Deanna Price - UCF College of Education and Human Performance

Art as A Means to Make Meaning: Art Lessons for the Elementary Level 1

Art as A Means to Make Meaning: Art Lessons for the Elementary Level

Curriculum Project

Deanna Price

ARE6450

November 25 th

, 2014


Introduction

Art curriculum in public schools continues to bear the merely meaningless style of school art. School art refers to the same projects students have been making for years; projects that are copies of copies. Students who are unintentionally wrapped up in the school art curriculum are creating art work with only one thing in mind; how good the final product looks regardless of the meaning and intention behind the art making process. “Efland argues that unlike mathematics or other ‘core’ subjects which properly address issues and skills necessary for students’ success in the larger world, art is restricted to playing a limited institutional role within the school itself: the therapeutic role of superficially making the repressive school culture bearable through providing a somewhat mindless release,” (Anderson & Milbrandt, 1998, p. 13). Today, art classes in many public schools are still viewed as an opportunity to play and take a break. However, this is everything but the truth.

In order for art education to be taken more seriously, the curriculum needs to become more valuable and worthwhile. Art teachers need to be trained and educated on contemporary art and the benefits students gain from making art that reveals something about them. The focus of making art shouldn’t be the result of the product, but the lengths and thinking required to make the art work. “We must create an art education that is rigorous in its selection and transmission of a wide range of aesthetic strategies because in a democratic society it is the responsibility of teachers to enable students to understand, participate in, and contribute to contemporary cultural conversation,” (Gude, 2013, p. 14). The set of art lessons below aims to provide meaningful art lessons for the elementary level by using four contemporary artists and two media critiques as the foundations for the art lessons. These lessons will serve as a means starting points to provide quality art instruction with multiple opportunities for students to make meaningful works of art.


The Artists

Do Ho Suh

Biography

Do Ho Suh was born in Seoul, Korea in 1962. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Fine art and Master’s Degree in Fine Art in Oriental Painting from Seoul National University. After receiving his education and completing his military service in Korea, Suh moved to the United

States to continue his artistic endeavors at the Rhode Island School of Design and Yale

University. “Best known for his intricate sculptures that defy conventional notions of scale and site-specificity, Suh draws attention to the ways viewers occupy and inhabit public space. In several of the artist’s floor sculptures, viewers are encouraged to walk on surfaces composed of thousands of miniature human figures,” (The Public Broadcasting Service [PBS], 2014).

Critique

Suh’s fabric sculptures explore the meaning and importance of memories and everyday objects. With his selection of sheer fabric and careful intricate instruction, viewers are left wondering what these large and mysterious works of art might mean. “The translucent organzalike polyester highlights in brilliant colour the 'invisible memory' of our daily experiences at home. Suh chose the fabric, a variety once used in traditional Korean summer wear, 'because it was cheap and readily available, and I didn't want to give too much value to the fabric itself',”

(Shaw, 2013). Suh takes a material that is seen and used every day and turns it into something beautiful and representative of his life and memories.

Why the artist was selected


I selected this artist because his work is very unusual. After reading about the meaning behind Suh’s work, I felt that students would be able to create a diverse body of work. Suh’s work can give students the opportunity to dig deep from within to bring a memory back to life through art.

Significance

As soon as I enrolled in this course, I began looking at contemporary artists I could use for my final project. When I came across Do Ho Suh back in September 2014, I decided to go ahead and create a lesson based off his work. After I made the lesson, I implemented it and got fantastic results.

I began the lesson by showing my 5 th

grade students Suh’s large fabric sculptures. Prior to teaching students his intentions, I had them use Feldman’s Method of Critiquing so they could dissect his work and create their own meaning first. Following this, I showed students an interview of Suh talking about why he makes the work he does. Additionally, the video showed him constructing his sculptures as well. Students had various, positive reactions such as, “Oooo whoa that’s so cool,” and “Woowww!” From their reactions, it was evident that they were mesmerized by the size of his sculptures, how he constructed them, and what they were made of.

