I’ve mostly just been working on the lesson plan, as I’m still trying to decide on a composition for my project. I think that I might end up actually making almost a scene like sculpture, because in order to make the sculpture which will essentially be a lot of plant forms/designs, I’ll need a base, and I thought while I was at it I could also glue a background down to a base. This will make a little L shape and allow me to work both 2-dimensionally and 3-dimensionally (with both copper tape and wire circuits), building forward and creating a lot of overlapping imagery.

As for the lesson plan, I think I have the majority done, I’d just need to develop/write about my ideas for the lesson actual Lesson Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks further, and also add in a mentor artist(s), which was a great suggestion both Isabella Canino and Michael Delman gave me. I think that a few minor tweaks and further explanations here and there would also help to make the lesson stronger. Additionally, I might expand on/change the Rubric a bit. Michael gave me some awesome websites as ideas for the artists and emotional coping/art therapy aspect of the lesson that I intend to explore and incorporate into this lesson.

In my previous about my Final Project Research, I had been discussing themes of growth and adaptability. I felt that this was too broad to be a big idea for the lesson plan, so I’ve decided to narrow it down to “turning a negative into a positive”, or rather the idea of using art making to visually represent fears/ worries (which could be of events, experiences, specific objects, etc.) and then negate them or put a positive spin on them. This could be as simple as creating a snake out of paper with glowing red LED eyes, and then having a goofy mustache on it; it just has to take a fear/ worry and then negate it or place a positive spin on it. And of course incorporate paper sculpture and circuits in some way.

In my project/demo, as previously discussed, I will be using election fliers and other paper to making sculptural circuit designs. I intend to make floral paper designs to convey renewal and growth, and will use some election fliers in doing so to create the idea of adaptability. It’s sort of like turning a negative into a positive, since this election had been something I was very worried and stressing about, but now I feel relief and optimism.

 

Below is my Lesson Plan Progress.

LEARNING CONTEXT: Who would you teach this lesson to?  (age group, in-school, after school, informal learning setting, such as a makerspace, library,  etc…) What will they already have to know/be able to do?

Prior knowledge and experience

 

I would be teaching this lesson to middle schoolers (11-14 year age bracket) in a typical art classroom. They will need to have some experience with making paper crafts, but will be able to learn most of the knowledge required for this project while working on it.
CENTRAL FOCUS: Describe the lesson in one sentence (use the following as a guide, modify as needed):

Using [materials/techniques], students will create [an interactive story/game/animation] in order to [explore/investigate/respond to a “big idea”]

 

Using simple or more complex circuits with copper tape and/or copper wire combined with paper students will create sculptural/ 3D projects that demonstrate the idea of turning a negative into a positive in some way (meaning they will turn something that they feel negatively about into something they can look at through a positive lens).
RATIONALE: Why is this lesson worth your students’ time and attention?  (you can reference developmental stage of students, significance of the “Big Idea,” importance of specific skills and knowledge that could be used for other purposes, etc…

 

This lesson is important because it will familiarize students with incorporating STEM into more traditional art making, and combines paper crafts (which most students are already familiar with) with circuits and LEDs. This lesson provides students with skills to be more innovative and unconventional when working with traditional mediums. The big idea in this lesson helps students form healthy coping mechanisms/mindsets and develop emotional regulation.

 

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: What will students understand from participating in this lesson?
(focus on big ideas, concepts)

 

Students will understand how to develop emotional regulation and coping mechanisms/ healthy mindsets through visually representing and negating their fears, worries, and anxieties, thus demonstrating that art making can be used as a platform to deal with negative emotions/experiences. Participating in this lesson will convey to students that they can control their outlook on scenarios and control the way they react to conflicts/fears.

     

 

What will students be able to do from participating in this lesson?
(focus on transferable skills and knowledge that they can use in other contexts)

 

Students will be able to make simple and more complex circuits that they can use in other future art projects/crafts, and also explore ideas of how to combine unconventional materials into sculptural/ 3D art making.
RESOURCES: Inspirations. Images, reference materials, worksheets, diagrams.    Include citation information

 

My sculptural paper-circuit project will serve as an example, I will also use websites for paper crafts as a resource of ideas for the structural aspect of their project (pop-ups, paper sculptures, etc.). Additionally, I will do class demos of making simple circuits and have students create simple circuits independently as well as experiment with creating more complex circuits.
MATERIALS, TOOLS, AND SET-UP:  What do you need to prepare to be ready?

 

Materials needed will be copper tape, copper wire, masking tape, LEDs, coin cell batteries, assorted paper (thick and thin paper, colored paper, tissue paper, etc.), binder clips, scissors, and paint, colored pencils, and markers.
LESSON: INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES AND LEARNING TASKS

Include warm-up / motivational set, student activities, outcomes, closure.
INTRODUCTION/ MOTIVATION (what will you tell/show/demonstrate to students to get them started?):

 

I will begin with a class discussion where I ask students about their fears and worries (such as experiences, events, specific things, etc.) to get them thinking about this. Then I will ask them how we can deal with our fears and worries, and take power away from them. I would like to lead into a discussion of why it’s important to process and apprehend our negative emotions, and how art is a powerful platform to do so.

 

I’d then introduce a few examples of artists who deal with negative emotions/ fears in their artwork.

 
STUDENT INQUIRY/ EXPLORATION (usually a hands-on, studio based activity):

 

I will then give a class demo of how to make simple circuits, and then have students create simple circuits independently as well as experiment with creating more complex circuits.
REVIEW OBJECTIVES/CLOSURE: (how will you help students recognize and remember what they have learned)

 

I will have students participate in a peer discussion/critique of each other’s projects, as well as discuss their own process and the reason for making the choices they did (specifically, how they chose to express their concept that turns a negative into a positive through their project design/materials).

 

What will evidence will student work contain that demonstrates what they have learned?
(Be as concrete as possible)

  1 developing 2 proficient 3 exemplary
Technical requirements Uses simple circuit either with tape or wire; no clear concept At least one complex circuit with copper tape or wire; has a concept/theme

 

 Uses more than one complex circuit, using wire and tape in design; well-developed concept/theme
Creativity No clear expression of concept/ theme; connection between materials/colors/ design with concept needs more work Concept is well developed and expressed creatively; materials/ colors/design are related to concept Expresses ideas in advanced symbolic and metaphorical ways; materials/colors/ design all contribute to and enhance concept/theme
Aesthetics Simple structure; few materials used Simple structure; uses multiple materials Complex and colorful structure of sculpture; uses a variety of materials in unique ways