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Meredith Hertel & Jill Palumbo Tape Mural Unit Plan - Grade 6 November 2012

Unit Topic Art can transform an environment. Over the course of ve lessons, students will explore how they can make art to transform an environment. Students will choose a surface within their school (e.g., on top of the lockers; on the door to the cafeteria; around a water fountain; in an unadorned corner of the school) and work collaboratively to design and build a tape mural in that space. As a group, they will be assigned an idea that expresses an important aspect and/or attitude of their school (e.g., pride, positive, respect, integrity, dignity, excellence and then work together to decide how they will express that idea visually. During this unit, students will address each of the following ideas: You can use an everyday object to make something special. You can use different kinds of visual tools to communicate ideas (including symbols and abstract gestures). You can work collaboratively to make art. You can use color or pattern to create emphasis in art. Some art is temporary. Virginia Standards of Learning for Sixth Grade that will be addressed in this unit include: SOL 6.2: The student will use the principles of design, including proportion, rhythm, balance, emphasis, variety, and unity, to express ideas and create images. SOL 6.14: The student will identify how artists contribute to society. SOL 6.19: The student will identify the relationship between art processes and nal solutions. SOL 6.24: The student will explain orally and in writing the means by which visual art evokes sensory and emotional responses. Through the use of examples and the discussions resulting from those examples, students will make connections to history (e.g., by discussing cave paintings and other historical works), to language arts (e.g., by writing responses as a part of the snapshots as well as the planning process), and to math (e.g., by having to negotiate what they want to create with the amount of tape that they have). Unit Objectives & Expected Learner Outcomes At the end of this unit, the student will: ...understand how artists use symbols and abstract gestures in works of art for the purpose of communicating an idea to an audience (as demonstrated in his/ her sketches and the nal tape drawing). ...be able to work successfully in a group situation (as demonstrated by his/her ability to contribute meaningfully to discussions, planning, and installation

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Meredith Hertel & Jill Palumbo Tape Mural Unit Plan - Grade 6 November 2012

segments, while also being respectful of others" opinions; also, as demonstrated by his/her willingness to compromise). ...be able to take restrictions (such as those of material, space, and time) and work creatively within those boundaries (as demonstrated by how well they create solutions during the brainstorming and installation portions of this project). Measurable outcomes that will be evaluated throughout this unit include: Rubric and student self-evaluation are attached.** Active participation in snapshots and discussions (as demonstrated by willingness to contribute, respond, and listen attentively) Engagement with ideas presented during the lessons (as demonstrated by the students" questions, comments, and sketches produced in class) Aesthetic quality of the nal product (as demonstrated by the students" attention to overall design, variance in line quality, and development of unique symbols) Willingness to work collaboratively (as demonstrated by ability to engage in respectful debate and to compromise when necessary) Target Population Different learning styles in the class will be supported through the multiple means of representation and expression made available to the students. Information will be presented in visual, written, and oral forms, so that students will have multiple ways of digesting it. Through both individual and group exercises that incorporate written and artmaking components, students will be given the opportunity to interact with ideas on different levels. The groups will be kept small (3-4 students) so that students who have difculty collaborating will only have to negotiate with a limited population. For students who cannot work together in a group (e.g., students with special education needs), they will be allowed to work independently on a similar assignment. As the specic learning styles of students become apparent throughout the unit, adjustments may have to be made to the unit in order to allow students to learn in the way most effective for them. Prerequisite skills for this unit include ability to tear tape (or understand how tape functions as a material), to make an image composed of lines and geometric shapes, and to work in a group situation. Prerequisite knowledge for this unit includes a familiarity with the school"s physical environment as well as the academic and social skills that the school"s administration deems important for its students to cultivate. Timing, Classroom Expectations, Room Organization, Layout, & Safety Each class will be ve sessions each with 70 minutes per session. Approximately 10 minutes will be spent on the opening snapshot with 10-15 minutes of discussion to follow. The majority of the class period will be spent on artmaking, with 5 minutes at the end to complete the student self-evaluation checklist and closing remarks/questions.