I had my students take inspiration from Suh’s work to create a their own work of art that resembled a memory that was significant to them. Once students chose a memory, I had them draw it on paper first. Following this, they transferred their drawing onto a piece of Styrofoam and made a print using a tertiary color. I required students to use tertiary colors because they have to know what tertiary colors are and how to make them for the novice End of Course


Assessment this year for art. Lastly, I had my students write an artist statement that stated what their memory was and what it meant to them.

To be completely honest, this was the first art project I have ever had students do that forced them to think about themselves and their experiences and use it as a path to create meaning in their art work. Although at the time when I created this lesson, the ARE6450 course was just beginning, I found myself quickly informed by the articles required to read for class that covered art curriculum and the importance of having an art curriculum that is solid and important to students. The results were astounding and proved to me that students have much more to reveal than we may think. One student wrote, “My art is about a memory. My memory is about me getting mad. I drew this because I have anger issues, so I drew this because it helps me calm down,” (Appendix A).

JeongMee Yun

Biography

JeongMee Yun is from South Korea. Some of her work addresses gender in relation to colors that are associated with gender: Pink and blue. She first began her project the, ‘Pink and

Blue Project’ when, “Her five-year-old daughter couldn't get enough candy-colored possessions.

She photographed her daughter Seowoo amongst her sea of pink things, from dolls to dresses to stuffed animals. She then began photographing little boys and girls amongst their color-coded belongings in a quest to better understand how gender shapes our lives from such a young age,”

(Huffington Post [HP], 2012).

Critique


Yun’s work sparks a keen awareness to the role gender plays in our society. In her work, young girls are surrounded by domestic items and hot pink, while the boys are accompanied with science, weapons, and violence with various blues (HP, 2012). Yun’s work has the capacity to make viewers question the ‘social’ norms regarding gender and the deliberate intentions behind marketing towards young children. “Yoon finds that craze surrounding pink and blue affects almost all children; mass-marketing has become a universal language, (HP, 2012).


I selected JeongMee’s Yun work because I feel that the students in elementary school can really relate to her images. Yun’s work has kids, just like my students, who are engulfed by toys and colors that are supposed to be boy colors or toys and girl colors or toys. Reflecting on incidents during my teaching, I can recall hearing students make remarks such as, “You’re using pink? That’s a girl color,” or “Blue is a boy color!” I would love to see and hear their reactions to

Yun’s work.

Significance

The art lesson would be for 4 th

grade students. Students would view work by Yun and be required to critique it using Feldman’s Method of Critiquing. I am choosing to use Feldman’s

Method because 4 th graders in the county I work in are required to know Feldman’s Method for this years End of Course Assessment for art. Following this, students would be required to generate how the influence of gender identity in our society has influenced their decisions and interests. Students would make their comments and statements using a bubble map (Appendix

B), which is a type of thinking map. Students would use a bubble map because my school is a

Thinking Maps School. Furthermore, I find that thinking maps are great tools to use for

Art as A Means to Make Meaning: Art Lessons for the Elementary Level 7 brainstorming and “sketching” out ideas prior to making art work. After students create their bubble map, they would take everything they have written and think of images that could represent their statements. Students would draw their images first then create a monochromatic painting. Students would create a monochromatic painting because 4 th

graders are required to know what Monochromatic means for the End of Course Exam for art. Once students complete their art, they would write an artist statement explaining how the work they made is significant to them. A rubric would be used to assess their work and performance (Appendix C).

Eleanor Antin

Biography

Eleanor Antin was born in New York City in 1935. Her parents were Polish Jews who immigrated to the United States just before Antin was born. She went to Music and Art

Highschool in the Bronx and it was there that she met her husband, David Antin, who was a poet. Elanor Antin is a performance artist, filmmaker, and installation artist (Wikipedia, 2014).

Critique

Antin’s work is a reflection of her culture and heritage as well as myriad other cultures.

