ARTE 344 Lesson Plan

Northern Illinois University

Spring 2016

What Makes You Uncomfortable?

Multi-media Paintings on Canvas squares

Alexandra K. A. Ash

LESSON PLAN #1

Date / Week: 2/11/16

Student Teacher: Alexandra Ash

Lesson Title: What Makes You Uncomfortable? Multi-media Paintings on Canvas squares
Grade Level: 4th

Number of Students 11

Time available for this lesson: Three 40 minute lessons/ total of 120 minutes
Central Focus (Big Idea): By digging into what makes these students feel uncomfortable and
expressing that through the process of making multi-media paintings on canvas squares, the
students will both teach and learn that it is possible to make things better in this world by
bringing the problems into the light, making what people dont want to look at into something
that they want to/have to look at.
Social Issues / Concepts of the Lesson: Personal issues and possible changes students can
make.
Essential Questions:
1. What sorts of things do people find uncomfortable and avoid on a daily basis?
2. How do people avoid these uncomfortable situations?
3. What sorts of things can people do to make those uncomfortable things better?
4. What artists have sought fit to bring uncomfortable situations before others?
5. What good can come from drawing out what makes us uncomfortable in detail?
State Goals:
Goal # 25 Know the language of the arts
- A.1D: Identify the element of line, shape, space, color and texture; the principles of
repetition and pattern; and the expressive qualities of mood, emotion and pictorial
representation.
- In this lesson: Students will have to show in their original painting their
understanding of elements such as line, shape, space, and color.
Goal # 26
- B.2D: Demonstrate knowledge and skills to create works of visual art using
problem solving, observing, designing, sketching and construction.
- In this lesson: Students will create a multimedia work of their own choice that
displays their ability to understand issues and how to solve these issues through
observation and design.
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Goal # 27
- B.1: Know how images, sounds, and movement convey stories about people,
places, and times.
- In this lesson: Through the different steps (drawing, painting, and use of multimedia) students will not only tell a story of their issue but also change that story
into a new one.

1. Objectives:

State Goal Codes

1.1 Conceptual/Cognitive Objectives:

OBJECTIVE I: Given a students personal experiences and media 27.B.5
surrounding them, students will successfully be able to articulate
their own opinions on social issues.
OBJECTIVE II: Given the information presented in class, students 27.B.5
will easily come up with a solution to the social issue that makes
them uncomfortable.
OBJECTIVE III: Given information about artists students will
27.B.5
skillfully incorporate information used by such artists.
1.2 Artistic Skill Objectives:
OBJECTIVE III: Given prepared canvas, students will skillfully
draw out the basic design for their social issue that demonstrates
their general drawing ability.
OBJECTIVE IV: Given paint, students will skillfully paint the
bottom layer of their piece that displays knowledge of their social
issue.
OBJECTIVE V: Given mixed-medias, students will effectively
change their painting, by adding additional layers, so that the
social issue is resolved in the imagery.
OBJECTIVE VI: Given a students personal experiences and the
finished product of their painting, the student will fully. be able to
explain the benefits of the change they made.

25.A.1D

26.B.2D
26.B.2D

2. Assessment Criteria:

OBJECTIVE I: The students will easily be able to talk about their chosen issue
OBJECTIVE II: The student will easily find a solution that shows effort to solve the
issue.

OBJECTIVE III: Students will easily understand and include information used by
artists presented.

OBJECTIVE IV: The student will fully draw out a design that displays their issue.
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OBJECTIVE V: The students will fully articulate their design in paint.

OBJECTIVE VI: The students will skillfully make additions to their paintings to show
effort to resolve their issue.

