Contemporary Art Lesson Plans:
Elementary and Secondary
Beth Johnson
ARE 5359
6/19/13
Elementary Lesson Plan: 2-D
Ruby C. Williams
Ruby C. Williams
Ruby C. Williams
Elementary Art Lesson Plan: 2-D: Objectives
Students will…
• begin to learn the vocabulary of how to discuss
formal elements in art.
• begin to understand how art can tell a story and
express feelings.
• learn to do preliminary sketches beforehand as
well as the importance of signing their name on
their own artwork.
• apply the formal characteristics and content they
learned in a critique by creating an art piece
inspired by the three works.
Elementary Art Lesson Plan: 2-D:
Procedure
•
There will be a critique of the three selected paintings by Ruby C.
Williams. Some of the formal elements that will be discussed are:
•
•
A few components of the content that will be discussed are:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Color (bold, contrast, what colors used), Balance (centered or
asymmetrical), Subjects (people, animals, objects), and Materials (paints,
board)
What the text means and how it relates to the image, facial expressions,
and overall scenario.
Students will be asked to create a painting inspired by Ruby C.
Williams.
They will first write one sentence in their sketchbook or on
regular paper that will be on their painting. It will need to express
a thought or feeling or tell a story, either real or made up.
They will then sketch some ideas before drawing and painting on
their main piece. The materials used will be tempera paint on
either canvas paper, board, or cardboard.
And finally, they are to sign and date their initials on the bottom
right corner.
The students will critique each other’s final pieces, using the
terms learned in the critique of Williams’ artwork.
Elementary Lesson Plan: 3-D
Michael Salter
Michael Salter
Michael Salter
Elementary Art Lesson Plan: 3-D: Objectives
• To show how three-dimensional artwork corresponds
with the space and environment around it
• To show the use of recycled materials as a medium
• To learn very basic forms of printmaking and design
• To learn that the content or subject of an artwork is
important to show the time period that the art is
made in
Elementary Art Lesson Plan: 3-D: Procedure
• There will be a critique/discussion lead by the teacher with
questions such as:
• Are the forms organic or are they symmetrical? What do you think the
materials are and where did they come from? Does the scale of the sculpture
mean anything? Do the colors have significance? Does the background make
any difference? What is the subject and is it something you would have seen
in a sculpture 100 years ago? Do the styrobots seem to have feelings?
• Children will create a three-dimensional shadowbox with
recycled materials from home or from what the school is able
to provide
• The students will create a miniature space with either a shoe
box, small shipping box, or cereal box. It can be any box that
will work for the assignment, as long as it is recycled.
• Students will apply the formal characteristics and content
they learned in the critique by creating an art piece inspired
by the three works.
Elementary Art Lesson Plan: 3-D: Procedure
• They will develop three icons that they will make into
stamps to print on their backgrounds. They will carve their
designs into craft foam with a pen or pencil, to make a
basic stamp. After painting the background one solid color
with tempera paint, they will then use the stamp and
repeatedly spread their design across the background, to
make a pattern. They can choose to use only one color for
all three stamps, or one color per design.
• The students will then make a small sculpture out of white
clay to place in their shadowbox. They will have to decide
to make it with geometric shapes or organic, small or large
in scale in comparison to the background, and are required
to make the subject something that is from our modern
times to show a way we learn art history.
• Lastly, students will critique each other’s final artworks.
Elementary Lesson Plan: Misc.
Mary L. Proctor
Mary L. Proctor
Mary L. Proctor
Elementary Art Lesson Plan: Misc: Objectives
The Objectives are for students to…
• learn about using mixed media with paint and
found objects
• to learn about a local female artist
• learn about self-expression through art
• learn basic design principles and art processes
Elementary Art Lesson Plan: Misc: Procedure
• There will first be a discussion lead by the art teacher
about the artist and a critique of the artwork. The
principles of design that will be discussed are:
• Colors used, Patterns of color and repetition, what Found
Objects are used and how they relate to the overall image,
are the shapes mostly organic or geometric? Symmetrical
or asymmetrical? Is there texture or is the surface flat?
• Questions about content may be:
• What is the main subject? Is it over all happy or sad or are
there other feelings that are conveyed? Are the words/text
important to have on the image? Does the artist have their
own style? In other words, would you recognize this artist
by looking at one of the artworks again?
