ART LESSON PLAN FORMAT

I. OVERVIEW

Erin Chamberlin Caitlin Gold

LESSON TITLE: The Place’s We’ll Go...LESSON SUMMARY: This lesson explores the big idea of place as students explore places around the world, and focus in on a place that they would love to visit in the future. During this lesson, students will reference Wayne White’s work in order to observe different means of fonts created using perspective. The students will manipulate text in order to spell out the word of their chosen place that both visually represents the place, but also utilizes perspective to create a three-dimensional effect.

TEACHER(S) NAME: Erin Chamberlin and Caitlin GoldGRADE LEVEL/CLASS NAME: 6th Grade Problem Based Learning

CLASS SIZE: CLASS TIME/DATE: 45 Minutes, 7 Class Session(s)

A. BIG IDEA (UBD): Place

B. ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS (UBD):Place is a term that could refer to many different definitions of the word; it could be considered

an area, setting, region, position, niche, or home, among many other things. Certain emotions are often associated with a specific place, this is what distinguishes one place from another. Humans are also, by nature, curious creatures prone to exploration. Naturally, humans explore all places and dream to see the world. Artists explore the world and their surroundings and often reflect within their artwork. Place can be a wonderful springboard for artists to create expressive art based on their surroundings.

C. ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS (UBD):● What is place?● What role does place play in our lives?● How can new places broaden your perspective of the world?● Why is it important to learn about and experience foreign places?

D. BACKGROUND INFORMATION Prior to this lesson, the students will be expected to be able to use a straightedge, or ruler, to

make precise lines. Students should also have some knowledge of social studies and geography which they can build upon in the research portion of the lesson. Students may have heard the term “perspective” before, but may not know the specific terms or how to implement it in a drawing. For most students, this lesson should serve as a brief introduction to the artist Wayne White and his text-and-landscape paintings.

E. MATERIALS/EQUIPMENT, ROOM ARRANGEMENT1. MATERIALS/EQUIPMENT:

1. sketching paper2. pencils3. good drawing paper, preferably larger than 9” x 12”4. photos of various cities, towns, places, etc. around the world (from magazines, printed

out high-quality images, etc.)5. travel magazines, issues of National Geographic, almanacs, and other resources that can

be used for research6. thin sharpie markers7. colored pencils8. markers9. rulers

2. ROOM ARRANGEMENT: ● Students sit in groups at tables. Groups consist of about 6 to 8 students per table. A

separate table is set aside for demonstrations, and materials can be accessed at the materials carts at the front of the classroom.

F. VOCABULARY and REFERENCES/SOURCES● Vocabulary:

○ Place: a location somewhere in the world with a distinct values, culture, and people○ Perspective : a method of drawing that allows three dimensional objects to be expressed

two dimensionally while still expressing accurate volume dimensions and appearing realistic as viewed from a particular point

○ Vanishing point(s) : a point that lies on the horizon; it is at this point that all receding parallel lines converge and seem to disappear

○ One-point perspective : a specific type of perspective in an image in which all straight lines in the image disappear to a single vanishing point

○ Horizon line : the line at which the sky meets the ground○ Three-dimensional : objects that are three dimensional consist of a height, width, and

depth○ vertices : the meeting point of two lines that form an angle○ orthogonals : receding parallel lines that always lead back to the vanishing point

2. REFERENCES/SOURCES:

● Large world map to reference so students can understand the places they are researching on a large

scale.

http://waynewhiteart.com/

II. STANDARDS/OBJECTIVES

A. STANDARDS● 1.3.8.D.1 Incorporate various art elements and the principles of balance, harmony, unity,

emphasis, proportion, and rhythm/movement in the creation of two- and three-dimensional artworks, using a broad array of art media and art mediums to enhance the expression of creative ideas (e.g., perspective, implied space, illusionary depth, value, and pattern).

○ Students will be employing perspective, as well as their knowledge of the basic elements and principles, to create a two-dimensional design that incorporates text and image.

● 1.4.A.8.2 Identify works of dance, theatre, music, and visual art that are used for utilitarian and non-utilitarian purposes.

○ Students will be exposed to both of these types of artwork: they will see non-utilitarian work from the artist Wayne White and his humorous text-and-landscape paintings, and they will be creating utilitarian art in the form of designs for advertising and promotional purposes.