3. Learner Characteristics:
3.1 Developmental Rationale
This lesson is appropriate for the 4h grade St. Marys class because of the institutional truth
that these grades are where the students are starting to question the things around them.
This may not become a large factor of their life until a few grades later, but this is the very
beginning. They may be questioning authority but theyre also questioning cultural laws of
their time. They know what racism is but now theyre seeing that it still exist today.
Lowenfeld(1987) talks about the so called gang-age and makes points related. This age
shows an increasing development of social independence from adult domination, a learning
about social structures in a personal way.(p.48). Around this age, students are taking
everything that they can learn from teachers and it is our job as educators to give them
something good to run with. Most of all we have to take these lessons and make them
relatable to the students.
These children even start to question themselves at this point; asking if they are really
good enough to become an artist. Wachowiak(2009) Chapter 10 says, Childrens criteria of
what is good in art outrace their abilities. Thy come to feel that their drawings are not good
enough, and they decide they are no good at art. The students start to understand the
difference between what they see in museums and what they see on their fridge at home.
They automatically think that everything they make is terrible in comparison to not only the
famous art that they see but also to the people around them. Self-conscious attitudes are
contagious.
Wood (2007) specifies interesting notes about this usual age group. Wood notes that this is
the moment when the students start to notice the bigger world around them and fairness
become an important aspect to them. Like mentioned above, about noticing the difference
between their own work and other, students are noticing that unbalance in other areas of the
world. This is the perfect age to point out the un-fair situations of the people around us like
racism, sexism, and many other isms.
3.2 Students with special needs
Students with special needs understand these issues maybe even more than other students
because they have firsthand experience of different issues that afflict them personally.
Changing things depends on the specific needs, like hearing issues can be combatted with
subtitles on the board. Students with learning problems just need to be treated with patience
and simplified regulations. This lesson is all about expressing the problems wrong with our
society so this means we have an even bigger need to make it accessible to all walks of life.
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4. Literature and References

4.1 Rationale of this lesson
Students are brought up, in the grand culture that is human beings in situations that make
them uncomfortable. That can include anything like a social justice issue or even something
as little as unfairness in their home or school life. Another aspect to this upbringing is that
humans are not supposed to question that uncomfortable feeling but instead we should avoid
and ignore it completely. My favorite example for this lesson is homelessness. People pass
by the homeless ignoring them completely but we still feel that uncomfortable twist in our
stomachs. That uncomfortable feeling is what makes the human species redeemable despite
their avoidance. This means you feel guilt which means that you want to do something to
change even if you dont know it.
What we need to do as adults and teachers is to nourish that uncomfortable feeling and
use it to make these students better people than we ever have been. Letting students know
that its okay to look at uncomfortable things is the first step to them being able to identify the
solution to those things/problems.
4.2 Background of the topic
Early education for students is the most important point in their lives. This is where they
start to form their own opinions and not just take the opinions spread to them by word of
mouth. This is when they start to understand what an issue really iswhat racism, sexism, or
any other kind of ism is. They start to question everything and they crave the answers to
match.

4.3 Information about related artists, styles, movement or cultures

- Related artists
-

Faith Ringgold a black female artist that

overcame her obstacles of racism and
sexism and problem solved her way to
fame. In an effort to save space and
shipping cost she started working in quilts
and has since branched off from there even
writing childrens books now.

Sunflower Quilting Bee shows

back/middle/foreground, subject, and
emphasis. Emphasis on racism, sexism,
and historical context

Tar Beach additionally shows metaphor

as well as status/class.

Willie Baronet a white male artist that, for

years, bought signs from homeless people
with no real direction on how he wanted to
use them. He now does instillations built
from these signs and speaks for the
homeless people from all over the US.

We are all Homeless; untitled shows

importance of visibility and use of instillation

We are all Homeless; (God Bless)

Displays Emphasis and Repetition.

Kathe Kollwitz a white European female artist

who felt heavily for her fellow humans and for
those that suffered because of war in the first
half of the twentieth century.

Revolt at the Gate of a Park Shows the strife

inflicted on the masses that arent involved in
war but are still affected by war.

Germanys Children are Starving Shows the

resource drain that a war can have on a
community. War affects the innocent as well.

War and Temptation

Survivors fight war not wars Shows how the
survivorsthe injured, the widows, the
orphansof war view it: as something to fight
against.

4.4 Art Terms/Vocabulary

Background: Parts of an artwork that are in the distance and lie behind objects in the
foreground.

Middle ground: the part of a work of art that lies between the foreground and the
background.

Foreground: The part of the work of art that appears to be in front, nearest to the
viewer.

Subject: The main person, place, or thing of the work of art.

Sketch: A simple, quick, rough drawing done without a lot of detail but catching the
chief features

Symbolism: The use of a figure or design to stand for something else. Something
concrete, such as a lion, is usually used to represent an abstract quality, such as
courage.

