AED 489 LESSON PLAN

Your Name: Jennifer Weyandt, Laura Nulf, Michael Cherry Unit Title: Instant Messages: Stories and the World We Live In Lesson Title: Creatures of Clay Number of Students: 11 Age: 7 This is the 2 lesson of 9 projected lessons in this unit.

I. UNIT RATIONALE Everything has a story, from a piece of dust to the hat on your head. Our group chose the central theme of storytelling to guide us through the semester. All stories have applications in the real world. They determine how we communicate, what we communicate, what we revel and what we choose to keep to ourselves. Stories are everywhere. You see them on T.V., on people’s clothes, scrawled across brick walls, and in paintings and other works of art. Each medium tells a story differently. Each person tells a story differently, as well, and communicates their experiences as they relate to the world around them. Stories are central to students’ and teachers’ lives no matter what the age. Stories make a good teacher as much as they make an interesting student. We look forward to using this theme because it will enable us to learn more about the kids we are working with, throughout the semester, and as future educators. What are the big stories in a seven year olds life? Is it sports, celebrities, popularity, family, community, friends? Through active learning of shared experiences we will work together as a group to create works of art that express personal narratives in meaningful ways. Students will learn to see themselves as part of a larger society and world. They will learn to communicate personal narratives through visual and tactile forms.

II. LESSON RATIONALE This lesson encourages students to use their imagination to construct clay creatures which will form the foundation for storytelling. Students will enter the classroom on Saturday to discover that the entire space has been covered with black creatures, in the style of Kara Walker. Beginning with a class field trip over to the ceramics studio, students will learn how clay is fired and made. They will then view Shelby’s life-size work of strange, Tim Burton-like creatures. Students will examine the qualities that make each character different and unique. (Who is your favorite and why? Who is your least favorite? Are any of them scary or funny?) Students will then return to the classroom to create their own clay creatures based on a fantastic adventure. Students will sculpt their fantastic adventure characters, emphasizing the characteristics that allow such creatures to perform their adventure. For example, a cat who brings fallen baby birds back to their nests may need wings in order to fly. In the following lesson, students will complete their characters and pinch pots, before painting them.

III. LEARNER OUTCOMES In this lesson, students will learn to think about storytelling from their own perspective, using their imagination as their guide. They will also learn how to process information into 3 dimensional forms. Students will see that they have the ability to bring something into this world with their own ideas and actions. This lesson also allows them to see the connection between form and function as they ponder the anatomy of a creature that is purely imaginative.

IV. MATERIALS NEEDED FOR LESSON A. Teacher Materials 1. Sample Clay (wedged) 2. Sample creature 3. Wooden tools 4. Fork, spoon, butter knife 5. Sample sketches (if needed) 6. Pencils and erasers 7. Camera/ camcorder for observer 8. Examples of creatures (Shelby) 9. Music and music player 10. Slides of example artists (Slideshow will accompany black silhouettes on the front wall); Sample artists may include Robert Arneson, Deb Fleck-Stabley, and Jake and Dinos Chapman. 11. Water cup 12. Plastic Covering 13. Black, life-size silhouettes spanning the entire length of the room in the style of Kara Walker. The silhouettes will be of different creatures, and although they may not be as intricate as Walker’s work, we are using her for inspiration. 14. LCD projector and laptop.

B. Student Materials 1. Sketch books 2. Pencils/pens/markers 3. Clay (wedged) 4. Wooden Tools 5. Fork, spoon, and butter knife (possibly plastic) 6. Any reference materials 7. Water cup 8. Plastic Covering

V. LESSON PROCEDURES A. Starting the Lesson See Lesson Sequence B. Behavorial Expectations Students are expected to continue working on their sketch books and/or smocks (t-shirts) as class begins, prior to going on their field trip. They will remain in their seats as the teacher begins the lesson, explaining what is going to occur. They are expected to listen to instructions carefully as they will be working with some sharper tools and crossing the street to tour the ceramics department. While in the ceramics department, they are expected to respect the environment and its belongings. Students will remain in their seats during the demo and ask questions with their hands raised. Students will be given appropriate instruction and safety information regarding the lesson for the day.

C. Organizer Students will be informed of the day’s activity at the start of the lesson. This will allow them to understand the major objectives of the day’s lesson and activities, and what is expected of them by the end of the class.