● 1.4.8.B.1 Evaluate the effectiveness of a work of art by differentiating between the artist’s technical proficiency and the work’s content or form.

○ Students will participate in a critique activity in which they evaluate the work of their peers, keeping in mind both the techniques learned in class and the main goal of creating a culturally-relevant and eye-catching design.

● CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.7 Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.

○ Students take a few minutes at the beginning of each class to answer a thought provoking question that relates to the lesson and allows the students to re-engage with the lesson each day.

B. OBJECTIVES: LIST STUDENT OUTCOMES (IN MEASURABLE TERMS)● The students will demonstrate knowledge of place by naming and describing places

(cities, countries, etc.) where they would like to travel in the future through journal entries.

● The students will demonstrate application of perspective in a drawing exercise by manipulating five different 2-dimensional shapes in order to create 3-dimensional shapes.

● The students will demonstrate creation of place by creating a textual design for the place of their choosing, using their knowledge of the place as well as their practice in perspective drawing to create their designs.

● The students will demonstrate evaluation of place and perspective by participating in an in-class critique where students will assess the successfulness of the artworks.

III. LEARNING EXPERIENCE

A. INTRODUCTION:● DAY 1● Begin first class with a ‘journal entry question’: “Think of a place you would like to travel to

and discuss why. What do you know about this place that draws you to it? There are no limitations! (ask students not to just pick a continent, but a country, city, town, etc.)

● Teacher Dialogue: “Please come in and get your binders. Take about 5 minutes to answer the journal question on the board.”

○ Students should grab their binders in an orderly fashion and get right to work on the journal question at their seats.

● Once students have finished the journal, allow a couple students to share if they’d like. Ask students what they would like to learn about this place, and explain their reason for wanting to travel there someday. Instructors will share a traveling experience to get students engaged and interested.

B. SEQUENCE OF ACTIVITIES/ORGANIZER (Outline Procedures Step-by-Step)DAY 1 (continued from intro above)

● At this point, students are probably wondering why they are having such an involved discussion about traveling; wrap up discussion by explaining that the art activity in this lesson will involve a bit of research on various places. Tell students that they will eventually decide on their favorite place based on previous discussion and research, and this place will be the focus for their assignment. Set up a scenario for the students in which they are all graphic designers working for a traveling agency or tourism department, and they are charged with the task of creating a design that incorporates both text and image to promote their chosen place.

● Next, in order to further illustrate what you would like this textual image to look like, present to them the artist Wayne White and his text-and-landscape paintings that are usually pretty nonsensical and funny in nature. Place an example of his work at each table. Start discussion by asking students, “So what do you see?”

○ Students will most likely say that the paintings consist of some words incorporated into a traditional-looking landscape. Some may point out that the words/phrases are kind of nonsensical, and some may find them funny.

● Pose some more questions about his work specifically aimed at the use of text: “What’s interesting or unusual about the way this artist incorporated text into these landscapes?” “What about the text makes it look like it’s actually a part of the environment it’s in?”

○ Students might say that the letters don’t look flat, like you might see on a typical written document, but they look like they’re solid and they have a sort of 3D effect about them. They might also point out that the words look like they’re going off into space, or coming out at the viewer.

● Finally, explain that the main technique Wayne White uses in making these words appear to have depth and three-dimensionality is called perspective, and that you will go into the idea of perspective further in the next class. For now, begin to distribute the research materials you have collected to each table. Explain to students that the remainder of class will be spent doing some research on various places that may interest them. Tell them that they should try to choose one place that they enjoy the most, or would most like to do some more research on, as the subject of their final design. Walk around the classroom as they work and help those students who need assistance. As students pick their final places, keep track of what they pick by writing them down in a notepad.

● Conclusion : About 5 minutes before the end of class, have students first get up one table at a time and put back the laptops they used for research (if available). Ask some students to help you gather up the books and magazines as well. Encourage students who haven’t finished their worksheets yet to finish them before next class. Explain that research is an important part of advertising, especially for a business like tourism, so that those who wish to travel can get a good sense of the cultural and environmental aspects of a place. Encourage them to use the internet if possible, or to check out a book or magazine from the library to aid in their research. The worksheet should be completed by next class.

