Representation Unit
The Representation Unit was a sample unit led by our professor Dr. Briggs. She had originally taught the unit to a high school class. The unit focused on color mixing, paint application, and personal representation. When deciding how to represent oneself the possibilities were endless and we were not limited to a self-portrait.
This unit transported us back to a high school environment as students. We were taken through the entire unit from learning how to mix colors to writing an artist statement. I did complete a self-portrait based off a photograph my brother had taken of me during a family outing. I was able to incorporate the unit's ideas of representation and take inspiration from the unit's artists. In my own secondary education I did not experience units that incorporated big ideas and artists. By experiencing how a unit with this format played out I was able to create a unit for my own students with similar standards. Artist Statement |
Unity Unit
IPTS (2013) - STANDARD 1 - Teaching Diverse Students - The competent teacher understands the diverse characteristics and abilities of each student and how individuals develop and learn within the context of their social, economic, cultural, linguistic, and academic experiences. The teacher uses these experiences to create instructional opportunities that maximize student learning.
As our clinical experience for Art 211 we were tasked with a partner to create a 3 week unit plan that we would teach at a local school. The unit should have an overarching big idea, build off students' previous knowledge, deepen understanding, offer choice, challenge students, incorporate standards of creating, presenting, responding, and connecting, and accommodate students' needs.
My partner and I were placed at Evans Junior High School in Bloomington, Illinois. We were placed in a seventh grade classroom where the central focus was allowing students to explore new media and materials. Looking at the students' previous knowledge and our cooperating teacher's recommendations we created our unity painting unit. In this unit the students will analyze the work of Howardena Pindell, Sophie Taeuber-Arp, Caroline Kent, and Sam Gilliam. They will practice painting techniques and color mixing. After practicing technical skills, the students will create studies using construction paper and acrylic paint to discover how the different elements of artwork work together to create a unified work of art. The students will create a final painting incorporating the skills and concepts previously practiced. Using prompts the students will create an artist statement for their work.
Unit Plan
Student Work:
As our clinical experience for Art 211 we were tasked with a partner to create a 3 week unit plan that we would teach at a local school. The unit should have an overarching big idea, build off students' previous knowledge, deepen understanding, offer choice, challenge students, incorporate standards of creating, presenting, responding, and connecting, and accommodate students' needs.
My partner and I were placed at Evans Junior High School in Bloomington, Illinois. We were placed in a seventh grade classroom where the central focus was allowing students to explore new media and materials. Looking at the students' previous knowledge and our cooperating teacher's recommendations we created our unity painting unit. In this unit the students will analyze the work of Howardena Pindell, Sophie Taeuber-Arp, Caroline Kent, and Sam Gilliam. They will practice painting techniques and color mixing. After practicing technical skills, the students will create studies using construction paper and acrylic paint to discover how the different elements of artwork work together to create a unified work of art. The students will create a final painting incorporating the skills and concepts previously practiced. Using prompts the students will create an artist statement for their work.
Unit Plan
Student Work:
Unit Assessments
IPTS (2013) -STANDARD 7 - Assessment - The competent teacher understands and uses appropriate formative and summative assessment for determining student needs, monitoring student progress, measuring student growth, and evaluating student outcomes. The teacher makes decisions driven by data about curricular and instructional effectiveness and adjusts practices to meet the needs of each student.
To check students formative and summative work we created these assessments. The formative assessment is a progress check form where students will identify their plan for their final composition in terms of color palette and technical qualities. They will also reflect on their experiences thus far in the unit identifying skills they feel confident in and skills they would like to improve. Their first summative assessment is their final painting to that it has a limited color palette, incorporates at least four elements of art or principles of design, and utilizes at least two brush stroke techniques to create a work of art that reflects their ideas and feelings surrounding unity. Then they will make an artist statement based on given prompts that reflects on their work. The rubric will help check that their statement describes influence and inspiration of the student’s artwork, how the unity is portrayed, and what specific elements of art and principles of designs are used in the artwork.
Formative Assessment
Artwork Rubric
Artist Statement Rubric
To check students formative and summative work we created these assessments. The formative assessment is a progress check form where students will identify their plan for their final composition in terms of color palette and technical qualities. They will also reflect on their experiences thus far in the unit identifying skills they feel confident in and skills they would like to improve. Their first summative assessment is their final painting to that it has a limited color palette, incorporates at least four elements of art or principles of design, and utilizes at least two brush stroke techniques to create a work of art that reflects their ideas and feelings surrounding unity. Then they will make an artist statement based on given prompts that reflects on their work. The rubric will help check that their statement describes influence and inspiration of the student’s artwork, how the unity is portrayed, and what specific elements of art and principles of designs are used in the artwork.
