Art Lesson- Altered Books- elements of Art
Instructional Strategies
- Context
Demographics
• The school is an adaptive program of Cherry Creek Schools, the district’s most restrictive learning environment.
• Class sizes range from 1 to 10 students, averaging 5 per class.
• All students have IEP’s and are considered Significantly Emotionally Disabled (SED).
• Most students are considered high risk in addition to their diagnosed emotional disabilities. A percentage of the student population is identified with conduct disorder and/or social maladjustment. Some students have Aspergers or Autism in addition to their SED.
• About 47% receive free or reduced lunch.
• All classes have para educator support.
• School personnel: principal, COSA, dean, secretary, two security, two mental health, one part time nurse, occupational therapist, speech/language pathologist, eight content area teachers- four of which are special education case managers, 4-8 para educators.
• This school operates between residential or day treatment programs and home school support. Students work to attain their social emotional goals so they may return to their home schools.
• Many students have a wide, sometimes immeasurable gap between cognitive ability and processing speed(with processing speed being very slow and cognition being higher).
• Most students stay in the school between one semester and one year. Some stay a few years.
School Culture
• Many students have missed attending school on an intermittent or long term basis, or may not have experience/success in a typical school due to their significant mental health disabilities. This results in unexpected gaps in knowledge, or impaired ability or knowledge of how to function in a school environment.
• Many students present very low executive functioning skills.
•Many students remain in this school when they are unable to access other medical treatment programs, when they are removed or leave other medical treatment programs, when their home school seeks a more restrictive environment or denies re-entry, while they work on their SEL goals, orwhen they are waiting to enter another appropriate adaptive program placement.
• Obstacles to get students going on the on-ramp to learning at JLC:
• Long term absences from school. Many students have immense gaps in their learning. They often have partial knowledge in subjects and therefore have many misconceptions about information other students would typically understand. As result, even the most creative students have little or no academic preparation for the artwork being taught.
• Perceiving art as a class. Many students have spent considerable time in treatment facilities and are accustomed to using art as a way to escape mental health frustrations, which translates to misperceptions of art as free time rather than a class.
• SED difficulties make students unavailable for learning. Students must feel emotionally and physically safe to be available for learning, and their ability to get and remain on task is dependent upon emotional and physical safety. When students are in the emotional space to cope with daily responsibilities, they are also in a place to become effective learners, and also ready to leave the school. They do however, find much solace and success in their work by the way I approach differentiation and accommodate for their needs.
Instructional Considerations
• Lessons are rooted in the context of adaptive considerations. Concept based lessons engage students in the learning process. Instruction must have honor context of student experience, must respect individualness of the student, and must be meaningful.
• Students must be able to access the content at a variety of levels. Although the same content is being taught, each student accesses it at their level, pace, with the appropriate materials and support, etc.
• Many students leave in the middle of a unit/project. Some return later, some do not.
• Students are not graded for excused time they spend out of the classroom.
• Students earn up to ten points a day for being engaged and participating.
• Students earn points for completed projects.
• Students take as long as they need with their artwork. Rather than mastering content, the focus is to become and remain engaged each time they come to class for as long as they can. From there, the goal is to be able to engage and persist with the work, especially when it becomes difficult. This approach coincides with students achieving their social/emotional goals that allow them to return to their home school.
• Extension activities, breaks from work, and other accommodations are always available for students who need a break from their projects or are unable to attend to their work.
• All lessons are concept based and contain skill building support.
• All students have access to the materials appropriate for their skills and abilities. Some students can use Xacto knives. I give NO chances with any dangerous tools. “One strike and you’re out” keeps everyone safe. (I’ve only had one student lose clay tool privileges).
- Lesson Plan Implementation
Key Generalization of the Altered Book Lesson focusing on the Elements of Art
• Students have difficulty connecting the idea of “elements of art” to their artwork. Although they are aware of what the elements are, and can identify them in art they look at, they generally do not understand the intentional use of the elements in their work beyond personal preference.
• I use the metaphor of a recipe to guide understanding about the elements ofart as fundamental to the creation of artwork. The elements of art are the ingredients for the art recipe. Every art recipe has one or more elements. The metaphor of the elements of art as a recipe helps students to see that art needs its ingredients to exist just like a recipe does.