Emphasis: The use of opposing sizes or shapes, contrasting colors or other means to
draw attention to certain areas or objects in a work of art. Emphasis is a principle of
design.

Multi-Media: The physical materials, such as clay, paint and plastics, used to give a
work of art its material form. Media also refers to the processes, such as glazing,
stenciling and chiseling, by expression characterizes an artists struggle. Materials
per se are merely physical substances, but when the artist exploits their qualities to
express an idea, them or feeling, they become amendium, a means through which
artists ideas are realized. Plural of medium.

Retouching: A process of correcting or improving art

4.5 Description of visual examples

- Example images of teacher example process

- PowerPoint with artist information and imagery

- Display-board

4.6 List of references

- Wachowiak, F. (2009). Emphasis art: a qualitative art program for elementary and
middle schools (9th edition). New York: Allyn and Bacon, Inc.
- Lowenfeld, V. (1987).Creative and mental growth. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice
Hall.
- Wood, C. (2007). Yardsticks: Children in the classroom ages 4-14. Turner Falls, MA:
Northeast Foundation for Children.

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5. Integration/Connecting Links

5.2 Instructional Resources and Materials:

- artists: Faith Ringgold, Kara Walker, Michael Ray Charles, Willie Baronet: every
artist has their own way of expressing their own issues
- personal notice of the difference in opinion of different social issues: every artist sees
different issues as more or less important
- PowerPoint- giving above information: attached separately
- Solutions think-sheet
- Social issue idea-sheet
5.3 Art Materials for the Lesson:
- 13 canvas squares (one for each student and two extras)
- 22 Charcoal utensils (two for each student)
- A variety of colors of acrylic paints
- A variety of mixed media for the students to freely explore through.
o Variety of drawing materials, more paint, and found objects,

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6. Management and Safety Issues:

- St. Marys Censorship- This is a big possibility and I need to be aware of their specific
rules.
o Be prepared to help the students choose a safer path to their goal
- Issues with sharp objects are always a risk, but if necessary, teaching proper usage of
sharp objects is easy.
6.1 Organization of Supplies
- Day 1: Canvases and bagged charcoal utensils passed out by two volunteers and power
point is to be shown at the beginning of class. Students must have their canvases signed
and photographed before they can move on to the next step.
- Day 2: One student from each group grabs the sketched canvases and watered down
acrylic. Mixed media optional if their paintings are completed and signed. Maybe run the
PowerPoint on repeat in the background.
- Day 3: One student from each group grabs their designated tub of mixed media and the
other grabs the canvases. Maybe run the Power point on repeat in the background.
6.2 Clean-Up of Supplies
One person from each group puts away all of the un-used materials for the day. One person
turns in the canvas and gets it signed off. One person cleaned up the table
(scraps and paint on the table and floor)

7. Vocabulary:

Background: Parts of an artwork that are in the distance and lie behind objects in the
foreground.

Middle ground: the part of a work of art that lies between the foreground and the
background.

Foreground: The part of the work of art that appears to be in front, nearest to the
viewer.

Subject: The main person, place, or thing of the work of art.

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Sketch: A simple, quick, rough drawing done without a lot of detail but catching the
chief features

Symbolism: The use of a figure or design to stand for something else. Something
concrete, such as a lion, is usually used to represent an abstract quality, such as
courage.

Emphasis: The use of opposing sizes or shapes, contrasting colors or other means to
draw attention to certain areas or objects in a work of art. Emphasis is a principle of
design.

Multi-Media: The physical materials, such as clay, paint and plastics, used to give a
work of art its material form. Media also refers to the processes, such as glazing,
stenciling and chiseling, by expression characterizes an artists struggle. Materials
per se are merely physical substances, but when the artist exploits their qualities to
express an idea, them or feeling, they become amendium, a means through which
artists ideas are realized. Plural of medium.

Retouching: A process of correcting or improving art

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8. In-Class Activities:
DAY 1
Time

Learning Activities

10minutes

Orientation/Engagement/Motivation:
- Explain clearly the entire days
plans. Have it up on the board.
PowerPoint
- Information on artists listed above
- Information of art techniques
Pass out think sheets #1,2,3
Discussion
- What makes you uncomfortable?
- What could make you
uncomfortable if you were like this
- You probably think youre too
young but art is the great equalizer
- We all have problems so we
should all work to fix them. Even if
theyre not our problems, we need
to help her people who have these
problems
Questions:
- TOPIC: What kinds of things
make others uncomfortable?
- (racism, sexism, homelessness)

Purpose
-

PowerPoint gives them

information about other
people with these
problems and how they
fixed them. Asking them
questions gets them
thinking about the issues
that they want to oppose
and how they can do that.

