Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The studio investigation in secondary school Art Education was to create a tourist
souvenir which would honor my relationship with my hometown of Winters. We were provided
with materials to choose from in class and if necessary could bring materials from home to
complete the project. Of the materials provided in class I selected to use clay for the bulk of my
souvenir items. Some of the other materials which were available to choose from were plaster
cloth (a demonstration was shown on how to use this), newspapers, balloons, Popsicle sticks, and
construction paper, wire and glue guns. The reason I chose to use clay is because I wanted to
make a wine bottle with some walnuts and cheese wheels. To me, when I think about Winters,
and how my hometown has evolved over the years, more and more wine tasting places are
opening up and a lot of vineyards are being planted surrounding my town. With that in mind, I
remembered how when I go on vacation to a city I like to purchase a souvenir from that place
(and many times I buy a wine bottle) to remind me of the great experience I had at that location.
I decided to make a wine bottle, some walnuts (another huge cash crop item from
Winters), and cheese wheels based on a personal experience I had at one of the local wine tasting
places in Winters. A friend and I had gone to Turkovich Family Wines establishment and while
sampling some various wines we selected to purchase a bottle and go the Winters Cheese
Company located next door and buy some cheese to take to Solano Campground for a relaxing
day in the sun. We had purchased a variety of cheeses which complemented the wine we
consumed. On the way to the campground we stopped a local fruit stand purchased some nuts to
take with us. The different types of nuts enhanced our tasting experience with the cheeses and
wine. The nuts we bought were walnuts and almonds. It felt natural for me to think of making
replications of the items my friend and I had, and add my own personal flair of putting the items
I would definitely use this tourist souvenir project as one of my future assignments in an
art making class for 8th grade students. Each of the students should be familiar with their towns
they live in and if not they will have to use their critical thinking skills to complete their project.
Because they are making souvenirs based on their own towns the students can be creative
without feeling judged about their creations. Individualism should shine in this project. In the
classroom I will provide as many as the same materials as I had to pick from. However, since I
will be a new teacher with a small budget I might have to simplify my students choices. I would
like to think I will have cardboard, newspapers, construction paper, Popsicle sticks (maybe give a
demonstration on how to make a picture frame), and glue guns. The picture frame could be used
to put a favorite picture in from a vacation spot. I would also have clay, acrylic paint and
watercolors my students could use. I would give the students four class periods for their projects
because I believe they have shorter class periods than I do. After the project is complete I would
have the students do a gallery walk and have each student talk about the tourist souvenirs they
created. A one page write up about their experiences creating their piece might be included as
part of the assignment. Finally, I could initiate a formative assessment to explore how I am doing
teaching the class project and determine if I need to make any changes to my approach.
VA:Cr1.2.8a
Collaboratively shape an artistic investigation of an aspect of present day life using
VA:Cr2.1.8a
forms, and meanings that emerge in the process of art making or designing.
VA:Cr3.1.8a
Apply relevant criteria to examine, reflect on, and plan revisions for a work of art or
design in progress.
Anchor Standard 4: Select, analyze, and interpret artistic work for presentation.
VA:Pr4.1.8a
Develop and apply criteria for evaluating a collection of artwork for presentation.
Anchor Standard 5: Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for
presentation.
VA:Pr5.1.8a
Collaboratively prepare and present selected theme based artwork for display, and
experiences.
VA:Re.7.2.8a
Compare and contrast contexts and media in which viewers encounter images that
form and structure, use of media, art making approaches, and relevant contextual
VA:Re9.1.8a
Anchor Standard 10: Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to
make art.
VA:Cn10.1.8a
identity.
Anchor Standard 11: Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and
VA:Cn11.1.8a
Distinguish different ways art is used to represent, establish, reinforce, and reflect
group identity.
5. Maintain high expectations for learning with appropriate support for the full range
2. Use knowledge about students and learning goals to organize the curriculum to
TPE 4: Planning Instruction and Designing Learning Experiences for All Students
modes between teacher and student and among students that encourage student
participation in learning.
progress and provide students with opportunities to revise or reframe their work