Monday, June 6, 2011

a "galimoto" art lesson plan

Front, side and back views of my galimoto.
Grade Levels: 4th-6th graders
Topic: Recycling, Environmental Themes in Art, Contemporary African Culture
Goals & Objectives:
  1. Students will learn about the nature of recycling through the telling of a story about a small African boy who builds his own toys from the materials he asks his relatives for in the village where he lives.
  2. The goal of this project is to introduce 4-6 graders to environmental themes and contemporary African culture. Through the classroom discussions stimulated by “Galimoto’s Game,” students will make comparisons between what they are capable of manufacturing themselves to what children in Africa produce from similar reusable materials.
  3. This unit is designed to serve as a precursor to many future activities in the classroom. It is a playful introductory exercise. Students should not be expected to craft excellent studio projects. They should explore, cut, paste, and tear apart the supplies. During this session they are learning to manipulate materials that they will use with greater aptitude in future art projects.
  4. Manipulating 3-dimensional objects takes a host of experiences in order to establish confidence in young students. This exercise will also prepare students to think about how they may proceed to develop sculpture in future classroom experiences.
  5. It is important for American students to draw analogies between themselves and students of different countries and communities of different ethnic/cultural diversity. This helps them to comprehend that they live in a global community where they must adapt to the differences between themselves and others in order to peacefully occupy the same planet and indeed the very same neighborhoods. This simple lesson in culture teaches students that they have similar interests to children of their own age in a country far away. It develops in students a greater understanding of a common identity and purpose. 
National Arts Standards: Visual Arts (5-8 grade) - Content Standard 4: Understanding the visual arts in relation to history and cultures.
Achievement Standard -
  • Students know and compare the characteristics of artworks in various eras and cultures
  • Students describe and place a variety of art objects in historical and cultural contexts
  • Students analyze, describe, and demonstrate how factors of time and place (such as climate, resources, ideas, and technology) influence visual characteristics that give meaning and value to a work of art
Show-Me Standards for Missouri Schools: In Fine Arts, students in Missouri public schools will acquire a solid foundation which includes knowledge of
  1. process and techniques for the production, exhibition or performance of one or more of the visual or performed arts
  2. the principles and elements of different art forms 

