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RIVER

ARTWORKS
VIDEO
PHOTOGRAPHY
PAINTING
SCULPTURE
MUSIC
HISTORY
SCIENCE
LESSON PLANS
MAPS
PUT-INS
TIDES
GOOGLE EARTH
State University of New York at New Paltz
Smiley Arts Building - Room 206
Art Education / Ann Teed - Dennis Szymanski                                            
John Toth - teaching artist

AIM: To understand The Arts (dance, music, theater & visual) as a language that can communicate a deeper understand of our community, namely, the Hudson River Anniversary. Understand the expressive and conceptual use of art to communicate an experience on the Hudson River. Know multiple approaches to learning that allow the arts to bridge skill, knowledge, reflection, cultural, curriculum and standards.

IDEAS: RIVER
BRAINSTORMING: Ann Teed and John Toth, September 4, 2008 11:00-3:00

metaphor for discovery,
honoring local history,
interdisciplinary connections,
Birds-eye, worms-eye, eye-level
Sustainable living,
Water, rocks, vegetation, flotsam, jetsam,
Veer vs steer
  THE ARTS LINE OF INQUIRY
 
 How do artists use line, color, texture, shape, point-of-view, horizon line, mapping, collage and found object sculptures to make commentaries on aspects of the Hudson river.

EDUCATION LINE OF INQUIRY:
How can the content of history become the subject matter for an interdisciplinary work of art that calls attention to current events?

Session 1

September 20, 2008 9:00 – 3:00
9:00 – 10:00

LINE: on the Hudson River


Aim: Explore the expressive and conceptual use of line in 4 drawings of the Hudson River.
Objective: sketch the Hudson River

Activity: LINE: on the Hudson River.
Sketch and draw the Hudson River using different qualities of line. Explore the expressive and conceptual use of line in 4 drawings of the Hudson River and it’s surroundings.
 
Where do you see CURVY lines on the Hudson River? Show me.

  1. Where do you see STRAIGHT lines on the river? Draw.
  2. Where do you see JAGGED lines on the river?  Sketch.
  3. Where do you see WISPY lines on the river? Draw.
  4. Where do you see other qualities of lines? Draw them.
10:00 – 11:00

POINT-OF-VIEW: places on the Hudson River

Objective: points-of-view on the Hudson River
Aim: Explore the use of POINT-OF-VIEW to create 2 contrasting ideas or feelings about places the Hudson River.
Inquiry: How does point of view / satellite-view, birds-eye, worms-eye and eye-level orientations influence communication?

Activity: POINT-OF-VIEW: People and  places on the Hudson River.

Explore the use of POINT-OF-VIEW to create 4 contrasting ideas or feelings about people and  places on the Hudson River. How do points-of-view; satellite-view, birds-eye, worms-eye and eye-level orientations influence our view of the river and it’s surroundings?

  1. Use a digital camera to take 3 different points-of-view of the Hudson River area.  (BIRD’S-EYE, WORM’S-EYE AND EYE-LEVEL)
  2. Take 3 more pictures of each view, only now, try to EXAGGERATE these views to show a different feeling or meaning about the same place or object.
  3. Back in the classroom: Use Google Earth to capture a satellite view of the area you were photographing.

11:00 – 11:45

COLOR AND TEXTURE: on the Hudson River.
Aim: Explore and understand multiple techniques for rendering textures on the Hudson through the close observation of details.  

Activity: Take a series of digital photos of textures and surfaces from the Hudson River area. Later, in the classroom, you will use markers, pastels, watercolors, etc. to create artworks based on these studies.


11:45 - 12:00

REFLECTION: on the Hudson River

Objective: write an art review of your neighbor’s artwork.
Aim: Introduce the process of noticing: describe, analyze, interpret, reflect… description, comparison, synthesis, constructing new meaning, consider the opinions of others.


