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What Did They Say? Interpretation of Criticism

by Tim Drey

Through the group reading of preselected critiques, students will learn aesthetic qualities and terms of art criticism. They will then pretend to be famous critics and, as a small group, construct a review of a given artwork.

"1. Students will participate in an interpretation of a critic's review forming a schema on speaking of art.
2. Students will be able to broaden their visual insights when looking at art, making a verbal understanding of art influential in their own physical work.
3. Students will write (as a group) their own critiques of a supplied work of art presenting what they learned of interpreting visual items into words."

The objective of: "Students be[ing] able to broaden their visual insights...[and] making a verbal understanding of art influences in their own physical work" can only truly be achieved by overlapping and consistently revisiting the language and terms of art AS THEY FUNCTION PRACTICALLY AND DIRECTLY TO THE STUDENTS' ART MAKING EXPERIENCE.

Rather than having students "pretend to be famous art critics," I suggest integrating the following activities throughout the curriculum: student verbal critiquing of other students' work; reading and discussion of reviews of the works of famous artists who will inform the current assignments, thereby exposing students to the terms and language of art criticism; have students write reviews or critiques of local displays throughout the semester.

Students will become much more fluent and comfortable with the terms and practice of art criticism when it applies to reality rather than pretend.

I would integrate the goal of this one lesson plan throughout the semester. (See lesson plans for an example of how I will integrate critiques and criticism into our art practice.)

* It is important to note that I am not yet student teaching, so I do not have a context to adapt these lesson plans to other than the classroom I aspire to create with my personal pedigogy. That classroom i imagine reasonably fits the resources I am aware of within the Okaland public school district where I hope to be teaching.

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http://www.pbs.
org/
americanfamily/
teacher2.html

Murals: Art and
Local History

by Tracy Trowbridge

Sections of murals of the Mission-Dolores District, San Francisco, CA

Objectives

1. Learn about murals, their history, and their importance as a form of artistic expression.

2. Identify visual symbolism in murals and design their own symbols.

3. Become more aware of visual art in the local community.

Procedure

1. Introduce students to images of murals from different sources, followed by discussion

2. Study or review visual symbolism. "What are symbols? Why do people use symbols? Can you come up with examples? How would you design a personal symbol to represent you, your family, or your community? How and why do artists use symbols?"

3. Diego Rivera and the Mexican 20th century tradition of public art. Highlight the importance of murals in the Chicano movement of the 1960's and 70's as political statements, as expressions of cultural pride, and as depiction of shared history.

4. Choose a number of murals for students to explore on their own.

5. Plan a classroom mural to reflect local history, culture, and events. At least half of the events should be within student memory so they can contribute their interpretations to this project.

6. Get the necessary permissions, measurements, and materials. Decide how students will be involved in the planning, design, preparation, painting, and clean up.

Good overview and preparation for mural project with great references for each step (see details at URL provided)

This is an effective group project and great way to get students out into the community, fostering students to understand the visual culture of the community they live in (where murals are present). It also gets them actively participating in contributing to that visual culture.

This lesson plan covers most of the key points about teaching the history, value and practice of mural making.

One area that is missing from this lesson plan is that using the study of mural history and making, and executing a mural, is the opportunity for a REAL community art experience. This lesson plan suggests the possibility for one but is more geared toward teaching the students to make a mural that is as relevant as possible to themselves and the community, but not a permanent or semi-permanent piece that will in fact be viewed by the community.

I would re-prioritise the objectives as such:

1. Learn about visual art in the local community as a way to expose students to community VOICE and that they are a part of that in their art making.

2. Learn about the history of murals within a particular community and relate that history to issues today.

3. The students to contribute to that part of their visual culture by creating a mural relevant to their own lives;and continuing the public dialogue that is happening by way of the murals.

Procedure adapted to my class:

Day 1
Introduce students to murals by taking a field trip to the Mission Deloros While viewing murals discus symbolism, styles used, specific history of each mural, and its purpose. Ideally, get a mural artist to guest speak during the field trip. Students bring journals, take notes and engage in discussion about what they see and interpret the images to be.

Day 2
Same as original, but also ask students what kinds of symbols they see and or use in their daily lives (positive, and negative) and create a small library of them in their journals.

Day 3
Same but include some slides of murals that are outside the Chicano movement. Also wait until this day to ask "How would you design a personal symbol to represent you, your family, or your community?" because the Diego Rivera material speaks to this question so well. Homework of Internet tour of murals, write descriptions of imagery, content and style.

Day 4 & 5
(Same as 5 in original) Present homework. Plan a classroom mural to reflect local history, culture, and events. At least half of the events should be within student memory so they can contribute their interpretations to this project.

