Topic Taught:
“Our Ideal World” is all about taking what we have lived with and known, and starting from scratch. Giving the students the opportunity, through a crafted scenario, to take everything they like and create a world of their own. The students started with a “creative thinking lab” that allowed them the freedom to create their new world. After their world was created they went one more step and added their ideal transportation to their new habitable planet. For each lesson we started with a RAFT to gueid the students to take a role when creating their artwork. Each lesson fed of the next and together they create a collection of artworks.
Introduction:
Please excuse this interruption from your local news station: We have just been notified that there is a meteor headed this way. A select group of elite creative thinkers (YOU) have been chosen to be sent to the moon. Your mission is to design a creative laboratory that will become the perfect working space for YOU! We have the ability to send any resources necessary, so let’s get creative brainstorming and building our creative laboratory!
For this introduction, we wanted a subject that would lend itself to us getting to know the students, their artistic skill and prior knowledge of the materials given. They were given graphite and colored pencils, oil pastels and watercolor. We watched, encouraged and asked questions as each student’s ideal place for their presence unfolded.
Lesson 1:
Attention Researchers: Your Creative Thinking Labs are up and running successfully! Well done. Your first mission is to research, design and create a brand new planet for Earth’s inhabitants to live on after the meteor hits! All researchers will need to come together to decide what 5 characteristics the new planet will need for the inhabitants to survive… Then each researcher will design and create their new world by planning/sketching, drawing and finally painting their brand new Ideal World and Habitat they would want to live in!
After the students had their “labs” they were instructed to create a new planet. We decided as a class four necessities that people need to live plus one of their choice. The list consisted of: water, atmosphere/air, plants, and food. The students took their time brainstorming, sketching, and planning their planet before they even touched the canvas with paint. A few topics covered in this lesson included: foreground, middleground and background, light and shadow, and overlapping.
Lesson 2:
Your new planet has passed Earth’s tests for a sustainable life- that means it is time for people to start moving to your planet from Earth! Before the spaceship of people arrive, you need to create a way for them to get around your planet. Just like we have cars, buses, trains and planes here on Earth, your planet needs to give people the ability to get around! Your MISSION is to create a new vehicle for your planet!
This lesson consisted of brainstorming ways the new people would obtain transportation as they arrived on the planet, what kind of transportation would be appropriate on each planed and how to construct a sculpture of the new transportation with good craftsmanship.
Introduction:
Please excuse this interruption from your local news station: We have just been notified that there is a meteor headed this way. A select group of elite creative thinkers (YOU) have been chosen to be sent to the moon. Your mission is to design a creative laboratory that will become the perfect working space for YOU! We have the ability to send any resources necessary, so let’s get creative brainstorming and building our creative laboratory!
For this introduction, we wanted a subject that would lend itself to us getting to know the students, their artistic skill and prior knowledge of the materials given. They were given graphite and colored pencils, oil pastels and watercolor. We watched, encouraged and asked questions as each student’s ideal place for their presence unfolded.
Lesson 1:
Attention Researchers: Your Creative Thinking Labs are up and running successfully! Well done. Your first mission is to research, design and create a brand new planet for Earth’s inhabitants to live on after the meteor hits! All researchers will need to come together to decide what 5 characteristics the new planet will need for the inhabitants to survive… Then each researcher will design and create their new world by planning/sketching, drawing and finally painting their brand new Ideal World and Habitat they would want to live in!
After the students had their “labs” they were instructed to create a new planet. We decided as a class four necessities that people need to live plus one of their choice. The list consisted of: water, atmosphere/air, plants, and food. The students took their time brainstorming, sketching, and planning their planet before they even touched the canvas with paint. A few topics covered in this lesson included: foreground, middleground and background, light and shadow, and overlapping.
Lesson 2:
Your new planet has passed Earth’s tests for a sustainable life- that means it is time for people to start moving to your planet from Earth! Before the spaceship of people arrive, you need to create a way for them to get around your planet. Just like we have cars, buses, trains and planes here on Earth, your planet needs to give people the ability to get around! Your MISSION is to create a new vehicle for your planet!
This lesson consisted of brainstorming ways the new people would obtain transportation as they arrived on the planet, what kind of transportation would be appropriate on each planed and how to construct a sculpture of the new transportation with good craftsmanship.
To see photos and detailed documentation please follow the link provided: http://creativethinkinglab.weebly.com
Significance of Topic:
Globally- In our current state, the world is experiencing a lot of natural changes such as climate change. Without directly addressing the subject, We decided this would be a great topic that not only lends itself to creativity in the arts, but also has the capability to interweave with other classroom subjects. Our Ideal World looks at many different aspects of creating something from scratch- in the sense of using materials, a new place and new rules, but the students who create these ideas are using inferences from experiences they have had and influences their design for their new world. Universal tools such as problem solving, critical thinking, creativity were addressed daily. And other integrating aspects such as literacy and numeracy were shown through ideation, planning, and oral and written explanation.
Personally- When we (the teachers) originally started brainstorming ideas for unit topics, all of them lead to wanting to get to know each individual student. So rather than having a portrait unit, we decided another way to get to know and understand the individual students was through prompts called RAFTs. These RAFTs put the student in a situation and they had to problem solve while keeping in mind their own interests, and ideas.
For this Population- The subject matter lent itself to this audience because the students were able to use their creative freedom when making the decisions for all three projects. The structure of each assignment helped the students keep their ideas original, yet allow for pop culture or personal influence. The skills learned in this class will not only transfer over to their next art class, but also across all content areas.
Personally- When we (the teachers) originally started brainstorming ideas for unit topics, all of them lead to wanting to get to know each individual student. So rather than having a portrait unit, we decided another way to get to know and understand the individual students was through prompts called RAFTs. These RAFTs put the student in a situation and they had to problem solve while keeping in mind their own interests, and ideas.
For this Population- The subject matter lent itself to this audience because the students were able to use their creative freedom when making the decisions for all three projects. The structure of each assignment helped the students keep their ideas original, yet allow for pop culture or personal influence. The skills learned in this class will not only transfer over to their next art class, but also across all content areas.