UNIT PLAN TITLE
Solve for X:
A Study in Art, Math, and Identity
in collaboration with “African American Artists: Lost and Found”
TEACHER(S)
ARTIST(S)
Luke Albrecht
Leah Mayers
SCHOOL
GRADE
ART FORM(S)
Crown Community Academy
6, 7, 8
Collage, Artist Trading Cards
OVERVIEW & BIG IDEAS FOR UNIT
If you equal X then by identity property X+0=X.
The idea of identity both personal and mathematical. Thinking about math properties and
looking at properties as foundational ideas of math thinking.
GUIDING QUESTIONS FOR UNIT
How can the understanding of number systems and specifically equation operational properties inform your
understanding of yourself? How can students use ideas of distributive property to incorporate the
style/technique of African American visual artists to their own art making about identity?
TRANSLATION GOAL
Students will be able to translate the concept/principle of identity across Art/Collage/ATC’s (art
form) and mathematics/algebra (academic area) as evidenced by a deck of identity cards. (project).
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:
Artists Trading Cards utilizing
technique of collage to produce
beautiful little works of art that
explore properties of Identity of
numbers and Identity of self.
FINE ARTS: Use of foreground,
background, & focal point on
Artist Trading Cards using a
variety of collage techniques.
Cards clearly demonstrate three
distinct artistic styles.
MATH: ATC’s are correctly
labeled in algebra symbols as
identity property, commutative
property, distributive property, etc.
(verso), and properties and
property relationships are evident
to any audience (recto).
Student uses the basic properties
of algebraic equations as rules for
a deck of ATCs.
Self-expression in a variety of
media. Critical thinking. Maturely
participate in class discussions.
Ability to consider work made by
self and others. Be able to listen
and communicate ideas in nonjudgmental ways.
©Columbia College Chicago, 2012
PLANS FOR DOCUMENTING THIS UNIT
[ ] journals
[x] photos
[ ] audio
[x] video
[ ] pre/post examples of student work
[ ] other:
PLANS FOR ASSESSING STUDENT LEARNING/DEVELOPMENT
•
Pre, Mid, and Post Assessment (set of questions written by Luke Albrecht):
1. How do you think math and visual arts are related?
2. How do you think studying math and visual art making together improves your
understanding of math concepts?
3. What do you think or know about African American visual Artists?
•
•
•
•
Cards themselves: are they readable to the 206 Community of students and teachers?
Group administered Rubric.
Teacher’s notes regarding student participation.
Letters to peers concerning their card trade.
TEXT & IMAGE SOURCES OF
INSPIRATION / MODEL ARTWORKS
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
ENGAGE
•
Jacob Lawrence
Jean Lacy
Romare Beardon
Kevin Wisor’s collages
Street art/graffiti
Mr. Albrecht’s ATCs
ATC work from last
year’s AIM students.
Current student work.
WEEK
ART AND ACADEMIC CONTENT VOCABULARY
1) ATC
6) IDENTITY
2) BONE FOLDER
7) PROPERTY
3) VERSO/RECTO
8) DISTRIBUTIVE
4) COLLAGE
5) BACKGROUND,
FOREGROUND,
FOCAL POINT
9) COMMUTATIVE
EQUIPMENT & MATERIALS
Artist Trading Cards
Collage Images
Bone Folders
Glue Sticks
Scissors
Plastic Sleeves
Pencils
6) ENCLOSURE
CREATE A SAFE COMMUNITY OF LEARNERS | LEARNING THE LANGUAGE OF THE ARTS
January 10, 2012
I.
1
Community breakfast 8:30
A. Slide options: Romare Bearden http://www.nga.gov/feature/bearden/170025.htm “Pittsburgh Memory 1964”; Kevin Wisor (friend and filmmaker)
http://collagesbykevinwisor.com/index2.php; A little different but still using
materials layered in order to say something, Iraqi artist Hana' Malallah
http://artandpoliticsnow.blogspot.com/2010/06/two-iraqi-artists-and-onepalestinian.html. Street art: http://www.streetartutopia.com/?p=5982. Student
work from last year.