ASSOCIATIVE: What makes you

uncomfortable?
(Stealing, bad people, unfair
situations)
VISUALIZATION: What would the
world look like without this
specific issue solved?
(perfect, better, no more of that
issue, better for some but not all)
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10minutes

10minutes

TRANSITIONAL: How are ways

we can help make these things
better?
(telling people how to do things
right, being better people, helping
those that need help)

Presentation/Explicit Instruction:
Teacher Demo Sketching with scale:
- Every side and corner must be
touching the sketch.
- This should be quick and simple
and get the idea across
- Details are not necessary but
useful
- Must include background, middle
ground, and foreground, and a
subject.
Student Work:
- Continually relate everything back
to their own lives and what they go
through every day.
- Ask questions as they come up.
Even if they arent planned. Keep
your ears open.
Structured Practice/Exploration:
- Explain clearly where everything
goes and who is responsible.
- Have students sketch out basic
ideas on their canvas. Idea must
be clear and present as well as
easily explained.
- Can you explain your sketch?
- Can you tell me how youll change
it after youre done painting it?
- Each student should be
responsible for cleaning up one
thing.

Giving examples and

demonstrations gives the
student a direction to move
in and shows them how to
get their ideas out and onto
paper.

Keeping everything
organized allows the
students to focus solely on
their art and the ideas that
they need to portray
through them

15

5minutes

Guided Practice/Feedback:
- Talk about the ideas again:
What is a social issues? Why do
these things make us
uncomfortable?
- How did we you decide to show
these things?
or
Independent Practice/Application:
- Students can think more on how
they want their paintings to go

Giving feedback before the

final result allows the
students to make changes
that may benefit them
reach their final goal.

5minutes

Closure
- Go back over the artists and
information presented
- What is a social issue?
- How do we make these issues
better?
- What art terms did we use today
on our canvases?

Going back over the

information means the
student is less likely to
forget the meaning and
vocab that is sewn into the
lesson.

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Day 2
Time:

Learning Activities:

Purpose:

5-10
minutes

Orientation/Engagement/Motivation:
Run through and have the power-point
playing during class for constant viewing
- Students will pick up their name
tags and get into their groups from
day 1
- Did anyone have any new ideas?
- Did everyone choose their issue?

Regrouping after a week is

important to keep the
students interested and up
to date.

0-5
minutes

Presentation/Explicit Instruction:
- Demo(optional based off student
progress): reconstruction/addition
to pre-made painting using oil
pastels, string, and glueable items
(beads, gems, and buttons)
- Required premade painting, hot
glue, and materials

If students seem to be
finishing their paintings
early it is important to have
the demo ready to go when
needed.

20 minutes

Structured Practice/Exploration:
- If sketches were not completed/
need to be adjusted based off of
students independent practice of
the first day, charcoal can be
handed back out and sketches
completed.
- Canvases, paint, and additional
necessary materials will be
distributed by specified group
member.
- Students will work on their
paintings and complete them. This
cannot be left unfinished or the
muti-media cannot be applied.
- All pieces must be signed and
photographed before the next
class period

Sketches must be
completed and checked off
or the idea might not come
across correctly in the final
product.

Students should be
involved to save time and
keep them occupied.

17

5 minutes

5 minutes

Each student should be

responsible for cleaning up one
thing.

Guided Practice/Feedback:
- Re-register issues and have
students present their issue and
their pictorial representation
OR
Independent Practice/Application:
- Have students think about how
they want to resolve their issue.
- Students should come back next
class period ready to resolve the
issue.
Closure:
- How have we chosen to display
our chosen social issues?
- How do we plan on resolving
these issues?
- What art terms did we use on our
canvas today?
- Did anyone use any of the
presented artists as examples
- What good can come of creating a
piece that solely shows the bad
aspects of the issue and not how
to solve it?

Reiteration is important for

things to stick in a students
brain.