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Meredith Hertel & Jill Palumbo Tape Mural Unit Plan - Grade 6 November 2012

Students will be expected to respect the materials with which they are being asked to work. Rules and tips for the use of masking tape as an art medium will be discussed regularly so that the students know what they can and cannot do with the tape. Most of the visual examples given to the students will be digital and will be visible from the screen at the front of the classroom. Written denitions and instructions will be either displayed in a large format on poster board or on the screen. The materials that students will be using are not hazardous in and of themselves (e.g., no scissors or permanent markers). However, when students are in the public spaces of the school installing their murals, they will be required to be conscientious of other classrooms, to refrain from running, and to take extra caution when climbing onto ladders or chairs (if they need to reach a space beyond their natural height). While in the classroom, they will be asked to remain in their seats unless instructed to do so otherwise. All of these precautions aim to prevent unnecessary accidents and injury. Materials, Resources, & Equipment All materials, resources, and equipment are listed under the lesson plan for each day. We will use: 15 rolls of black masking tape 4 rolls of red masking tape small amount of regular masking tape black construction paper student notebooks large paper/poster board (for group brainstorming) pencils/pens/markers overhead projectors (for snapshot exercises and examples as well as mural projections) transparencies (for mural projections) camera (for documenting purposes)

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Meredith Hertel & Jill Palumbo Tape Mural Unit Plan - Grade 6 November 2012

Itinerary, Sequencing, Instructional Strategies, and Delivery Day 1 Concept: You can use an everyday object to make something special. Materials: computer/projector paper pencils student sketchbooks/folders camera Snapshot: What can you do with a roll of tape? Vocabulary: Installation Art: Art that is created for a specic site, often incorporating materials or physical features of the site Public Art: Refers to works of art in any media that have been planned and executed with the specic intention of being sited or staged in the physical public domain, usually outside and accessible to all. Essential Questions: What can you do with a roll of tape? What is installation art? Public art? How can you change a normal space into something out-of-the-ordinary? Introduce the project with website (tapeart.com/new/) and demo video by Jill. Discuss masking tape as an art medium. Discuss how you can transform an environment to relay a positive message to an audience. Introduce P.R.I.D.E. (positive, respect, integrity, dignity, excellence, and pride) concept. Break for lunch. Divide into groups -- for students that seem to work well together, keep them together; if there are students that are unproductive together then they should be separated into different groups. Each group will brainstorm ideas regarding the concept with which will they work and the imagery they plan to use. Give them a worksheet with the denition of their word and some synonyms, so that they have a better idea of what the word means. Ask them to give personal examples of how they understand/relate to the words. Show students some different visual ways these words can be represented (e.g., pride could be represented by lions). Closure: Think about the space and how you want to use tape to make it special.

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Meredith Hertel & Jill Palumbo Tape Mural Unit Plan - Grade 6 November 2012

Day 2 Concept: You can use different kinds of visual tools to communicate ideas. Materials: computer/projector paper pencils 8.5x11 print-outs of selected space (one per student) student sketchbooks/folders camera Snapshot: What is a symbol? Draw three. Vocabulary: Symbol: A picture or image that tells a story of what it is without using words. Gesture: Implies movement, motion, direction, and energy. Line Quality: The unique character of a drawn line as it changes lightness/ darkness, direction, curvature, or width. Essential Questions: What are examples of symbols? What is gesture? How can you use these tools to express a particular idea? What is line quality and how can you achieve it with tape? Show artworks that use symbols and abstract gesture (Chauvet/Altamira caves, Ryan McGinness, Keith Haring, Monika Gryzmala) and have the students discuss where they can see symbols and where the artists might use more abstract gestures/ expressions. Talk as a group about the space(s) that the tape murals will go. Discuss what symbols and other marks they can use in those spaces. Go around to each group and help them with their brainstorming individually. Remind them of the images discussed in the rst class that relate to their word as well as how they might visually express their personal associations with the word. For students that are having a difcult time collaborating, ask them to work on separate pieces of paper, and then have them discuss ways that they can incorporate their individual imagery into a single mural. Make note of strengths of particular students so that you can turn to them for jobs/duties that suit those strengths later on in the project. Have the students nish their group and/or individual drawings by the end of class and collect them. Combine and trace the drawings for each group onto transparencies to be projected on the wall for next class. Closure: Think about unique symbols and gestures you can use in your tape mural to communicate a particular idea or message.