Elementary Art Lesson Plan: Misc: Procedure
• The students will begin an assignment to create a piece
of art, inspired by Mary L. Proctor.
• The first part of the assignment is to sketch a character
in their sketchbooks with pencil and write a thought,
feeling, or memory (or several to choose one from)
that they think the character they create wants other
people to know or think about. It can be one or several
sentences.
• Next, they will draw their final idea on a piece of
plywood. With tempera paint, they will paint the
background behind the figure first, with one solid color
and with one repeated symbol (such as a star or shape
they made up) in a contrasting color.
Elementary Art Lesson Plan: Misc: Procedure
• They will then use the tempera paint for their
figures with free color choice, depending on
whatever is available, and finally, they will pick
one block of color on the image to glue on found
objects they will brought from home. They can
be objects that are all mainly one color, or they
can be various colors (examples: buttons, fabric
scrap, wallpaper scrap, old jewelry, product
labels, beads, stamps, etc).
• And in the last step, text will be added around the
central image in a color that contrasts with the
background (black or white, depending on the
background color).
Secondary Lesson Plan : 2-D
Kay Walkingstick
Kay Walkingstick
Kay Walkingstick
Secondary Lesson Plan: 2-D: Objectives
• Introduce students to a contemporary, female
artist and tackle issues of stereotyping and
prejudices
• Rather than contriving a project that simplifies artifacts,
possibly misrepresenting another culture, or risks visually
mimicking a culture’s sacred practices (Gude, 2007), this
is a way to see the point of view of a contemporary artist
visually sharing her own experiences
• Learn to critique and interpret formal
characteristics and content of artwork in
depth
• Learn how humor can be used to convey and
work through serious subjects and make
cultural statements
Secondary Lesson Plan: 2-D: Procedure
• This lesson will begin with a formal critique of the three selected works by
Kay Walkingstick. Students are to first thoughtfully and critically write
about the artwork, referring to the art analysis chart, adapted from four
areas of analysis by Marlene Linderman (Appendix). We will then critique
them together as a class, led by the art teacher.
• Students will create their own acrylic painting that is inspired by Kay
Walkingstick. One half will be a representational self-portrait, with images
or icons in the background that represent themselves visually. The other
half will have a sentence about an experience they have had that made
them feel different or as if they didn’t belong in some way,
stereotyped/categorized, unfairly judged or misunderstood. They are
encouraged to inject some type of humor, as long as it remains
appropriate.
• Finally, there will be an informal critique on students’ final pieces.
Secondary Lesson Plan: 3-D
Sean O’Meallie
Sean O’Meallie
Sean O’Meallie
Secondary Lesson Plan 3-D: Objectives
Students will learn…
• learn to work with clay and paint
• to understand how the relationship between
mediums and use of color can be used to convey
a message
• how contrasting an image from its true state can
imply different connotations
• to make connections between sculpture and
culture
• to interpret meanings in three-dimensional,
conceptual artworks
Secondary Lesson Plan: 3-D: Procedure
• Students will first select one of the three selected sculptures to write a
critique by using their art analysis sheets, adapted from the four areas of
analysis by Marlene Linderman (see Appendix), as references. There will
then be an open discussion about the artwork, with a critique led by the
art teacher.
• The students will then begin an assignment inspired by these pieces to
create a sculpture out of clay and paint the final products with acrylic
paint. They are to think of an object that is relevant somehow to our
current society, but paint it in a surreal, unrealistic fashion, using
nonsensical colors and patterns or pictures. Students will first use their
sketchbooks to develop their ideas and sketch what they will be sculpting.
They will then mold their clay into a finished shape before they are fired in
a kiln, and finally, paint the finished piece.
• There will be an informal critique by the teacher and classmates of the
final sculptures, using art terms and principles of design to explain formal
characteristics and the relevance of the subject chosen to our society.
Secondary Lesson Plan: Misc:
Diet Coke Ads
Diet Coke Ads
Diet Coke Ads
Secondary Lesson Plan: Misc: Objectives
This lesson is developed to teach students
to…
• Be observant of messages in advertising
• Analyze the basic design principles and
content of advertisements
• Practice research in art history by
drawing comparisons between art
images and contemporary
advertisements
Secondary Lesson Plan: Misc: Procedure
• Students will first write an analysis of one of
the selected Diet Coke advertisements as if it
were a work of art, using the art analysis chart
adapted from Linderman’s four areas of
analysis (Appendix).
