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Written
by: Judy Decker
Unit Theme: Animals in Art - Abstraction- African Art
Grade Level: Sixth Grade
Time frame: Up to six weeks (five 42-minute periods per
week)
Project:
Paper Weaving - integrating technology
Project: Paper
Weaving - using Photocopier - Bunki Kramer
Project:
Plaster Addition Sculpture
Curriculum
Objectives
The
big idea:
·
We learn a culture's history, values and beliefs
through the study of their arts.
·
The arts are basic symbol systems by which a
culture communicates, interprets and acquires knowledge of
the world around them.
Essential
Understandings:
1.
Beliefs and values of a culture are learned by
studying their art.
2.
People create art objects to help meet basic human
needs (religion, safety, health, food, shelter, clothing)
3.
Cultural beliefs, values, and customs change over
time as a result of technology, assimilation (of other
cultures), and needs.
4.
Art of a culture (Africa) changes with the
introduction of new materials and technology
5.
Cultures learn from each other through the exchange
of ideas.
6.
Art is an expression from ones experiences as they
interpret and try to understand the world around them.
7.
Every culture (Africa) has its system of images
(iconography) that are understood by the culture to mean
specific things.
8.
A culture's concept of beauty can be expressed
through their art.
9.
Time, location, and events shape cultural beliefs
and impact their art.
10.
Personal beliefs and experiences affect the way one
views and interprets art from other cultures.
11.
While aesthetics and meaning of artwork are
important in understanding the reasons for art, one may
appreciate the beauty in manmade objects without fully
understanding their meaning.
Guiding
Questions:
1.
Why is it important to study the art of African
Cultures?
2.
Why do African cultures
(or a specific cultural group) create
"art"?
3.
How does that creation of art objects meet basic
human needs? Give some examples from African culture.
4.
How have new technologies changed artwork created
by various African cultures?
What new materials have been introduced?
5.
How does the exchange of ideas and innovations
affect cultures?
6.
How do various African cultures use artwork to
understand the world around them?
7.
How are symbols used to communicate events,
beliefs, and values of a culture? Give examples from African
cultures.
8.
How is the concept of "beauty" expressed
through the art of a culture?
9.
How are the arts produced by a culture related to
time, location and events?
10.
How does ones own personal beliefs influence the
judgment of art from another cultures?
11.
How can we find beauty in African art objects?
What are some characteristics of African art?
12.
How does environment impact the art created by a
culture?
Curriculum
Integration:
Science:
1.
Use artwork to introduce diversity of animals in
regions of Africa-Animal adaptation, biomes.
2.
Create a large map with drawings of animals found
in the various regions to display at the cultural fair.
3.
Compare animals found in African Rain forest with
South American Rain Forest. Compare animals of desert with
animals in Southwest United States. Compare animals of
grasslands (Savannah with
animals of forest and plains)
Social
Studies:
Africa
is studied as a continent in the seventh grade curriculum.
Sixth graders study religions of the world.
1.
Study the different religions of Africa.
How do you explain the growth of Islam? What other
religions are represented in Africa.
How have African cultures assimilated other religions
into their culture?
Music
(General Music and Choir)
1.
View and discuss video on African Music
2.
Listen to and discuss recordings of African music
3.
Play African instruments
4.
Compose a piece using African instruments
5.
Learn African folk songs- and African American folk
songs. Compare- what similarities do you find in African
songs and African American folk songs.
Band:
1.
Use African percussion instruments while
rehearsing. Compare
to instruments students use.
2.
Listen
to African music for a day- compare beat/rhythms, tone,
color etc. to music they are rehearsing.
Instructional
Resources:
My
personal collection of books is on hand in the classroom for
student use. Additional books are obtained from the Lima
Public Library and Middle School Library (call numbers
are noted for my benefit).
Textbook:
Chapman, Laura H (1992).
Art: Images and
Ideas. Worcester, Massachusetts: Davis Publications.
(Used mainly for 7th and 8th grade)
Chapman, Laura H (1992).