DAY 2 Introduction: Instruct students as they come in to immediately get their binders and answer the day’s journal entry question: “What are three new things you’ve learned about the place you chose for the project?” Give them about 5 minutes to finish the journal question, then have each student share at least one fact that they wrote down.

● Before diving into the lesson, ask students if they remember when you mentioned the art technique of perspective in the last class, while looking at Wayne White’s work. Students might remember, or they might not, but regardless explain to them that perspective is the main art technique they will be practicing in drawing out their text designs.

● At this point, introduce the concept of perspective by posing the question: “What do you think the word “perspective” means in a visual art context?” ○ Student responses will vary, though some may think back to the paintings of Wayne

White and guess that it has something to do with creating the illusion of three-dimensionality, or simply that it creates depth and realism in a 2D work of art. Students may also think about what the word perspective means in a general context (as in, a viewpoint or various angles at which someone can look at something).

● Distribute the examples of room drawings to each table (2 per table; A & B): one with simple flat shapes, and the other utilizing perspective to give the shapes depth and three-dimensionality. Pose question: “Which drawing of these shapes looks more realistic? Why? What aspects of the drawing make it more realistic?”

○ Most likely, students will say drawing B is more realistic.

● Focus on drawing B, and label the horizon line and vanishing points while explaining what these are to the students. Also be sure to point out the orthogonals, or the parallel lines going from each shape to the vanishing point to create the illusion of going back into space. Make sure there is no confusion by asking if students have any questions.

● Before having them practice drawing perspective themselves, do a quick demonstration to show how to use a ruler and very light pencil marks to lay out a composition with perspective. Have students gather around the demonstration table and emphasize that the ruler is going to be their best friend in this lesson. Draw out a couple simple squares and rectangles strewn throughout the paper, showing students how to use the edges of the paper and the ruler to keep lines straight and even. Now, delegate a horizon line somewhere on the paper. Using the horizon line, place a vanishing point in the composition (a central vanishing point might work best). Now, demonstrate to students that every single horizontal line should connect the edges of all objects in your composition to the vanishing point. This is what creates depth in the objects.

● Now, pass out some sketch paper, pencils, and rulers to students and explain that they will do some practice with drawing perspective by using various simple geometric shapes. Have students randomly scatter 5 shapes on their paper, including squares, rectangles, shapes with more than 4 sides (like octagons and pentagons), and other shapes of such nature. Once all their shapes are drawn, have them position their horizon line wherever they see fit. Finally, have them establish a vanishing point, and have them use the ruler to connect all corners of their shapes to the vanishing point. ● Conclusion: In the last five minutes or so of class, show students the teacher exemplars of

how you are expecting their textual designs to come out. Explain that, once the foundation of the perspective lines has been drawn out, a lot can be done with the text, including different fonts, patterns, and designs incorporated into the letters. Tell students to start thinking about how they are going to incorporate the unique culture and geography of the place they have chosen into their design (like flag colors, local delicacies, crafts, rituals and customs that are specific to that place, monuments, etc.). Pass out some font reference sheets that will help students think of other ways they can draw out their text instead of a simple block font. Tell students to store their practice drawings in their binders, and make sure that all pencils and rulers are returned to their proper places before students leave.

DAY 3Introduction: Instruct students as they come in to immediately get their binders and answer the day’s journal entry question: “What elements will you incorporate into your text logo in order to represent the place you have chosen? Discuss at least 4 different ideas.” Give them about 5 minutes to finish the journal question. Once students have finished the journal, ask some of the students to share their ideas and possibly get some feedback from their peers. Also ask students as they share, “What kind of colors are you going to use? How can you transform letters to make them reflect the place you’ve chosen?” and other questions of that nature to help them further develop their ideas.Sequence of activities: This day will start the first step for students to begin their textual designs. Students should be constantly reminded to use very light pencil marks in this initial stage, so it it easier for them to erase any unneeded pencil marks later on. Pass out sheets of paper, pencils, and erasers as you instruct students to first lay down their horizon line and decide where they want to place their vanishing point(s). Emphasize the importance of keeping the horizon line as parallel to the top of the page as possible. Also, remind students that their vanishing point should exist somewhere on their horizon line.Once each student has finished this step, have them come around the demonstration table for a demonstration on drawing out the basic shape of the text.

