Sample Lesson Plans for Gallery Activities
CA Biennial 2008
Oct. 26, 2008 – March 15, 2009
The development of the California Art Today Gallery Activities is due to a team effort of Jeanne Johnson, Lynda Wilson, Nancy Kiddie, Kristine Bowen, Jenni Stenson and Tim Tompkins.
With appreciation and gratitude,
Connie Sakamoto
Lesson Plan for “More Than Meets the Eye”
Sample lesson plan based on William Leavitt’s Gothic Curtain.
Objective: Students will draw two pictures: a realistic copy and a picture using their imagination.
Discussion: Allow students time to look at William Leavitt’s Gothic Curtain. What do you see? (Brown curtains) What else do you notice? (Sounds of rain coming from audio equipment)What is unusual about Leavitt’s artwork? (Sound is part of the work and the curtains look like they belong in a living room.) What do you hear? (Rain) Is this a sound you hear often here in Southern California? (Because Southern California is a desert, rainfall is scarce. Average rainfall in this area is 14 inches per year. Compare it with Portland, Oregon that averages 45 inches of rainfall per year.) How would you feel if these curtains were in your home and the sounds came from outside your windows? Why? (Since rain is scare and people depend on water on a daily basis, water is important to everyone who lives in California.) Let’s think about the color brown, why do you suppose Leavitt chose brown curtains? (Brown could represent the ground.) What is the relationship of the sound to the curtain? (Rain falls into the ground and is an important source of fresh water.)
Sit students down on floor and pass out gallery activities booklets/pencils and have them turn to “More Than Meets the Eye”.
In the top section, draw what you see.
In the bottom section, use your imagination to draw what Leavitt hides behind the curtains and suggests with his soundscape.
Allow time for independent work.
Be sure to include a summary statement by asking, “After viewing and experiencing Fisher & Rios self-portraits, what can you say about today’s self-portraits? “
Conclusion: If time permits, have students share and explain their work to the group.
Some other choices for this lesson are by Michael Arcega, Jedediah Caesar and Anna Sew Hoy.
Lesson Plan for “Looking Log”
Objective: Students will examine and discuss an artwork. They will select words from a list to describe it and tell how the art makes them feel.
Select an artwork. Suggested choices: Sarah Cain, Gronk or Mark Hagen.
Discussion: Allow students time to look at the art. Conduct a discussion by asking questions such as: What do you see?What’s happening in this piece?What did the artist do to make you think that?What words come to mind to describe this work?How does this work make you feel?What did the artist doto make you feel that?Does this art remind you of something?If you could title this work, what would you call it and why?
(Adjust questioning technique depending upon the level of participation, if participation is low, pair students for sharing and then do a large group sharing.)
Sit students down on floor and pass out gallery activities booklets/pencils and have them turn to “Looking Log”.
Depending upon the ability level of your group, you can read the directions or have different students read directions and words out loud. Break up the reading for greater participation among group.I need a volunteer to read the directions in the blue box. Who would like to read the words in the first column? I need another reader for the middle column. You might want to select a student who has not participated to read the third column. Are there any words you don’t understand?
Allow time for independent work in the blue box. Take a minute to circle the words that best describe this piece. Tell me one word you circled. Why did you pick that adjective? Continue discussion until everyone had a chance to participate.
Let’s look at the yellow box. Here we’re asking you to respond to the artwork emotionally. How does the art make you feel? Do I have a volunteer to read the directions in the yellow box? Who would like to read the emotional words listed in the yellow box? Are there any words you don’t understand?
Allow time for independent work in the yellow box. See blue box discussion notes above. Encourage fast students to continue on to the two questions at the bottom of the page.
Conclusion: Depending on the time allotment, the two challenging questions may be answered as a group, discussed orally or completed as independent work.
Lesson Plan for “Making and Doing”
Sample lesson plan based on Mark Hagen’s “Success in Every Direction”.
Objective: Students will realize that the process in art creation is as important as the finished product for some artists.
