Submitted by: Grace Hall,
Wilkes Central High School in Wilkesboro, NC.
UNIT: Golden Mean - Math/Science Integration
Lesson: The
Golden Mean Project
- Design in Nature
Grade Level: High School (grades
10-12)
Approximate
Time Needed: 5 to 7 class
periods
Preparations:
1. Download the Power Point Presentation, review it and research
the topic to become familiar with how the Golden Mean connects with art.
2. Collect materials needed from the list above.
3. Make transparencies with the 4 different styles of the Golden
Mean by either tracing them on transparencies, or by using a copy
machine.
1. Begin by posing the first essential question to the class and
discuss the ideas they come up with. Conclude by informing
students of the theory of the Golden Mean.
5. Set a due date; depending on the class give them from a week to 2 weeks.
6. Conclude with a group critique discussing issues included in the rubric.
7. Allow students to make changes if necessary.
8. Display the artwork for the class or the school including a
brief description of the goal of the assignment.
Activity:
1. In this assignment students will choose a pattern from nature
which is created through the phenomenon of the Golden Mean such as the
pattern in a Nautilus Shell or the pattern from the seed pod of a
sunflower to inspire an original design.
2. Students will use the layouts provided on the transparencies
to create an original work of art for the composition. The
solutions to this problem are infinite.
3. Show students books and magazines with patterns from nature
and suggest ways they could use them. Allow them to use the
Internet to further research natural patterns.
4. Demonstrate how students are to tape down their canvas paper
so as to leave an even white border around the edge of the paper.
5. Have students select a background color for the entire
painting and paint that color within the masking tape area, overlapping
enough to create a straight edge when the tape is removed.
6. Demonstrate using the overhead projector to project one of the
Golden Ratio transparencies over the background and trace it in chalk
over the background.
7. Using the Golden Ratio pattern that they chose, they must
determine what part of the design will be the center of interest and
place it in the section of the pattern of the Golden Ratio.
8. Students may use chalk or pencil to draw in the composition.
9. If students have not used acrylic paint before, a discussion
of the nature, care and cleaning of acrylics should be discussed
including the fact that acrylics dry fast and that they will harden in
the brushes and at the bottom of the sink. Acrylics may be used
transparently by adding an acrylic medium or water. Alternately,
by adding gesso they may also become more opaque. Acrylics will
not come out of clothes unless they are removed while still wet and
that isn’t guaranteed. Acrylics can be covered with plastic wrap
in order to keep them moist for the next day.
10. Instruct students on the importance of good craftsmanship and technical accuracy.
11. Circulate to be sure students understand the concept and are using the paints appropriately.
12. When the paintings are finished have students sign their work
in one of the lower corners of the painting and carefully remove the
masking tape to reveal the white border around the painting.
13. Upon the due date, conclude the lesson with a critique using the rubric as a foundation for the discussion.
14. Allow students to make changes to their work based on
suggestions during the critique before grading or displaying the work.
National Visual Arts Standards for Grades 9-12:
1. Using knowledge of structures and functions. (other National Standards below)
State Visual Arts Standards for Art II-IV:
(North Carolina) COMPETENCY GOAL 3: The learner will organize the
components of a work into a cohesive whole through knowledge of
organizational principles of design and art elements.
Benchmarks:
(North Carolina) 3.06 Demonstrate the ability to form and defend
judgments about the characteristics of structures to accomplish
commercial, personal, communal or other purposes of art. National Educational Technology Standards:
V. TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH TOOLS
* Students use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources.
* Students evaluate and select new information
resources and technological innovations based on the appropriateness
for specific tasks.
Goal:
To
understand the Golden Ratio as a means of organizing a work
of art.
Objectives:
TLW: observe and recall
information regarding the mathematical properties of the
Golden Mean.
TLW:
associate how artists have used the Golden Mean
to create masterpieces throughout history.
TLW:
demonstrate knowledge of the Golden Mean using
one of the formulas of organization to create an
original work of art.
TLW:
select a pattern from nature to inspire an
original composition.
TLW:
design a composition organized using the Golden Mean and
inspired by a pattern from nature.
TLW:
verbally assess the value of using the Golden Mean to
organize their own compositions as well as those of
their peers in a class critique.
Golden Ratio in Art and Architecture- The Golden Mean, Phi, the Divine Section, The Golden Cut, The Golden Proportion, The Divine Proportion, and tau(t) are covered.
Timeless
by Design site by Valrie Jensen - set of design
templates (of which the golden section is one).
• Is the design original?
• Did the composition use the Golden Mean?
• Did the painting use a pattern found in nature to inspire the design?
• Does the design demonstrate knowledge of space as an element of design?
• Did the student use acrylic paint properly and/or creatively?
• Does the design show technical craftsmanship?
• Did the student use proper care and conservation of tools and supplies?
• Was the project completed in a timely manner?
1.
Understanding and applying media, techniques, and
processes
2.
Using knowledge of structures and functions
3.
Choosing and evaluating a range of subject matter,
symbols, and ideas
6.
Making connections between visual arts and other
disciplines
(connections tp math and
science)
Students
apply media, techniques, and processes with sufficient
skill, confidence, and sensitivity that their intentions
are carried out in their artworks
Students
demonstrate the ability to form and defend judgments about
the characteristics and structures to accomplish
commercial, personal, communal, or other purposes of art
(Advanced)
Students synthesize the creative and analytical principles
and techniques of the visual arts and selected other arts
disciplines, the humanities, or the sciences
Students
conceive and create works of visual art that demonstrate
an understanding of how the communication of their ideas
relates to the media, techniques, and processes they use
Students
evaluate the effectiveness of artworks in terms of
organizational structures and functions
Students
apply subjects, symbols, and ideas in their artworks and
use the skills gained to solve problems in daily life
The Incredible Art Department is for art teachers, art students, parents, homeschoolers and artists. IAD includes
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, review it and research
the topic to become familiar with how the Golden Mean connects with art.
by Leonardo da Vinci
and 