1. Use a simple word to demonstrate, like WE or DOG, and once again remind students that the ruler will be their best friend and most useful tool in drawing out this design.

2. First, show students how to set up their orthogonal lines, which will dictate how tall their letters are and what angle they will be drawn. Show students how the orthogonals all lead back to the

vanishing point. 3. Draw a vertical line parallel with the side of the paper to dictate where the string of letters will

end; this should create a four-sided polygon. 4. Now, show students how to section off this block so that there is a section in the orthogonals for

each letter; this will allow for even spacing and a more accurate depiction of the letters receding into space.

○ Start by drawing diagonal lines in the polygon, creating an X. ○ Where the two diagonal lines cross, use the ruler to draw a vertical line through this

point. ○ Erase the X, and repeat this process with the bigger of the two polygons now on the

paper. Continue this until there is a block sectioned out for each letter. Because of the concept of depth of field, the letters that are at the beginning of the word will appear closer to the viewer than the letters at the end of the word (or vice-versa).

5. Once these blocks are sectioned out, begin to show students how to draw out letters and add depth to them. Explain that any horizontal lines in the letters should lead back to the vanishing point, so line up the ruler with the vanishing point when drawing these lines. Letters should fill up as much of their assigned blocks as possible. Once again, stress the importance of using very light pencil marks, to allow for easier erasing.

6. Now that the demonstration is over, instruct students to return to their seats and draw the layout of their words using the techniques they’ve learned. This process will probably require some extra monitoring, so keep an eye on students as they work and assist any who need it. Students don’t have to worry about “fancy-fying” their designs in this step; this first step is so that they can neatly and more easily lay out where their letters will be placed on the paper.

7. At the end of class, have students return their pencils and rulers to the appropriate spots and explain to them that, now that their letters are all laid out they way they want them, they will move on to customizing and getting creative with their letters in the next class. Pose these questions for further thinking: “Can you transform some of your letters to look like something else, like a building or some plantlife?” “What patterns and color schemes could you use?” “What different types of fonts and styles of lettering would best fit your place?” Encourage them to think about these things for next class.

DAY 4-6● These next three days will be spent on detailing and finalizing their designs. The days will

roughly pan out as follows:○ Day 4: Before students get out their assignments, do a quick refresher on terms and

techniques they’ve learned the past few days. Ask them what perspective is and what it can accomplish; ask them to explain to you the terms horizon line, vanishing points, orthogonal lines, depth of field, and three-dimensionality. Finally, have some students share some ideas they have about further customizing and detailing their letters.

■ Now, students should get to work on detailing their designs. Encourage students to have some sketch paper on-hand just in case they need to practice drawing out certain aspects of their design. Make sure you are always available to assist students and ask any questions they may have, and regularly check their progress.

■ Students may or may not finish their initial pencil drawings on this day; if they do, go around and give them the thumbs-up to move on to outlining their letters in thin sharpie. Students who are moving on to this step should be reminded to continue using the ruler to ensure their lines stay straight when they need to be. Also, make sure students aren’t outlining unneeded lines, like their horizon lines or orthogonals.

■ To conclude the day, before students leave, inform them that if they haven’t yet, they should be ready to start outlining their designs in sharpie in the next class period. Make sure all supplies are returned to their rightful places, and that

drawings are stored where they should be.○ Day 5: Once students are all in their seats, get a quick tally of how many students are

close to finishing their initial pencil drawings. Explain that the goal is to outline their designs in sharpie today, and hopefully even move on to coloring by the end of class.

■ Before having students get to work, have them gather around the demonstration table for a quick demo on effective ways to mix colors and shade with colored pencils. Using the drawing you did for the demonstration of drawing out the letters, use an assortment of colored pencils to demonstrate shading techniques by showing students how to shift between light and heavy pressure on the paper with the pencil to create dark and light areas. Also show some blending techniques for blending gradients and mixed colors. Remind students that the sides of their letters should be darker than the letters themselves; this darker shade can be created by using brown and black overtop the main color.