 1:00 – 1:30

ARTWORK UNDER STUDY: view artworks on the Hudson River

Objective:
AIM: Look at and consider the content and expression of artworks on the Hudson River art reviews.
1:30 – 2:30

COLOR AND TEXTURE: on the Hudson River

Objective: Create a series of texture and surface studies based on digital photos from the Hudson River.
AIM: Understand multiple techniques for rendering textures on the Hudson River that communicate expression and meaning. Understand reason and imagination as a means of transforming the way we interpret our world through the use of color. (seeing the world through rose colored glasses)
2:30 – 3:00

REFLECTION:

OBJECTIVE: Write about (compare and contrast) your own experiences of creativity in your college classroom with the kind of creative space that we create in our students classroom.
AIM: Understand kind of choices we give our students to define their own creative space?
Session 2

September 27, 2008.  9:00 – 3:00
9:00 – 10:00

SYMBOLISM: people on the Hudson River

OBJECTIVE: Write a short poem about your point of view on the current state of nature and turn it into an artwork.
AIM: Explore cultural symbols as a means of communicating a point of view about the Hudson River. Understand the complexity of multiculturalism in the region of the Hudson River.

Inquiry: How can landscape painting and the presentation of nature use symbolism to communicate a point of view that is personal, communal and cultural?
10:00 – 10:30

REFLECTION: What do the finished artworks reveal that goes beyond product? How can we create a creative space for learning, discovery, and experimentation? Ask students to take turns leading the process of noticing: describe, analyze, interpret, reflect… description, comparison, synthesis, constructing new meaning, consider the opinions of others.
11:00 – 12:00

FLOTSAM / JETSAM : on the Hudson River

OBJECTIVE: create found-object sculptures that make a commentary on an important issue that you discovery on the Hudson River.
AIM: Understand how artists use line, color, texture, shape, point-of-view, horizon line, mapping, collage and found object sculptures to make commentaries on aspects of the Hudson river.

FLOTSAM / JETSAM : on the Hudson River.

How can found object sculptures be used to make a commentary on the life and health of the Hudson River Valley and it’s people?

Activity:   SAFELY, collect FOUND-OBJECTS along the Hudson River that can be used to make sculptures when we return to the classroom.


1:00 – 3:00 

THE PLANNING SESSION: on the Hudson River

AIM: Understand that elements of the arts form the language that considers connections across learning modalities.
Session 3

October 8, 2008.  9:00 – 3:00

THE PORTFOLIO AS MEDIA PRESENTATION

OBJECTIVE:  Create a simple portfolio of your artwork adding contextual information and photographs, newspaper clippings, found objects, sound, etc.
AIM: Understand the difference between active and passive reflection.
INQUIRY: How a portfolio of your artwork becomes an assessment instrument? How does the philosophy and situations of the day affect the way we ‘read’ or interpret the work of art? How does contextual information add to the process of art making and aesthetic inquiry? How can we create a work of art from our research, experimentation, and educational practice.

Activity:
Electronic Portfolio (great if schools have computers and projectors)
This would require students bringing their digital camera and laptops.
For the final project I would like to have the students take digital photos of their art works, drop them into powerpoint, along with their photos from the River and along with contextual information (which could be a paragraph of text on their experience, a web page, Hudson River art, significant community info. etc.) and then a sound or a voice-overlay.

or

Analog Portfolio Book. (probably the most practical)
This would require students to mount their art images on large color construction paper and make a simple book (bound with string). This also would include: a paragraph of text, web page, Hudson River art, significant community info., lesson plans, etc. all mounted on CC paper.

or

Movie Portfolio (this would only require a TV monitor to plug their camera into)
The above Portfolio Book could be turned into a short movie using their digital cameras with either sound playing the background or a voice-over explaining the portfolio material.
Context

CONTEXTUAL INFORMATION:

What kind of information, reading, research or demonstration can you use after or before a visual arts unit of study?

What kind of connections can you make to link the visual arts to curriculum?