Environmental Lesson: Natural/Environment

Multi-Grade/Generational/Community Interaction Grades K-6

Influence Your World with the Power of Visual Culture

Note: You may copy and paste into Word to re-format for student
Idea Book

1. Major Issues………………………………………………………………
2. Materials and Technique Explorations………………………………
3. Introductions…………………………………………………………….
4. Objectives………………………………………………………………….
5. Materials and Resources (See Explanation in the Introduction)………….
6. Add New Knowledge
Individual and Collaborative Research…………………………….
Vocabulary…………………………………………………………
Reflect for Greater Depth………………………………………….
7. Creation

Planning and Procedure………………………………………………
8. Assessments ………………………………………………………………..
9. Extensions ………………………………………………………………..
10. References…………………………………………………………………..
11. Handouts……………………………………………………………………
12. Student Idea Book…………………………………………………………..

Natural/Environment

Multi-Grade/Generational-Community Interaction Grades K-6

Influence Your World with the Power of

Visual Culture

Holdingford, Minnesota

1. Major Ideas
Interactive Sculptural Installation
Design elements of space, line and color
How to find and use community resources.
Student power over the natural environment
Sculptural techniques and procedures
Collaborative and Interactive Curriculum

2. Materials and Technique Explorations
Gardening skills
Carpentry skills
Engineering skills
Sculpture

3. Introduction

Research has shown that many sources of miscommunication between cultures exist; personal space between speakers; body or kinetic motion; paralanguage and unfamiliar environments (Kader, Yawkey, 2002).

Others believe music therapy groups promote self-esteem and respect (Camilleri, 2000).

Students need to feel a sense of control over some part of their world. Ask any parent about ownership issues with students’ bedrooms. This unit will provide an opportunity for students to claim ownership over a small piece of their school environment.

Pat Stuhr (2003) agrees that students must be accessed in their lived experience when she states” Art education, like all subjects, should be intimately connected to a students’ lives; therefore, curriculum, because it connects to students’ lives and their worlds, should be thought of as a process not a product” (p. 303).

4. Objectives

Given access to a specific environment or habitat that might lend itself to reclamation or re-purposing, the students will design a physical environment which will meet their culturally specific agenda.

Specific Activities Leading to Objectives. The Students May:

- Identify their possible target space.
- Identify an environmental “need” in the community.
- Collaboratively identify how they would like to “change” the environment/space. How will the changed environment benefit the community?
- Create a list of resources (human and material) needed to implement their plan/project.
- Create a plan to acquire the aforementioned necessary resources.
- Identify the human resources to acquire the skills needed to change or modify the environment/space.
- Study the design elements of space, line and color.

5. Materials/Resources

Idea Book for each student
Internet connection.
Human and material resources
Building materials-emerging as the project is conceptualized.
Each participant should bring a special found object to include in the environment.

A. Outside Meditation /Animal Habitat:

Vacant lot close to school/community center – any green space near nursery school, grandparent’s yard, assisted living facility, hospital, bank, etc.

Stone (local sandstone, granite, slate quarries or local stone vendor odd lots), large rocks from local sources.

Cement – seat (local contractor with students at school)

Broken tiles (odd lots from tile store)

Large slabs of wood – seat (saw mill)

Dirt (bagged, sterilized manure/mulch)

Plants/trees which attract birds and/or other wildlife

Bird, bat, squirrel houses

Volunteers to help educate and maintain the site

Indigenous plants and trees

B. Inside Environment

Supporting materials according to “environment” students’ design. It may mimic an outside environment but it may also be something entirely different. For example: Meditation Room. This could serve many purposes, including “meditation time out” space, music room, “freak out” room, visual culture sculpture, memorial, etc.

6. Add New Knowledge

* The teacher might start a discussion focused on the students’ “favorite place on earth”.

Have the students describe their “favorite place on earth” in their Idea books.

Possible Critical Thinking Questions Focused on “Favorite Place”:

* What is the most important reason why your special place is so wonderful?

* Do other people contribute to your experience in this space?

* Are you alone there? Are there others there? Is that important? Why?

* Does the music involved make this a special place??

* Does the scenery make this a special place?

* Does the weather make this a special place?

* Does the culture make this a special place?

* Does smell make this a special place?

* Does the weather make this a special place?

* Is your previous history make this a special place?

* Are visual images involved?

* Is the seating in the environment important?

The Teacher Might Show the Following Examples for Ideas:

W I MAGE “UNITY’ DEEP PORTAGE MINNESOTA

Bemidji State Universitytrains teachers in a cohort model. The cohort visits “Deep Portage Environmental Center” in Walker, Minnesota and creates installation art. A stone sculpture using rocks from all participants worlds. A brass plaque and a wooden bench from the dean’s backyard dominate the design._____________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

Wally Wallace residence in Maine

Vocabulary Building

Space – a set of points –usually three-dimensional—not flat

Mosaic – a picture or decorative design make by setting small colored pieces of tile

Environment — the conditions that surrounds a person in the world
Found Objects –anything found in your world

Meditation –to reflect or think quietly OR to clear your mind of ALL thoughts

Cement –ground limestone and clay – when mixed with water solid and becomes permanently hard

Tile — a flat slab of clay – often glazed a color

Adhesive — the special paste used to glue the tiles down

Grout — the special sand material used to fill in the cracks between the tiles

Indigenous Plants — plants which are native and will thrive where you plant them

Color – blue, yellow, red and black.