Following week or two:
Students will be involved in entire process so that they understand that the process of Public Art requires dealing with the public on many levels before execution of art even begins. (Student involvement may be minimal in some cases): Get the necessary permissions, measurements, and materials. DISCUS how students will be involved in the planning, design, preparation, painting, and clean up.

Potentially a three week project.

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The African
American
Experience:
A Research
Quilt

by Kimberly Emanuel

This activity introduces students to the research process as they investigate the contributions of African American leaders of the 1900s. Each student constructs a quilt square highlighting the achievements of an individual. The class shares the finished quilt with the community.

Objectives:
1. learn about the research process

2. investigate the contributions of key African American leaders in the 1900s

3. construct a quilt highlighting the achievements of the leaders

4. share the quilt with the community.

Procedure:
Day 1. Brainstorm the names of influential African American leaders of the 20th century. Students to share the achievements or accomplishments of each individual. Each student should select one person to research.

Day 2. Students will use library or Internet sources to research their selected leader. Research Template provided to guide students through this process. Provide some instruction about how much and what type of information to include.

Day 3. Students will choose the information to depict on a quilt square. Ask the student to choose at least three facts about the leader. For example, a square about Rosa Parks could include a bus, sewing items, and a protester's sign.

Day 4. Distribute and discuss the Research Quilt Rubric. Provide the materials for students to make their quilt squares. Allow students two to three days to construct their quilt squares.

Day 5. students sit together and assemble the quilt. This may take more than one day, and you may wish to invite students' families to help stitch the quilt together.

Day 6. Invite parents, grandparents, administrators, and community leaders into the classroom. Allow each student to highlight his or her quilt square and to share something learned from the research. Display the quilt in the school. .

Important and necessary research on African American historical figures who have been left out of dominant and mainstream history curriculums.

Culturally relevant material for African Americans but important history coverage for everyone. This plan provides clearly outlined objectives for the students as well as a thorough rubric of expectations. Good use of incorporating Internet and or library research with art work.

By presenting the quilt to the community for public view is another way to make the students' work in school mean something relevant beyond school.

I suggest as a foreshadowing to this project to introduce the students to the works of Faith Ringold, African American writer and artists famous for narrative quilts.

I would find a community center or site within the school that would display the quilt as a sort of monument to the students' appreciation and knowledge of their cultural heritage.

I would also make it a point to find a site, if the school does not have it, where students can spend two entire class periods getting familiar with using the Internet for research.

I would include any African American notables and not limit it to the 20th century.

I would use this lesson Plan for 6 - 8 grades.

Day 1. Read to the class Faith Ringold's book, Tar Beach and bring a large image of her quilt by the same name. Before reading the book ask students to discuss the quilt, what is happening and what kinds of things do they think the artist is saying given all of the different elements of the quilt. Read Tar Beach and encourage students to think about how this one work of art had an entire story behind it. What are the symbols and images that tell the story in the quilt? Why do you think she uses a quilt instead of another medium? Talk abut the history of quilting for African Americans.

Day 2. (Same as original)

Day 3 -4. Take students to media lab, or field trip to location that will allow us to use lab for 30 minutes. Describe research strategies. Discus key issues to document in their research (provide a research template)

Day 5. Students to present their research. Discussion to help identify three key aspects of the person they chose to depict visually for quilt project. (See example day 3 of original). Homework, bring any remnants of fabric the have, any old clothes they can cut up to class.

Day 6 - 7. (same as day 4 from original)

Day 8. As a class students will present their square (some may be incomplete) and discuss color, design and content of each square as it relates to notable person and their achievments. Disdcuss assemblage ideas.

Day 9. Once students have completed their square; agree on order of squares, border and back side solutions that support and frame their work; in groups of 4 or 6 students will work together to sew their squares together. This is also a day that family or friends are invited to help sew and share any stories of the featured notables on the quilt.

Last day. Students present the quilt to the school, or community center where quilt will be displayed and assist in hanging the quilt.

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This is a two week or longer term project.

Cartoons are often conceived as both humorous and deeply serious. Combining both fictional and non-fictional elements, cartoons have been used as a subversive or radical medium to comment on and critique the mainstream. Often providing a forum for visual protest, political cartoons present diverse perspectives on the pertinent issues of the day. ...Drawing from their work, this lesson explores how cartoons use both representational and abstract visual language and messages to narrate social and political concerns. Walton Ford creates large-scale watercolors of animals and humans interacting in Audubon-like landscapes with biting social and historical commentary. Kerry James Marshall has created the comic strip RYTHM MASTR, which presents a contemporary super hero based on a traditional Yoruba god and myth. Raymond Pettibon¹s paintings and drawings suggest political or satirical statements about everything from baseball to American presidents. Kara Walker's notecards and silhouette images tell provocative stories about race, sexuality, and power through the visual landscape of the Civil War South.