“Antin delves into history—whether of ancient Rome, the Crimean War, the salons of nineteenth-century Europe, or her own Jewish heritage and Yiddish culture—as a way to explore the present. Antin is a cultural chameleon, masquerading in theatrical or stage roles to expose her many selves,” (PBS, 2014). Antin’s work may leave viewers questioning how their own culture has influenced their identities and roles in society.



I chose Eleanor Antin because I teach many diverse students. I feel that her work could set the stage for students to contemplate where their family originated from and how their culture influences their life style on a daily basis. Moreover, Eleanor Antin works with various art mediums that students may find quite unusual (such as making a movie and performing), which could open several doors for students to choose from to create their own works of art.

Significance

Students would work in groups of four to discuss their culture, where they are from, and where their families are from. Students would be instructed to identify the ways in which culture influences personal growth, development, and roles in society. Following this, students would create a 1 minute performance that incorporates all of their cultures. Each student would have a different role for the performance: 1.) Director 2.) Person who writes the script 3.) Artist, and 4.)

The narrator. Once students finish, each group would perform in front of the class. I would use my digital camera to take stills from each performance, just like Eleanor Antin did. Pictures from the performance would then be turned a story line that describes their one minute performance, what it’s about, and how each group views cultures and the way it influences individuals and our society. Students would be graded using the Art Rubric (Appendix C).

Collier Schorr

Biography

Collier Schorr was born in New York in 1963. She studied art at the School of Visual

Arts in Queens, New York. She has been represented by over 303 gallery’s in New York since

1990 and won the Berlin Prize (Wikipedia, 2014). She is best known for her photographs of adolescent men and women.


Critique

“Best known for her portraits of adolescent men and women, Schorr’s pictures often blend photographic realism with elements of fiction and youthful fantasy,” (PBS, 2014). Schorr’s work explores personal differences, growing up, identity, sexuality, and war. In her photograph

Two Shirts, a teenager stands with a piercing stare in a confrontational stance. In this work, it is difficult to say if it is a boy or girl, which could imply mixed or confusing gender roles in today’s society. In her series “Forests and Fields,” various men are dressed in Army

Uniforms. “Schorr’s images not only call into question the fractured role of soldiering in today’s society, but also examine the way nationality, gender, and sexuality influence an individual’s identity,” (PBS, 2014).


I selected this artist because I want to introduce students to traditional photography.

Today, taking a picture is simple; all you have to do is snap a picture and it appears immediately on a screen. However, there is an art to taking photographs and that art has been lost in our digital age. I want to use Schorr’s work as an introduction to photography and proceed to teach students about how only a few years ago, in order to get pictures, you had to buy film, load the film in the camera, take the pictures, then take the film to the store and wait for a few days for an employee to develop the film before picking them up.

Significance


Students would view the works in my presentation by Schorr and we would use her work to begin a discussion on photography, where it came from, and what it entails. Following this, students would be instructed to create a self-portrait that captures something about their identity similar to what Schorr’s work illustrates. Following this, in the background of their self-portrait, students would be required to come up with two additional images: One that portrays traditional photography and one that portrays modern photography. The entirety of this piece would serve as a biographical narrative and an expression of their view of traditional and modern photography.

Media Critique

Toy Marketing Based on Gender Stereotypes Towards Girls

Critique

You’re walking through a store towards the toy aisle and, alas! There it is! The brightly colored blue aisles separated by the illuminating pink aisles. What do these colors resemble? Boy toys and girl toys. Are marketing strategies geared towards conditioning girls to be a certain way

(domesticated, proper, and elegant) and boys to be another (big, strong, and intelligent)? The images in the article, “Too Much Pink! How Toys Have Become Alarmingly Gender Stereotype

Since the Seventies… At the Cost of Little Girls’ Self Esteem” published by the Daily Mail reveal gender stereotypes encouraged by toy products. In the 1970’s, toy marketing was entirely different; all toys had various colors so girls might have been buying science kits and boys while boys were purchasing play washing machines. However, now everything is color coded and it can’t be certain that public consumers realize the startling difference in toy production from the past to the present.