Instructional Considerations for Supporting Generalizations:
Disciplinary Literacy
•I engage students in working with the elements throughout the artmaking process. When students are planning their work, envisioning their designs, they identify how the elements might be used.
•During the art making process, students analyze how the elements are being used and how they can be used to enhance and develop their work.
•After artwork is completed, students critique how they used the elements.Studentsidentify where they experimented with the elements, then where they were mindful in developing accidents,new skills, or previously learned skills. Students are asked to explain how they used their materials and tools, to manipulate/create the identified element of art, and what they were trying to convey with each particular element, whether it be a visual effect, an expressive feature, or an idea.
• Art projects in this unit are concept based and allow students to learn the elements of art through the creation of meaning and context while exercising their individual sensibilities.
• Students often have severe anxiety surrounding academic success. The purpose of many strategies surrounds guiding students to successfully cope with their frustrations, to feel emotionally and physically safe, so they are available to learn. Assisting them with the frustrations that come with making art often require much emotional support, as students often melt down when their artwork doesn’t measure up to their anticipated outcome.
Lesson Planning
Creating Relevancy
• Art instruction needs to contain context, respect student individualness, and be meaningful. So, now my task is to teach the elements of art. A topic without inherent context or meaning for my students.
Just Right Challenge
• Students who would not ordinarily be interested in learning about the elements of art are instead creating an altered book that is used as a tool for them to access the elements of art from their own work.
• Begin working with the materials, then introduce the elements as they become apparent in the work.
• Students used a worksheet that asked them to Envision their idea. They picked their theme and described what they wanted to do and how they wanted to do it using the elements. I engage in a process of using guiding questions throughout the lesson. As students implement the use of the elements, they recognize their use, describe how they are used, how they are expanded and improved upon, and how they can use them intentionally in the future.
• Students who can’t or are limited in their ability to write and communicate: discussions surrounding the work, pick a specific topic and focus the classroom discussion during working time. Asking students how they are currently tackling a problem, identifying the elements at work and how they are being used, etc.
• One on one discussion about what is happening with the work, how it is going, what can happen next.
• Students select a theme for transforming the utilitarian object of the book into artwork.
• Students choose to create art from a variety of demonstrated design elements. The design elements are geared towards student ability and interest.
• Students take time throughout the art making process to identify and reflect on the elements of art they are using.
• Students are then asked to choose an element of art to use as a focus on one of their book spreads.
• Demonstrations are given to students to generate ideas and build skills.
• Students practice demonstrated techniques using materials of choice. Then they are encouraged to explore with those techniques using new materials and altering processes until they find something that works for their idea.
• Students share with the class when they are comfortable.
• Students help one another when they are comfortable.
• Altered Books allow students to practice with techniques and processes without feeling constrained by perceptions of mistakes. Pages can be taken out of the book, reused for other parts of the book, designs can be refigured, all while keeping the book intact.
• Guiding students through the process of working rather than expecting instantaneous results. Art requires a degree of preparation moststudents are not patient enough to endure. I break down the processes to their finest details. Students are then able to implement steps incrementally until they are able to create a whole piece of work.
• One to three skills or techniques are demonstrated a day.
• Skills and technique demonstrations are repeated.
• Skills and techniques are modeled one-on-one during practice.
• Support to remember, practice, implement steps with visual supports. Prompts to use visual supports.
• Student leader strategies used for assisting students.
• “First me then you” used for imagining and developing work.
• Students need to see possibilities for creation.In typical art classrooms, students will attempt to copy teacher examples. In my classroom, students instead use the ideas from a teacher example to realize their own creative vision.
• When students become stuck, we examine the work they have completed and think about the next possible steps.
Just Right Challenges move beyond content to students managing their own behaviors.
•Rearrangement of tables to assist with focus and manage distractions.
• Procedures for entering and clean-up practiced and reinforced for predictable routines and time management.
• Give specific directions for each part of a classroom procedure, and repeat often. Be specific in referring to each part of the expectation; for example, references to talking, sitting, attention, listening, working, entering (walking), touching.
• School rewards (care tickets in my case) ready to pass out as students are displaying appropriate behaviors.