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Meredith Hertel & Jill Palumbo Tape Mural Unit Plan - Grade 6 November 2012

Day 3 Concept: You can work collaboratively to make art. Materials: computer/projector paper pencils black construction paper (one sheet per pair of students) student sketchbooks/folders plain masking tape (1 roll per pair) black masking tape (2 rolls per group) camera overhead projector Snapshot: Sit in your mural group. Recreate the sketch on the table with masking tape on the black construction paper. Work together and take turns putting tape down. Vocabulary: Collaboration: The action of working with someone to create something. Essential Questions: How do professional artists work together? Why is it important to use our materials and time wisely? What are the pros of working as a group? What is difcult about working as a group? How can we work through those problems? During the beginning exercise, for students that are having difculty working together, give them tips on taking turns and sharing ideas. If necessary, tell them to work on separate corners of the paper or assign them specic tasks (e.g., you tear tape, and you place the tape on the paper, then switch). Talk about working collaboratively as well as working with tape. What are the challenges? Discuss art professionals (e.g., architects, graphic designers, fashion designers, etc.) and how they collaborate in their jobs. Introduce nal project rubric. Talk about tape rules -- DO NOT WASTE (each group only gets two rolls of black masking tape to start). Begin tape murals out in the hallway (have the projectors set up with the transparencies before bringing the students into the hallway). Go around to each group, helping them navigate who is doing what, reminding them to be courteous of other classes, and assisting them in tearing and applying tape to the walls. Encourage them to assign each other specic mural jobs and then have them switch. For students with special needs who do not work well collaboratively, have them begin their own tape mural/image based around their personal interests. Or have them work on a smaller tape drawing in the hallway with the other students. Closure: How do you think the next day is going to go based on what we have worked on today?

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Meredith Hertel & Jill Palumbo Tape Mural Unit Plan - Grade 6 November 2012

Day 4 Concept: You can use color or pattern to create emphasis in art. Materials: computer/projector paper pencils student sketchbooks/folders black masking tape (3 rolls per group) red masking tape (1 roll per group) camera red Expo markers overhead projector Snapshot: Look at this image (Shepard Fairey Vivi La Revolucion). Where is the artist placing emphasis and how? Vocabulary: Emphasis: Importance, value, or prominence given to something. Essential Questions: How and why do artists use visual emphasis? Why is it important to consider how large your tape drawing is/will be? Have the students explore how an artist can place emphasis in an artwork using color and pattern. Introduce red tape as an option for adding emphasis to the tape drawing. Make sure to tell them that they have even less red tape than black tape, so they need to use it carefully. Give them their transparencies with red Expo markers so that they can plan as a group where they will use the red tape in their murals. Go over tape rules. Continue tape murals. Float between groups to make sure that they are staying on task and working together. For groups that seem to have personalities that do not work together well, have them work on separate ends/parts of the mural so that they have minimal contact. With the addition of the red tape, there can be even more assigned jobs and/or duties, so make sure everyone is doing their fair share of work. If certain groups are far enough along, introduce the possibility of adding text -- choose a group member to select a font, and have them work on incorporating their word (e.g., integrity or respect) in that font into their mural. Closure: What did you do to place emphasis within your murals today? What things went well today and what did you have problems with? REMEMBER: Tomorrow is the last day.

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Meredith Hertel & Jill Palumbo Tape Mural Unit Plan - Grade 6 November 2012

Day 5 Concept: Some art is temporary. Materials: computer/projector paper pencils student sketchbooks/folders black masking tape (3 rolls per group) red masking tape (1 roll per group) camera Snapshot: Write down the vocabulary work impermanent -- what does it mean? How does this artwork (Andy Goldsworthy) relate to the word impermanent? Vocabulary: Impermanent Art: Refers to art which is transient, or changing constantly. Such art may become permanent by being captured at any moment by the taking of an image. Documentation (of art): The process of making a visual/written/audio record of actions, space, and/or circumstances. Essential Questions: Is impermanent art important? Why or why not? Why is it important to document the process of making such art (and the nal product)? Can you think of other types of impermanent art? Discuss how artists document work that is impermanent, and relate this to the tape murals that the students are making. Finish tape mural. Ask a student who is inclined towards writing to take notes about each of the murals -- have them write two sentences for each (one about what the word means and one about how the mural relates to that denition). Type these descriptions up and use them as labels to identify the murals (include the students" names who worked on each mural). Take photos at the end of class for documentation, and print these images out for the students to take home. If some groups do not quite nish with their murals, arrange an after-school time during which students can stay and help you complete them. At the end of class, have the students evaluate what they learned during this unit (use a written assessment to get them to record their overall thoughts and lasting impressions).