Why these images were selected

I selected these images because I want to challenge my students by having them question the items they are interested in and find themselves desiring to purchase. It would be so interesting to display one of these images and have my students critique it. I am interested in seeing if they can figure out the dilemma with modern toys all on their own.

Significance

Students would view two different images: One would be of a comparison of toys from the 1970s and the other would be of a toy aisle today. Students would use a Double Bubble Map

(Appendix D) to compare and contrast these two images (the three center circles are to identify how they are the same). Following this, students would create a Frame of Reference (rectangle around the Double Bubble Map) to write a statement about what they think the overall message of these images conveys. Next, students will be asked to think of their favorite toy and illustrate it to the best of their ability to make it look realistic. After students draw their favorite toy, students will color it with color pencil. Afterwards, students will look at their double bubble maps, statement, and their illustration all at once. We will discuss what all of them have in common. At the end of the lesson, we will talk about how toys today are geared towards gender stereotypes and students will be asked to look at the toy they illustrated to see if they believe it is an example of a gender stereotype.

World WWII Posters

Critique


Many posters from WWII served as propaganda. “Persuading the American public became a wartime industry, almost as important as the manufacturing of bullets and planes. The

Government launched an aggressive propaganda campaign to galvanize public support, and some of the nation's foremost intellectuals, artists, and film makers became warriors on that front,”

(National Archives). Advertising for war is different and similar today compared to the time

WWII was occurring. Students will look at WWII poster art and compare and contrast it to today’s advertising for war.

Why this work was selected

I selected this work because I think advertising for war during WWII and advertising for war today is entirely different. I want students to look at WWII posters and todays advertisements, consider the various tactics that are used to try and get individuals to recruit, and understand how advertising was different and similar then compared to now.

Significance

Before telling students what the WWII posters are, I would select one of the posters and have students do an art critique using Feldman’s Method. Following this, we would begin a discussion about WWII posters and how they compare to the advertising for war today.

Following this, students would be instructed to create their own poster that either, 1.) Shows support for war or 2.) Does not show support for war. Students will have to come up with reasons that they are for or against war. Once all students finish, their posters will be hung up and as a class, we will have a discussion about whether or not the posters are convincing of their opinion and how their posters could affect our communities view on war.

Method of Assessment


All students, grades K-5, would be assessed using a rubric I created below (Appendix C).

Students would be graded on three criteria: Behavior (50% of their grade), Effort (25% of their grade), and Assignments (25% of their grade). Behavior is worth the most because at the school I currently teach at, I feel that there are quite a few students who exhibit behavior problems. In my opinion, if I can help students regulate their behavior with rules, consequences, and procedures, eventually, most or all of the behavior problems will diminish. When behavior problems cease to exist, inevitably, the Effort and Assignment grade should be at a passing or exceptional rate. I feel that classroom management is the key to success and if rules procedures, and consequences are established and consistent, most students will be successful in the art class room most of the time.

Conclusion

What I learned from the work I compiled

Prior to taking this course and completing this curriculum project, I was teaching the way

I was taught: Producing a work of art and having students mimic my example. However, after taking this class, I have an entirely different perspective and philosophy on what a quality art curriculum should look like.

From the work I compiled, I learned that the goal of an art teacher shouldn’t be to have students necessarily reproduce masterpieces every time they create a work of art. The objective should be to take students through a journey that teaches them how to not only use the skills in art, but know how to make meaningful works of art by using the skills they have learned.

Teaching art in this manner will give students the opportunity to be better able to relate to art and use it as a means to make purposeful art work.


Implications for curriculum, teaching, and learning

I have changed my curriculum since taking this course. I am trying as often as I can to create art lessons that allow students to think for themselves, involve contemporary art work, and provide students opportunities to create art that means something to them. I feel that my teaching has improved as a result of this course and that student learning is more beneficial in my art classes than it ever has been.

