Lesson #2: Recycled Structures/Paintings

Grade Level(s): 6th

I. Colorado Academic Standards:

S3.2.b. Identify and differentiate the relationships between media choice, art processes and final
solutions.
S4.2.a. Investigate how art is incorporated into contemporary careers.

II. Big Idea(s): Rethinking the Ordinary” – Exploration and Repurposing

III. Enduring Understandings: Artists can use found or recycled materials to communicate
new, meaningful and inventive ideas and messages.

IV. Essential Questions:

- How can you convey a message or idea through art?
- How does the materials you chose effect your overall message or idea?
- How can you use other disciplines in order to solve artistic issues?

V. Daily lesson objectives: The artist will….

- Create a plan for an original work of art.
- Choose a message to convey through their choice of materials for their final work of art.
- Incorporate key concepts, issues and themes from other disciplines into works of art.
- Identify skills, ideas and themes in the visual arts that are influenced by other content
areas.

VI. Activity: Students will participate in a positive artistic discussion with the class where
they will discuss their artworks made in the previous class. Students will then be introduced to
the next project and discuss our influencing artists. Students will then begin collecting materials,
ideate what message they want to convey through their art, and begin sketching. Students will
also consider what issues they may face when creating their project.

VII. Content Integration: Students will implement concepts from the math and science fields
in order to conduct experiments on proportions, center of gravity, and structural integrity.

VIII. Pre-Assessment: At the beginning of this lesson, students will verbally reflect on the art
that they have created. Through this discussion, it will allow me to understand their creative
process and what they can improve on throughout their artmaking. Students will also participate
in group discussions regarding found, recycled, and repurposed objects, as well as how artists
use them to create art. Students will be encouraged to think and plan like artists in order to create
each piece/project with intention and purpose, while considering how they can use
interdisciplinary skills in order to solve potential issues. In order to assess this, students will be
told to turn in their sketches and ideas to be graded with their final artwork.

IX. Success Criteria: In order to get an understanding of what students know throughout this
lesson, students will participate in class discussions, which allow for questions to be answered
and/or clarified, as well as having students sketch and write out their ideas in a sketchbook or on
paper. By having students do so, it allows me to document their progress throughout their
artmaking. These sketches will be turned in with their final works of art.

X. Post-Assessment: Students will turn in two final assignments for grading. The first, their
sketches and ideas. These will be graded pass or fail. Students will be assessed on their planning
process and if they included a plan of action, the message they want to convey, sketches, and the
materials they would use and how it influences the meaning of their work. Time for planning and
sketching will be included on the first day of this assignment, followed by a workday for them to
complete their final works of art. The second assignment that will be turned in is the students
final work of art, which will be assessed in the next lesson.

XI. Accommodations and Modifications: In order to accommodate for all learners within
the art room, I will provide extra resources for whomever needs them. This will include, but is
not limited to using visual aids, written or translated directions, providing guided notes, extra
time, one-on-one instruction, repeated directions, checking in with students to clarify instruction
or answer questions, and/or simplifying instructions about in-class and homework assignments.

XII. Visuals: Rethinking the Ordinary Google Doc:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/16YS-fFfcQdPSv-wLykKk-
mS8caeNz9o56cPXc3pysk4/edit?usp=sharing

XIII. Supplies and equipment: Students are provided with a school computer for online class
meeting times. A variety of different materials and supplies will be used, depending used
depending on what students can find in their homes. These supplies will vary depending on what
students have available to them, and lessons will accommodate accordingly. Students will also
need a sketchbook or paper and pencil for planning. Teacher materials include computer, zoom,
slideshow, and some personal examples.

XIV. Safety concerns: Safety concerns for this lesson include both their personal and
environmental safety. Due to this lesson being delivery virtually, I am not able to assist students
with materials, or provide a safe classroom setting for them in order to create. Because I do not
know the individual emotional environments of my students, this also creates a safety concern.

XV. Teaching procedure:

Beginning---Introduction or Anticipatory Set

Connection to prior project – Students will participate in a positive artistic discussion about the
assignment created the class before. Students will discuss why those chose their found objects to
represent themselves, and how they created their overall piece. Students will then discuss their
work with their peers and provide feedback, compliments, or questions regarding each other’s
work.

Motivation—
In order to help motivate my students, I will introduce an artist that some students may have seen
before. By using Angela Haseltine Pozzi as an inspiring artist, I am not only able to have
scientific connections in this lesson, but some students may have seen her work in aquariums and
zoo’s before. This allows me to ask students if they have seen structures like this before, and if
they know what they are about, helping me to engage them in a class discussion about art and
science. Through this discussion, students will learn about how to use recycled or natural
materials in order to create art, and also how to create art with a purpose or message.

What are some questions to stimulate students’ participation?

- Have you ever seen one of Angela Haseltine Pozzi’s sculptures somewhere? Where?
- What do you think her sculptures are about?
- What do you think they are made of?
- How do you think you can use natural objects in order to create art?
- What do you think Andy Goldsworthy’s work is about?

Presentation of concepts/introductory activities

For this lesson, I will introduce our two inspiring artists (Angela Haseltine Pozzi & Andy
Goldsworthy). I will then guide a class discussion regarding who these artists are and what they
create their art about. This allows me to ask students why/how messages are portrayed through
art, as well as how everyday objects, found objects, or recycled materials are used in art.
Through the discussion of these artist, I will also introduce science concepts regarding the
environment and how we can use art to discuss environmental issues.

Instruction/demonstration
Next, students will be provided with the information and guidelines for their project. Once the
project is introduced, not only will I provide a personal example, but students will also be shown
several examples throughout their introduction to their second project. While discussing each
example, as a class we will discuss what these pieces might be about and come up with some
materials that students could potentially use.

Middle---Student Creating Phase

Students will be asked to go on a scavenger hunt for potential materials. Once they have found or
thought about potential materials, students will be asked to consider how they can use these
materials in order to convey a message. Ask students to think about how Angela Haseltine Pozzi
used materials found in the ocean in order to create her pieces about pollution. If students aren’t
able to connect their materials to their message, have them think about what their subject is, and
what/how it represents their message or idea. Once students have found materials, it is their
planning and sketching time. Students will have a list of things to consider on their screen as they
are planning and sketching. The list is as follows:
- Think about how you can use materials in a different way in order to create your piece?
- What other materials might you need to create your sculpture/“painting”?
- Think about how you choose to display your work, and what it adds to the overall
meaning of your piece.
- What are some difficulties you think you might face while creating?

End---Closure
Because this is a virtual class, I will allow 5 minutes at the end of class to go over what we will
be doing in the next class, review our project, share ideas, as well as allow time for questions.
Review---
Along with the closure of this lesson, I will review what our project is, and allow students the
opportunity to share any ideas or materials they think they would like to use for this project.