Activities
Group word cloud on identity
To start the discussion of identity I will hold a group brainstorm. First students will participate in small groups by thinking about their identities. Each table will have drawing/writing material and scrap paper. Then students will talk with their groups to draft a list of descriptive words and phrases. After a few minutes of this initial small group session we will discuss the topic of identity as a class. A student from each table will read the group’s answers and I will record them in a word document projected on the screen. I will prompt students with questions to deepen their responses. Who are you? what is your job here? What do you want to be? Where did you come from? As a class we will publish our brainstorm session answers into a word cloud. Below is a word cloud of this unit. Word clouds will be created in all my class where we discuss our identity, printed, and display in the classroom for inspiration and reflection.
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A community museum center
This activity will start with a mini lesson on what a curator is. I will highlight the job of a curator in a museum and discuss with students what the significance of curation is. We will look at Chris Sanderson and his collection through images and the museum’s website. The curator is the person or group that decided what works or objects go into a show or display. Curators decide the themes, the method of display, the message of the exhibit, and create explanatory material to educate and describe.
After learning about the role of a curator in the museum, students will have the opportunity to curate their own individual show. This activity will rotate on a weekly or biweekly schedule, utilizing a showcase or display in the public view of the school, students will assemble and arrange objects, artworks, texts, or images that they consider part of their identity. This center will function socially. Students will submit a proposal of an idea or a design for a show. The proposal will be published locally in a drop box or folder. As the applications roll in, other students will have the choice to review applications and weigh in their thoughts on their peer’s artistic idea.
Once an application is approved by any two students it will be selected for a show and the artist will be contacted to curate and assemble their display. Student curators will be required to write explanations to accompany each object and an overview of their show. Once all objects and documents are assembled, we will work together to assemble their show.
Peer exhibit review
As the viewer, students will have the option to submit reflections of an exhibit to the curator. Patrons of an exhibit will use the peer review worksheet to create a silent dialog between curator and patron. This dialog will be open to all members of the school community, staff and students alike. Review sheets will be available alongside of the exhibit as well as a submission box. The curator will have free access to the review box to read and reflect on how their show was received.
Identity focused art project
After learning about identity, art, and curating, students will have to opportunity to reflect on their new knowledge visually. Using the art centers, students will create a work of art to express their identity. To start each student must sketch their idea for their project. After their visual rough draft is complete each student will conference with me individually about their idea. Together we will discuss their project, what materials they will use, and how long they think it will take. After a project has been approved students are free to use the classroom and materials to complete their artwork.
Once completed the student will draft an artist statement, and submit it for approval. After the artwork and artist statement are approved and recorded the student may choose where to display their artwork.
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