• The teacher will then open a discussion about
the three selected ads. There will be leading
questions to get the students thinking about
what the ads are trying to accomplish and
who their target audience is.
Secondary Lesson Plan: Misc: Procedure
• Students will spend time in the art section of the library to find an
image that they can somehow make a connection with one of the
three ad images. They are also allowed to find their image from
another resource, such as home. It can be a from any time period
and any image they can find to make a connection (examples:
Norman Rockwell, Andy Warhol, appropriate Pin-Up Girls,
Touslouse-Lautrec).
• The connections don’t have to be significant and could be anything
as small as a facial expression to bodily position, colors used, icons
in the image, or anything as long as the student can explain a
connection. They will make a copy of the image they find to bring
to class.
• The students will then analyze the connecting image in the same
format as they did with the advertisement they chose, as well as
interpret the content of the new image.
• Students will share their found images with the class and what art
period it is from.
References
Diet Coke (2013, March 13). [Advertisement] Retrieved from
http://belloblog.com/2013/03/13/diet-coke-sexy-playful-delicious-by-marc-marcjacobs-cocacola-dietcoke/
Diet Coke (2013, January 31). [Advertisement] Retrieved from
http://www.gossipandsoaps.com/2013/01/taylor-swift-teams-up-with-diet-coke-photos/
Diet Coke (2013, February 6). [Advertisement]. Retrieved from
http://kentonmagazine.com/marc-jacobs-is-now-the-creative-director-of-diet-coke/
Giles, A. (1999). “School art” versus meaningful artistically authentic art education. NAEA Advisory, Winter.
Gude, O. (2007). Principles of possibility: considerations for a 21st century art & culture curriculum. Art Education, January, (60)1,
6-17.
Linderman, M.G. (1996). Art in the elementary school (5th ed.). McGraw-Hill.
O’Meallie, S. (2010). Balloon Dog [Painted Wood]. Retrieved from
http://www.seanomeallie.com/index.html
O’Meallie, S. (2010). Blue Bubble Gun [Painted Wood]. Retrieved from http://www.seanomeallie.com/index.html
O’Meallie, S. (2010). Bubble Car. [Painted Wood]. Retrieved from http://www.seanomeallie.com/index.html
References
Proctor, M. (2008). Art is Like a Child [Mixed Media]. Retrieved from
http://mainstreetgallery.net/folk-or-self-taught-art/mary-proctor/
Proctor, M. (2008). Beauty Begin Inward. [Mixed Media]. Retrieved from http://bjws.blogspot.com/2012/11/southern-africanamerican-self- taught.html
Proctor, M. (2012). Life is a Puzzle [Mixed Media]. Retrieved from
http://www.jtfolkart.com/artist/mary-proctor/orderby/base_price/sort/asc/
Salter, M. (2013). Styrobot: Nothing Comes from Nothing [Polystyrene Sculpture]. Retrieved
from http://michaelasalter.com/artwork/3032299_GOCA_UCCS_Styrobot_Nothing_Comes_from.html
Salter, M. (2009). Too Much [Polystyrene Sculpture]. Retrieved from
http://michaelasalter.com/artwork/505178_too_much.html
Salter, M (2009). Styrofoam F-1 Car [Polystyrene Sculpture]. Retrieved from http://
www.notcot.com/archives/2009/06/michael-salter.php
References
Walkingstick, K. (1995). You’re an Indian [Lithograph]. Retrieved from
http://fyeahnativeamericanart.tumblr.com/post/29511821865/kay-walkingstick-cherokee-winnebago-youre-an
Walkingstick, K. (1994). Talking Leaves [Lithograph]. Retrieved from http://nmai.si.edu/exhibitions/indian_humor/exhibit/38.htm
Walkingstick, K. (2006). We’re Still Dancing [Mixed Media]. Retrieved from
http://embracingencaustic.wordpress.com/tag/kay-walkingstick/
Williams, R. (not dated) Greedy Woman [Painting]. Retrieved from http://www.jtfolkart.com/
artist/ruby-williams/
Williams, R. (not dated). Piano Playing Cow [Painting]. Retrieved from
http://www.jtfolkart.com/artist/ruby-williams/
Williams, R. (not dated). Sophisticated Person [Painting]. Retrieved from
http://www.jtfolkart.com/artist/ruby-williams/
Elementary Assessment Rubric
Secondary Art Analysis Chart