■ For the rest of class, students should get to work, keeping in mind that they should try to either start coloring today or be ready to color by next class. Monitor students regularly, and be available to assist when needed. Make sure students are working diligently, and allow some light conversation between peers as long as it’s not distracting. If students finish outlining their designs before the end of class, have them raise their hands to indicate they’ve finished and check to make sure their outlines are 100% complete before allowing them to move on to coloring.

■ At the end of class, remind students that they should be ready to color next class. Encourage them to keep up the good work as they get into the “home stretch” of the lesson. Also, remind them to keep in mind what kinds of color choices they should make in finalizing their designs, so that they can most effectively emulate their places of choice for this assignment. Make sure all materials are cleaned up before students leave the classroom.

○ Day 6:■ As students come into class, have them immediately take out their designs and sit

down at their seats. Explain that you’re going to go around and check to make sure everyone is either already coloring or is ready to color. Before giving those who are ready the OK to start, remind everyone about the techniques taught the other day in the coloring demo. Those who still need to add some finishing touches to their sharpie outlines will be given a few minutes to do so, but should really be encouraged to move on to the final step.

■ Monitor students’ progress as they work, and remind them of shading techniques and various ways to mix colors. Make sure students are kept on-task, and minimize distractions as much as possible. Students may chat with their peers at their tables, as long as it is not too much of a distraction.

■ In the last five minutes or so of class, have students clean all their materials and return them to their proper places. Quell any worries students may have about finishing on time by explaining that they will have a good amount of time during next class to finish their designs. Those who may think they are already finished should be pushed to really look over their designs and think about any other details they can include in their colors, values, shading, and other details.

C. CLOSURE/CULMINATING EXPERIENCE (Sharing & Reflecting)DAY 7 (last day of lesson)

● As students come in, instruct them to get both their binders and their textual designs. Once everyone is seated, inform them that they will have about the first half of class to

complete their designs (unless everyone finishes earlier than that). Students should take their time, use shading techniques discussed in class while adding color to their text, and completely erase any stray pencil marks. Walk around and monitor progress, and answer any questions students may have during this time.

● Once all designs are finished, have students put away materials back in their proper places. Once all students are back in their seats, tell them to keep their drawings at their seats and facing outward. Instruct students to take out a blank piece of paper and write their names at the top. Then, explain to students that the critique activity for their designs will be carried out as if each of them is pitching their design to a board of directors at their traveling agency (in this case, their peers will act as these “board members”). Students should take a few minutes to think about how they will explain their design to their peers; encourage students to keep it to about two or three sentences. Students may write down their explanations on a paper if they wish. Once all students have their explanations ready, they will take turns presenting their designs to the rest of the class. Students should be encouraged to stand up and hold up their designs, but if they feel much more comfortable sitting down they will be allowed to do so. After each explanation, have at least two or three students comment on the design of their peer, of course stressing the importance of giving positive comments instead of negative and disrespectful ones. To help prompt students, tell them to keep these questions in mind when commenting: “How well did the artist execute perspective techniques?” “In what ways did the artist manipulate and change their letters to reflect the place they chose?” “How did the artist use color, line and shading techniques to get their ideas across?” “Was the artist really able to capture the idea of their place in their design?” So on and so forth. This critique activity will last until around five minutes before the class period ends.

● At the end of the class period, congratulate students on their successes. Ask students how they feel about the final outcome of their designs: Is there anything they would change? What do they like most about their designs? How has the research they did on their chosen place affected how they think and feel about that place? What do they think about using perspective, and would they like to use this technique more in the future? Before students leave, make sure their designs are turned in and that all materials have been returned to their proper places.

D. ADAPTATIONS/MODIFICATIONS● Students with various mental retardations may be given extra instruction if needed after

demonstrations. These students may also require extra help while handling rulers.● Students with various learning disabilities may be suggested to complete the symmetrical word

perspective composition instead of asymmetrical in order simplify the lesson. ● Students with various hearing disabilities will be given seating that is accommodating in order to

ensure the child is close enough to hear. Instructors will also discretely check for understanding after instruction is given.

● Students with various visual impairments will be allowed a close-up spot for the demonstrations to ensure the child can fully see what is going on. These students will also be given optimal seating in the front of the classroom to make sure the student can see any supplementary materials shown to the class during the lesson.