  3. the vocabulary to explain perceptions about and evaluations of works in dance, music, theater and visual arts
GLEs - Strand I: Product/Performance – Select and apply three-dimensional media, techniques, and processes to communicate ideas and solve challenging visual art problems for Sculpture, Ceramics or other media.
Sculpture, Ceramics, Other Media
·      Combine simple forms to create a complex object/form (in-the-round)
Strand I: Product/Performance - Communicate ideas about subject matter and themes in artworks created for various purposes.
Theme
Create an original artwork that communicates ideas about
  • The Environment
  • Functions of Art in Culture
  • Personal Identity
Strand III : Artistic Perceptions – Investigate the nature of art and discuss responses to artworks
Aesthetics
Discuss and develop answers to questions about art, such as: Who decides what makes an artwork special, valuable or good?
Length of Class Period: 55 min.
Frequency of Class Period: once a week
Time Needed: three class periods
Facility & Equipment Requirements:
  • One computer lap top
  • Room with good lighting
  • Large tables, approximately ten, each seating four students
  • Two sinks
  • Dry erase board
  • Drying racks
  • Cabinets for storage
  • Projector for viewing computer video, CDs and DVDs
"Galimoto" by Karen Lynn Williams.
Education Resources Needed:
  • “Galimoto” by Karen Williams
  • 5-6 Question Sheets for village captains
  • “Toys and Tales with Everyday Materials” (Spiralbound) by Sudarshan Khanna and Gita Wolf by Tara Publishing. This book is not necessary for this particular assignment. It compliments the unit. In it teachers will find a host of simpler toys that younger students can make for this unit instead of manipulating a more elaborate toy from the materials that we have suggested. In other words, the toys described in this volume will work for K-3.
Materials Needed:
  1. Masking tapes (one role for every two students)
  2. Elmer’s school glue (one bottle for every two students)
  3. Variety of bright tissue papers (many colors, two or three sheets per student)
  4. Newsprint/Newspaper (approximately four Sunday papers)
  5. Scissors (one pair per student)
  6. wire/pipe-cleaners (wire for much older students, pipe-cleaners for younger students – ten or twelve stems)
  7. plastic mesh (Children use chicken wire in Africa but I have chosen to use plastic mesh from Home Depot to eliminate some cuts and pricks!)
  8. foil (two roles of aluminum foil per class of 30 students)
  9. cardstock or old cardboard (one to two cereal or cracker boxes per student)
Vocabulary Words & Definitions:
  1. cooperation – the practice of working with someone else peacefully
  2. environmental – relating to the surroundings
  3. recycle the act of processing used or abandoned materials for use in creating new products
  4. “Galimoto” – means "car" in Chichewa
  5. persistence- continuance of an effect
  6. sculpture- the art or practice of shaping figures or designs
  7. resourceful-  able to act effectively or imaginatively especially in difficult situations
  8. compromise- a settlement of differences
  9. found materials- scraps found and used in unconventional ways
  10. design- organization or structure of formal elements in a work of art
Motivation – Looking and Talking Activity: The students will be introduced to the projects unique object through the reading of the book “Galimoto” During this reading they will be seated to the front of the classroom so that every student may see the pictures and hear the instructor’s voice properly. This particular book describes “how” a galimoto is made by a small boy named Kondi. Then the class will play the Galimoto Game. This game helps them gather their art supplies in such a way as to reinforce the actions of Kondi in the storybook.
Class Discussion: “A Galimoto Game” This game combines topically relevant questions with the acquisition of supplies. Create around your art classroom five small stations (village homes) where each child must visit in order to acquire a different recyclable for this art project. We have chosen the five items listed below for our project. Teachers may choose different items according to whatever supplies they may have at their disposal.
      Assign five students (village captains or relatives) from your class to be in charge of each station. Each of these five students must ask a question(s) from the list below of every student remaining in the classroom. Encourage the students to be thoughtful in their answers. When the visiting student has answered the question he may then collect his or her alloted portion of the recycled material from each station. Students should answer a total of five questions at five different stations in order to accumulate the resources needed to construct their toys. After the students have collected their supplies, each person may then return to his or her desk and begin the studio project. Tools such as: scissors, markers, rulers etc.. will already be made available at each table in the art classroom.
      Questions for constructed response assessment should be printed and distributed to every student in charge of supply stations. Teachers may wish to give only one or two of these to each game captain/relative. Print the list or parts of it prior to the discussion and bring it with you to class. Teachers will need to hand out as many lists as there are team captains.
