Lesson Plans

Gayle Lotterman

Lesson Title: Semester-Long Online Sketchbook via Blog Posts

Grade Level: 9^th-12^th grades

Lesson Overview

I am going to introduce the blog as a tool for developing an online sketchbook for students, where they can actively post what they are interested in, as well as participate in writing assignments.  The importance of the blog is to show students a progressive way to think about a sketchbook – it is no longer merely something you are keeping private thoughts and drawings in, but a more public declaration of things that inspire my students as artists, as well as a way to get students to articulate thoughts about art in general.  This will develop students’ skills in being able to write and talk about art.

Benchmarks

           

            ART.VA.II.HS.4                    Apply knowledge and skill to symbolize the essence of an

idea.

            ART.VA.II.HS.6                    Use emergent technologies and materials to create artistic

products that demonstrate knowledge of context, values,

and aesthetics.

            ART.VA.III.HS.1                  Analyze and describe the formal characteristics of a work

of art or design.

ART.VA.III.HS.3                  Critically observe a work of art to evaluate and respond to

the artist’s intent using art vocabulary and terminology.

Objectives

The goal would be for students to use the blog as a way to research and write about artists they like, or artists I assign them to look up.  Upon completion of the course, students will have weekly posts that show they understanding others ideas in their work, as well as having a better understanding of how to write about art.  This will be measured by their number of posts, their improvement in interpreting ideas, and their involvement in the research.

Big Idea:

Inspiration

Key Concept:

Students will explore and research artists and processes or activities that inspire them in order for them to better understand the goals of those artists.

Essential Questions:

What inspires me to do art?

Who inspires me to do art?

What can I learn from the ideas found in the work that inspires me?

Artist:

Matthew Ritchie

Ritchie was born in 1964 in London.  He received a BFA from London’s Camberwell School of Art, and currently lives and works in New York City.  Ritchie works with ideas of information being “on the surface,” and human comprehension of information.  Information is the subject of his work, and he seeks to represent the universe and the knowledge and belief we use to understand it.  Ritchie creates works on paper and prints, but also works often with installation and freestanding sculpture.  He starts with a drawing, then scans them into a computer to manipulate them – whether by making them larger, cutting them apart, or otherwise deconstructing them in order to transform them into 3D pieces.

Key Artwork:

"Self-Portrait in 2064," 2003 Oil and marker on canvas, 80 x 100 inches Copyright Matthew Ritchie

Art Activity:

Blog

Studio Activities:

Students will post on their blog weekly; whether it is an assignment I have given them that week, or a self-initiated post.  As the semester progresses, I will be able to look over their blogs and suggest artists for each of my students individually, so some of their weekly posts may also be in response to that.  After setting up their blogs, for the first assignment I plan to show them an artist that inspires me personally, Matthew Ritchie, and we will watch the Art21 video that highlights his work.  Therefore, their first blog will be in response to that video, but after that they will be free to look up their own inspirations, and I will meet with each student individually throughout the semester to talk about what they have been posting, possibly requiring individual assignments as I see fit.

Concept Mapping:

I will explain the blog as if it is just an online sketchbook, something I will want to check on to make sure they are researching or writing about things on their own, just as you might in a regular sketchbook. Students will set up their own blog space, and then use that space to post images, videos, articles, and other research that they are interested in.

Anticipatory Set:

Resources:

Computers/computer lab, Art21 videos

Procedures and Preparation:

Tentative Weekly Schedule, Subject to change as seen fit

Week 1 – set up blog

Week 2 – Introduction to Matthew Ritchie, post reflection on Art21 video

Week 3 – Research 2 artists you have interest in and post your findings to your blog

Week 4 – Research 2 more artists

Week 5 – Compare/contrast the big ideas found in all 4 artists you have researched

Week 6 – Research 2 more artists

Week 7 – Individual meetings with me about blogs, artists to research may be suggested

Week 8 – Respond to any artists that were suggested; be honest if you didn’t like them!

Week 9 – Research 2 more artists

Week 10 – Begin to develop a connection between all the artists you have liked so far in your research by posting some ideas

Week 11 – Post about how these artists relate to ideas you have about your own work

Week 12 – Research 2 more artists

Week 13 – Second individual meeting with me, more artists may be suggested

Week 14 – Respond to any artists that were suggested

Week 15 – Pick 2 of your favorites from all the artists you have researched, explain why

Week 16 – Begin developing an artist statement which reflects on ideas you are inspired by

Week 17 – Continue work on artist statement

Week 18 – Final post, finished artist statement which describes your ideas about your work, and how they relate to the research you have done over the semester

Assessment/Evaluation/Rubrics:

I will check for understanding throughout the semester, making sure each week’s assignment is known, and also meet with students individually to discuss their progress. Students will be evaluated on the following criteria: did they post each week? Did they put forth effort into each post? How extensive was their research? How did they respond to ideas or artists I gave them? How does their artist statement reflect their work over the semester?

(rubric attached at bottom)

Closure and Follow-up:

           

The entire semester’s worth of work will culminate in the final artist statement, which will be shared with the class at the end of the semester.

Example of Studio Production:

           

            gaylelotterman.blogspot.com

Worksheets

           

Worksheets may be handed out on an individual level, after I have evaluated students’ progress on their blogs.  Some students may need more guidelines or direction, so worksheets could be developed specifically for those students once I have figured out their needs.        

Rubric

Points	0-2	3-5	6-8
Weekly Post	Student does not meet weekly post requirements	Student meets weekly post requirements	Student exceeds weekly post requirements
Research	Little or no effort in conducting research for posts	Research is evident in posts	Research is extensive and from quality sources
Response to Teacher Feedback	Little research or recognition of any artists teacher suggested	Some research and response to artists suggested	Clear, intensive research of and response to artists suggested
Effort	Blog overall shows little or no effort to maintain	Blog overall shows some effort of maintenance	Blog overall shows care and creativity in maintenance
Artist Statement	Statement reflects little to no research and effort, poor clarity of ideas	Statement shows some research and effort, ideas are not fully clear	Statement shows extensive research and effort, ideas are fully and creatively developed
Final Score			______/40