Line – a mark that starts in one place and goes to another

(Optional) There is a vocabulary quiz in the student Idea Book. There is also a place on the bottom of the vocabulary quiz to include more new words related to your specific project. Offer a prize for the most new words!

Collaborative Research

Once the students have identified what kind of environment they want to create, they might divide into groups of five and research similar projects online and in the media center. Suggested keywords:

IS (Internet Search) Environmental Art, Visual Culture Environment,

Community Projects, Art Community Projects, Memorial Sculptures, Claus Oldenberg Madlynne Engle, Judy Onofrio, John Nash

IS (Internet Search) Elements and Principals of Design. Select an age appropriate drill.

CCI The teacher might bring in examples of special memorial/environmental parks or installations.

The students might take notes in their Idea Books and brainstorm possible ideas there as they research.

Reflect for Greater Depth

Collaborative Reflection

*Each group might design an environment for presenting to the rest of the class. Use the reflective question list in your idea books.

Reflective Design Questions

* What is the purpose of the space? To excite? Soothe? Solve a problem?

* What kind of “feeling” are you trying to create?

* What special images do you want to use? Choose special things from your life to include!

* What will you need in terms of material and human resources to complete
your plan?

* How will you keep your space safe from intrusion and vandalism?

7. Creation

Collaborative Planning

* Using the Task and Resource Planning Sheet in their Idea Book, the students could identify all the tasks and materials needed to complete the project and volunteer to contribute some aspect. They could also brainstorm possible community members who will be needed to complete the project and offer to contact them. You will need:

* A project manager (an artist!)

* A construction manager ( a carpenter, builder, stonemason…an expert in the construction process of the project chosen.

* Parent Volunteers. One person to lead the volunteers. The leader’s primary responsibilities is to make sure the STUDENTS do the work, to create the schedule for work days and to help round up supplies.

Select One Project

* Each group plans an environmental space and presents it to the class for a vote. The space should be given a “name”. This is installation art and needs a name! Consensus vote selects the class project.

Working together: Using the planning sheets from the Idea Books, DESIGN THE SPACE.

* Teach the methods and techniques by doing a Key Word (IS) search for your media.

For example: Mosaics Painting Cement Forms Hardy Minnesota Perennial Plants Minnesota Birds (Back to the library).

* The teacher might assign each student to research one part of the project. There is an area for this data in their Idea Books.

* All participants might create a one-page statement sharing their environmental project experience. This document could be the beginning of a record book kept in/near the space and contributed to by all visitors to the space.

* If you have created a wildlife habitat, you could keep a record of all wildlife sightings.

Record Keeping and Reflection

Written Individual and Collaborative Artist (s ) Statement

Parent Volunteer Lead takes pictures throughout the project for the Record Book!

Assessment Use Student Progress Rubric Criteria Appearing in the Introduction.

Peer –in their Idea Book Self – in their Idea Book

Teacher – at the end of the project
Community –at the show
Each visitor could spend a ten minute time span in the environment and write an “assessment reaction” in the Record Book. What was the objective of the environment? Was it met?

Critical Thinking Questions Focused on the Experience with the Environment.

The students might answer these questions in their idea book. The teacher might make copies to include in the record keeping book.

* What is the stated purpose of the environment?

* Is the stated purpose successful?

* What can you see from where you are?

* What can you hear from where you are?

* What can you smell from where you are?

* How does the environment make you feel?

References

Kader S.A., Yawkey T., ( 2002) Problems recommendations: enhancing communication with culturally and linguistically diverse students.Reading Improvement v. 39 (1) p. 43-51.

Camilleri, V. (2000). Music therapy groups: a path to social- emotional growth and academic success, Education Horizons v. 78 (4). 184-9.

Freedman, K. (2003 ). Teaching visual culture: curriculum, aesthetics, and the social life of art. New York: Teachers College Press.

Freedman, K. Boughton, D, (2005) Children’s art education: Teaching visual culture,

New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Stuhr, P., (2003). A Tale of Why Social and Cultural Content is Often Excluded from Art Education–And Why It Should Not Be, Studies in Art Education v. 44 (4). 301-1

Vocabulary Building Drill Sheet
Space – a set of points – usually three-dimensional—not flat

Mosaic – a picture or decorative design make by setting small colored pieces of tile

Environment — the conditions that surrounds a person in the world
Found Objects –anything found in your world

Meditation –to reflect or think quietly OR to clear your mind of ALL thoughts

Cement –ground limestone and clay – when mixed with water solid and becomes permanently hard

Tile — a flat slab of clay – often glazed a color

Adhesive — the special paste used to glue the tiles down

Grout — the special sand material used to fill in the cracks between the tiles

Indigenous Plants — plants which are native and will thrive where you plant them

Color – blue, yellow, red and black.