Objectives

• Students will research the history of political cartoons.

• Students will compare and contrast the work of political cartoons found in mass media like newspapers and magazines, with political cartoons and political commentary found in contemporary art.

• Students will create their own political cartoons commenting on a pertinent social or political issue of the time.

Materials & Resources

Art: 21 Web Site
• ("Liberty Bros. Permanent Daily Circus")... - Michael Ray Charles art work

• "RYTHM MASTR"
Kerry James Marshall interview

• Political Humor & Colonial Critique
Walton Ford interview

• Political Cartoons, Patty Hearst...
Raymond Pettibon interview

• Projection Fictions ‹ Insurrection!...
Kara Walker interview

Classroon Materials

• Additional Sunday comic section of local newspapers and magazines, current of past editions

Crtical Questions

• What are the differences between cartoons and other visual media that critique or comment?

• How do cartoons address political or social causes?

• What is the history of political cartoons and how have they reflected the pertinent issues of the day?

• What are the most significant genres of political cartoons and how did they become the most significant?

• How is humor related to cartoons, political or otherwise? Are there limits to humor?

Activities

The Sunday Comics
Look at a current Sunday paper with a comics section and ask students to categorize each of the comics presented into types or themes. Collect a variety of Sunday papers from around the country and repeat the exercise with other newspapers from urban or rural areas, West coast, Midwest, or East coast papers. Consider how the categories or themes are similar or different in different areas. (Time: One 45 minute session)

Are Political Cartoons Funny?
Humor plays different roles in political cartoons from different eras and addressing different subject areas. Discuss the element of humor embedded in political cartoons. Ask students to discuss if there are limits to humor and what they are. What are the implications of using irony, satire, or sarcasm when addressing issues of diversity, poverty or homelessness? Are there subjects or issues that are not appropriate for use with humor? How does this relate to the 1st Amendment¹s right to freedom of speech? Vote on the funniest comic in the Sunday paper and discuss why it was funny. Repeat the exercise for the least funny. (Time: Half a 45 minute session)

A History of Visual Commentary
Discuss the history of political cartoons from religious and political editorials during the Protestant reformation in Germany to the impressionistic caricatures being made during the early Renaissance in Italy. Using examples of political prints made by Francisco Goya, William Hogarth, and Honore Daumier, discuss the combination of parody, protest, caricature, symbolism, allusion, metaphor and humor that exist within these early political cartoons. Discuss how these three artists used political cartoons to comment on the political events of their time. Based on the images, have students describe the political issues they are portraying. Ask students to describe what the artists¹ personal stance on the issue is and how it is similar to or different from the stance of a history textbook takes. (Time: One 45 minute session)

Pettibon and Americana
Introduce students to the work of Raymond Pettibon through the Season Two video segment and Web transcripts. Have students compare and contrast the images and text he is using with the images and text they saw in the work of Goya, Hogarth, and Daumier. Ask students to identify the subjects Pettibon is dealing with in his images and how they reflect the place and time of the artist. Ask students what are other ways they would describe Pettibon¹s images. How is Pettibon¹s use of image and text different from the earlier examples of political cartoons? Pettibon does not consider himself a political artist. Ask students if they agree or disagree after looking at his work. Define the meaning(s) of the word 'political' and discuss whether cartoons are always political even if they do not have overt political messages or meanings. (Time: One 45 minute session)

Ford and Walker on Social Commentary
Through his paintings, Walton Ford directly confronts the history of colonialism as well as a very personal family legacy of slave-owners from the American South. His images address this particular history in satirical and often provocative ways. Have students look at a series of Ford¹s paintings and prints and discuss how his images are similar to or different from the images of Kara Walker¹s in terms of tone, subject matter, and imagery. Because Ford is commenting on a very particular history, ask students to identify what his images convey in terms of historical fact and personal fiction. Kara Walker also creates imagery based on the contentious history of the American South. Her silhouette images suggest the painful past of slavery and violence that still haunt the American psyche. How are Ford¹s images of historic events and places different from Kara Walker¹s. Ask students to describe the fact and fiction presented in both of their work. Ask students to describe the way each artist presents a visual commentary on the history of the South. (Time: One 45 minute session)