A World of
Images. Worcester,
Massachusetts: Davis Publications. (Used mainly for 6th
grade)
Books:
(see Bibliography)
Internet
Resources
Internet
Lesson: http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/middle/afr-less.htm
African
Art: Links
http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/middle/afrilink.htm
African
Textiles http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/middle/afrilink.htm#Textiles
Odyssey
Online: Africa http://carlos.emory.edu/ODYSSEY/AFRICA/ahomepg.html
See the Animals
symbolism section
- matching animals to artifacts
African
Art Prints- Shorewood Collection (large 22"x28"
images)
Magbo Headpiece for the Oro Society, Yoruba People
Staff, Beaded Sheath and Crown. Yoruba People (ArtSpace
Lima)
Gelede Mask -Yoruba, Nigeria
Ivory Box- Yoruba, Nigeria
Epa Cult Mask - Yoruba, Nigeria(ArtSpace Lima)
Shorewood
Prints (cont.)
Ifa Divination Bowl, Tray and Tapper- Yoruba, Nigeria
Beaded Crown - Yoruba, Nigeria (ArtSpace Lima)
Adire Cloth- Yoruba, Nigeria
Davis
Publications Prints-(large 22x28" images)
Beaded Headdress, Cameroon (ArtSpace Lima)
African Make Mask, Southern Kuba- Mulwawa, Zaire
African Dance Mask- Dan- Ivory Coast
Initiation Mask- Zaire
Additional visual
resources:
Art Visuals Multi-cultural series: Africa (18 print cards)
African Art Portfolio-
Museum of African Art, New York
Hundreds of Images from National
Geographic, Smithsonian
and color photocopies (or digital images) from books
listed above
Prints from African
Art - Duncan Clark (book pages cut out pages and
laminated)
Videos
Africa:
A History Denied (Time/Life Series)
Africa
Art: Through the Eyes of Africa
(Available
fro Art Video World and Crystal
Productions)
African
Art: Chicago Art Institute
Life
Began at Ile Efe: Yoruba Art (ArtSpace Lima)
Geography
of Africa (ArtSpace Lima)
Slide
Collections
African
Art.
St. Louis Museum of Art
African
Art.
Chicago Art Institute.
African
Art. Cleveland
Art Museum (ArtSpace Lima)
African
Textiles. St. Louis Museum of Art (ArtSpace Lima
African
Art Objects- Hands-on
African
Culture Trunk (rhythm instruments)- ArtSpace Lima
Personal
collection:
Ti
Wara Headdress (vertical style)- Bamana/Bambara, Mali
Ti
Wara Headdress (horizontal style)- Bamana, Mali
Antelope
Ancestral Headdress- Karumba, Burkima Faso
Beaded
Crown- Yoruba, Nigeria
Carved
wooden box- Kuba, Zaire
Ceramic
vessels- Zimbabwe
Ceramic
Vessel- Kenya
Contemporary
etched stone plate- Kenya
Assorted
contemporary elephant carvings- Kenya
Mancala
game board- Ashanti, Ghana
Mancala
game board- Cameroon
Ancestral
Mask (commercialized) - Baoule(?), Ivory Coast
Elephant
gold weight- Baoule, Ivory coast
Contemporary
gold weights- Ivory Coast
Dogon
Mud Cloth- Mali
Bamana
Mud Cloth- Mali
Senufo
Kuba
Raffia Cloth- Zaire
Asante
Kent Cloth- Ghana
Basket
and wood hair comb- Sierra Leone
Nigerian
basket
Elephant
carvings- Kenya
Audio
Tapes and CD's:
Drums
of Yoruba
(taped from CD from ArtSpace)
Women
of Mali
(taped from CD from Lima Public Library
Celebrations
(audio tapes of music from many cultures)
Africa
Never Stands Still- CD
Drums
of Passion-
CD
Teacher
made PowerPoint of African wood carving and textiles
(played throughout the drawing and coloring process)
Art
Activities:
Abstraction and Pattern in African Art
Length
of Unit: four weeks
(up
to 6 weeks depending on sculptures)
Day
1- Introduction to African Art
Note:
I think I just had three introduction days before we
began working on drawings.