  1. Why did Kondi need to go to so many different people in order to find the supplies he needed to make his toy with?
  2. If you were going to make a toy at home, what kinds of recyclable supplies would you collect in order to make it?
  3. What is more valuable, a toy that you purchase at a store, or a toy you build yourself?
  4. Can you list three different materials that Kondi collected to construct his car with?
  5. What types of tools would you use to make and shape a recycled toy of your own?
  6. Which one of your family members would know the most about where you could find throw away materials to build a toy with?
  7. Did Kondi’s family have confidence in his ability to make a car from recycled parts?
  8. What surprised you the most about Kondi’s handmade toy?
  9. How long do you think it would take you to build a handmade toy car?
  10. What was the most important ingredient used to by Kondi to construct his toy car?
  11. Do you think that there are people who would value a handmade toy over a store bought toy? why?
  12. What kind of toy would you make if you lived in Kondi's village?
  13. What are some other kinds of objects that you have seen people make out of recyclable materials?
  14. What kinds of smaller parts will you need to build first before combining them altogether to craft the final toy project?
Step by Step Activities:
  1. After playing “Galimotos Game,” students will then return to their assigned seating to manipulate their materials into a toy of their own design. The teacher will need to observe the class to predetermine whether or not to continue the project for another class period.
  2. The teacher will then demonstrate the different stages of building a galimoto similar to the examples she has shown to the class.
  3. Students will wrap their wire human figures then set these aside.
  4. Students will then wrap wire pipe cleaners around paper tubes to create wheels.
  5. Students will attach these wheel shapes to either pre-constructed bike forms or they may choose to design a different galimoto of their own.
Modifications for Students With Special Needs -
Modifications for the hard-of-hearing or deaf student:
  • Student will be seated closer to instructor so they will be better equipped to hear instructions or read lips
  • Student will be provided with written instructions so that they read about the discussions and demonstrations
  • The instructor may use a amplification devise provided by the school or student’s parents
Modifications for the student with limited vision or blindness:
  • Students will be allowed to observe samples of art projects with their hands and for extended periods of time
  • Students will be provided with safe tools and one-on-one guidance during a demonstration of the project
  • The project may be slightly adjusted to accommodate the student’s limitations or for safety reasons
  • Student will be given ample time to exist classroom before large crowds gather outside of the classroom.
Modifications for students with mild brain injury:
  • Students will be provided with duplicate instructions for home and school. Student will not need to remember to carry home materials to review.
  • Students will be given ample time to exist classroom with a pre-determined aid or peer before the official end of a class.
  • Instructor will provide for parent e-mail communication concerning the progress and needs of their student.
  • Student may be given special seat assignment in order to enable his participation in class appropriately. Specific peers may be better equipped to articulate projects visually for this student.
Health & Safety Concerns: We suggest that pipe cleaners or coated electrical wire be used with this project. Plastic mesh may also be used as a safer substitute for wire mesh to prevent cuts.
Cleanup Time & Strategy: Cleanup time for this project will take approximately two to five minutes. Have a number of bins or paper bags set up at the front or back of the room that are clearly labeled according to the recyclable you wish the students to return to that particular bin. Tools, tape and glue may be returned to the shelves and drawers the teacher has assigned them to.
Internet Bibliography: African Innovations In Recycled Toys and General Information About Recycling in African Countries
  1. More African Toy Vehicles by Street Use - http://www.kk.org/streetuse/archives/toys/
  2. Toy exhibition highlights African ingenuity - http://www.germanyandafrica.diplo.de/Vertretung/pretoria__dz/en/__PR/2009__PR/10/10__Global__Players,archiveCtx=2004826.html
  3. Trickle Up celebrates 25 years of micro-entrepreneurs - http://www.treehugger.com/files/2004/11/trickle_up_cele.php
  4. The Art of Play: Recycled Toys from Around the World - http://www.streetplay.com/playfulworld/recycledtoys.shtml
  5. Recycling and the Law in Africa - http://socialenterprising.indegoafrica.org/2009/06/recycling-and-law-in-africa.html
  6. Recycled and Improvised Materials at Design Indaba - http://www.psfk.com/2009/03/recycled-and-improvised-materials-at-design-indaba.html
  7. Real-World Recycling Puts U.S. to Shame - http://www.livescience.com/culture/080822-hn-recycle.html
  8. From Trash to Treasure: Reusing Industrial Materials for School Art Projects - http://www.edutopia.org/recycle-trash-art-projects
Video Online About Recycling Materials:
All articles, photos and lesson plans are copyrighted by grimm 2011

Teacher sample of a galimoto made from wire and newspaper, full length.
An authentic "galimoto" from Kenya, this one is a helicopter.
Helicopter from above

Ten Thousand Villages Video

a recycled landscape "don't pave paradise!" lesson plan

Collage made from magazine clippings helps students learn
 about color, perspective and recycled materials. Also an excellent
 exercise for learning about Impressionism. Note. the
 original photo is at the top left corner.
Title: A Recycled Landscape: “Don’t Pave Paradise!”
Topic: How Artists Relate To The Land, environmentally friendly artworks
Goals & Objectives:
  • Students appreciate understand connections between art and nature.
  • Students create an original artwork that communicates the both the theme of nature and environmental preservation.
  • Students understand how cultural beliefs are connected to nature.
  • Students represent color theory and depth perception in an original artwork.
GLEs:
PP.1.A.HS Level 4 Select and apply drawing media and techniques that demonstrate sensitivity and subtlety in use of the media, engagement with experimentation and/or risk taking, and informed decision making.
PP.1.B.HS Level 4 Communicate ideas about subject matter and themes in artworks created for various purposes. Create a series of original, related, functional artworks that communicate a personal idea.
EP.2.B.HS Level 4 Select and use elements of art for their effect in communicating ideas through artwork. Use shapes expressively to communicate ideas
EP.2.D.HS Level 4 Select and use elements of art for their effect in communicating ideas through artwork. Use textures expressively to communicate ideas.
EP.2.E.HS Level 4 Select and use elements of art for their effect in communicating ideas through artwork. Use color expressively to communicate ideas.
EP.2.F.HS Level 4 Select and use elements of art for their effect in communicating ideas through artwork. Use value expressively to communicate ideas.
AP.3.A.HS Level 4 Analyze and evaluate art using art vocabulary to interpret the meaning of the work. (subject, theme, symbolism, message communicated)
Missouri Show-Me Standards:
                  • (VA1) FA1 – Artists communicate ideas through artworks by selecting and applying media techniques and processes, subject matter, and themes.
                  • (VA2) FA2 - Artists communicate ideas through artworks by selecting and applying art elements and principles.
Grade: 9th – 12th
Length of Class Period: 55 min.
Frequency of Class Period: 5 days a week
Time Needed: 5 class periods
Facility & Equipment Requirements:
  • One computer lap top
  • Room with good lighting
  • Large tables, approximately ten, each seating four students
  • Two sinks
  • Dry erase board
  • Drying racks
  • Cabinets for storage
  • Projector for viewing computer video, CDs and DVDs
Resources Needed:
Materials Per Student:
  • A selection of magazines, any type (4-5 magazines per student, provided by art dept.
  • Scissors
  • A photograph, drawing, printed image from the internet or magazine photo of a landscape that the student has selected for personal preferences
  • One 22” x 28” poster board
  • MOD PODGE or watered down glue
  • Old paint foam brushes
  • Large zip lock bag for shredded paper
Vocabulary/Terminology:
  1. Background – the ground or parts, as of a scene, situated in the rear
  2. Center of Interest – an emphasized area of the composition
  3. Collage – technique of creating a work of art by adhering flat articles, such as paper, fabrics, string or other materials to a flat surface such as canvas whereby a three-dimensional result is achieved
  4. Depth of field – the area in front of and behind the focused point that is sharp
  5. Foreground – the ground of parts of a scene nearest to the viewer
  6. Foreshortening – a form of perspective where the nearest parts of an object or form are enlarged so that the rest of the form appears to go back in space
  7. Horizon line – a level line where the land or water ends and the sky begins. A horizon line is used to attain the perspective of depth. (Vanishing points are typically located on this line.)
  8. Landscape – a painting, drawing or photograph which depicts outdoor scenery
  9. Middle ground – represented space between the foreground and background
  10. Mosaic – an art medium in which small pieces of colored glass, stone, or ceramic tile are embedded in a background material such as plaster or mortar.
  11. Movement – the path that our eyes follow when we look at a work of art
  12. Seascape – a painting or work of pictorial art that depicts the sea or a scene that includes the sea
  13. Vanishing point – the point on the horizon in the distance where two lines seem to converge and visibility ends
  14. Recycling - the act of processing used or abandoned materials for use in creating new products
  15. Environment - relating to the surroundings
Motivation- Looking and Talking Activity:
  1. Hand out to the students cut and scored parts of a larger landscape poster (choose a famous landscape painting)
  2. Ask them questions about the cards like: What do you think of this image?, Do you like it or dislike it?, What stands out about it to you?
  3. Does it have a good design or sense of balance?
  4. Then ask the students to flip their card over to read the number.
  5. Have the students match their numbered pieces to the larger graph on the board so that the original image is reconstructed again on the board.
  6. Give them some masking tape so that they can recreate the poster successfully.
  7. Ask more questions like: Now what do you think of the whole picture?
  8. Are there any new elements apparent in the reconstructed landscape?
  9. Present the Power Point and talk about the perspectives each artist represented might have had about nature.
  10. At the end of the presentation talk about the importance of preserving nature by keeping it clean. Also talk about the importance of recycling and how this ultimately protects the environment. Relate these concepts to our contemporary lifestyles and philosophy.
Step-by-Step Studio Activity Specifics:
  • Students will be encouraged to use all types of paper recyclables in their collages.
  • Students will shred and paste papers according to color schemes.
  • Students will be encouraged to invent textures and shapes that communicate the elements of a landscape.
  • After cutting and pasting for several days. Students will then be allowed to finish their work properly with MOD PODGE or watered down glue
Health & Safety Concerns: There are no health and safety concerns for this project.
Special Needs Adaptations:
Modifications for the hard-of-hearing or deaf student:
  • Student will be seated closer to instructor so they will be better equipped to hear instructions or read lips
  • Student will be provided with written instructions so that they read about the discussions and demonstrations
  • The instructor may use a amplification devise provided by the school or student’s parents
Cleanup Time & Strategy: Students will be instructed to put away art materials neatly in their containers, clean off their tables, and recycle their trash two minutes prior to dismissal.
Assessment: I will be using an informal assessment for this project. I should discuss with students their projects daily and listen for their comprehension of the criteria and the appropriate use of the vocabulary.

All photos, articles and lesson plans are copyrighted by Grimm 2011 

"Things You Have to See to Believe: This unusual man makes a fashionably bold statement by recycling old materials into clothes!"

The Hot Seat Strategy


      The Hot Seat is a role-playing strategy that encourages students to build upon comprehension skills. It is a very popular way to promote literature and keep students pre-occupied with the story selections used most frequently in a drama or a literature classroom. Students may also learn to refine their oral language skills while pretending to be someone of an alternative time period/culture depending on the characters selected.
      The instructor chooses a story that his or her students must read over carefully and then selects one or two characters from it for his students to portray in the hot seat. Some teachers allow their students to freely select a character from their reading assignment that they find interesting. Students who are not assigned to the hot seat are required to compose thoughtful questions to ask the student who is assuming a new identity. This strategy requires more than convincing theatrics in order to portray their persona effectively. The student sitting in the “hot seat” must also research their character carefully so that he or she will also be able to answer questions accurately. Students are encouraged to ask questions that may not be based upon the story, but upon the opinions or habits of the character according to his or her history or culture as well.
How to prepare for this activity:
1.     Study the background history of the literature, author and character that you will be pretending to be.
2.     Create a costume or prompts that accurately reflect the time period in which your character lives.
3.     Think about and prepare to share important facts about your character before sitting in the hot seat.
4.     Answer questions and prepare a brief speech about the your character and present your answers and story in the first-person.
5.     Remain in your role during all of your presentation. Keep in character as long as you are in the hot seat.
6.     If another student is talking about your character, be sure to clarify any misunderstandings you may think he has concerning your role in the literature.
      When teachers are working with younger audiences, they may decide to take the “hot seat” themselves. Small children love to pretend and this activity livens up a story for them in a very unique fashion. Teachers may choose a historical character in order to review more than just the story their students have read. The ‘’hot seat’’ is an excellent way to introduce unique objects or concepts that represent are particular era. Even science may be introduced to a classroom through the portrayal of a famous scientist in the hot seat. It is by far a greater advantage to choose a persona who you are very familiar with. This will make the “acting out” of your character seem natural to your audience. Challenge your young readers to research their questions before interacting with a performer in a “hot seat.” If you find this strategy successful and educational, you may even consider making it an annual event and acquiring a formal costume to enhance your student’s experiences.

all articles, photographs and lesson plans are copyrighted 2011 by Grimm

Cluster Diagrams

      Above is an example of an unorganized cluster that I drew for either a Incan, Myan or Aztec cultural unit.  In order for students to develop this graph, they must first select a topic. In art class this topic could be about an art movement, an artist, a particular culture or even a collection at a museum. After labeling the topic in the center of the graph, students then draw “rays” and write attributes they associate with their topic on or below the lines representing the design elements of a sun or the web-like structure of a spider web.
      Below, I’ve included a sample of an organized cluster. Organized clusters include more topics and subcategories. Both types of clusters may be used by art students to brainstorm about how they will design a project, assess the information they have viewed in a Power Point, film or heard in a lecture. Clusters are also excellent tools to use with students learning a new language. With a combination of pictures and words students can remember unfamiliar vocabulary or record words they need to know for tests or papers.
      Clusters may be also used in small group discussions or may be used by the teacher while having a large group discussion. Teachers may call on students to give ideas about a topic and then write these on a cluster organizer posted on the board at the front of the classroom as the students vocalize their opinions and/or correct answers. 
all articles, photographs and lesson plans are copyrighted 2011 by Grimm

Instructional Strategies

"Leaders establish the vision for the future and set the strategy for getting there." John P. Kotter
       
      I use a wide variety of instructional strategies to encourage student development in the fine arts. Just a few of these unique strategies are listed below. These strategies involve the acquisition of materials and the adaptation of technology in order for me to teach them effectively. My resources may include books, power-points, costumes, scripts, films, music, and visual aids. 
  • Clusters are diagrams that look like spider webs. There are two types, unorganized and organized. Very young students usually draw unorganized clusters that look something like a drawing of the sun with rays drawn around the circumference of a circle. The student writes or draws the main idea in the center of the circle and then writes additional descriptive information about the main idea on the rays surrounding the sun. In the second cluster version, The main idea is connected through a series of lines and additional ideas that are somehow related to each other. This makes the graph look like a giant cluster or spider web.
  • Cubing is an excellent way to teach students how to examine topics related to themes in art. There are six dimensions in this instructional procedure: describe, compare, associate, analyze, apply and argue. This strategy may be conducted by rolling a large dice with numbers 1-6 represented on each side. The numbers are referenced on a poster listing that describes the six dimensions of examination in my classroom. Students then research the dimension they have "rolled" concerning their topic and share it with the class on a predetermined date. I've included samples of cubing in the clay slab people lesson plan
  • Data Charts are often used in my class during a large thematic unit. Data is collected and added after the students read articles and view power points and sometimes even after completing a studio project. Organizing and collecting this data helps students to self-assess their understanding of what goes on in an art classroom and how to apply it to their projects. I also use this strategy when reviewing a unit before an exam or before beginning a new studio assignment. When data informs art, students comprehend it's art uses and meanings on a much deeper level. Included here is a sample of a data chart that I developed for a lesson plan called "Gustav Klimt Trees," it is attached to the end of the article.
  • Grand Conversations - What I have learned from planning a discussion based lesson plan is that it is a very complicated form of curriculum that must be planned well in advance. There is most definitely an art to communicating with multiple participants who come from multiple points of view about culture, religion, politics and literature. This lesson plan introduces the students to entirely different perspectives on the European settlement of North America. It challenges ideas that they have traditionally seen from the point of view of a conquering nation plus, it forces students to ask themselves questions that require deeper thinking on the subject than mere listing of events and opinions. I hope to develop a broader experience of literature for my students to draw artistic inspiration from and lessons such as these will certainly increase that very possibility.
          In this discussion, I also have configured a variety of groups for students to participate in. The small group is a place where shy students might share with others without feeling inhibited. The larger class discussion is a configuration that is somewhat intimidating for students such as these but, for those who thrive on performance, the large group discussions are a necessity. Individuals are also encouraged to write down their thoughts and organize “how” they will respond well in advance. So, this lesson plan not only introduces a “diverse” form of literature/history but also, it makes allowances for a diverse selection of learning styles as well.
  • The Hot Seat Strategy - The Hot Seat is a role-playing strategy that encourages students to build upon comprehension skills. It is a very popular way to promote literature and keep students pre-occupied with the story selections used most frequently in a drama or a literature classroom. Students may also learn to refine their oral language skills while pretending to be someone of an alternative time period/culture depending on the characters selected.
      I also require students to use critical thinking that is developed during routine critique sessions. Students are expected to use art vocabulary while referring to the work of their peers, themselves and master artists. This kind of social intercourse is needed in order to nurture confidence, respect, patience and tolerance for individuality in the arts. Critique is difficult and awkward for most young people but with practice, they learn to conduct themselves appropriately without giving offense. I include vocabulary terms in all of my lesson plans and post these around the classroom as well.
      My older students are also sometimes explore and reflect on questions and articles assigned for sketchbooks/journals purposes. This problem solving strategy integrate all three of the active learning agenda: critical thinking, problem solving and performance. I've included here a selection of sample questions I might use during a typical journal assignment. Students would keep their reflections inside of a journal that would be routinely inspected and graded at the end of a semester. In a high school class, I may also even count a journal such as this as a midterm or final exam.

all articles, photographs and lesson plans are copyrighted 2011 by Grimm 

An Art Survey


Directions: Select the answer that you feel best represents you by underlining the options.

1. The music I like best to listen to while I am sitting in art class.
a.      Rock
b.      Classic
c.      Jazz/Blues
d.     Country
e.      Theater
f.       Rap
g.      Silence is Golden
h.     Other
2. The materials I feel most comfortable working with in an art assignment.
a.      Paper
b.      Clay
c.      Pens and Pencils
d.     Paint
e.      Fabrics
f.       All of the above
3. The materials I feel that I should learn to use in order to become a more proficient artist.
a.      Paper
b.      Clay
c.      Pens and Pencils
d.     Paint
e.      Fabrics
f.       All of  the above
4. The rules that annoy me the most at this school because I’m too old to be told how I should behave.
a.      Rules about using the restrooms
b.      Rules about where to eat food
c.      Rules about the technical devices in my backpack
d.     Rules about homework
e.      Rules about my behavior in general
f.       Rules do not bother me much, I’m cool
5. The most common reason I experience difficulty listening in class
a.      Other students are distracting me
b.      I did not get enough sleep last night
c.      I am hungry
d.     I am bored with the assigned work in the classroom
e.      I seldom have difficulty listening in class
6. What I like best about art class is
a.      I get to work with my hands
b.      I don’t have as much assigned homework
c.      I don’t need to study for a final
d.     I like to pick on people when the teacher is distracted
e.      Creative projects are the best
7. What I would like to see change in the art class
a.      Assigned seating
b.      Project assignments
c.      Students’ motivation
d.     Topics of discussion
e.      People’s attitudes in general
8. What I would like to see remain the same in art class
a.      My teacher’s expectations of me
b.      That good old relaxed environment
c.      Working with the same traditional materials
d.     Assigned seating
e.      Traditional art projects
9. More art projects that have to do with:
a.      Science
b.      Communications/History/Politics
c.      Art History
d.     Religion/Spirituality
e.      Music
f.       Methods of working with materials
g.      Design
10. What I really can’t stand about art assignments is:
a.      I find it difficult to make something look the way I want it to
b.      Art teachers always seem to control what I am doing
c.      My friends are unrealistic in their expectations of my work
d.     The art teacher usually ignores what I think
e.      The assignments are too old-fashioned
11. The kind of art I like to look at best is:
a.      Films and Theater
b.      Cartooning/Animation
c.      Fashion
d.     Traditional Drawings, Painting, and Sculpture

Short Answer.

12.  If I were the richest person on earth and could afford any piece of art, what would I purchase?



13. If I could become a truly successful artist, what would I focus on in my work the most?



14. What is the one thing about art that you secretly believe but have difficulty admitting to when your friends or teachers are in your space?



15. Is beauty an important attribute in art? Explain your answer.


all articles, photographs and lesson plans are copyrighted 2011 by Grimm