• Specifically refer to positive/expected behaviors as they are displayed as the group is entering the class, cleaning up, etc. For example, “TW came in so politely, and sat down so quietly, (pass out care ticket to TW), I’m looking for five more people to sit quietly and show me they are ready to learn.” (There are five people in the class). “Half the class is ready to work! Nice!” Continue to pass out cares tickets to these people as you patiently wait for the rest of the group to show they are ready. “As soon as everyone is sitting quietly without talking to their neighbor, I’ll know you’re ready to learn.” Pile up those cares tickets. “We’re almost there! One more person…”
• When students are on task throughout the class; I give them a cares ticket and specifically explain what they have done to earn the reward. For example:
•“Thank you so much for doing such a great job focusing on your work for ten minutes! I bet you can go for 12!”
• “You did a great job ignoring Pat when he was being rude to you. That is such a hard thing to do when you’re feeling attacked! I’m so proud of you.”
•“I’m so glad you’re back. Even though you left class, you came back after only a few minutes. Your breaks are getting shorter and shorter.”
• “Thank you for helping Jessica. She really needs a friend right now.”
•“This room looks great! Doesn’t it feel good to be in such a creative space? Taking care of things is such an important part of staying creative.”
•“You remembered!”
• “Thank you for asking so politely.”
• Thank students in advance for exhibiting expected behaviors. For example:
•“Thank you for not throwing clay.”
•“Thank you for speaking in a classroom voice.”
•“Thank you for speaking politely to me when you’re angry.”
• Set boundaries, For example:
•“I’ll know you’re ready to speak with me when you’re using a calm voice.”
•“I’ll be with you in a minute after I help Matt.”
• “I know you’re upset right now, would you like to take a break in the hallway or sit quietly before you get started?”
• “I’d like you to make your choice, but I’ll get some help if you need.”
• “Let’s call mom so we can get this all worked out.” (Student can call mom and explain their difficulty using their own words. Or, you can call mom ahead of time to let her know that the student will be calling.)
• “I’m sorry you’re having a bad day, what do you need?”
• “I can see you’re not ready to work on the assignment, how about this option?” (reinforces the expectation that work is the focus rather than remaining distracted, however that work can look like many things.)
Guiding Questions:
“What sort of theme might I use to transform a functional book into a work of art?”
“How can I realize my theme in a creative way?”
“What materials and tools do I envision myself using?”
“Are there materials and tools I’d like to experiment with using?”
“Which elements of art do I feel drawn to using?”
“Am I going to use images from alternative sources, draw images, use multiple sorts of images?”
“Do I prefer 2-dimensional work, or dig into the book with cutting tools and create something more sculptural?”
“Which element of art is the most salient in my work?”
- Tools and Uploads
Tools
• Students have access to a variety of materials and tools. Students choose the tools they are most comfortable using, tools they have been trained and are trusted to use, and tools that are necessary for the job.
• Materials and Tools:Paint, Xacto knives, scissors, Yes paste, Elmer’s glue, glue sticks,sponges, paint brushes,papers, stencils, magazines, hard cover books, drawing pens and sharpies of various colors and sizes, color pencils, pencils, markers, crayons, found objects, drills, hack saw, glue gun, sand paper.
• Many students are not allowed to use scissors or sharp objects. For these students I demonstrate torn paper collages. I provide pre-cut papers, and demonstrate techniques for creating and using torn edges in a creative way.
Resources
Collage
Journal Fodder Junkies
Artist Trading Cards
Internet Images
• I provide students a wide variety of materials to experiment with using so they can decide how they want to proceed with their work.
•When placing images, students can draw their own images, or find images they print and then manipulate to use in their book. This allows students with more skills to improve, and students with less confidence or drawing skills to realize success in their design. Students are asked to reimagine and make their own, any image they pull from the internet. Students are encouraged to draw images they pull from the internet. Students are allowed to trace images they pull from the internet, then reimagine them and reconfigure them into their own design.
- Reflections
Teacher Reflection
Strengths:
•Having students begin a project providing multiple possibilities for working with a variety of techniques and processes allowed them to approach the concepts without intimidation. They were able to explore without feeling trapped by needing their work to be perfect. Even students who place the burden of perfection upon themselves were able to work more freely knowing that they could tear out a page of their book without ruining the entire piece of art.