SITUATION
2) ACTION
THEME 12) VISUALIZATION
WEEK
1
2
3
CREATE A SAFE COMMUNITY OF LEARNERS | LEARNING THE LANGUAGE OF THE ARTS
Assessment given to students before the class begins. See Assessment above.
Introduction to film
Introductory exercise-Tell the story behind your name.
Introduction to the idea of film shots. (look at Rear Window, Lost House , Flatland)
Talk about the kinds of films shots available to tell a story.
Qualities of making a Pitch-Set up the movie design problem, ask students to work on
making a movie pitch in small groups.
PROBLEM: Create a horror movie that speaks to the conflicts between a 2-D and 3-D world.
Make pitches, select the ones to be used for the movie.
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©Columbia College Chicago, 2011
IMMERSE
WEEK
IMMERSION IN THE BIG IDEAS
Begin working on story boards and script development.
5
6
Storyboards should be done by this week. Begin building 3-D nets and model for the set of
the movie.
Filming Session: Build model, shoot scenes,
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Filming session: Revise and reshoot
REFINE
8
WEEK
REVISE & SHARE | PERFORM & EXHIBIT | REFLECT & ASSESS
Sound effects and voice overs.
9
Editing Film
10
Editing film
11
Culminating Event and Reflection
12
13
DESCRIPTION OF CULMINIATING EVENT
Students will share their movie(s) with all the Project AIM classrooms
Date: ___________________
Location: __________________
# of students presenting work: ______
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©Columbia College Chicago, 2011
Project AIM introduces public school teachers and students to the authentic arts practice of artists by
partnering teaching artists from Columbia College Chicago and community-based art organizations with
public school teachers. The talented Project AIM Teaching Artist Cadre brings professional expertise in:
creative writing, spoken-word performance, theatre, music, visual arts, book and paper arts,
photography, dance and film to the classroom.
Artists and teachers work together to infuse the classroom with creativity and experiential learning that
connect arts processes and personal experiences to the core curriculum. Using inquiry-based teaching
methods, these teams guide their students through each step of the creative process from
brainstorming, writing first drafts, revision and rehearsal, to exemplary performances, exhibitions, and
documentation of their work.
INTEGRATION
Focusing on the integration of word and image, Project AIM explores the parallels between arts and
literacy learning. Artists and teachers jointly create arts-integrated curriculum that promotes reading
and writing through the arts. Classrooms are transformed into studios and performance spaces where
students are engaged in a powerful learning cycle in and through the arts. As a result, students learn
higher-order thinking skills by translating their ideas across mediums.
MENTORSHIP
Project AIM provides many opportunities for mentorship between teachers, artists, students and
college faculty. It establishes reciprocal learning communities that provide professional development
through hands-on workshops, cooperative classroom learning laboratories and summer institutes.
Monthly artist meetings are a key feature and an invaluable opportunity for teaching artists to share,
and learn from, their peers. Project AIM works with principals, school-based steering committees, and
local school councils to develop arts programming that supports positive, whole school change. Project
AIM also enriches the arts-integration practice of participating faculty at Columbia College Chicago.
For more information, please visit www.colum.edu/ccap or contact (insert applicable
person)
The Arts Integration Mentorship Project (Project AIM) is supported in part by the U.S. Department of
Education Arts in Education Model Development and Dissemination program, National Endowment for the
Arts, Chicago Public Schools, the Searle Funds at the Chicago Community Trust, Crown Family
Philanthropies, Leo S. Guthman Fund, JCCC Foundation, JPMorgan Chase Foundation, Polk Bros.
Foundation, Terra Foundation for American Art, and an anonymous foundation. Special thanks to Columbia
College Chicago.
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©Columbia College Chicago, 2011