-Introduction to Unit-
In the Art Time Travelers Unit, Kindergarteners will use various mediums to explore historic and personal art through the scope of time. Students will learn how to be art explorers and what that means when creating art. The unit will promote an explorative mindset that will be accomplished through role play, material exploration, and art expeditions. Art explorers will create artwork that deals with their present self, the past, and what they envision for the future. Each lesson will have a focus on a time period that will allow for material exploration and play. At this age play is an integral part of how students interact with and learn from the world around them. Allowing for students to use art during play connects the importance of art in our lives and how it can promote critical thoughts about our story.
-Methods for Integrating Literacy, Numeracy, Tech and other Components-
In the Art Time Travelers Unit, we used Literacy, Numeracy, and Art Technology in many ways. Literacy was incorporated in every class through the use of sketchbooks. Students wrote and drew in their sketchbooks to plan their pieces, and also to record their observations during class discussions. Literacy was also incorporated through the use of a Discovery Board. During class students made art discoveries, such as “When I push the marker on the side it makes a fat line and when I push it on the tip it makes a skinny line!” students would verbally share their discovery with the class, and then teachers would help them write it on a sticky note, which they could then put on the discovery board. The final way that literacy was integrated in the classroom was during our reflective activities. For example, in lesson four students created life size futuristic methods of transportation such as flying cars and underwater planes. At the end, students put on a skit for their class members where they acted out how their futuristic method of transportation worked.
Numeracy was also incorporated into the classroom in many ways. In lesson four students first planned their futuristic methods of transportation with a two dimensional rendering in their sketchbooks. Next, students turned their sketches into three dimensional life size renderings with cardboard. In this lesson students demonstrated their innate knowledge about proportion, upscaling, and creating a work in a three dimensional space.
Art technology was used in every lesson, from making miniature clay sculptures, working with paint to blend new colors, printmaking, and installation. The printmaking monoprint process incorporated the most advanced technology of all our lessons and was a multi-step process. Students used wet paper, markers or watercolors, brayers, and acrylic sheet to create monoprints.
Throughout the entire unit students also had to use 21st century skills that can be applied to all content areas, and just life in general. Students learned how to plan and create multiple steps to bring their ideas into fruition. Also, in the fourth lesson students worked together in groups which provided them with many skills, such as cooperation, compromise, communication, planning, and persevering even when things get difficult.
Numeracy was also incorporated into the classroom in many ways. In lesson four students first planned their futuristic methods of transportation with a two dimensional rendering in their sketchbooks. Next, students turned their sketches into three dimensional life size renderings with cardboard. In this lesson students demonstrated their innate knowledge about proportion, upscaling, and creating a work in a three dimensional space.
Art technology was used in every lesson, from making miniature clay sculptures, working with paint to blend new colors, printmaking, and installation. The printmaking monoprint process incorporated the most advanced technology of all our lessons and was a multi-step process. Students used wet paper, markers or watercolors, brayers, and acrylic sheet to create monoprints.
Throughout the entire unit students also had to use 21st century skills that can be applied to all content areas, and just life in general. Students learned how to plan and create multiple steps to bring their ideas into fruition. Also, in the fourth lesson students worked together in groups which provided them with many skills, such as cooperation, compromise, communication, planning, and persevering even when things get difficult.
-Classroom Management Strategies-
In working in with Denise’s crew we were able to utilize many of the previously established strategies and management tools in the classroom. This allowed us to save time and ease the transition between teachers for the students. In every lesson we utilized the oval rug in the classroom as a common meeting place in which we delivered instruction, new techniques, and examples in art history. The rug also served as a place to return and inventory supplies during the clean up portion of our lessons. While working with individual students we also utilized Denise’s strategy of focusing on good or bad choices that the student could make and how to navigate difficult situations with maturity.