We
used the Internet lesson after students had already began to
work - The Internet was used to learn more about a topic
that interested them.
1.
Present new vocabulary- review geography
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Culture
Ritual
Reliquary Figure
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Gold
Weight
Guardian
Yoruba
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Ancestral
Ashanti/Asante
Bambara/Bamana
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Ceremony
Abstraction
Distortion
Adinkra,
Adire Eliko,
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Dogon
Kuba
Karumba
Kente cloth, Mud cloth
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Karumba
Bauole
Senufo
'Korhogo' cloths
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Students will not be expected
to remember the names of the cultures.
Students will be introduced to
the various cultures. Those
taking art again in seventh grade may learn more about
African art (if they are scheduled winter trimester).
2.
Guiding questions:
Why is it important to study
the art of African Cultures?
How can we find beauty in
African art objects?
Why do the different people of
Africa create art?
What are some of the different
materials that are used to create art? Why were these
materials used?
3.
Present an introduction to video: Meaning of African Art
(or Africa Through the Eyes of Africa)
4.
Show video
(or show PowerPoint of African art - or collection of slides
- St Lois collection is very good)
5.
Discuss guiding questions and work sheets in groups
(six tables)
Each group will have: a
recorder, a reader, one who summarizes, and a taskmaster (to
record input by group members)
6.
Assessment:
Observe group discussions
Grade group work sheets, check
for participation from all members
Day
2- Aesthetics and Meaning
1.
Review findings from day before.
2.
Review/present new vocabulary
3.
Guiding questions:
How is the idea of beauty
expressed through the art of a culture?
How does the creation of art
objects satisfy or help meet basic human needs?
How do African cultures use
artwork to understand the world around them?
What effect have world events
(primarily European) had on artwork from African cultures?
How does one personal beliefs
influence the way they view art from other cultures?
4.
Introduce video- discuss "point of view",
"perspective,"
review aesthetics and value
5.
View selections
from video: African
Art: Through the Eyes of Africa
6.
Go over work sheets in groups. Work sheets will contain guiding questions and questions
pertaining to critical inquiry -describing, interpreting and
valuing art.
7.
Assessment:
Observe group discussions
Grade group work sheets, check
for participation from all members
Day
3- Critiquing works of Art
(Internet Lesson could be substituted
here)
1.
Review criteria for classifying works of art
2.
Show selected works of art from slide collections-
Animals in art
3.
Students will describe, interpret based on prior
knowledge and clue given by leading example from group of
slides.
4.
Students will discuss how environment effects
artwork- Chicago Art Institute video selections.
5.
Assessment:
Observe class discussions-
individual participation
Grade group work sheets, check
for participation from all members.
Day
4- Hands On- Critiquing African Art Objects
Arrange
various art objects at tables (from personal collection and
from ArtSpace Culture trunk). Each group will have a variety
of questions to answer at their home base table. After a
given amount of time, students will move to another table (1
to 2, 2 to 3 and so on) to see the other objects.
I had several actual textile samples from Western African
cultures and Congo.
1.
Work stations will include the following exercises:
Comparing African objects to
similar objects from our culture- determining which most
closely fits the use of item from African culture.
Grouping artwork by stylistic
characteristics
Placing value on artwork (Is
it art? Which piece is more valuable? Why?)- be objective in
giving answers- based on knowledge.
Describing, interpreting based
on prior knowledge.
Describing the people of a
region based on what students were able to see in the
artwork. (beliefs, values)
2.
Guiding questions: 1 through 11 will be addressed
(2 to 3 at
each station)
3.
Assessment: Each
group will give a presentation on their findings.
