Teacher:Marvea

AssistanttotheTeacher:Caley
Documenter&InterestedAdult:Tim

UnitTitle:ExperimentalDesign
LessonTitle:GamePieceDesign
BIGIDEA(UNIT):
ExperimentalDesignisbringingideaofexperimentingwithamediumormediumstoreacha
desiredoutcome.Thestudentswillexperimentwiththemediumonairdryclaytodesigna
characteroftheirown.
BIGIDEA(LESSON):
Ourclasswillbeexperimentingwithairdryclaytodevelopanddesignacharacterfortheir
gameboard.Throughnarratingideasandcreativelycollaboratingwiththeirsectionofthegame
board,theywilldesigntheirpiecetoplaywithinthegame.
ART/ARTIST(S)OFRELEVANCE:
EllenJewett/CharlesDarrow
EllenisanartistfromCanadawhowasborninMarkham,Ontario.Ellengother
undergraduatedegreefromMcMasterUniversityin2007inAnthropologyandFineArt.While
shewasfinishingherundergraduatedegree,Ellenoftenworkedinmedicalillustrationandexotic
animalcare.Ellenexperimentswithfounditems,clay,acrylicandoilpaintstomakecreatures
thatarevastlydifferentfromeachother.
CharlesDarrowinventedthegamepiecestotheMonopolygame.Hewantedthegame
piecestoresemblehouseholditemsthatcouldbeusedorseeneveryday.Hisnineyearoldniece
shouldhavesomeofthecreditbytellinghimthattheyshouldresemblethecharmsforacharm
bracelet.Whilesomeofthepieceshavebeenretired,theMonopolyteamhasaddedandplansto
designmorepieces.

PREREQUISITES:
Studentsshouldknowhowtomanipulateclayandtranslatetheirideasintotheirgamepiece.
Ifpaintdetailisdesired,studentsshouldknowhowtomixcolorandapplypainttoathree
dimensionalsurface.
SAFETYHAZARDS:
(NonethatIcanthinkof)
INTERDISCIPLINARYCONNECTIONS:
Languageartswillbeexercisedasstudentswillbenarratingthestoryoftheircharacterby
makingconnectionsbetweenthentheirgamepieceandtheirsectionofthegameboard.
Studentswillusecreativitytodesigntheirgamepiece
IB.UNITRATIONALE
TheunitwewillbeteachingistitledExperimentalDesign.Ithasbeendevelopedtoinfluence
studentstothinkoutsidetheboxinregardstoartforms,materials,andpractices.Thisunitwill
allowstudentstofinetunetheirabilitiestothinkcreativelyandcriticallyaboutdesignsprinciples
andtechniquesinordertoinvestigateideasrelatedtoarchitectureandboardgamedesign,
collaborativelyaswellasindividually.Studentswillbeintroducedtoformalelementsof

architectureandgamedesignsuchastexture,color,patterns,composition,etc.Theideasand
techniquesthestudentswillbeexperiencingwillhelpthemmakeinterdisciplinaryconnectionsto
geometry,physics,andliteracy.Whatmakesthisunitvaluableisthatitisapplicabletomany
otherlessonstaughtoutsidetherealmofart.Thisunitshowsstudentshowtousedesign
principlesandtechniquestoconquereverydayobstacles.
IA.LESSONRATIONALE
Inthislesson,studentswillbecreatingagamepiecethatbelongstothethemeoftheirgame
boarddesign.Studentswilluseairdryclaytomodelacreatureorobjectthatcouldfunctionand
thriveintheirareaofthegametheme.Studentswillhavetheopportunitytoaddacrylicpaintto
theirgamepieceforsmallerdetailsifdesired.
Thislessonexpandsthestudentscapabilitytotransformtheirideasintoatangibleobject.
Throughexperimentingwiththemediumofairdryclay,studentswillgainknowledgeoftowork
withmalleablesubstancestoreachadesiredoutcome.
II.LEARNEROUTCOMES
Studentsshouldhaveabetterunderstandingofhowtotranslatetwodimensionalideastoathree
dimensionalobject.
IIIA.NATIONALARTSTANDARDS
StudentswillbeintroducedtothemakingofthegamepiecesforMonopolyandthehistoryof
howtheywerecreated.(N.S.1&4)CriticalThinking,ComplexedCommunication
Studentsiscreativelyconceptualizeagamepieceoftheirownandbuilditoutofairdryclay
(N.S.2)Creativity,ProductivityandAccountability
Studentswillexperimentwiththeadaptabilityofairdryclayandexploreitslimitsasamedium
(N.S.1&2)Creativity,FlexibilityandAdaptability
Studentswillcollaboratewiththeirpreviousideasandthedesignoftheirgameboardtocreatea
characterthatcanthriveinthatenvironment(N.S.1&2)Creativity,FlexibilityandAdaptability
Studentswillpracticethreedimensionalsculptingskillstocreateagamepiece(N.S.1,2,&3)
Creativity,FlexibilityandAdaptability