While working within the established procedures of the classroom we also modified many of the routines to better serve our purposes. For example, the students were already accustomed to returning their attention to the teacher by showing their attending skills. We modified this by introducing the “Show us your Mona Lisa.” When students show us their Mona Lisa’s they show eye contact, mouths closed, hands by their sides, essentially their attending skills. However, by calling it “show us your Mona Lisa” students are aware that there are different expectations in the art classroom.
Another important aspect of management in the art classroom is safety. Over the course our class we used many different materials that all have important safety considerations. For example, when using hot glue, students wore gloves to keep from getting hot glue on their fingers. When teaching students these safety measures, we would start by asking the class generate ideas about what is an appropriate use of materials. When we introduced acrylic paint we started by asking students what they thought the appropriate use of paint was. By having the students come up with their own rules about materials, they are more accountable for their actions and choices when using materials.
We also made use of stations in nearly every lesson. During lesson four (planes, trains, and automobiles) we had a hot glue station, a mixed materials station, a cutting station, and a station for drawing with markers and colored pencils. Having stations allows students to share materials, experiment at their own pace by transitioning between stations whenever they needed to, and cut down on confusion between transition time.
While working within the established procedures of the classroom we also modified many of the routines to better serve our purposes. For example, the students were already accustomed to returning their attention to the teacher by showing their attending skills. We modified this by introducing the “Show us your Mona Lisa.” When students show us their Mona Lisa’s they show eye contact, mouths closed, hands by their sides, essentially their attending skills. However, by calling it “show us your Mona Lisa” students are aware that there are different expectations in the art classroom.
Another important aspect of management in the art classroom is safety. Over the course our class we used many different materials that all have important safety considerations. For example, when using hot glue, students wore gloves to keep from getting hot glue on their fingers. When teaching students these safety measures, we would start by asking the class generate ideas about what is an appropriate use of materials. When we introduced acrylic paint we started by asking students what they thought the appropriate use of paint was. By having the students come up with their own rules about materials, they are more accountable for their actions and choices when using materials.
We also made use of stations in nearly every lesson. During lesson four (planes, trains, and automobiles) we had a hot glue station, a mixed materials station, a cutting station, and a station for drawing with markers and colored pencils. Having stations allows students to share materials, experiment at their own pace by transitioning between stations whenever they needed to, and cut down on confusion between transition time.
Lesson 1: How to be an Art Explorer
|
An introduction to the concept of time traveling through art and what it means to be an art explorer. Art explorers drew self-portraits of themselves as explorers and made drawings of a summer event. The drawings were displayed in a cave (hallway) and students analyzed the drawings as if they were artifacts.
| ||
Lesson 2: Exploring the Past
|
Art explorers learned about past artworks by analyzing artifacts and how art can tell stories about the people of that time. Art explorers used hand building techniques to complete their artifact out of clay and then painted with acrylic paint to add details. Afterwards, explorers traveled into the future and participated in an ARTecheological dig. Explorers found artifacts, recorded information, and made predictions about what they think the owner was like and what the artifact represents.
|
| ||
Lesson 3: The Future is Now
|
Next, the Art Explorers began working within the context of the future. They thought about what they would be like in the future, and what their interests might be. They created futuristic self-portraits using the Monoprint process, which includes drawing or painting on clear plastic and then wetting a piece of paper and printing the image onto the paper.
| ||
Lesson 4: Planes, Trians, and Automobiles
|
Art explorers continued working in the context of the future by creating futuristic methods of transportation. They worked collaboratively in groups with materials such as, cardboard, hot glue, construction paper, and fabric. Art explorers used their various plans to create a new vehicle that has multiple components and worked together to make group decisions. Once the sculpture was complete each group created a skit that demonstrated the various components of their futuristic vehicles.
|
| ||
Lesson 5: The Here and Now
|
In this final lesson, art explorers created two different versions of self-portraits depicting themselves in the present. The first self-portrait was created using a tissue paper collage technique to create unique backgrounds, representing their favorite colors. On top students collaged a self-portrait of themselves, friends, and/or family drawn in marker or colored pencil. Afterwards, students created life size portraits which reflected their identity.
| ||