B. What grabs you? What is interesting? Identify some qualities of art: back, fore,
focal point (vocab). What is the artist doing to tell their story?
C. ATC card (vocab). What is it? Size, trade, 2-D. (Orig., series, edition). Write
your name on it, legibly (vocab), and make it visible every period.
Introductions. What is your variable? Verso.
2
©Columbia College Chicago, 2012
Stretch Draft Card – all about you. No real rules but remember what you saw earlier in the
professional works. STUDIO. Meditate.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
I.
Look at Draft cards: What do you notice? Can you “read” them? (Multiplicative Identity
Property: x(1) = x
II. Signature Card: You as expressed without obvious symbols, your essence. What kind
of person are you vs. just what you love/hate. Not what you love per se but why
do you love it? (Dog and football example.) Identify a major player in/of your
identity, your you-ness. Solve for x.
A. Simplify card to its essential elements, to its fundamental vocabulary, let the
viewer “read” your work as well as make it visually interesting, (does it look
good close up and far away?)
Stretch
2
B. STUDIO
C. GALLERY WALK: Signature Card out. What you notice (that you like) and a
question for the artist (informational). Has the student artist made clear a back,
fore, & fp?
1. Vocabulary, stretch word usage for specificity and enhancement.
Synonyms for ‘great’ or ‘interesting’ (exciting, intriguing, moving,
admirable, dynamic, appealing, moving, etc.) What is it about the
card, the artist’s choices that make you feel/think that way?
III. Wrap up. Tomorrow we make our Plus-One Card. (Card #2)
Introduction of Techniques and Tools
Meditate.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
I.
Look at work
A. Question for the artist?
B. Does the artist have a question for us?
II. Verso
A. Signature card: X = your name
3
B. Plus-One: P (or whatever stands for passion) = meaning
C. Date
III. Plus-One Card quick discussion
A. Find one defining characteristic about you, this card is a tribute to that passion
e.g., acting, football, reading, cooking.
B. Simplify – Quit while you’re ahead; less is more.
3
©Columbia College Chicago, 2012
Stretch
IV. STUDIO: 20 mins./silent 5
V. Write on 5 x 7” card
A. Recto – How did you define yourself on your Signature Card? (card 1) (ex. X=
Like being outside, team sports.)
B. Verso – Why is this your passion? On Plus-One Card (card 2) (P=football)
VI. Bonus – bring in your own card, correct measurements, no thinner than our cards.
VII. Jacob Lawrence – 1 slide
Meditate.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
I.
Look at 1 slide of Jacob Lawrence’s; spend some time (work can be hard to see at
first, so much packed into picture frame). Can we identify F, B, & FP? What
stands out to you about his style?
II. Look at work and Recall from last week
A. Additive Identity Property: what is x? What is x+0=x?
B. We made 2 cards, what were they?
1. Signature Card (Identity Card)
2. Plus-One Card (Verso, e.g. F=?)
4
Stretch
III. STUDIO
A. Catch-up from last week.
1. Finish both cards.
2. Silent work time, first 5 mins. ~ 15 mins. total.
IV. Jacob Lawrence (Distributive Property, J(x+f) = Jx + Jf)
A. Tomorrow we will be making another Identity Card and another Plus-One Card
in Jacob Lawrence’s style.
B. Show another Jacob Lawrence slide. Jot down 3 words to describe what you
see. What do you like that you’d want to borrow?
Meditation – self-directed.
4
©Columbia College Chicago, 2012
IMMERSE
WEEK
IMMERSION IN THE BIG IDEAS
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
I.
Math: Distributive Property - video
II. Look closely at Lawrence’s paintings: Discuss Style: expressionistic, bold color,
diagonal plane, machines, crowded picture plane.
III. New Cards. J(x + P) = Jx + JP (e.g. P=passion but use whatever variable you used in
first Plus-One Card.)
A. Signature Card/Identity Card - Jx
1. Do we need to figure out how to spend some more time on personal
identity? What would your best friend/mom say about you? Not what you
like or don’t like but who are you? (Dispense with clichés and symbols.)
a. “I like (my plus-one) because I’m ___________.
b.