Sending students home

with a directive keeps their
minds thinking about issues
present in their own lives.

Its important to note that art

does not require a solution.

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Day 3
Time:

Activity:

5-10
minutes

Orientation/Engagement/Motivation:
- Go back over given information
- Run through possible ppt#3
- Have days plan on the board

0-5
minutes

Presentation/Explicit Instruction:
- Teacher Demo
1. Have materials ready
(painting, hot glue, media)
2. Show painting and ask about
its implied meaning
3. Ask how we can make it better
4. Show use of different available
materials

20 minutes

Structured Practice/Exploration:
- Students responsible for different
tasks: pick up different materials
- Students will use multimedia
provided to resolve their issue
- Can you explain your additions?
- Can you explain the value of the
change?

5 minutes

Guided Practice/Feedback:
- Finished products must be signed
- Finished products will be dis
played all in a row for students to
take a minute to look at
- Talk about each piece and make
sure the issue and solution is clear
- Respect is a must. Keep students
emotional state in mind and
suggest the possibility that there is
more to something than they
might think.
OR
Independent Practice/Application:
- Suggest that the students think
about how they want to explain

Purpose:

Day specific ppt keep

students on track

Demos are important for

student understanding of
materials and possible
outcomes.

Students can be kept busy

with tasks that the teacher
would otherwise have to do,
freeing up time.

Group critique is a good

choice for younger students
to foster positive responses.

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their pieces to their peers and

anyone who will be seeing the
pieces in the school art show.
5 minutes

Closure:
- What is a social issue?
- Who did we learn about and how
are they related?
- What steps did we take to get to
the final product?
- What can we do to solve these
issues?
- What are some key parts of a
painting that we included?
- What good do you want or do you
think will come out of these
paintings?

Reiteration makes the

thoughts stick.

9. Critical Comments and Reflections:

9.1 Successes:
Overall this lesson was a success. Every group completed a sketch, a painting, a mixedmedia addition, and then artist statements. The majority of the students showed interest in the
projects big idea and an understanding of the artistic process. The students also showed higher
than a fourth-grade level understanding of the information that I was presenting them with and
responded well to open-ended questions after only a minimal amount of necessary prodding.
Besides all of this, every student completed theirs or their groups painting in time and with more
skill than I expected of a fourth-grade class.
9.2 Problems:
While the whole project was successful overall, there are always problems that occur no
matter how much planning is put into a lesson plan. While every student completed their works
of art in time for their art show, there was need for additional time on the last day so that the
students could finish their paintings, write their Artist Statements, and finish the mixed media
step of the project. Obviously that extra time needed came from poor time management skills.
Whereas the painting should have been finished on the second day, it was pushed back too
long and pushed into the third day. There was plenty of time for a closure dialogue because of
the additional time planned but by this time in the project, the students were getting antsy with

20

their art and not wanting to focus. This made the conversation harder than necessary. There
was little to no time for individual talks with students because of the time constraints.
9.3 Adjustments:
There was plenty of room for adjustments when transferring into the seventh grade and
that was interesting to see enacted. Time management was easier to keep track of with the
change from fourth-grade to seventh-grade. When the students pay more attention then the
teacher doesnt have to spend as much time on re-explaining the process or information.
Coming to class prepared with pre-half-done canvases and all necessary supplies cuts out any
stress or time constraints that were present before.

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Task 1 Part C:
Attachments:
1. Scoring rubric and assessment tools

(1)Not there

(2)Poor

(3)Acceptable

(4)Good

(5)Excellent

Objective I

Students are
not able to
understand or
articulate their
view on their
subject.

Students
either only
understand
the view of
can articulate
it only barely.

Students
either only
understand
the view or
can articulate
it.

Students fully
understand
their view but
can only
slightly
articulate it.

Students
fully
understand
and can
articulate
their view on
their subject.

Objective II

Students
dont
understand
the need for a
solution.

Students cant
come up with
a solution
despite
knowing the
necessity.

Students can
think of a
Solution but it
doesnt check
out correctly.

Students can
come up with
a solution that
barely checks
out.

Students has
easily come
up with a
solution to
the social
issue that
they pick for
their project.

Objective III

Students
dont show
understanding
of or include
influence from
the presented
artists.

