Field Trip!

Field Trip!

When presented with the opportunity to take your students on a field trip it's definitely a good idea to take advantage of it.  It's cool for students to get a chance to see artists work that they have seen in class. They can also see how other artists incorporate elements and principles in their artwork.  Their are a variety of activities and places that you can take your students to; art galleries, art museums, sculpture gardens are just a few examples of places you can take your students.  

It's important to think about how you are going to fund your field trip.  Money for gas and money for admission tickets and if you're doing a whole day trip you will have to hire a bus driver for the day to transport you and your students.  

One field trip I would like to take my students on is a trip to the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia.  When I was a junior in high school, the art department at my school took a day trip to Atlanta.  We visited the Noguchi Playground, a local art gallery, and finished if off by going to the High Museum of Art.  The best part about this trip was that two of places we visited were completely free!  This is something I feel my students could enjoy

I would have the students bring the sketchbooks and assign them to do some sketching and write brief reflections on the artwork that stood out to them the most.  It's important for the kids to have a good time exploring the galleries and museums, but you can't have them wandering around without something for them to do.  I'd like students to pick their favorite works of art from the gallery/museum and write small reflections on why these works of art appeal to them and what they feel the art is conveying to the viewer.  I'd have them write about at least five works of art and write a small paragraph for each.  And while they are at the Noguchi playground I would like them to do some sketching and observational drawing. I think the students will enjoy playing out the Noguchi playground.  I would like to talk to the students about how art can be functional and serve a purpose.  I would like them to get to see contemporary art and learn more about contemporary artists.  I want to challenge my students to think about how contemporary art functions and address some of the criticisms they may have about contemporary art or from other people.  

3D Art Assignment

3D Art Assignment

Their are a variety of 3D mediums that students can use in order to create some cool, interesting works of art.  3D materials that can be used : metal, wire, clay, plaster, wood, and paper just to name a few.  Your students can create anything from figurative sculptures to abstract forms.  We've explored making sculptures out with paper, but your students can also make interesting sculptures out of wire.

Contour Wire Sculpture

This medium can be used to create 3D forms using mainly contour line. Wire comes in different gauges and colors, wire tools and rods can be used to manipulate and bend the wire into the form they want to create.  A lesson I would do with my students would be having them create a contour wire sculpture; I would bring in objects that the students can use as references to make their sculptures.  This would be a nice pairing to do with a contour line drawing assignment adapting both 2D and 3D principles.  You could have your students create abstract forms, but usually high schooler's need more direction when it comes to their art assignments.   

Materials needed: 

Wire (Decorative, Copper, etc)

Pliers (small nose)

Wire Cutters

Foam Board (optional; can be used as a base)

Show students how they can create depth with wire by using different line weights (using thinner and thicker wire).  Also show student how they can curve the wire using the rounded pliers. 

Found Object Sculpture

Found Object Sculpture

Art materials and supplies can be very costly, but your students don't always need buy expansive art supplies in order to make interesting works of art.  Students can find objects at home or at thrift stores that can be used to create amazing artworks.  If you're introducing your students to 3D design and Sculpture you may want to do a Found Object assignment where they go out and find materials to create their own sculpture.  

A fun thing you could do with your students is take them to a local thrift or antique store.  Discuss with your students about how they should consider some of the principles of design when looking for their found objects such as Texture, Form, Variety.  Once students have picked their objects they can brainstorm and sketch out how they want to assemble their objects together.  If you're unable to take students to a thrift store, you may want to consider taking them outside and having them find found objects in nature.  

Another found object assignment you can do with your students is making Phone Book Tube sculptures.  With this assignment you have your students roll up Phone Book pages.  Students can create cool , intricate forms using the rolled up Phone Book pages.  They can cut and glue the paper to create their forms.  The paper forms can be mounted to a piece of foam board or they can also be turned into mobile sculptures that can be hung from the ceiling.  The students can also paint on the paper and can add elements to their sculptural forms.  

The Art of Film

The Art of Film

Film is becoming a more popular art form among young students and more of them are beginning to gravitate towards pursuing the Art of Film in college.   It seems that most schools neglect to have film classes for high school students who have an interest in it.  Depending on the school's resources and also funding, they may not have a Film class available for students to take. Also, their may not be a teacher who feels comfortable enough or feel they are equipped enough to teach the course.  Let's say I was teaching at a school that didn't have a Film class, but I taught a Media Arts class.  I would like to, if only briefly, teach students about Film and perhaps give them their own assignment to create their own film.  

If I were to introduce Film to my students I would teach them about some of the most iconic figure behind the film industry and what role those people played in contributing towards the evolution of film.  I would introduce some key concepts and camera techniques such as Camera Angles (Bird's Eye, High Angle, Low Angle, Canted Angle), Camera Movements (Panning, Tilting, Tracking/Trucking/Dolly shots), Editing (Raw Footage, Rough Cut, Final Cut, Transitions).  

If possible I would want to designate time to show my students a film (Like Princess Bride for instance) and have they analyze and interpret different parts of the film.  Who are the characters?  What is the plot?  What are the motivations of some of the characters?  What is the setting?  What is the context?  If theirs not enough time to show the whole movie than I would just show some key scenes throughout the movie and just spend one class period and have a class discussion about what is going on in those key scenes.  

It would be interesting to have an assignment where students make their own short films about any concept or idea that interested them.  Students could take what they have learned and seen from movies and come up with their own unique ideas to produce their own film.