Marshall and New Translations
Another contemporary artist who incorporates the language and the aesthetic of cartoons and comics in his work is Kerry James Marshall. His comic book, RYTHM MASTR, creates a contemporary protagonist from a traditional Yoruba deity and combines African history, mythology and a love of fantasy with a contemporary medium and story. RYTHM MASTR is not a political story but has obvious political implications about representing history and culture. Discuss how RYTHM MASTR (see video clip) is different from contemporary comic books and contemporary political cartoons. Discuss the political issues being addressed in the work and how they reflect the current issues and ideas that Kerry James Marshall is interested in. Although less explicit, how do other comic books such as Marvel Comics or DC Comics, deal with political concerns and issues? (Time: One 45 minute session)

Cartoon Commentary
Have students choose a current issue or political figure and create their own political cartoon. Ask students to consider which elements they will draw from to create their commentary - parody, protest, caricature, symbolism, allusion, metaphor or humor. Compile all of the cartoons and organize the different images into categories by subject or theme. Create a book of all of the cartoons with chapter introductions written by the students describing the particular theme or topic being addressed. Duplicate for all members of the class. (Time: Five 45 minute sessions to long-term project)

Reflection and Evaluation

• Have students identified the various aspects of political cartoons and incorporated them into a cartoon of their own creation?

• Have students learned about the history of political cartoons?

• Have students created their own cartoons addressing a current issue, idea or event?

It looks at several artists' use of realism and abstraction for the use of social commentary that is culturally relevant to African Americans, and for all students to produce a critical eye on historical events. The five featured artists include three African American artists - one a woman-
Kara Walker

and two white male artists - one who directly confronts a very personal family legacy of slave-owners from the American South.

This lesson plan presents its breadth of content with research of political cartoons through the Internet newspaper comics, political prints, and comic books; as well as a video documentary on the featured artists. The lessons have a strong open ended question and discussion aspect that covers categories and themes; defining artistic terms; comparing and contrasting artworks; identifying social commentary in the art works; as well including a vote on the funniest cartoon when relating the topic to our first amendment rights; followed up with a discussion of the limitations and appropriateness of humor for social comentary.

This lesson plan also includes creative technical practice where students create their own cartoon commentary. A culminating book that includes each of the students final pieces brings the students' research, group discussions throughout the unit, and their individual pieces together into a final group work that they get to take home with them.

Objectives are clearly outlined and plan fulfills each one thoroughly. This lesson plan is fresh and alive and I can see it being very engaging, encouraging (specifically for African American students) and motivational for all students to learn and want to further explore the arts and the social issues that bring art to life.

Raymond Pettibon

I included almost the entire lesson plan because each piece is so well thought out and brilliant. I just could not do any better than this. I think I want to work for PBS developing these lesson plans, and testing them out on kids at struggling schools, like McClymonds. These people ROCK.

The only thing that I would adapt would be to give students the option of sketching cartoons during discussions if inspired, and fitting in some time to present and talk about the sketches that students come up with.

The second half of class, after the Are Political Cartoons Funny? discussion, I would ask the student to do two quick sketches of two characters. Have students consider the relationship between the two. Do either have any special atributes, features, strengths, weaknesses? Can student demonstrate these concepts of irony, a new kind of super- heroism, and or political satire? (May be used as characters in a future narrative or for the group comic book.)

Kerry James Marshal

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http://www.pbs. org/
art21/education/
home/lesson2.html

Migrating Viewpoints
by Thi Bui, PBS, Art: 21

Do - Ho Shu

This lesson will have students investigate the effects of migration versus voluntary movement and how the process of relocation and dislocation can affect the emotional being of a person.

To initiate research, students will explore how...many artists have talked about shifts in perspective experienced as a result of being born or growing up in one place and moving or traveling to another place later in their lives. How do these artists represent the merging of different cultural influences in their work? How does their artwork reflect new hybrid cultures shaped by migration, transnational identification, and global travel?

Objectives

• Students will research and explore the effects and significance of migration, using the viewpoints of a range of contemporary artists.

• Students will create an oral history, collecting stories of immigration or migration to the United States from their own experience or that of family and friends.

Materials & Resources

Art:21 Web Site

• Home Visits
Pepón Osorio interview & clip

• El Chandelier
Pepón Osorio art work

• Seoul Home/L.A. Home...
Do-Ho Suh interview & clip

• Islam and Miniature Painting
Shahzia Sikander interview & clip

• Thinking in Clay
Gabriel Orozco interview & clip

• The Melodrama of Gone with the Wind
Kara Walker interview & clip

(additional websites provided)

Classroom Materials

• recording equipment:

• tape or MD recorders

• video camera

• writing notepads

Critical Questions

• What makes up the culture of the United States today?