Day
5 (and on going)
Drawing/Design - modern technology
Digital manipulation- woven
design
Time:
approximately 2 weeks
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Vocabulary:
digital imaging
file formats
(gif, jpeg)
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orientation
edit/select/preferences
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saturation/hue
true color
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graphic
arts
resolution
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special
effects
contrast
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24
bit color/gray scale
save/save as/print
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Materials:
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9x12
tag board (or drawing paper) -
pencils, rulers
African Design Handouts
Fadeless paper (11x14)
Black poster board mount
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9
x 12 Newsprint
permanent markers
Overwriter markers
(or any watercolor markers)
Adobe Photo Deluxe
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scissors
- X-acto knives
laminator
(optional)
Scanner - PC and printer
Scratch foam - stamp pads
glue (sewing machine opt.)
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See
additional samples |
1.
Present vocabulary. Demonstrate lesson
2.
After viewing and discussing short video on African
textile design (or PowerPoint), students will begin designs
for paper weaving—drawing woven with digital image. They
will abstract any animal of their choosing.
They will have several idea papers at tables, but
will be encouraged to come up with something original (from
their own experiences). Plan animal on 9 x 12 newsprint. Use
textile designs for border motifs. Animal should be centered
in 7”x 9-10” area of 9x12 white tag board (or drawing
paper). Draw approximate 1" border all around. (I left
the PowerPoint looping throughout the class studio time for
student to view).
3.
Students will transfer animal drawing to
9"x12" white tag board (or heavy drawing paper) -
centering to create a border all around.
Border can anywhere from 1" for 1 1/5".
4.
Students will design a border related to animal
design.
Use ideas from African
textiles
Use symbols to represent
animal habitat
Use symbols to represent needs
(food chain)
Use symbols to represent
nature/life
5.
Outline design with black permanent markers
. NOTE: If you do not have access to computer,
software and printer, you can do this lesson the way I did
the first year. Once students had their designs outlined, I
photocopied them (it is bet to photocopy onto index stock).
The students then colored both the original drawing and the
main animal part of the photocopy. The inside part of the
photocopy is used to weave with the original.
6.
Color design with Crayola Overwriter Markers (any
watercolor markers can be used - Overwirter have a tendency
to fade after a couple of years) - color plan and patterns
are important. Include
subtle pattern in negative space.
some of the most striking weavings were ones that had just a
fine line pattern done with ultra fine Sharpie.
7.
Teacher will scan finished drawings into computers
in the classroom. Students who finish early will be taught
how to scan. Work that does not get scanned during class
time will be scanned after school by the instructor.
Students' original color image will be saved onto floppy
disk.
8.
Students will be scheduled for the computer lab to
work on computers to alter image.
Change hue/
saturation/contrast
Warp or distort- add wave
Add special effect- painterly,
drawing, colored pencil (examples will be available for
students)
Students
will learn about the different file formats and will save as
Jpeg onto their disks.
9.
Animal image will be printed on HP color printer
(scaled to fit original drawing of animal -- about
7"x10") Border design will remain as marker only on the original
drawing.
Students will assist other students in printing
images. Digital image is printed on tag board.
10.
Students will weave the two together for an
interesting textural effect. Computer altered animal design
should match up with the original marker drawing when
completed.
(Laminating prior to weaving is optional). Cut
original drawing with x-acto knife up to the border designs
to create the warp - spacing 1/4" to 1/2"
(it is helpful in weaving if cut slightly - about 1/8 - past
the border line). Cut the digital print a few strips at a
time - number strips to help keep organized. We found
it easier to weave without laminating. In experimenting--we
discovered it necessary to clip a tiny bit off of some of
the digital strips to get the design to match (a little
sliver off every third strip). Even if the weaving is
slightly off -- the results are still striking.
This shows the original
colors of the center design
This shows completed weaving with digital image |
11.
Assessment:
Student
self evaluation- critique
Class critique
Modified Rubric: design, color
plan, patterns, weaving skills (does design match up?).
12.
Mounting options: Mount on monoprinted border
design or stamp printed border (students may make their own
stamps using scrap scratch foam or use a variety of stamp
sets). Teacher
will sew to poster board for display.
To finish:
Tape strips in place on back side.
Select 11 x 14 fadeless paper that will enhance weaving.
Make a stamp to pattern border (students can share stamps).
