Thoughts on Arting
  • Thoughts On Arting
  • Bootcamps
  • About Me
  • Fellowship Reflections

Thoughts on Arting

Making the artists of the future, one learning experience at a time. 

Artists Take a Stand

12/3/2016

1 Comment

 
Teenagers have opinions and ideas for miles and, if you set it up the right way, they can do amazing things with them. I love my Artists Take a Stand Unit, because kids are so engaged in the process and invested in their work. To get them to this place, we spent weeks learning about Design Process Thinking, the framework I teach students to use as they independently plan, problem-solve and create work. We also studied a range of media and techniques in Bootcamps and went through four Artistic Behavior inspired units. All this teaching and learning has paid off. My kids are able to take a complex theme and figure out what to do with it mostly on their own.

All the work below is about political or social issues. Students made this on their own - they selected an issue to focus on, picked the media that would work best to express it, decided how to plan their work and what the finished product would look like. All the work is from Art 1 - most students are high school freshmen.

Picture
In her presentation, this student shared how this work was motivated by her personal experience with cyberbullying. Many kids in the class connected with it, asking the artist if they could take pictures of her work to share on social media. 
Picture
This sculpture was a made by a group of three and address loss of childhood due to war, violence and hunger. The barbed wire around the hands is in the form of the child's game cat's cradle. 
Picture
What if we view mental illness like we do physical disabilities? This question was the focus of this student's work. 
Picture
This piece address climate change through a sci-fi narrative of a future where plants are rare and the atmosphere is toxic. 
Picture
I was so proud of how this student took a personal tragedy and made it into a beautiful work about transgender suicide. 
Picture
This student had a clear idea - his opinion that liberal protesters were being hypocritical with violent protests. It took him all week to come up with the right way to say what he wanted to. 


The best part of this unit was the presentations at the end. Students shared what their work was about and how they communicated their message. The group listened and responded thoughtfully. It was clear everyone felt they were part of something important, which is exactly where I want us to be. 
1 Comment
Jo Harris
12/3/2016 07:10:24 am

I so very love this!!!! My high school art classes are based on concepts possibly more than technique. I want them to think about what they're doing which sounds obvious but really for many of them is the hardest part. I love what your students have done conceptually. There is some really deep thinking going on here. Great job for the way that you have directed them to this point and to them for what they have accomplished!!!

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Mrs. Purtee

    I'm interested in creating a student student centered space  for my high school students through choice and abundant opportunity for self expression. I'm also a writer for SchoolArts co-author of  The Open Art Room.

    Archives

    December 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    January 2014
    November 2013
    September 2013

    Categories

    All
    Flipped Instruction
    High School
    TAB
    The Gradual Release Model

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Thoughts On Arting
  • Bootcamps
  • About Me
  • Fellowship Reflections