D. Lesson Sequence

Teacher Actions Expected Learner Outcomes 9:00-9:15 (ALL) Teachers will assist 9:00-9:15 Students will work on either students as they finish their smocks from their sketch book or smock as we wait for the previous lesson and/or draw in their everyone to arrive and get settled. sketch books. (We may save the smocks for another day because they require more materials, attention, time, etc.) 9:15-9:25 (Jen) Teacher will introduce 9:15-9:25 Students will remain in their today’s lesson and let students know the seats and listen to the teacher. When Jen course of the day. She will use the walls is finished going over the plans for and power point slideshow (running in a today’s lesson, students will make their loop on the front wall) to inspire students way across the street with supervision to think about the creatures they would from Jen and Mike. Before leaving the like to make. For example, she could classroom Jen and Mike will stress good draw their attention to the silhouettes, behavior when leaving the building and asking them if they recognize any of the entering the ceramics studio. For creatures. (Which creatures do you example: Keep your hands to yourself; Do recognize? Which creatures don’t you not touch anything in the ceramics studio; recognize? Are there any creatures on the No leaving the group; Raise your hands if wall you would like to create?) you have questions; Do not touch the artwork. 9:25-9:45 (Lead: Jen, Assistant: Laura, 9:25-9:45 Students will walk in an Observer: Mike) Teacher(s) will take orderly fashion to the ceramics students to the ceramics department department where they will calmly follow where they will tour the facilities, looking teachers through the department. Students at the kiln room, glaze room, hand should ask questions and keep hands to building area, wheels, clay mixing room themselves as they look at everything. and Shelby‘s artwork. Assistant teacher They will look at Shelby’s artwork. We will stay behind to prepare materials for will discuss their favorites and what the lesson in the Patterson building. makes each piece unique or strange. 9:45-9:50 Teachers direct students back 9:45-9:50 Students will proceed back to to the Patterson building where materials the Patterson building where they will are waiting. take their seats and await further instruction. 9:50-10:00 (Jen) Teacher will do a short 9:50-10:00 Students will remain seated demo in order to show students how to and listen attentively as teacher begin sculpting their creatures. (The rest demonstrates how to begin sculpting. of instruction will be done as students encounter problems, pausing class to give demonstrations when needed.) **There will be examples of the clay making process from clay block, to reductive cut, to clay figure provided.** The teacher will also encourage them to think about an adventure their creature might go on (See cat example above). 10:00-10:50 (Head: Jen; Assistant: 10:00-10:50 Students will sculpt their Laura; Observer: Mike) Teachers will creatures with the given tools and raise help each student with ideas and hand their hand if they need help. Students will building techniques as they circle the remain seated while working with clay. room. Demonstrations and hands-on help will be given as needed. (Mike will document the room and work with a digital camera.) 10:50-11:00 Clean up/closure. Teachers 10:50-11:00 Students will assist in will monitor students cleaning up and classroom clean up. They will listen to assist. Jen’s instructions about the continuation of the lesson for next week.

VI. ENDING THE LESSON A. Closure of Lesson Students will assist in classroom clean-up. Creatures will be covered with plastic in order to keep moisture in the clay. Students will continue working on their creatures next week. Any remaining time will be spent in the reading/lego center, using their sketch books, or finishing their shirts.

B. Transition to Next Lesson The kids will continue to work on their creatures next time. They will paint their creatures and share them with the class, in the future.

VII. ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT LEARNING Teachers will be able to monitor students’ progress through observation and evaluation of students’ ability to listen and talk respectfully, engage in active class discussions, follow directions and use the techniques demonstrated by the teachers in the construction of their clay creatures.

VIII. REFERENCES TO MATERIALS CONSULTED Jake and Dinos Chapman Robert Arneson Kara Walker Deb Fleck-Stabley Tim Burton

See pictures below… Creature silhouettes inspired by Kara Walker; by the end of the semester there were over 80+ silhouettes.

Creature silhouette handouts to cover the tables.

Bree: Bear, Age 7

Clay creatures dissolving on a rotating loop in the front of the room.

Field trip to the ceramics studio. The kids saw how clay is fired and viewed life size clay creatures.

Group