● Gifted and talented students may opt to challenge themselves by attempting to create a 2-point perspective word instead of just 1-point perspective.

IV. LESSON ANALYSIS

A. STUDENT ASSESSMENT1. Pre-Assessment: Students will be pre-assessed through the first journal entry. For this journal

entry, the students are asked, “Think of a place you would like to travel to and discuss why. What do you know about this place that draws you to it?”. From this entry, we can gauge the student’s prior knowledge of both geography and the culture of the place they’ve chosen.

2. Formative Assessment: Students will be formatively assessed through the completion of the practice perspective shapes. On the second day, after the perspective demonstration, students are asked to draw five shapes in order to practice creating three-dimensional shapes. The completion of this exercise will show the students understand the concept of perspective and know how to use it effectively.

3. Summative Assessment: Tourism and Perspective Rubric

Criteria/Objective(you may divide an objective into different rows, if needed)

Exemplary (A)(or point system-

10 points)

Good (B)(or 9 points)

Satisfactory (C)(or 8 points)

Needs Improvement(or 7 points or below)

The student will demonstrate knowledge of PLACE through the completion of the first journal entry.

The student wrote an excellent journal response about a specific place they would like to travel to. The journal entry was clear and concise with proper grammar.

The student wrote a decent journal response that discussed a place the student would like to travel to. The student’s writing could be better but the ideas are understandable.

The student wrote a journal response that discusses a place the student would like to travel, however the entry is difficult to understand with poor grammar.

The student did not complete the journal entry. The journal entry was not clear or concise and did not have proper grammar.

The students will demonstrate application of PERSPECTIVE in a drawing exercise by manipulating five different 2-dimensional shapes in order to create 3-dimensional shapes.

The student successfully used perspective to create five 3-dimensional shapes. The sketches are neat and precisely created with a ruler in order to make straight lines.

The student used perspective to create five 3-dimensional shapes. The sketches are fairly neat and it appears a ruler was used for some parts, but not all. The drawing is good, but could be neater.

The student created some 3-dimensional shapes, but not five. It does not look like a ruler was used because lines are not straight or neat.

The student did not complete the perspective drawing exercise. The sketches were not neat and the lines were not straight.

The students will demonstrate creation of PLACE by creating a textual design for the place of their choosing, using their knowledge of the place as well as their practice in perspective drawing to create their designs.

The student created a textual design for the chosen place that successfully utilized the concept of perspective. The design is thoughtful and clearly representative of the chosen place.

The student created a textural design for the chosen place that utilizes perspective to some extend. The design elements somewhat represent the place.

The student created s textural design for the chosen place that does not utilize perspective. The design elements are only slightly representational of the chosen place.

The student did not create a textural design. The student did not utilize perspective. The student did not use representational design elements for the chosen place.

The students will demonstrate analysis of PERSPECTIVE by comparing two drawings of a room

The student actively participated in the group activity. The student had good input and interacted with the other group members in order to

The student participated in the group activity. The student had some good input and spoke a few times with the other group members.

The student somewhat participated in the group activity and spoke with group members once or twice.

The student did not participate in the group activity. The student had no input and did not interact with the other group members.

and determining which one unitizes perspective.

The students will demonstrate evaluation of PLACE and PERSPECTIVE by critiquing their peer’s artworks during an in class critique.

The student actively participated during the in class critique. The student had more that five constructive and positive comments about his/her peers’ artworks.

The student participated during the in class critique. The student had a three to five positive and constructive comments about his/her peers’ artworks.

The student barely participated during the in class critique. The student seldom spoke during the critique and only had one or two constructive or positive comments about his/her peers’ artworks.

The student did not participate during the in class critique. The student had no positive or constructive comments for his/her peers’ artworks.

The students will utilize in class work time to the best of their ability in order to complete the artwork on time.

The student utilized in class work time very well. The student showed excellent time management and awareness. The student was able to complete the artwork successfully and on time.

The student utilized in class work time sufficiently. The student showed time management and awareness enough to complete the project on time.

The student did not make the best use of in class work time. The student misused much of the time and barely completed the artwork on time.