If you love _______________, what does that say about you?”
2. Luke’s new Signature Card. Discuss: style, math, composition. What is Mr.
Albrecht doing, saying, and can you read/understand it?
5
B. New Plus-One Card – JP (consistently use the same identity foundation,
i.e. don’t change your essential you-ness from card to card. Pick an ‘x’
and pick a ‘0.’)
Stretch
IV. STUDIO 20 minutes/silent 5
A. Assignment: Lay down one bold background color or pattern, cover whole
card, nicely glued down, smoothed with bone folder, trimmed.
B. Simplify – Focal Point can be in the background or foreground. Lawrence
didn’t make images that looked exactly like his subjects. Don’t find a tree,
make a tree. Use the least number of images to convey your meaning. Adding
more doesn’t nec. make your message clearer.
V. Look at Work
A. Use graphic organizer to write notes. What are you seeing? What are you
wondering about? What do you think is going on? Does the artist have a
question of us?
B. How is the math being integrated? Can you tell what is going on in these
cards?
C. Introduce elements of Rubric
1.
You will be graded on your two favorite cards. You will be assessing
5
©Columbia College Chicago, 2012
each other.
2.
Label verso with mathematical notation that clearly corresponds to
image on recto.
Meditate.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
I.
Yesterday - Quick discussion (breakfast)
A. What did we do and what was the Math: Distributive Property
B. Where are we having the most trouble?
II. Graphic Organizer from yesterday. Look at work. (We will be doing this in small group
assessments next week.)
A. What did we write? What are you curious about? Does the artist want
suggestions? (No “You shoulda.”)
B. Do you see evidence of Jacob Lawrence’s style? “When the subject is strong,
simplicity is the only way to treat it.”
C. Is the Focal Point clear?
6
III. Short drawing exercise on cards – pick at least 1 from each group (A. & B.): no
hearts, no words, no obvious equipment. "I would describe my work as
expressionist. The expressionist point of view is stressing your own feelings about
something."
A. Love, excited, kind, hate, time, humorous/funny.
B. Dance, video games, football, fashion, family.
Stretch
IV. STUDIO
V. Inventory
A. Lay them all out - 4.
1. Make sure you know what they all are, that they are labeled correctly on
the back, that the variables are consistent.
VI. Questions?
VII. Next Week: new artist – Jean Lacy.
Meditate – self-directed.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
I.
7
Breakfast
A. Quick Recall
B. Volunteer(s) to come up to board to draw (abstract) “love”, “dance”, and “safe.”
6
©Columbia College Chicago, 2012
II. Explain Rubric
A. Break into small groups with people who do not usually sit with you.
B. For the groups not sitting with Luke or with Leah:
1. Write mid-term assessment, enclosures, word search, STUDIO – quiet-ish
C. After your group is done, you can have studio time to work on cards based on
feedback.
D. This should be quiet-ish, concentrated STUDIO work time.
III. RUBRIC, 2 groups at a time with teachers.
IV. Exit Slip: If you have a question about assessment/Rubric or anything else, write it on
a card, hand it to us before you leave.
V. Tomorrow we start studying a new artist: Jean Lacy. We will make another
Identity/Signature Card and another Plus Card in the style of Jean Lacy.
Meditate.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
I. Breakfast
A. Quick Recall
B. Volunteer(s) to come up to board to draw (abstract) “love”, “dance”, and “safe.”
II. Explain Rubric
A. Break into small groups with people who do not usually sit with you.
B. For the groups not sitting with Luke or with Leah:
8
1. Write mid-term assessment, enclosures, word search, STUDIO – quiet-ish
C. After your group is done, you can have studio time to work on cards based on
feedback.
D. This should be quiet-ish, concentrated STUDIO work time.
III. RUBRIC, 2 groups at a time with adults.
IV. Exit Slip: If you have a question about assessment/Rubric or anything else, write it
on a card, hand it to us before you leave.
V. Tomorrow we start studying a new artist: Jean Lacy. We will make another I
identity/Signature Card and another Plus Card in the style of Jean Lacy.