Discussion:Take a minute to look at this artwork. (Mark Hagen’s “Success in Every Direction”) What do you see? (Arrowheads of different sizes, smaller ones in the center, increasing in size as it radiates out.) What is an arrowhead? (The sharp point attached to the arrow shaft. ) Look carefully at each arrowhead. What is it made of?Describe the stone. (Black obsidian, notice the glassy quality). How did Hagen present the arrowheads?(Glued them on white panel. Black on white makes the arrowheads pop.) How do you think the artist created this work? (Finds obsidian stone on a friend’s property in Malibu. Makes arrowhead of different sizes with a billet/mallet. Arranges arrowhead on panel. Glues arrowheads.)
Sit students down on floor and pass out gallery activities booklets/pencils and have them turn to “Making and Doing”. Explain that a flowchart documents a process. The arrow shows the direction of the steps. It helps us visualize a process. In 4 or less steps can you fill-in the flowchart that tells how Mark Hagen made this work. You may draw a picture or explain in single words (finds, chips, arranges, glues) his process in making “Mark Hagen’s Success in Every Direction”.
Allow time for independent workor activity could be done as a group. What do you think was his first step? Allow a minute for students to write or draw in box 1. What was his 2nd step? Allow for wait time. What did Mark Hagen do next?Allow time for students to respond and fill in answer in box 3. What was Hagen’s last step to complete his dramatic display of arrowheads? Allow time for a response and filling-in of flow chart.
Conclusion:Compare student responses by laying booklets on floor and looking at everyone’s ideas.
Additional information: Obsidian is a glassy volcanic igneous rock, without a crystal structure. It can be made into thin points (arrowheads) or blades (modern surgical scalpel blades).
Other choices that show process: Erica Vogt, Jedediah Caesar or Jordan Kantor.
Lesson Plan for “Compare and Contrast”
Sample lesson plan based on self-portraits of Morgan Fisher & Marco Rios.
Objective:Students will examine two self-portraits and find similarities and differences between the two. The information gathered will be placed in the Venn diagrams.
Discussion:You’re skillful at looking at one artwork at a time, let’s see if you can look at two pieces and find similarities and differences between them. What is a self-portrait? I’d like to introduce you to two California artists, Morgan Fisher and Marcos Rios.
Introduce students in a formal manner to Morgan Fisher, pointing to the painted white rectangle on the floor. Describe what you see. Be sure to point out the color of the rectangle. Explain that Fisher’s white rectangle equals his skin surface. Recall a similar rectangle found at the museum entrance, a smaller surface area due to his lesser weight (narrower width) at a younger age. He obtained the skin surface area from a table. If this rectangle represents Fisher’s skin area, what can you say about Fisher’s size, is he a small, average or big fellow? (6’4” 185 lbs.) What is unique about Fisher’s self-portrait?(He focuses on one body part, skin.)
What do you think of Fisher’s self-portrait? Before walking over Fisher’s image, have students be sensitive to their feelings knowing the rectangle represents Fisher’s skin.
Introduce students to Marco Rios. Have student walk into his self-portrait installation for a feel of Rios’ presence. How do you feel? What color did Rios use in his self-portrait?(White) What part of Rios’ body is his self-portrait focusing on? (Height) If this installation is based on Rios’ height, what can you say about Rios, is he a short, average or tall fellow?
Let’s compare and contrast the two self-portraits: How are they alike? (White paint, self-portrait, features one part of body, both considers height) How are they different? Rios: viewer walks in self-portrait, lowered ceiling, height is important. Fisher: viewer walks over self-portrait, height and weight determines size of rectangle, skin surface is featured.
Sit students down on floor and pass out gallery activities booklets/pencils and have them turn to “Compare and Contrast”. Review the spaces of Venn diagrams. Write artists’ names on line in circles. Ask students to share a similarity or a difference and together write it down.
Allow time for independent work or activity can be done as a group.
Conclusion:Be sure to include a summary statement by asking, “After viewing and experiencing Fisher & Rios self-portraits, what can you say about today’s self-portraits? “
Other possible choices for comparing and contrast: Sarah Cain & Mary Weatherford or William Leavitt & Kara Tanaka.