Lesson Overview
In this lesson, students will design their pieces of art. Each student will have a different outcome, but all must follow the same set of requirements. This lesson will be a group brainstorm – beginning with a poem and leading to the creation of a piece of art that will come during a subsequent class.
Duration
One fifty-six minute class period
Previous Assignment
The students will at this point have chosen a poem that they will use as inspiration for their piece of art.
Materials
Sketchbooks, pencils, poems
Instructional Objectives
· Choose the poem that they want to use for their final project
· Create a list of symbols they can use to represent this poem graphically
· Participate in a class discussion about these poems and help other students to generate ideas for their poems
· Choose a type of art, whether it be a painting, sculpture, mobile, etc.
· Begin to sketch ideas for the final piece of art
Instructional Plan
Students will have a list of poems to choose from for this class. These will be poems we have read as a group and they may have read for homework. I want them to be somewhat familiar with these poems so that we do not spend the whole period discussing just the poetry. Once all students have their poems, they will be given a worksheet with thought- provoking questions to get them started. A few examples of these questions may be: make a list of symbols you can use to represent an idea in this poem; write down the first color, shape, line, and texture that you think of while you are reading this poem; what do you think the poet intended for us to feel while reading this poem? What would the intended tone of voice be of the person speaks in this poem?
After students have completed this list of questions, they will discuss with a partner their responses. They will then write down some ideas for pieces of art. Will they use sculpture to further the idea of the poem, or will it be better represented in a painting? Will they use the words of the actual poem within the piece of art? The students will first ask themselves these questions and then present their conclusions to the class. This will generate a productive discussion, where students can question each other with the intention of pushing each other further in their pursuit of the art.
Assessment
Students will be assessed using a rubric. They will be evaluated on their participation and their final project ideas, which are more important than anything else. If a student does not have a solid plan in place, they will not get very far in this project. It is essential for students to give each other feedback. I have found in the past that when I pair students, or lead the class into a group discussion, the results are very positive and effective. The students' approach seems to be more intense and they have an easier time making adjustments.