7
©Columbia College Chicago, 2012
REFINE
WEEK
REVISE & SHARE | PERFORM & EXHIBIT | REFLECT & ASSESS
Thursday, January 26, 2012
I.
Breakfast
A. Look at as much student work as we can fit in with document projector
(ELMO).
B. Fill out Graphic Organizer: What do you notice (interesting things only at this
point)? Question for the artist? Etc.
C. Can we discern which card is which? Signature/Identity; Plus; Jacob’s
influenced I. & P.; Lacy influenced I. & P.
D. How has the student artist’s work evolved from first session to today? (Could
compare 3 signature cards with one student as an example.)
Stretch
II. STUDIO
9
A.
All cards (6) should be just about finished.
B.
Identity Cards
III. Plus Cards
IV. Five silent work minutes
V. Look at as much student work as we can via document projector. Ideally every
student artist gets 1 card shown.
VI. Reminders: Card to TRADE . . . your best effort. Take home Enclosure diagram if you
wish.
VII. Next week
A. 1/31 – Whole Deck Gallery Walk. Wee studio for finishing touches or
Enclosures (e.g. label versos; glue down all loose corners & edges, use bone
folder; trim to fit).
B. 2/1 – Rubric
C. 2/2 – Rubric cont’d. Trade (Be Cool). If time allows, ltrs of thanks (be specific,
e.g. I liked your background because . . .) or Monday 2/6 if necessary.
D. We will keep your folders for a while to document work.
Meditate.
8
©Columbia College Chicago, 2012
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
I.
Breakfast
A. Today we’re going to do a full Gallery Walk.
1. No touching; hands behind back. Silence.
2. Graphic Organizer?
II. Gallery Walk – 5 mins.?
A. You will be trading your best card.
Photograph
II. Quick Shout-Outs “I liked _____’s card because . . .” 5 mins.
A. No questions.
B. Walk around, show card to them vs. under projector.
Stretch.
III. STUDIO (don’t think, just make)
IV. Full Deck: 6 cards
10
V. 3 pairs: Identity Card & Plus Card.
VI. 3 distinct styles
VII. Five silent work minutes
VIII.
Tomorrow
A. Rubric in small groups. The whole group will be discussing each student’s
deck.
B. When you are not being assessed, you may: Enclosure, word find. . . ?
IX. Thursday
A. Finish Rubric.
B. “Be Cool” quick discussion.
C. Trade.
D. Write ltr to peer (or Monday)
Meditate – self-directed.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
11
I.
Itinerary on board
9
©Columbia College Chicago, 2012
II. Rubric – new small groups – each kid has Score Sheet
E. 15 mins. per table; 1 deck in depth as model; group assesses each other.
III. Not being assessed?
A. Write Post-Assessment 3 questions.
B. Make an Enclosure.
C. Work on card to trade.
D. Work on Recycling project.
Meditate – self-directed.
IV. Tomorrow
V. Finish Rubric.
VI. “Be Cool” quick discussion.
VII. Trade.
VIII.
Plastic Sleeves.
IX. Write ltr to peer (or Monday).
Take home Enclosure diagrams if you wish.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
I.
Itinerary on board
STRETCH – SHAKE OUT - YELL
II. Finish Rubric – new small groups – each kid has Score Sheet
A. 15 mins. per table; 1 deck in depth as model; group assesses each other.
B. (Will we need a 3rd Rubric day?)
III. Not being assessed?
12
1. Answer Post-Assessment questions (3).
2. Enclosure(s). Take home diagrams if you wish. (Use bone folders.)
3. Work on card to trade.
4. Work on Recycling project.
IV. Trade
A. “Be Cool” quick discussion.
10
©Columbia College Chicago, 2012
B. Trade.
C. Plastic Sleeves.
D. Write ltr to peer (or Monday).
Meditate.
DESCRIPTION OF CULMINIATING EVENT
Date: _February 14, 2012_
Location: ___Gym________ # of students presenting work: __All___
ILLINOIS STATE FINE ARTS STANDARDS
State Standard/Goal #
State Standard/Goal #
26. A.3e Describe how
the choices of
tools/technologies and
processes are used to
create specific effects
in the arts.