Glue stamp to small block of wood. Stamp border design all
around - may use Adinkra stamps provided if desired. Glue
weaving to fadeless paper -- mount on black poster board
(cut at least 13" x 16" - larger for more of a
black border). I sewed all to board with zig zag stitch on
the sewing machine - around outside edge of fadeless paper -
around weaving - and down the sides where strips were cut
from drawn border. This added textural interest and gave
more a look of textile design.
Day
20 - Animal Sculpture
Vocabulary:
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armature
plaster addition
Macquette
craftsmanship
simplification
proportion
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Materials:
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cardboard
- masking tape
Styrofoam
scraps
plastic containers
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wire
-- wire cutters
-pliers
brushes
acrylic paint
- puffy paints
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old
scissors
plaster gauze
paint markers
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It
should be noted that some students might still be working on
technology/weaving project.
This unit is designed so that all students are kept
busy everyday. Compensations
are made at the end for students who are straggling behind.
1.
Present/review vocabulary. Show/review teacher made
PowerPoint showing animal abstraction in African art - wood
carvings and textiles. Demonstrate process of building
armature
2.
Construct an armature for plaster sculpture.
Scenario: "You have been commissioned to make an animal
sculpture for a children's playground.
The sculpture will eventually be cast in cement, but
you will need to provide a macquette for approval. The theme
is 'Fantasyland'"
3.
Make armature for animal using Styrofoam blocks,
cardboard, wire and masking tape. Drawings from printmaking
or weaving project will serve as a guide. Maximum size
9" x 12". Think 'whimsical.' (Students may change
design- but new drawings would have to be a homework
assignment).
Attach to Styrofoam block base. Wire leg supports should
extend about 1 inch into base.
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This
shows an armature in progress....It is one that is
over ten years old that I am now finishing for garden
art. You can see that scrap cardboard was used - color
did not matter. I removed much of the old tape and
covered with new masking tape. The masking tape helps
keep the cardboard from getting too wet when plaster
gauze is applied. Darker colors of cardboard do bleed
through the plaster.
Two pieces of cardboard
are cut the same size for body - Blocks of Styrofoam
are trimmed to separate the two sides for a geometric
look. A strip of cardboard is cut to fill in along
back and belly - thinner strips between the head. Wire
is used to support the legs and wings. This was given
a complete new layer of tape before plastering.
(See
Garden Art - scroll down)
This animal is part
Unicorn- Pegasus -ChiWara. |
4.
Apply layers of plaster gauze over armature.
My students found it easier to plaster the entire base first
- then start the sculpture with the legs - then do the
belly. Then set the sculpture into the Styrofoam to finish
plastering...and secured it to the base last. A little glue
into the hole made by the wire helped make them stronger.
5.
Paint with acrylic paints- accent with paint
markers and fabric paints (puffy paints). Students who
straggled behind painted theirs with spray paint. I had a
few colors to chose. Those who didn't have time to do
painted details gave theirs a bronze patina with spray
paint.
6.
Assessment:
Student evaluation and
critique
Class critique
Modified rubric: Armature
problem solving, plaster addition, painting skills, and
patterns.
7.
Write a story (myth) about the animal you have
created. What event or happening will you try to explain?
What Fantasy?
Curriculum
Objectives:
Listed
below are selected objectives this unit of study will
encompass from the Comprehensive
Art Graded Course of Study for Allen County Schools.
The curriculum guide is designed to provide students
a composite learning experience.
Lessons will blend together several objectives from
the four program goals.
It is unrealistic to believe that all students will
meet all of these objectives.
HISTORICAL,
CULTURAL, AND SOCIAL CONTEXTS
1.
Compare and contrast various forms of artistic
expression associated with specific groups of people,
geographic regions, or time periods.
2.
Investigate processes and beliefs used by various
cultures and institutions, past and present, to create works
of art.
3.
Discover common subjects, ideas, and themes in art
forms from different cultures.
4.
Speculate about a work of art, i.e. who made it;
what materials, techniques and skills were used; its
intended purpose/audience; and how it was used.
5.
Discover how an object is similar in function but
different in structure due to who made it, materials used,
and how and when it was made.
6.
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