Students
show limited
understanding
and either
doesnt
include or
barely include
influence from
artists.

Students
either dont
show
understanding
or dont
include
influence from
the presented
artists.

Students
show
understanding
but dont
include
influence from
presented
artists or vice
versa.

Students has
skillfully
incorporated
information
used by
presented
artists.

Objective
IV

Students
dont show
any effort and
dont produce
a basic
design.

Students
does not
produce a
basic design
with little to no
effort.

Student either
doesnt show
effort or
doesnt
produce a
basic design.

Student
produces
basic design
but with
barely any
effort.

Students has
skillfully draw
out the basic
design for
their social
issue.
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Objective V

Student was
unable to
Finish their
bottom layer
of paint and
put no effort
in.

Student does
not produce a
basic design
with little to no
effort

Student either
doesnt show
effort or
doesnt
produce a
bottom layer
painting.

Student
produces
bottom layer
of paint but
with barely
any effort.

Students has
skillfully
painted the
bottom layer
of their piece
that displays
knowledge
of their
social issue.

Objective
VI

Student was
unable to
finish their
painting, the
issue is
unresolved,
and was
unable to
explain the
benefit of the
possible
changes.

Students
piece either
was
unfinished,
the social
issue wasnt
resolved, or
they were
unable to
explain the
benefit of the
changes.
(Two of the
above.)

Student
finished their
piece but
either the
social issue
wasnt
resolved or
they were not
able to
explain the
benefit of the
changes.

Student
finished their
piece and the
issue is
resolved but
not well. The
student isnt
able to
explain the
benefit of the
changes to
the fullest
capacity.

Students has
effectively
changed
their painting
so that the
social issue
is resolved
and they will
be able to
explain the
benefit of
these
changes.

2. Handouts
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NAME(S) __________________________________

What Makes You Uncomfortable?

Friends/parents fighting, homelessness, racism, sexism, people not recycling, unfair situations.

Homelessness

How can we make those issues better?

Donating,
Helping by hand,
Spread the word

We see things every day that make us uncomfortable and we choose to look away so that we
dont have to think about it. How can we make these issues better and how can making art
spread the word about these issues?

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NAME(S)________________________________

What Makes You Uncomfortable?

Heres a list of things that you can look through in case you have trouble finding ones that mean
something to you personally. You can pick from this list or you can think of one separately.

Ageism / Age Discrimination

Airport Security
Alcoholism
Animal Rights
Anorexia Nervosa
Anti-Muslim Discrimination
Bulimia Nervosa
Bullying
Child Labor
Climate Change
Computer Hacking
Cyber Bullying (Cyberbullying)
Disaster Relief
Drinking and Driving
Drug Abuse / Drug Addiction
Eating Disorders
Equal Pay
Genetic Engineering
Genetically Modified Food
Global Warming
Hate Crimes
HIV / AIDS
Homelessness
Hunger

Identify Theft
Minimum Wage
Obesity
Photobombs
Pollution
Poverty
Racial Profiling
Racism
Recycling and Conservation
Sexism
Single Parenting
Smoking / Tobacco Use
Steroid Use in Sports
Stereotyping
Teen Pregnancy
Terrorism
Texting While Driving
Texting While Walking
Unemployment
Violence in Schools
Violence in Music Videos
Violence in Video Games
Workplace Violence

If you need further help or explanations you can ask the teacher closest to you.

25

NAME(S) ________________________________

What makes you uncomfortable?

Heres some vocab that we will use during our art classes.

Background: Parts of an artwork that are in the distance and lie behind objects in the
foreground.
Middle-ground: The part of a work of art that lies between the foreground and the background.
Foreground: The part of a work of art that appears to be in front, nearest to the viewer.
Subject: The main person, place, or thing of the work of art.
Sketch: A simple, quick, rough drawing done without a lot of detail but catching the chief
features
Symbolism: The use of a figure or design to stand for something else. Something concrete,
such as a lion, is usually used to represent an abstract quality, such as courage.
Emphasis: The use of opposing sizes or shapes, contrasting colors or other means to draw
attention to certain areas or objects in a work of art. Emphasis is a principle of design.
Multi-Media: The physical materials, such as clay, paint and plastics, used to give a work of art
its material form.
Retouching: A process of correcting or improving art

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