The student did not utilize in class work time at all. The student did not show time management or awareness and was not able to complete the artwork on time.

Total Points or Grade:

Teacher Comments:

B. SELF-REFLECTION

Caitlin GoldThroughout this lesson, I’ve learned quite a bit about both teaching and middle school students. The most important observation I made was how visual these learners really are. I should have understood this, being such a visual learner myself. Quite a few of our students struggled once we introduced the lengthy process in order to create the lettering using perspective, but the moment we made a visual step-by-step instruction diagram they got it. Students would get up quietly to look at the diagram and help themselves rather than calling us over at the slightest confusion. The students also thrive with instruction. The second they don’t have a task; I noticed they get very social and distracted. However, they are very compliant to do whatever they’re asked to do. Keeping busy students in a classroom is definitely one of the more important things I learned after teaching this lesson. And visuals are always a must!

Erin Chamberlin

Overall, I thought the lesson has been pretty successful. Seeing the students begin to customize their letters really gives me a feel for their individual personalities and interests, as well as their levels of creativity and work ethic. I think the most challenging part of writing the lesson is making sure everything was planned out in advance, so no stone was left unturned. I still have some trouble gauging the learning levels of younger students, so I feel like I sometimes want to make the lesson too challenging for a certain age level. Our lesson did end up being a bit of a challenge for our classes, but they are both

great classes and eventually really got the hang of what we were teaching them. The one obstacle we seemed to run into the most with the 6th grade was their ability to remember the things they learned in the previous class session; the fact that the art class was on a Day 1 – Day 2 schedule didn’t help matters. One thing I definitely learned about 6th grade is that repetition is key, and also having extra visual aids seemed to really help students who got confused about what to do next in the artmaking process. Our first period was a bit slower at getting the concepts being taught than the second period, so they ended up being almost a full day behind from the other students, but they’re still getting the concepts and performing just as well as the faster-learning class. Our co-op stressed that the most important thing is that students understand what you are teaching them, and if they need more time for an assignment, they should be given that time (as long as it’s reasonable).

Also, it surprised me how much we ended up having to deviate from our original lesson plan. Thoroughly writing out how the lesson will play out obviously has its benefits, but it’s also important to realize that teachers constantly have to modify what they’re doing as they teach if something’s not working or if students aren’t quite getting a concept just yet. I think after teaching the lesson, this assignment might be more comfortable for a 7th grade level, even though the 6th graders overall did a great job with the task they were given. 7th graders might more easily understand the concept of perspective, as well as the various steps needed to create the textual layout for the designs. I also now realize the importance of closing each day by wrapping up everything learned so and gauging student understanding, as well as beginning with it. The only regret I have with our lesson is the snow days! It really is surprising how much snow days can throw off a lesson.

V. Teacher Example of Artwork , handouts, worksheets, etc.

exemplar by Erin Chamberlin

exemplar by Caitlin Gold

perspective handouts

Wayne White

Making letters look 3-dimensional

And some design ideas!

REMEMBER: Your word logo must represent the PLACE you chose. There should be a clear reason for the graphic choices you make.

You can not copy any of these fonts. This is only to give you some ideas.

Name: _________________________ Period: _______ Date: _______________

Name of place you are researching (country, city, etc.): ________________________

Research Time!1. What does your place’s national flag look like? What is the color scheme? (Draw it if

you want)

2. Does your place have special cuisine? What types of foods and dining customs are common there?

3. What religion is practiced there, if any? Is there any folklore or mythology associated with that place?

4. What is special about the geography of your place (is it mostly desert, are there many forests, is it a very urban area, etc.)? Are there any special landmarks or monuments located there?

5. What kinds of wildlife can be found in your place? List both flora (plants) and fauna (animals).

6. List anything else you’ve found out about your place that you think is particularly interesting. This can include traditional clothing, types of businesses and jobs found there, local customs, etc. You can use the back of this paper as well.

Name: _____________________________________________

Period: ______________________

Date: _________________________________

Mid-Project Review

1. Why is it important to learn about foreign places?

2. What is perspective?

3. Transform the shape below using the technique of perspective. Label the horizon line, the vanishing point, and the orthogonal lines.

perspective diagram poster

steps for laying out textual image: