The focus will be on words and images that express the learner's emotional response to the service-learning experience and a reflection of their role as a responsible citizen.
scribe, analyze, interpret and judge artwork created by Jaune Quick-To-See Smith.
analyze how the condition of the planet affects the lives of humans.
create a mixed-media collage, including both words and images that reflect personal reactions to the service learning project.
create a reflective poem based on the "I Am" model.
Visual examples from Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, including Rainbow, 1989, Homage to Chief Seattle, 1991, Trade (Gifts for Trading Land With White People), 1992. See Bibliographical References for Web sites.
Interactive Parent / Learner Homework:Learners will ask for parent supervision if they choose to deface or destroy images by burning the edges at home.
"Saving the Earth," Scholastic Art, Art with a Message (April/May 1999): 10,11.
"Between Two Worlds," "Mixed Messages," "Cross-cultural References," Scholastic Art, Modern Native American Artists Working with Juxtaposition (March 2004): 2-9.
Native Spirit, Nature’s Harmony, Life! Beats.
Review the importance of citizens recognizing their rights and responsibilities in a civil society based on Lesson One: The Truth and Lesson Two: Trash or Treasure? in this unit.
Day One: Using Biography: Jaune Quick-to-See Smith (Handout One), give the learners an introduction to Jaune Quick-to-See-Smith.
Display Rainbow by Jaune Quick-to-See Smith. Explain that the Art Criticism process is a method of organizing facts and personal responses to a particular work of art. The four steps of critiquing are: describing, analyzing, interpreting and making a judgment.
Have learners take out a sheet of paper and fold it into four sections. Number and label each section as follows: 1. Describe, 2. Analyze, 3. Interpret, 4. Evaluate/ Judge.
Under the heading of Describe, have learners describe the subject matter of the artwork, listing all recognizable images. Beyond the subject, describe the design elements, i.e., color, line, shape, space, texture, value and form.
Under the heading of Analyze, have learners look at the artwork and describe the ways the design elements and principles are organized, i.e., balance, emphasis, proportion, pattern, rhythm, unity, variety.
Under the heading of Evaluate/ Judge, have learners write their opinion about the artwork: is it good or not? Learners will need to support their opinions with statements from their observations from the first three areas. The class will then share their ideas together through discussion.
Read a quote from Chief Seattle, "For whatever happens to the plants and animals also happens to the humans." Discuss how the condition of the planet, i.e., the well-being of plant and animal life, affects the lives of humans, all life is interrelated and interconnected.
Review the artwork and ideas from the previous lesson. Discuss the new artwork using the same procedure.
Introduce the technique of collage. Teacher Note: The teacher may choose to make the collage as simple or developed as desire, materials and time permits.
Write a list of learner-generated emotionally-charged, environmental words on the board, i.e., toxic, pollution, exploitation, waste, clean, recycle, reuse, conserve, etc.
Ask the learners to make their own lists from which they will select a theme for their collage which will address their personal viewpoint developed from their knowledge and experience from Lessons One and Two. Some ideas for a theme are: write a pledge, promise or poem; write a message; make a personal statement; or use contrast words, i.e., waste/conserve, pollution/fresh air.
Have the learners refine their themes and write them out to be copied into the collage or the letters/words cut out of newspaper or magazines and glued on.
Learners should decide on a warm or cool color harmony that will help to reinforce the mood and emotion that their collage will express.
Have the learners use wax crayons to draw images and symbols along a visual path of movement. Make sure that they press hard to leave enough wax for a watercolor resist.
Use water color paint to "wash" or tint the entire paper. Remind the learners that their collage should express an emotional response from the viewer so select colors accordingly. Think of muddy browns, sea foam greens, golden fields of grain, etc. Use professional tube watercolors mixed with water to get more intense, saturated color. Dry flat. Teacher Note: Sprinkling salt over the wet painted paper or laying a piece of wax paper or plastic wrap over the juicy, wet water color-painted paper, and leaving it there until the paper is completely dry will add a wonderful textured effect.
Day Three: Learners should bring to class words and images collected from home. They will also have one piece of trash that was saved from Lesson Two: Trash or Treasure?
When the water color paint is completely dry, learners can begin to plan and organize their entire compositions.
The learner should identify an area that will be the Center of Interest and draw or paint an original image related to the theme that they have chosen. Examples might include an image of a plant or animal, a disposable item such as a drawing of a soda pop can, milk carton, French fry box, etc.
Lay out the images and words, refine the ideas and then glue images and words down.
Day Four: Learners may use wire, beads, raffia, nuts, bolts, gel pens, material, wrapping paper, grocery bags, tissue paper, handmade paper, tempera paint, etc. to layer onto their collage.
Be sure that the main words from the theme are readable, either by stamping letters or cutting out the letters from magazines or newspapers. They should be incorporated into the overall composition.
Carefully spray paint a layer of paint over the entire collage to help unify it as the last step.
Days Five and Six: Anticipatory Set: Read the poem from Sandy Maas entitled, "I Am".
Distribute copies of the "I Am" model (Handout One) to the learners to follow as they write their personal reflective poems. They should follow the line-by-line guide and create a poem using ideas, words and images that they gained though the experiences of the entire unit.
Share collages and personal poems with the class. The poems and artwork should be displayed. The collage and poem constitute the celebration aspect of the Service Learning Project.
The Studio Project entitled "From Trash to Treasure" will serve as the assessment for this unit. See Creative Work Rubric (Handout Two).