• What effects do migration and immigration have on the beliefs, practices, and traditions of individuals and groups?

• How has the cultural make-up of the U.S. changed over time? What factors have contributed to these changes?

• How do large migrations change countries?

• What forces shape how individuals and groups respond to new environments, whether they assimilate, remain separate, prosper, or suffer?

• How do contemporary artists represent the current environment of global exchange, trade, and travel?

Activities

Looking at Contemporary Artists

Have students look at the video segments for the artists Gabriel Orozco, Do-Ho Suh, Shahzia Sikander, Pepón Osorio, and Kara Walker. Each of these artists discusses issues of home, dislocation, and travel in their work, either addressing the place they were born or their connections to the crafts or techniques from a particular aspect of their culture.

Walker moved from California to Georgia as a child while Do - Ho Suh came from Korea to the United States as an adult to pursue his education. Have students compare and contrast the effects of dislocation in Kara Walker's work with Do - Ho Suh's. Have students compare Do-Ho Suh's relationship to travel with Gabriel Orozco's. How are Suh's and Orozco's travels reflected in their work? How do these artists merge different cultural and geographic influences in their work? (Time: One to two 45 minute sessions)

Leaving Home - An Oral History Project

Have students collect responses from friends and family who have relocated from a home in another area of the U.S. or from another country. Use the one-minute guide provided at U.C. Berkeley to teach students how to conduct an oral history interview.

Brainstorm interview questions. For example, why did you leave your home? How did you feel about leaving? Did you take anything with you? What did you take? What do you remember about your hometown or home country? What do you miss about your hometown or home country?

Do - Ho Suh

Decide how much time will be spent on the project and assign a feasible number of persons for each student to interview (perhaps each student only does one in-depth interview). Explain the role of primary documents in the writing of history, and discuss the value of interviewing people whose experiences would not be written down otherwise. Provide time for students to do background research on their persons' place of origin before conducting the interview. Plot places of origin on a map of the world before interviews are done; have students share the stories they learned after talking with interviewees about their experiences of leaving home. The same can be done before and after watching video clips on the artists featured in this lesson.

Practical things to consider:

• Do students have access to recording equipment? If not, consider having them do informal interviews and take notes by hand.

• Transcribing a recorded interview is a tedious task. Make sure students have enough time to do this essential part of the project.

• Bringing a photograph to an interview often helps trigger memories and sensory responses.

Presentation:

Consider the different forms that oral histories can take. What form would best serve the stories that students have collected? How will they represent both their voice and the voice of their subject in their presentation? Will the presentation take a written form, a visual form, or a combination of both? Have students consider different forms of presentation such as a screenplay, a video, a comic book, a short story, an oral reading, a newspaper article, etc.

Ethical considerations:

• How much background research should be done about someone¹s country of origin ahead of time?

• How much of a transcribed interview should be edited?

• What is the power relationship between the researcher and the subject?
(Time: Five 45 minute sessions to long-term project)

Reflection & Evaluation

• Have students articulated an understanding of how different artists have represented the current environment of global exchange, trade, and travel?

• Have students generated thought-provoking interview questions?

• Have students conducted an oral history interview on the assigned topic?

• Have students made a written record of the interview?

• Have students articulated a range of responses to the question of what makes a home?

• Have students related the experiences of individuals to the larger phenomena of migration and immigration?

What I like the most about these lesson plans by PBS Art:21 is that they do not outline the minutes but rather give the TEACHER a list of questions to consider for a days activities and discussions. Your class will flow with the guidance of the questions they offer.

Culturally Relevant:

This plan deals with culturally relevant material for many urban youth who are 1st, 2nd and 3rd generation in the US Critical questions asked engage students in thinking about their own cultural identity, that of others, and that of others who have more than one.

Facilitates different learning styles:

Objectives are clear and concise and reach different learning styles through discussions, video clips, map plotting, interviews, and Internet research.

Metacognitive:

Along with key issues that are covered, ethical questions are posed to get students thinking about the process of interviewing itself, the power relationship between interviewer and interviewee. Also students are asked to consider appropriate way to present given the different forms of oral traditions their interviewee may come from.

Very thorough list of resources for lesson plan.

Shahzia Sikander

I could develop the ways of presenting students' oral history projects by taking another two to four days introducing and discussing different presentation methods: video, comic book, short story, oral reading, a newspaper article, etc. that my be appropriate for their particular projects.

Pepón Osorio

It is all covered. Nothing to adapt. It all fits beautifully with and exceeds my personal pedigological standards. (See note above)