The introduction of this unit to the students will be a presentation of information regarding childhood obesity and the health consequences of this disease. The CDC website is a resourceful tool for information and statistics. A particularly powerful resource is the diagram illustrating the percentage of adults who are obese. Even though my main focus is childhood obesity, I found it was useful because "80 percent of obese children who become obese adults"
13
. This diagram color codes of all the states and their increases in obesity rates
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. I will also discuss with students the dangers of obesity in childhood and adolescence and share with them some of the statistics listed previously regarding specific health risks. We will also discuss ways to prevent obesity by maintaining a healthy diet and regular exercise schedule. This is an important part of the unit, in that the students' interest and motivation will begin here and is a necessary component to the success of the project. If they believe in what they are doing, it makes the process much more fulfilling for them to complete. This is another example of how students feel successful in the arts. The sense of completion either after a performance or after a piece of art has been completed and displayed generates a great amount of pride for our students.
The students will be given a worksheet with four categories: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. (The snack category includes everything they ate in addition to the three meals.) Students will write in what they ate and drank for each of these meals any day of the previous week. The bottom of this worksheet asks the students to circle any of the physical activities they had engaged in over the previous week. Some of the categories are walking, dancing, playing sports, bike riding, running, and swimming or list any other they can add to the list. Students will keep this worksheet in their folders for reference.
However, I will collect them and write a few unhealthy things they may have eaten to reference later.
The next step will be to bring students to the computer lab to access the website www.smallsteps.gov which encourages healthy eating and exercise. This website is specifically for children and has links to TV advertisements promoting good nutrition by conveying information about certain foods, quizzes they can take to test their knowledge about healthy foods, (like can your food do that), as well as information about certain foods and the health benefits of eating those foods. There are even tips on staying healthy from other kids from all over the country on the site as well as a place to post your own tip. It also has several games the students can play that involve good eating habits, which is based on the USDA food pyramid
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. The games are short and to the point and are a good tool for learning. There is even a part where the students can enter their gender and age and answer age/gender specific questions. I will guide the students through this web site to make sure all students visit all aspects of the site.
The students will be given a copy of the USDA food pyramid for kids. We will discuss the pyramid and the five categories: grains, vegetables, fruits, milk, and meat and beans and all of the foods that are included in each of these categories. We will also discuss oils, even though they are not technically considered a part of the pyramid. The students will be encouraged to eat foods within these groups and document any physical changes they feel during this process in their sketchbooks. I will have one food from each category and the amount the average child should eat per day measured out for the students to visualize what these specific measurements look like, as well as an example of one of the oils.
The students will also be given the My Pyramid Worksheet
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, which will help them to document their eating habits over the course of a day. They will be given one sheet for each day of the unit. The worksheet asks students to fill in what they ate in each of the categories of the Food Pyramid, and asks them to document any physical activity they did during the course of the day. This will hopefully be a good motivation for the students to eat healthier foods. In addition, I think it is important for students to see what they eat. It is so easy for us to read a label and still be comfortable with eating a certain food, regardless of what is listed on the Nutritional Information. I will measure and illustrate the amount of sugar that one can of Coca Cola contains and also one Snickers Bar for students to visually evaluate what is in the foods that they eat. Sometimes the best way for them to be convinced is to see something. This is a strategy that is meant to increase their visual perception. I think this strategy creates better perception in students and more of a willingness to ask questions.
The teaching strategies in my Visual Art class begin with enthusiasm. I have found that my personal level of excitement is an important element in the success of my classes. I like to teach Pop Art because I enjoy the responses to the works of art. Students in middle school tend to enjoy creating works of art they feel they can tackle. It is not to say they should not be challenged, but Pop Art presents subject matter that makes them feel comfortable. In order to effectively send a positive visual message to students about healthy eating, they have to want to look at the image. In my seven years of teaching, I have never come across a middle school student who was not interested in Pop Art. Sometimes, they just cannot believe it is actually considered art. I decided to use Pop Art to send the message of a healthful lifestyle because I know that it will be effective.
The Pop Art Movement uses everyday images to convey an idea. It often uses advertisements, comic strips, consumer products and celebrities as subjects. There are many examples of food in Pop Art, the most obvious and well-known being Andy Warhol's
Campbell's Soup Can17
. The
Soup Can
is always a good starting point for any discussion regarding Pop Art. The students generally are interested and even sometimes amused at this piece of art. Andy Warhol's
Dollar Sign18
will be used as a comparison piece beside the
Soup Can
. It is important to stress some difference in a particular artist's style. These two pieces have clear similarities and clear differences. Another image that will be used to inspire students and generate response to art is Claes Oldenburg's
Floor-Burger (Giant Hamburger)19
, and his
Two Cheeseburgers, with Everything20
. These pieces of art are great ways to generate conversation and interest. Other images that will be viewed and discussed are Wayne Thiebaud's
Three Machines21
, as well as his well known,
Cakes22
. Here again we have an interesting issue to compare and contrast for the students. These pieces are very similar in their color scheme and simple nature; however, they are very different, in that one is an actual machine. Students will additionally look at the work of Alexander Calder, the inventor of the mobile. Students are generally impressed by this fact, so Alexander Calder is automatically a credible artist in their minds. They have all heard mobiles, and many of them probably have had one, or at least seen one. Students will look at
Finny Fish23
as well as
Constellation Mobile24
. These works are completely different in that the Constellation Mobile is made up of shapes and small forms, and the Finny Fish is a recognizable object. His work will be the inspiration for the type of piece the students will create. The mobile creates a new visual perspective for many of the students, as many have not created a piece of art that will be hung from the ceiling.
Many students will be acquainted with some of these pieces, which will lead the discussion into the powerful nature of art. It will also be the starting point for the discussion about how important it is/was for these artists to send their message. It also allows students to ask themselves what were some possible reasons for creating these pieces. We will attempt to identify the messages they think these pieces are sending, and we will discuss ways the artists were effective in carrying out that task. It is essential to discuss how the messages are effective so the students can apply those answers to their own work. We will then discuss the importance of getting our message of healthy eating and lifestyle to the students of our school.