IV.MATERIALSNEEDEDFORLESSON
Airdryclay
Paintbrushes
AcrylicPaint
Paper
Pencils
V.TEACHERACTIONS/EXPECTEDLEARNERACTIONS

TeacherActions

ExpectedLearnerActions

5minuets

Studentswill:

Studentswillbeseatedatthetable
aroundalaptopormovedtosit
aroundoneofthecomputers.Iwill
startadiscussionaboutboardgames
theyarefamiliarwith.Whatboard
gameshaveyouplayed?Whatdid
thegamepieceslooklike?
5minuets
Iwillshowstudentsphotosofgame
piecesandseeiftheycantellme
whatgametheybelongto.
Cananyonetellmewhatgamethese
piecesbelongtojustbylookingat
thegamepieces?[Sorry,Jumanji,
Monopoly,Chess,Risk]
Havestudentsdiscussthe
importanceofthegamepiecestothe
gamingexperience

Brieflysharepreviousboardgame
experience.[Sorry,Monopoly,Scrabble,
Candyland]

15minuets
Beginlessonbydiscussingthe
historyoftheMonopolygamepiece
creationbyCharlesDarrowandEllen
Jewettssculptures.Havestudentsdiscuss
thesimplicityofthegamepiecesagainstthe
detailofEllenssculptures.
Whatdifferencesdoyouseebetween
thesetwocreators?Whydoyouthinkgame
piecesaresosimple?
20minuets

Iwillhaveeachstudentreflecton
theirgameboarddesignsandbrainstorm
possiblecharacterdesigns.Askstudentsto
giveinputoneachotherscharacterideas
15minuets
Whilepassingaroundalittleairdryclay,I
willshowsomebasicshapebuildingand
havethestudentspracticemakingseveral
shapes[cube,sphere,cylinder,triangle]
Showstudentsapremadeclaycharacter.
WhatshapesdoyouthinkIusedtomake
thiscreature?
10minuets
Givestudentstimetosketchdownanidea

Studentswilldiscussthedifferences
betweenEllenandCharlesswork.
[intricatevs.simple]

Studentswillguessandrecognizethe
differencesbetweenthegamepieces.
Studentsshouldthenrecognizeand
discussontheimportanceoftheirgame
piecesandhowtheycanaffectthegaming
experience

Studentswillsharetheirgameboard
themeandtheenvironmenttheycreated
andgenerateideaswiththeotherstudents
ontheirgamepiece.Havethestudents
writedownideas
Studentswillbrainstormthepossibilities
differentshapescanbeusedtomakeother
gamepieces.

Studentswilldrawoutaroughdraftof

ofthegamepiecetheywouldliketomake
anddiscusstheirideaswiththem.Asyou
sketchyouridea,bereadytosharehowit
connectswithyourtheme.
45minuets
Havestudentsbeginworkingonbuilding
theirgamepiece.Walkaroundandgive
feedbackonstudentideas.Letstudents
knowthattheymayusepaintforintricate
details,buttheyshouldtrytomakeasmuch
detailwiththeclayaspossible.
5minuets
Havestudentsputawaytheirclaypiecesin
asafeplaceandcleanuptherestoftheir
unusedclayforcleanup.

theircharacterandbereadytosharehow
theyareconnectedtotheirgametheme
area.

Studentswillworkontheirgamepiece
accordingtotheirsketches

Studentswillcleanupastheyputaway
theclay.

*Studentsmayneedtimethenextdayto
paintdetailsorfinishtheirgamepiece.

VI.ENDINGTHELESSON
A. ClosureofLesson
Attheendofthislessonstudentswillrecognizetheimportanceofthedesigningame
piecesandhaveabetterunderstandingaboutconnectingthepiecetotheirgameboard
theme.
B. TransitiontoNextLesson
Letstudentsknowthattheycanfinishdetailsifneededontheirgamepieceandthatthey
shouldcontinuetothinkabouttheirgameboardthemeandcharacterastheycreatetheir
ticksquaresthenextclass.
VII.REFERENCESTOMATERIALSCONSULTED
http://coolmaterial.com/feature/thestorybehindmonopolypieces/
http://www.ellenjewettsculpture.com/
VIII.THECLASSROOMASATHIRDTEACHER