I have realized that many art teachers today are still having students create school art. It’s almost as if it’s some sort of unquestionable methodology that art teachers keep doing simply because it’s all they know how to do; it seems like a cyclical issue. I am not sure that many art teachers know the term school art and wonder what would happen if they read one of Efland’s articles, or an article from this course. Would they have some sort of epiphany like I did and realize that there is a much more relevant and useful way for students to learn about art?

Having a quality art curriculum is crucial if students are to truly gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for art. I feel that these six lessons I created will be a great addition to add to the new curriculum I have been making for myself. My goal is to have students make more works of art that are meaningful, while simultaneously introducing them to contemporary artists that have a lot of content. As Gude (2013, p. 14) stated, “If we are to evolve art education curricular practices that have relevance to the lives of students and their communities, we must imagine an art education that is grounded in the realities of contemporary cultural life as well as in the realities of current school settings.”


References

Anderson, T., & Milbrandt, M. (1998). Authentic instruction in art: Why and how to dump the school style.

Visual Arts Research, 24 (1), 13-20. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.net.ucf.edu/stable/20715931

Antin, E. (1976). Adventures from a nurse videotape. Retrieved November 3 rd , 2014 from http://www.artnet.com/Magazine/news/warrobinson/Images/warrobinson5-5-30.jpg

Antin, E. (1969, replication 1998). California Lives: Merrit. Retrieved October 18 th , 2014 from www.artstor.org

Antin, E. (1973). King of Solana Beach: Performance. Retrieved October 18 th

, 2014 from www.artstor.org

Antin, E. (1973). King of Solana Beach Performance. Retrieved October 18 th


Antin, E. (2007). Judgement of Paris (after Rubens) — Light Helen. Retrieved October 18 th

,

2014 from http://www.art21.org/images/eleanor-antin/judgement-of-paris-after-rubenslight-helen-2007?slideshow=1

Antin, E. (1971-73). 100 Boots on Vacation. Retrieved October 18 th


Genreal Electric Company. (1942). Are you doing all you can? Retrieved November 3 rd , 2013 from www.artstor.org

GUDE, O.,. (2013). New school art styles: The project of art education.

Art Education, 66 (1), 6-

15.


Huffington Post. (2012, April 17). JeongMee Yoon explores color and gender in “Pink and

Blue.” Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/17/jeongmeeyoon_n_1432203.html

National Archives (2014).

Teaching With Documents: Powers of Persuasion - Poster Art of

World War II. Retrieved from http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/wwii-posters/

The Public Broad Casting Service, Art 21. (2014). Eleanor Antin. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/eleanor-antin

The Public Broad Casting Service, Art 21. (2014). Collier Schorr. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/collier-schorr

The Public Broadcasting Service, Art 21 (2014). Do Ho Suh . Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/do-ho-suh

Schorr, C. (Unknown). Forests and Fields. Retrieved November 3 rd , 2014 from http://coincidences.typepad.com/still_images_and_moving_o/

2004/02/emerging_photog.html

Schorr, C. (Unknown) Forests and Fields (2). Retrieved November 3 rd

, 2014 http://www.vincentborrelli.com/vbb/images/items/400x20000/101946b.jpg

Schorr, C. (Unknown) Forests and Fields (3). Retrieved November 3 rd , 2014 from http://slamxhype.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/stussy-deluxe-spring-summer-2011collection-collier-schorr-2.jpg

Schorr, C. (Unknown) Forests and Fields (4). Retrieved November 3 rd

, 2014 from http://www.art21.org/files/images/schorr-photo3-003.jpg


Schorr, C. (1998) Two Shirts. Retrieved November 3 rd

, 2014 http://www.art21.org/images/collier- schorr/two-shirts-1998?slideshow=1

Schorr, C. (1999- 2000) American Flag with Scratch. Retrieved November 3 rd

, 2014 http://www.art21.org/images/collier-schorr/america-flag-with-scratch-1999-

2000?slideshow=1

Shaw, C. (2013, November 15).

