Modified Praxis III Final Portfolio Lesson Plan
Adapted 5100: 604: Multicultural
(Reference: Exploring Diversity: A Video Case Approach by Kroeger & Bauer)
Name: Kellie Evans
Brief School /Community Description: My classroom is in a culturally diverse setting with middle school and high school students. My students are low socioeconomic status with middle income families mixed, and the overall school is receiving the Title 1 category by the State of Ohio. My students are continually being pulled from my classroom, because art is a “special,” a non academic course.
Content Area: Visual Arts
Lesson Title: Gargoyles-session one
Grade: 9th
I. Plan (70%): To employ culturally responsive teaching strategies which build on each student’s strengths as a member of a learning community.
A. Learning Objectives (10%). Students will be able to examine the history of gargoyles and compare gargoyles of the past with gargoyles of the present, how works of art can have both aesthetic and functional qualities fulfilling national and state standards of education. Students also begin understanding cultural/moral standards of communities where art is displayed.
Standards: Analyzing and Responding-Benchmark B-Indicator 3;
Historical, Cultural and Social Contexts-Benchmark A-Indicator 2;
Creative Expression and Communication-Benchmark B-Indicator 3
B. Prior Knowledge (10%). Questions and prompts to determine what students already know about gargoyles. Note student responses and their level of prior knowledge about the topic. This will guide discussions and assignments by aiding in how much background on topic must be covered before proceeding to desired final outcome.
Pre-Assessment: The following questions/prompts may be used to determine what students already know about gargoyles
· What is a gargoyle?
· Describe a gargoyle and its purpose, if any.
· Where would you place a gargoyle?
· What do gargoyles symbolize, if anything?
· What is the difference between function and form in art?
C. Model of Instruction / Instructional Strategies and Grouping for Instruction (10%). Students will be grouped by no more than four participants per group when using the cooperative learning method. Dr. Barrett has done research in this area and I’ve discussed it within our psychology class at length. Particularly, beginning teachers need to be aware of the following:
· Do not overuse, students may get burnt-out on this method of instruction.
· Do not go over four students in a group to ensure all students are carrying their part of responsibility within group.
These are just helpful guidelines added to the rest of cooperative learning strategies ensuring critical thinking and the sense of community within each group may be maximized.
Demonstrations, note-taking and brainstorming are also used throughout lessons with journals and sketchpads. Journals are for classroom activities and sketchpads for ideas and thoughts outside of the classroom. Community engagement is utilized and explained later.
D. Accommodations (10%). Instruction is differentiated according to learners needs, helping all learners either meet the intent of the specified indicators or to advance beyond the specified indicators.
· Encourage students who are interested to use other media such as paper sculpture and newsprint to make gargoyles
· Allow students to scan images into digital formats and experiment with gargoyle designs by layering these with other images
E. Materials (10%). The materials needed for the teacher will be something I’ve created and will use for many classes and grade levels – laminated pictures of gargoyles from various European countries and cities in the U.S., and weavings, ceramic masks, clay vessels, paintings, sculptures and textiles from all over the world. Students will be shown these works during discussion and then use these pictures to locate - with a grease-pencil or erasable marker- the function, decorative and/or symbolic use of each part. The students will be in cooperative learning groups to enhance educational experience promoting group learning and social experience.
F. Classroom Environment, Management and Safety Issues (10%). I describe the classroom environment as flexible but with routines, and adapting to all the diversity our community outside our classroom has to offer. In other words, my classroom will be assisted by middle school and high school students rotating in from other classes within the school, college students from local universities and parents as the semester progresses - if I get permission from the administration and willing parents. I will always keep a clipboard with the daily attendance sheet by the door in the event of fires/tornadoes or drills, but the safety of the students should be intact with the use of paper and pencils!
G. Procedure, including Assessment / Evaluation (10%).
Students entering room reminded to pick-up journals and go directly to their assigned small groups – no larger than four.
Session One:
1. Post this quotation where everyone can see it: “The purpose of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.” - Aristotle.
2. Discuss this quotation, asking question like “What does this statement by Aristotle mean?” and “What do you think he was trying to get people to look at in relation to art specifically?” and “Do you think this is insightful?- no ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answers and complete sentences, please”. Discuss the various purposes of art such as functional, decorative or symbolic.
3. Display prints or examples of different art forms created for different purposes such as ceramic masks, gargoyles, clay vessels, paintings, sculptures and weavings. They are on my desk.
4. In small groups, give the students the examples of art with erasable markers. Have students decide and explain the purpose of each selected work and the parts of the works as functional, decorative or symbolic.
5. Have each group explain its decisions to the whole class.
6. Collect the examples and photocopy between classes before cleaning. These will be used to evaluate students.
Instructional Tip:
Tell students that gargoyles are still used on modern buildings even though there is no longer a practical need for them as waterspouts. They still serve symbolic, spiritual, religious, whimsical and decorative purposes.
II. Summary / Reflection
Lesson Summary:
In this lesson, students learn the significance of gargoyles and their relationship to architecture, symbolism and art history. They research and compare the form and function of gargoyles in Europe and the United States. After examining the history of gargoyles, students design pen-and-ink drawings of gargoyles for specific locations within their communities. Finally, they write artists’ statements explaining their artistic decisions and creative processes.
Commentary:
Students examine the history of gargoyles and compare gargoyles of the past with gargoyles of the present to learn how works of art can have both aesthetic and functional qualities They also begin to understand how artists must work within constraints such as the desires of those who commission the art, the design of the building or location where the art is placed and the cultural and moral standards of the community where the art is displayed.
Evaluation and Assessment:
Note student responses and their levels of prior knowledge about the topic. Collect information written for class discussion by small groups to evaluate cooperative group learning effectiveness. Project will be used as assessment, along with participation- see rubric.
Rubric for Gargoyle
Student created three thumbnail sketches of his or her gargoyle.
3- Three thumbnail sketches were completed.
2- At least two thumbnail sketches were completed.
1- No thumbnail sketches were completed.