Line – a mark that starts in one place and goes to another

Sample letter

Dear Logan Park Community Member,

Logan Park has been asked to participate in a pilot project for a new book for McGraw-Hill called “Elementary Art Education: A Practical Approach to Visual Culture.” This book is being written by Drs. Bridges, Freedman and Boughton. Please see attached for biographies.

Environmental Unit to be worked on over the summer. There will probably be three-five meetings.

Objectives

Specific Activities Leading to Objectives
The Students May:

Identify their possible target space.
Identify an environmental “need” in the community.
Collaboratively identify how they would like to “change” the environment/space. How will the changed environment benefit the community?
Create a list of resources (human and material) needed to implement their plan/project.
Create a plan to acquire the aforementioned necessary resources.
Identify the human resources to acquire the skills needed to change or modify the environment/space.
Study the design elements of space, line and color.

This project will need parent volunteers:

i. A project manager (an artist!)
ii. A construction manager ( a carpenter, builder, stonemason…an expert in the construction process of the project chosen).
iii. Parent Volunteers. One person to lead the volunteers. The leader’s primary responsibilities is to make sure the STUDENTS do the work, to create the schedule for work days and to help round up supplies.

We have included a sign-up sheet if you are willing to work on this project. Please return with your student.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Example of Environmental Art at the Walker Art Center

Click Here to see Nash”s Standing Frame

David Nash is also known as one of the first artists to create ecological or environmental art. He is concerned about our natural environment. For his sculptures he uses wood only from trees that are already condemned to fall. He considers his way of working to be a form of recycling.

Standing Frame was commissioned by the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis in 1987. The work was created from two white oak trees found growing near the Mississippi River in Taylor’s Falls, Minnesota. Nash uses a geometric shape, the square, to create Standing Frame.Nash built a frame so viewers can create their own personal pictures of the cityscape and other artworks in the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden by shifting their viewing position.

Volunteer Application

Name

Address

Phone Cell email
Special Skills

Participant Idea Book

W IS MADELYNNE ENGLE Go to: Madelynne Engle is an Environmental Artist from San Diego, California. http://www.englestudio.com/#start

Name________________________________________________________

Optional Vocabulary Quiz Please draw a line from the word to the definition

SpaceColor

Meditation

Mosaic

Grout

Tile

Found Objects

Line

Found Objects

Cement

Adhesive

Indigenous Plants

– a set of points – usually three-dimensional—not flat

– a picture or decorative design make by setting small colored pieces of tile

– the conditions that surrounds a person in the world

–anything found in your world

–to reflect or think quietly OR to clear your mind of ALL thoughts

–ground limestone and clay – when mixed with water solid and becomes permanently hard

– a flat slab of clay – often glazed a color–the special paste used to glue the tiles down

– the special sand material used to fill in the cracks between the tiles

– plants which are native and will thrive where you plant them

– blue, yellow, red and black.

– a mark that starts in one place and goes to another

More New Words

Research on Environmental Projects

Favorite Your Place on Earth. Describe.

Keyword Searches Describe projects which you found interesting to you. At least two different projects.

Environmental Art

Community Projects/Art

Memorial Sculptures

Visual Culture Environment

Community Projects

Visual Culture Installation

Elements and Principals of Design. Summarize:

Line

Shape

Color

Reflective Question List

Answer these questions in your group:

Components of Design.

What kind of space does your group want to create?

What is the purpose of the space?

What kind of “feeling” are you trying to create?

What will you need in terms of material and human resources to complete your plan? Who will you need to help you?

Project Manager?

Construction Manager?

Leader for Parent Volunteers?

How will you keep your space safe from intrusion and vandalism?

5. Is this plan a practical plan? Explain?

Task and Resource Planning Sheet

Collaborative Planning

Make a list of all the materials (things) you will need to complete you environment:

I will bring the following special object to include in the environment:

What? Size? Made from?

My special area to research for the project is:

Student Answers for the Record Book.

All visitors, and surely the students, might answer these questions in their Idea Book. The teacher might make copies to include in the record keeping book.

What is the stated purpose of the environment?

Was the stated purpose met?

What can you see from where you are?

What can you hear from where you are?

What can you smell from where you are?

How does the environment make you feel?

Use this page to design your environment. Label all the details. Color the design.

Progress Record Name____________________________

Use the explanation grid in the Introduction to guide your assessment.

ImaginationWhere did you get your ideas?Where did they come from?	Overall Growth	Persistence	Risk taking
Personal Development (Did you like choices?What did you learn from this experience?)
Technical SkillCraftsmanshipAppropriateUse of Media (Neatness. Did you pick the right media to create your design and message?)
Meaning Fundamentals of design supports expression.(Did the class and teacher understand the subject of my story? Did I use special colors, lines, shapes to tell my story?)
Research Cultural, Historical Reflection (Where/what did you research?Draft drawings Spelling words.) *You may not use this assessment area for grades K-3*