Formative Assessment
Artwork Rubric
Artist Statement Rubric
Unit Artist Handout and Presentation
IPTS (2013) STANDARD 6 -Reading, Writing, and Oral Communication - The competent teacher has foundational knowledge of reading, writing, and oral communication within the content area and recognizes and addresses student reading, writing, and oral communication needs to facilitate the acquisition of content knowledge.
In my artist handout for the unit I overviewed the life and career of artist and curator Howardena Pindell. She is an abstract artist who became active in the late 60s, addressing ideas of racism, sexism, classism, beauty, and spirituality. Through the handout we looked at how she connects to her audience and the world. I also asked questions about her art through structural, subjective, and postmodern frameworks. The end of the handout compares and contrasts her work with that of Sophie Taeuber-Arp. The handout is written through the lens of unity and explores how the artists literally and figuratively use unity in their work. By introducing the students to artists related to the unit they can have a better grasp of what their final work should look like and pull inspiration. The questions about the artists work will also get them to start thinking about art in new ways that highlight the possible meanings. Artist Handout Artist Presentation |
Professionalism, Advocacy, & Leadership: PAL 1s
IPTS (2013) STANDARD 9 - Professionalism, Leadership, and Advocacy - The competent teacher is an ethical and reflective practitioner who exhibits professionalism; provides leadership in the learning community; and advocates for students, parents or guardians, and the profession.
Faculty Biennial: For our PAL 1 we were instructed to go out in the world and experience art. The art world is constantly growing so it is best to be constantly consuming what it has to offer. The more we experience the better we can enrich our life and the lives of our students. The first way I experienced art was with a visit to the Faculty Biennial at University Galleries. I saw lots of amazing art and truly loved this blown glass piece "DO NOT DUPLICATE" by John Miller.
Oleanna: I then experienced the performing arts by going to the Freestage Festival that is a week of shorter student run theatre productions. I saw three plays Oleanna, The Last Five Years, and Matt & Ben. Each performance was a joy to be at. Matt & Ben was a fun production to see after the more serious content addressed in the other two.
Faculty Biennial: For our PAL 1 we were instructed to go out in the world and experience art. The art world is constantly growing so it is best to be constantly consuming what it has to offer. The more we experience the better we can enrich our life and the lives of our students. The first way I experienced art was with a visit to the Faculty Biennial at University Galleries. I saw lots of amazing art and truly loved this blown glass piece "DO NOT DUPLICATE" by John Miller.
Oleanna: I then experienced the performing arts by going to the Freestage Festival that is a week of shorter student run theatre productions. I saw three plays Oleanna, The Last Five Years, and Matt & Ben. Each performance was a joy to be at. Matt & Ben was a fun production to see after the more serious content addressed in the other two.
Professionalism, Advocacy, & Leadership: PAL 2s
IPTS (2013) STANDARD 9 - Professionalism, Leadership, and Advocacy - The competent teacher is an ethical and reflective practitioner who exhibits professionalism; provides leadership in the learning community; and advocates for students, parents or guardians, and the profession.
HOIC: After experiencing art we were instructed to actively participate with it. The first way I did this was by aiding the Art 309 students with the running of Heart of Illinois Conference (HOIC) Art Festival. There I helped run a music a printmaking class. It was interesting to see how the student teacher I helped ran their class and engaged with their students. They created a very calm and fun environment that made me and the students feel welcome.
SoTD&D: For my second PAL 2 I had a commission for a Freestage performance. A friend of mine was a running a live D&D campaign for their show called SoTD&D. The production was two days with two different campaigns and nine players. For each player I created a character portrait based on who they had created for the performance. It was a great experience as I learned how to work with a commissioner in a close way, especially when it's something as specific as an original character. I'm so glad I was able to bring their characters to life.
HOIC: After experiencing art we were instructed to actively participate with it. The first way I did this was by aiding the Art 309 students with the running of Heart of Illinois Conference (HOIC) Art Festival. There I helped run a music a printmaking class. It was interesting to see how the student teacher I helped ran their class and engaged with their students. They created a very calm and fun environment that made me and the students feel welcome.
SoTD&D: For my second PAL 2 I had a commission for a Freestage performance. A friend of mine was a running a live D&D campaign for their show called SoTD&D. The production was two days with two different campaigns and nine players. For each player I created a character portrait based on who they had created for the performance. It was a great experience as I learned how to work with a commissioner in a close way, especially when it's something as specific as an original character. I'm so glad I was able to bring their characters to life.