Planning like an Architect
This week we are continuing to design our dreams houses. To begin the lesson, and get students brainstorming we gave them a prompt:
Now that you’ve started thinking like a real architect, you must present your idea to your firm. In order to do this, you need to show that you’ve put a lot of thought into this building. One way that artists and other designers show that they’ve thought out their ideas, is to show multiple ideas that they have, each building on the previous one. With that being said, think about your favorite parts of your dream home that you’ve made. What did you like? Did you see anything in other peoples’ works that you hadn’t thought about before? Would you add anything? Would you take out anything?
Then students were asked to take their new ideas and revisions and put them into three new "dream home" designs. (See lesson plan for materials.)
Now that you’ve started thinking like a real architect, you must present your idea to your firm. In order to do this, you need to show that you’ve put a lot of thought into this building. One way that artists and other designers show that they’ve thought out their ideas, is to show multiple ideas that they have, each building on the previous one. With that being said, think about your favorite parts of your dream home that you’ve made. What did you like? Did you see anything in other peoples’ works that you hadn’t thought about before? Would you add anything? Would you take out anything?
Then students were asked to take their new ideas and revisions and put them into three new "dream home" designs. (See lesson plan for materials.)
Essential UnderstandingsThe artistic process requires planning and revision in order to create the art you desire.
Form and style show the viewer what ideas you have visually. Key ConceptsForm
Shape Planning Ideation Refinement Art FocusInvestigating and exploring how artists create and why.
Exploring how artists describe their ideas in different ways. |
Learning TargetsStudents will create their future dream homes using form, space and detail.
Using completed artwork, students will be able to explain their decisions made in their art. Students will demonstrate revision of their ideas by creating multiple prints. SkillsWorking with others
Sharing equipment Explaining their decisions Literary FocusLearning how to "read" visual information such as other student's artwork, etc.
Learning how to articulate their thought process and decision making. Vocabulary: revision, refinement, foundation, walls, roof, form, shape, style |
Documentation and Reflection
In this lesson, students were exposed to a new and exciting process. We created prints of our dream homes by taking the drawings we made last week and expanding that information through new materials. We used Plexiglas and markers with plain white paper to create our prints. Students were encouraged to use these materials to make more versions of their dream home and then have a discussion with their groups about the changes they made and why. After they made multiple prints students chose their best one.
The student that created the image to the left shows an exploration of materials and ideas. He used the materials to create a new home that was different than the one before. The student showed his friends his drawing and then talked about the changes he made to his home in the print. In his second version his home was now made in lava instead of on the ground like it was before. He then continued to make a few more prints with variation in the amount or location of the lava on the house. |
The students seemed to understand the process pretty fast although there were some students who struggled. Students who struggled with the printing process did a great job working through it. One student voiced his frustration saying that he couldn't get the paper dry enough. When I asked how he knew the paper was too wet, he responded by saying that "the lines got bigger", showing a deep understanding of the process and the consequences of various actions.
In the critique they discussed their findings. Students told their stories using their prints to explain what changes they made as they moved from one art piece to the next and why. |
More documentation from the day!
Below are photos of the process of printmaking as well as finished products: