Edible Finger Painting

This is an awesome art project for the lower grades! Thanks Cami Clawson and Melissa Hafen for the great idea!

• Materials

• Homemade Frosting

             i.     2 C. Powered Sugar
            ii.     T. Milk
           iii.     ¼ tsb. Vanilla
           iv.     1 T. Butter

• *Add more sugar or milk for desired consistency
• žFood coloring
• žPlates
• žSpoons
• žThick White Paper
• žNapkins (to wipe fingers)

1. make frosting
2. divide frosting on a plate so as not to mix colors you don't want mixed
   
3. Apply food coloring-the more color the darker the color will be
4. Lay paper towels over a table so as not to get frosting on the table and lay paper over the top to prep for painting
5. Begin your painting using your fingers...(Yes we are finger painting)
6. When finished-wash fingers with soap and warm water until color is removed from fingers
7. Enjoy your new masterpiece!

Socially Engaged Artwork

Socially engaged artwork is a great way to show students that artwork does not have to be painting or drawing, it can be a creative act uncovers something about society by disrupting everyday life. Assign students to make their own socially engaged artwork.
Here are some examples of socially engaged artists to give you some ideas:

•  Fritz Haeg and his "edible estates" http://www.fritzhaeg.com/garden/initiatives/edibleestates/main.html
• Vik Muniz  "wasteland" http://www.wastelandmovie.com/vik-muniz.html
• Michael Swaine "reap what you sew" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_G0J0RmcV8c
• Oliver Herring http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/oliver-herring
• Paul "Moose" Curtis (reverse graffiti) he cleans the wall to make the graffiti

• Alexandre Orion (reverse graffiti)

Children could choose to be extra helpful to their parents and record how they react, be kind to their brothers and sisters and record the reaction, change their personality for a day and see how others react, choose only to talk about others and not themselves and record the reactions/ feelings, keep everything they throw away in one week in a bag and don't throw it out,  or draw a hopscotch and see how many people actually play it. The possibilities are endless, just make sure they are doing the project to find out something about society by disrupting everyday life in a certain way. Remind the students to be safe when they do their socially engaged art and approve all of their ideas.

Printmaking

Here is a fun way to do printmaking in the classroom to make cards and learn about mixing colors.

Materials:

• Styrofoam squares
• Paint rollers
• Plexiglass squares (to roll the paint out)
• Paint
• Paper 
• Pencil

1) Etch an image into your styrofoam square using your pencil. Remember that your image will appear backwards!
2) Put 2-3 colors on your plexiglass and use the roller to mix the colors as much or as little as your would like.
3) Roll color on to the side of your styrofoam square.
4) Press the styrofoam like a stamp on to your piece of paper.

Critical Theory Unit

Teachers: Kaylee Jensen and Danielle Thompson
Grade: 1
Time Needed: 45 minutes
Objective: Students will understand the Critical theory of art and learn how to question the way in which they see the world. Student will show this knowledge by creating their own Fundred Dollar Bills.  Then they will write a couple sentences about how this project helped them become more aware about their importance in the community and how creating these unique dollar bills will help the people in New Orleans.  

Standards:
State Visual Art Standard 1
Objective 3
Develop and use skills to communicate ideas, information, and feelings.

1. Recognize and express feelings in a variety of ways (e.g., draw, paint, tell stories, dance, sing). 
2. Express how colors, values, and sizes have been controlled in artworks to create mood, tell stories, or celebrate events. 

State Social Studies Standard 3
Objective 1
Identify and use geographic terms and tools.

1. Identify Utah on a variety of maps and on a globe. 
2. Identify the United States on a variety of maps and on a globe. 

National Standards: Visual Arts:

USING KNOWLEDGE OF STRUCTURES AND FUNCTIONS

Achievement Standard:

• Students know the differences among visual characteristics and purposes of art in order to convey ideas

CHOOSING AND EVALUATING A RANGE OF SUBJECT MATTER, SYMBOLS, AND IDEAS

Achievement Standard:

• Students explore and understand prospective content for works of art
• Students select and use subject matter, symbols, and ideas to communicate meaning

REFLECTING UPON AND ASSESSING THE CHARACTERISTICS AND MERITS OF THEIR WORK AND THE WORK OF OTHERS

Achievement Standard:

• Students understand there are various purposes for creating works of visual art
• Students describe how people's experiences influence the development of specific artworks
• Students understand there are different responses to specific artworks

National Standards: Social Studies: Geography:

ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY

As a result of activities in grades K-12, all students should

• Understand how human actions modify the physical environment.
• Understand how physical systems affect human systems

Materials Needed:
-Powerpoint
-Colored Pencils/Markers
-Scissors
-Fundred Dollar Bill printouts
-Following books: Not a Box, Not a Stick, Amelia Earhart: Legend of the Lost Aviator, A Picture Book of Harriet Tubman.  

Intro:
Critical Theory is the idea of rejecting the world as it now exists.

Start off the Lesson by reading Not a Box by Antoinette Portis.

After reading the book, ask students if they have ever used their imagination to create something else out of an ordinary object.  Ask them what they think the book is made out of.  Ask them why they think the author wanted to make the book out of a box.

Introduce following artists:

 Yinka Shonibare is an artist who helps people look at everyday people in a different way. He also challenges himself as an artist as he has evolved from painting, costuming, photography, to moving images.  He is very famous for his costumes.  What can you tell me about the picture below?




 What is this a picture of?  How is it different from what you have seen before? Why do you think he changed things like the flag? His suit? Can you tell if he is White, African American, Hispanic? What country is he from? Why do you think the artist made this so? 
 Show the students the above picture.  Have you ever seen someone like this before? How is this picture from what you are used to? Why do you think this is?

Alfredo Jaar: He is considered a Critical Theory artist because of the way that he presents his research. He thinks a lot about how to represent his experiences in the most effective way and then tries and tries again until he gets it right.

Teach the students about Jaar's Rwanda Project. He learned about the Rwanda from a clip in the newspaper and found that many people had died. He wanted to show the importance of this event and finally found the following way to represent his research on Rwanda.
Watch the following clip: http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/alfredo-jaar from 1:36-4:52

About video clip: Talk to the students about why his way of presenting his research with one pair of eyes was so effective? What made it so real for the viewer compared to other ways? Why did people understand?

Mel Chin: Teach the students that Mel Chin represents the Critical Theory with the Fundred Dollar bill project because he is making people aware of a big problem in New Orleans, Louisiana where there is lead in the soil which is dangerous for the people there, especially for the children.

QWERTY Courbet. Ask the students what they think this picture is. Teach the students that this is an actual keyboard. Ask them why every keyboard looks the same. Who said it had to look like that? This keyboard still works, it still types, but looks much different. Teach that this is critical theory because he is freeing us from what we would think of as a keyboard and what we are used to.


Teach the students about the U.S. map. Ask if they know where different states are. Point out where New Orleans is in relation to Utah.
Explain how the Fundred Dollar Bill project is mainly for kids who want to help other kids in New Orleans where the soil is dangerous. We are going to make our own Fundred Dollar Bills to help raise awareness of the victims in New Orleans.
Show the following video about children who have been involved with this project and what they have learned from it.
Fundred Dollar Bill Video
video clip about Mel Chin: http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/mel-chin
To download the printout for the Fundred Dollar Bill, go to fundred.org. Or here is the PDF link.
Allow the students to create their own fundred dollar bill with crayons, markers, colored pencils, etc. Let them use their imagination to create their own money that represents themselves.
Prototype
Step 1: Print out Fundred Dollar Bill from fundred.org.
Step 2: Cut out your bill

Step 3: First draw in pencil what you would like on your fundred


Step 4: Use markers or another coloring utensil to add color to your drawing.

Step 5: Share your work with the class

Step 6: Mail all of the bills from your class to the following address so they can be counted and used towards the goal of 300,000,000 Fundred Dollar Bills!

The Fabric Workshop and Museum
a.k.a. The Philadelphia Fundred Mint
1214 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Attn: Christina Roberts

Assessment:
After finishing their art project, have each student choose two of the following questions and write four sentences as their answer.
-How does your Fundred Dollar bill represent you? Explain why.
-Tell me about one of the artists we talked about and why you liked them.
-Why is it important to look at things in a different way?
-What did you learn about the different ways that art can be created?
-Like the box from the book, what is one thing that you see differently from others and why?
 Have a few students share their answers with the class.

Hedonist Theory Unit

Teachers Cami Clawson and Melissa Hafen
Grade: 1
Objective: Help students to understand the basic fundamentals of literature such as characters, setting, and plot.  Students will apply literature content by connecting personal experience to create art through painting.

National Standards

Visual Art 4.1:
Understanding and applying media, technique and process

Achievement Standard:

·         Students know the differences between materials, techniques, and processes

·         Students describe how different materials, techniques, and processes cause different responses

·         Students use different media, techniques, and processes to communicate ideas, experiences, and stories

·         Students use art materials and tools in a safe and responsible manner

English 12.6

Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and non-print texts.

State Standards

Reading: Literature Standard 3
Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.

Reading: Literature Standard 7
Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events.

Visual Arts: Standard 1
Students will develop a sense of self.
Objective 3
Develop and use skills to communicate ideas, information, and feelings

Lesson:
 Discuss favorite senses
Sound: žponder on your favorite sound
  Examples
     Waves crashing against the beach
     Branches swaying in the wind
     Crowds cheering
Smell:Concentrate on your favorite smell
Examples:

1. Fresh laundry
2. Warm homemade bread
3. Fresh cut Christmas Trees
4. Shoe stores
5. Popcorn and funnel cake (carnival smells)

Touch: žImagine your favorite touch
Examples:

1. Warm still water
2. Real leather
3. Bubble Wrap

Taste: Think of a mouth-watering taste
Examples:

1. Pizza
2. Mt. Dew & Dr. Pepper
3. Breakfast Burritos
4. Cheese and Crackers
5. Pumpkin cookies
6. Winco Blueberry Muffins
7. Fondue
8. Better than sex cake

Sight: žImagine your favorite sight
Examples:

1. Waterfalls
2. Smiles on a toddler
3. Disneyland

Introduce Hedonism
Definition
       žArt that is devoted to the pursuit of pleasure and self-gratification.
       žArt that is motivated by the desire for pleasure and avoidance of pain.
Introduce artists
       William Cotton
      Wayne Theibaud
     Duff Goldman

1. Integrate Art to literature

                      i.     Begin by reading Oh, the places you’ll go!
                     ii.     Cliff hanger

1. Where is the character going?
   1. Example

                          i.     The moon
                         ii.     The zoo
                        iii.     Running with cheetahs
                        iv.     Building a snowman with penguins

1. There is a blank page at the end of this book.  We need your help.  If you were the character where would you end up at the end of the book to create a “happily ever after.”
2. Activity

                                              i.     žMaterials

1. Homemade Frosting
   1. Recipe

                       i.     2 C. Powered Sugar
                      ii.      T. Milk
                     iii.     ¼ tsb. Vanilla
                     iv.     1 T. Butter

1. *Add more sugar or milk for desired consistency
2. žFood coloring
3. žPlates
4. žSpoons
5. žThick White Paper
6. žNapkins (to wipe fingers)

                                            ii.     Process

1. Using different colored paint, have students finger paint their happiest destination based off of the illustrations of the book

                                          iii.     Rubric/Assessment

1. After students complete their book illustration, assess with their following questions:
   1. Doe they answer the question: Where are you going?”
   2. Does their art suggest happiness void of pain?
   3. Did the students use the frosting appropriately and follow directions?
   4. Ask students why their art is unique- can they prove that they stretched their imagination?
   5. Ask for verbal feedback concerning what they learned through art.
   6. Was the project enjoyable for the students?

Neo-Rationalist Integration Adaptations

Here is some material that could be integrated into the neo-nrationalist art unit:

• Elisa Johnson

Applying it to a different subject:
You can apply the principle of neo-rationalism to poetry. Can we create poems that resemble those of great poets?  Is that all right?
Explain that the Imagist movement included some English and American poets in the earlier twentieth century who wrote free verse and were devoted to clarity of expression through the use of precise visual images.

Let’s look at some Imagist poets:
William Carlos Williams


Ezra Pound


Langston Hughes

 The City
In the morning the city
Spreads its wings
Making a song
In stone that sings.
In the evening the city
Goes to bed
Hanging lights
Above its head.
     Langston Hughes
Questions to ponder:
How do these poets use metaphor and images?
Did they use a lot of words to express their ideas?
How would you depict each one of these poems?
Have students choose one of the poems and draw a picture that depicts or represents that poem.
Then, show some examples of pictures/illustrations that would go with these poems.




POETRY ASSIGNMENT:
Materials needed:
Notebook
Pencils
Paper
Water colors, markers, or crayons.

In the spirit of neo-rationalist theory, now it’s your turn to create your own poem being inspired by the three poets we have discussed.
Explain that Ezra Pound himself defined the principles of Imagist poetry as the following:

I. Direct treatment of the "thing," whether subjective or objective. II. To use absolutely no word that does not contribute to the presentation. III. As regarding rhythm: to compose in sequence of the musical phrase, not in sequence of the metronome.

You are going to describe something metaphorically without naming the
object explicitly. (From lesson idea on http://home.cogeco.ca/~rayser3/image.txt)
Pick an everyday object from around the house, such as a
dryer or iron.
Now list some things that it reminds you of or that it could be like.
Now all you have to do is write four lines to describe your object.
Your lines could rhyme AA BB just the last two above or your poem
might rhyme only two lines or perhaps not rhyme at all.
Have in mind as you write how Williams, Pound, and Hughes conveyed their message using the minimum amount of words, as well as metaphors.

When  you have finished writing the poem, draw a picture of it.

ASSESSMENT:
Students will be assessed on  how well they created a poem following the Imagist poetry tenets.
Questions to consider when assessing:
How closely did you follow the method imagist poets use in their poetry?
Do you find similarities between your poem and those of Williams, Pound, and Hughes?
Was your vocabulary succinct and to the point? Did you use a lot of words, or could you make your poem smaller? Did you capture the essence of what you were trying to describe in few words?
Did you use any rhyming?
Explain what inspired you to depict your poem in the way you did.

• Cherilee Barrett

Plagiarism in Art:
Discuss the article found on Fox News about Shepard Fairey and the Obama “HOPE” Poster. Use this real life example to show the effects of plagiarism. Shepard Fairey and the Obama “HOPE” poster http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,568042,00.html


Talk about fair use laws as they are introduced in the article. This will help students understand even more of appropriate use of other’s work.

Have a discussion about Sherrie Levine and her artwork in which she takes pictures of past artists’ work and then displays it as her own. Is this plagiarism or appropriation? What is the difference?

  

• Melissa Hafen

What ideas do these following pictures give you?



 
How to incorporate an artist’s style in your own work:
As a class, discuss each of the photos shown above.  Making a list on a board, allow the class to share the ideas that come to them when they view each picture.

Point out to the students that the ideas that came to them are the ideas they can and should try to incorporate in their own work.

Help them identify all different aspects of the work.  This could include: where the photo was take, the colors in the photo, the different shapes and sizes and the time of year the photo depicts.

Encourage the students to use their imagination.

Neo-Rationalist Grade Level Adaptations

Here are some ways to adapt the neo-rationalist art unit to fit other grade levels:

• Allison Adams

Grade: 3
Time Needed:  2 days of 45 minutes each day.
Objective: Students will understand the neo-rationalist theory of art and how it relates by studying how different cultures use the same story line to write stories in different way, and how different artist study different artist styles and use those styles in their own art.
Standards:

State Visual Arts Standard 3
Reading: Literature Standard 2
Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text.

State Social Studies Standard 2
Students will understand cultural factors that shape a community. Objective 1
Evaluate key factors that determine how a community develops. Describe how stories, folktales, music, and artistic creations serve as expressions of culture.

National Arts Standard 6
Standard 2 (Perceiving): The student will analyze, reflect on, and apply the structures of art. Objective 2 Create works of art using the elements and principles.  Group some significant works of art by a common element or visual characteristic.

• Allison Swenson

Grade: 2
Time Needed: 45 minutes 
Objective: Students will understand the neo-rationalist theory of art. Student will show this knowledge by creating their own Vincent Van Gogh inspired oil painting  of a different type of flower. (We will study his different sunflower paintings for inspiration.)

Standards:
State Content Standard 2
a) Express personal experiences and imagination through dance, storytelling, music, and visual art.
b) Create, with improving accuracy, works of art depicting depth (e.g., close objects large, distant objects small) using secondary and tertiary colors.
c) Identify benefits of cooperating and sharing.

State Visual Arts Standard 3
Objective 1
b) Group artists and their works according to style or similar visual characteristics.

National Arts Standard 6
Making connections between visual arts and other disciplines. 

• Mallory Belnap 

Grade: 6 (Advanced ESL)
Time Needed: 45 minutes
Objective: Students will understand the neo-rationalist theory of art and how it relates to citing sources in a research paper without plagiarizing. Student will show this knowledge by creating their own pointillistic art and writing a short research paper using correct citations.
 
Standards:State Visual Arts Standard 3
Objective 1
b) Group artists and their works according to style or similar visual characteristics.
State Writing Standard 8
Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources; assess the credibility of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and providing basic bibliographic information for sources.
National Arts Standard 6Making connections between visual arts and other disciplines.
Grade 6 (ESL):
Use of multiple resources
Entering: Search for topics on Web sites, in libraries or using other sources with a partner from a list
Beginning: Classify topics identified on Web sites or other sources (e.g., classgenerated list) with a partner
Developing: Sort information on topics of choice gathered from multiple sources with a partner
Expanding: Arrange information on topics of choice gathered from multiple sources in logical order with a partner
Bridging: Confirm or rearrange information after re/reading of topics of choice gathered from multiple sources

• Melissa Hafen

Grade: 4th
Time Needed:  45 min

Objective:  Students will understand the neo-rationalist theory of art and how it relates to avoiding plagiarisms.  Students will show this knowledge by visiting the school’s library and creating their own pointillistic art and by correctly citing their own work.

Standards:
National Language Arts 4
Students describe how different materials, techniques, and processes cause different responses

State Library Media 2
Objective 2
b)  Paraphrase or summarize information to avoid plagiarism

• Morgan Black

Grade: 5
Time Needed: 45 minutes
Objective: Students will understand the neo-rationalist theory of art and how it relates to citing sources in a research paper without plagiarizing. Student will show this knowledge by creating their own pointillist art and writing a short research paper using correct citations.

Standards:
State Visual Arts Standard 1
Objective 1: Explore a variety of art materials while learning new techniques and processes.
Objective 2: Predict the processes and techniques needed to make a work of art.       

State Visual Arts Standard 2
Objective 2: Create works of art using the elements and principles.

• Create the illusion of common patterns and textures by the repetition of dots, lines, shapes, tones, colors, and value contrasts.

State Writing Standard 8
Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; summarize or paraphrase information in notes and finished work, and provide a list of sources.

National Arts Standard 6
Making connections between visual arts and other disciplines.      



 

Neo-Rationalist Art Project Adaptations

Here are some wonderful alternative art projects that could be integrated into the neo-rationalist art unit:

• Allison Swenson

Vincent Van Gogh, Sunflowers

How to incorporate an artist’s style in your own work:
Explain to students that if they feel compelled or inspired by another artist’s work, they should try to use some of the same features or ideas in their own work. The first step in creating a neo-rationalist art piece is being able to identify features in the original artwork.