25. A.3d Identify and
describe the elements
of value, perspective
and color schemes;
the principles of
contrast, emphasis
and unity; and the
expressive qualities of
thematic development
and sequence.
State Standard/Goal #
State Standard/Goal #
ILLINOIS STATE CORE CURRICULUM STANDARDS
State Standard/Goal #
State Standard/Goal #
State Standard/Goal #
State Standard/Goal #
IL.8.A.3a Apply the
basic properties of
commutative,
associative,
distributive, transitive,
inverse, identity, zero,
equality and order of
operations to solve
problems.
CC.9-12.N.CN.2
Perform arithmetic
operations with
complex numbers. Use
the relation i2 = –1 and
the commutative,
associative, and
distributive properties
to add, subtract, and
multiply complex
numbers.
CC.K-12.R.R.7
Integration of
Knowledge and Ideas:
Integrate and evaluate
content presented in
diverse formats and
media, including
visually and
quantitatively, as well
as in words.
K-12 SL R.1
CC.K-12.SL.1
Comprehension and
Collaboration: Prepare
for and participate
effectively in a range of
collaborations with
diverse partners,
building on others’
ideas and expressing
their own clearly and
persuasively.
11
©Columbia College Chicago, 2012
DESCRIPTION OF UNIT DOCUMENTATION
AND/OR STUDENT ASSESSMENT
•
•
•
•
•
Pre, Mid, and Post Assessment (set of questions written by Luke Albrecht):
1. How do you think math and visual arts are related?
2. How do you think studying math and visual art making together
improves your understanding of math concepts?
3. What do you think or know about African American visual Artists?
Cards themselves: are they readable to the 206 Community of students and teachers?
Group administered Rubric.
Teacher’s notes regarding student participation.
Letters to peers concerning their card trade.
WHERE ARE ARCHIVE MATERIALS CURRENTLY STORED?
(INCLUDING STUDENT ARTWORKS, UNIT DOCUMENTATION, ARTIST JOURNAL/BLOG, ETC.)
AIM has documentation of student work including exit interviews of a select group.
TEACHER’S REFLECTIONS
Working collaboratively with Leah Mayers is an honor and privilege. I found that the students who we
worked with in this project showed that they all could incorporate the styles of Jean Lacy and/or Jacob
Lawrence with their own identity cards. Students who already score high in mathematics made strong
connections between the math properties we learned and the rules we set for the ATC making process.
Students who are non-readers also showed a deeper understanding of the math ideas through their
making of ATC’s, which, I think would not have ever been evident in a conventional math class. Overall,
the project’s success rested in the framing of art making in the language and symbols of mathematics.
ARTIST’S REFLECTIONS
This was my second year working with Luke at Crown. I was especially drawn to this year’s morning
Community Class comprised of students in 6-8th grades where Luke provided a comfortable and
challenging place to explore a variety of topics. It was a great opportunity for the children to learn art and
math with and from each other regardless of age. I think Luke and I have such complimentary teaching
styles and similar pedagogical philosophies that at this point not much needs to be explained to each other
and I believe the children sense this unity. I had such a good time and always learn a great deal from Luke
and his students; I would have been happy to stay all year in Luke’s Community Class and continue our
work together.
12
©Columbia College Chicago, 2012
STUDENTS’ REFLECTIONS
LeRayah
1. Math and visual arts are related because they both consist of something similar like when we did
distributive property with the artists Jean Lacy and Jacob Lawrence.
2. Studying math and visual arts improves my understanding of math concepts because now I have a
better understanding of distributive property and that you need to multiply each number by the
number in the quantity and this program has really helped me with this.
3. African American visual artists such as Jacob Lawrence has a record of making art bright, big,
bunched together and his art goes diagonally.
Donnovan
1. Math and visual arts are related because in math you can take two numbers and put them together
to equal something. In visual arts you can take two or more things together to make something.
2. It helps understand math concepts for the same reason I said in question 1.
3. Some famous artists use photos, paint, and collages to make art.
13
©Columbia College Chicago, 2012
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, schoolbased 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.
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.
14
©Columbia College Chicago, 2012