Sheer will: Artist Do Ho Suh’s ghostly fabric sculptures explore the meaning of home. Retrieved from http://www.wallpaper.com/art/sheer-will-artist-doho-suhs-ghostly-fabric-sculptures-explore-the-meaning-of-home/6960

Suh, D.H. (2000). Doormat: Welcome (Pink) . Retrieved October 18 th


Suh, D.H. (1962-1997-2000). Floor; det. Retrieved October 18 th


Suh, D.H. (2007). Reflection. Retrieved October 18 th , 2014 from www.artstor.org

Suh, D.H. (2000). Seoul Home/ L.A. Home, New York Home.

Retrieved October 18 th


Suh, D.H. (2003). The Perfect Home II.

Retrieved October 18 th


Suh, D.H. (1962-2000). 348 W. 22 nd

St. Retrieved October 18 th


Untitled. (2013). Untitled 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 . Retrieved October 18 th , 2014 from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2338976/Too-pink-How-toys-alarminglygender-stereotyped-Seventies--cost-little-girls-self-esteem.html


United States Army. (1939/45).

“I serve… be an army nurse.”

Retrieved November 3 rd


Windle, P. (2012). The New York Times: For an article about gender specific toys.

Retrieved

October 18 th

, 2014 from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/23/opinion/sunday/genderbased-toy-marketing- returns.html?_r=0

Wikipedia (2014, November 22). Eleanor Antin. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleanor_Antin

Wikipedia (2014, November 22). Collier Schorr.

Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collier_Schorr

World War II Poster. (Date Unknown). Do the job he left behind. Retrieved November 3 rd

, 2014 from http://miataffinhistory.blogspot.com/2012/12/womens-role-during-ww2.html

World War II Poster. (Date unknown). She’s a wow. Retrieved November 3 rd , 2014 from http://digital.lib.umn.edu/IMAGES/reference/mswp/MPW00067.jpg

World War II Poster. (Date unknown). Come into the factories. Retrieved November 3 rd

, 2014 from http://worldwar2headquarters.com/images/posters/British/factories.jpg

World War II Poster. (Date unknown). He volunteered for the submarine service. Retrieved

November 3 rd

, 2014 from http://www.barricksinsurance.com/WorldWar098.jpg

Yoon, J. (2005-present). Artworks. Retrieved November 22 nd

, 2014 from http://www.jeongmeeyoon.com/artworks.htm


Appendices

Appendix A


How gender stereotypes in society have influenced me

Appendix B


Rubric for Art

Behavior

Effort

Assignments

O (Outstanding)

Behavior (50%) Student follows all of the rules and procedures for the art room at all times.

S (Satisfactory)

Student follows most of the rules and procedures for the art room.

Student may have received a warning, time out, or had to complete a think it through sheet.

Effort (25%)

Assignments

(25%)

Student always has outstanding effort, tries their best on all work and is always focused in class.

Student displays excellent craftsmanship and creativity in all of their work.

Student displays good effort and is usually focused in class.

Student displays good craftsmanship and creativity in their work.

N (Needs

Improvement)

Student has difficulty following all of the art room rules and procedures.

Student may have received an

Oops in Art Card or had to have had some sort of parental contact due to behavior problems.

Student is frequently distracted and not using and does not complete their work in a mannerly time.

Student rushes to get their art work finished.

U

(Unsatisfactory)

Student does not follow most of the art room rules and procedures.

Student may have received a referral.

Student is not completing their work to their full potential.

Student is not completing their work.

Final Grade: ________

Appendix C


Toys from

1970s

Toys from

Today

Appendix D

I believe the overall message of these images conveys…

Deanna Price - UCF College of Education and Human Performance

Rubric for Art

Related documents

Products

Support

Deanna Price - UCF College of Education and Human Performance

Rubric for Art

Related documents

Add this document to collection(s)

Add this document to saved

Suggest us how to improve StudyLib