For example, the teacher may use the picture above (Vincent Van Gogh, Sunflowers), for an example. Maybe you are drawn to the content, style, media, color scheme, emotions, or message that can be drawn from this particular piece, and want to create something similar. It’s important for students to recognize these different areas, and varying characteristics they contain in order to incorporate them in their own work.

With the picture above, students must pay attention to details before starting their own work. Point out to the students things like: the sunflowers are facing different directions, some are bigger than others, some are in the shadows, some are different colors, the painting was made using oil paints etc. Students can identify certain shapes, patterns, colors, or schemes in art and can use it as inspiration to apply it in their own work.

Art Project: Using Van Gogh's Oil Painting style create your own floral painting (or any other outdoor inspiration.
Materials:
flowers, trees, bushes, grass etc. for inspiration
tables or another hard surface outside (such as a sidewalk or a black top) This is done outside because oil paints can have dangerous fumes.
Paper
Oil paints
Pencils
paint brushes
Paper towels for smearing and cleaning up

Step 1: Make a light sctech of what you want to paint using pencil.

Step 2: Use oil paints to recreate the look of Vincent Van Gogh. Help students deliberate choices about color scheme, textures, lightness or darkness of their pictures to stress process over product.


Step 3: Wait for the painting to dry. Hang all the artwork in front of a window where it can be seen.


Assessment: The students will complete a worksheet about the process choices they made that were inspired by Van Gogh's art.

How is my art like Sunflowers?

Directions: Circle the choice YOU made.

• I have a warm or cool color scheme.
• I used sunflowers or another plant as my inspiration.  If you chose something else, write it here________________________
• The light in my pictures is coming from the top of my page, the right of my page, or the left of my page and I colored shadows to show it.
• I made textures like Van Gogh by: _______________________________________________________
• I made brushstrokes like Van Gogh by: ______________________________________________________
• My flowers are all the same/are all different.
• I chose to paint ______________________because ______________ _______________________________________________________
• I am an artist like Vincent Van Gogh when I __________________ ______________________________________________________

• Danielle Thompson

Kandinsky, Upwards (geometric shapes, mix of bright/dull colors


How to incorporate an artist’s style in your own work:
Explain to students that if they feel compelled or inspired by another artist’s work, they should try to use some of the same features or ideas in their own work. The first step in creating a neo-rationalist art piece is being able to identify features in the original artwork.

For example, the teacher may use the picture above (Georges Seurat, A sunday on La Grande Jatte), for an example. Maybe you are drawn to the content, style, media, color scheme, emotions, or message that can be drawn from this particular piece, and want to create something similar. It’s important for students to recognize these different areas, and varying characteristics they contain in order to incorporate them in their own work.

With the picture above, students must pay attention to details before starting their own work. Point out to the students things like: the subject’s faces aren’t clearly defined, it can be viewed as a snapshot as everyday life, the clothes show that it’s not from a modern time period, lines used art rounded and very soft, this piece is painted using a bunch of smaller dots (pointillistic),etc. Students can identify certain shapes, patterns, colors, or schemes in art and can use it as inspiration to apply it in their own work.

Geometry Connection:
HERE are some fun activities for all age levels to learn geometry.
Here is a worksheet for kids to match geometric shapes: Geometry Worksheet
Objective: Using Kandinsky’s geometric, colorful style, create your own artwork.
Materials:
Pencils
Paper
Watercolor
Paint Brushes



Step 1: Make a light sctech of what you want to paint using pencil.

Step 2: Allow the paint to dry and then use a pencil to lightly draw geometric shapes of your choice.





Step 3: Wait for the painting to dry and display!

Discussion:

1. Talk about the importance of not plagiarizing (can be included in earlier discussion)
2. Talk about being original
3. Talk about other things that need to be careful of plagiarizing.