Professional Documents
Culture Documents
1. Conceptual Structure
imbued with Symphony through quotes by Daniel Pink in his book A Whole New Mind,
through .gif files, photographs from nature, example artworks (both historical and from visual
culture), and a video of another culture creating Symphony through music and their individual
roles within the society.
Students will be taught the basics of creating rhythm through an introductory drum demo by the
teacher, and afterward, provided with the opportunity to connect to others using music as a
means to create unity both within a group of two and then a group of four. All groups will return
to the class for a short discussion, responding to the following questions:
1. How was the experience trying to make or maintain a rhythm with a peer?
2. How did your experience change once you joined another group?
After a short reflective class discussion on their experiences, the teacher will share additional
examples of Symphony from the slideshow; several videos of artists fusing both music and art.
Students are then asked to use the given supplies to create a visual example of their individual
beat. Returning to their group of four, students are asked to combine all of their created elements
together in a cohesive composition.
Once groups have finished, theyre to present their artworks, while either sharing the recorded
version of the group rhythm, or by performing it. Each group will also briefly justify to the class
some of their artistic process and decision making with the following questions.
1. What were struggles that you encountered as an individual? As a group?
2. How was your group able to create a sense of unity in both your sound and visual compositions? What
makes you say this?
Again, theres a brief reflective class discussion, and at least 6 additional video examples to drive
the concept home. The slideshow also contains an example artwork by artist Melissa McCracken
(slide 31). This could be used for VTS at the beginning of the unit too. Questions explored include:
1. What's going on in this picture?
2. What do you see that makes you say that?
3. What more can we find?
CREATING
3. Art making activities
What will students DO and CREATE that will provide evidence of depth of knowledge about
the big idea?
How will the art teacher help students artistically and creatively investigate and express the big
idea?
Explain how you will facilitate the development of knowledge about CREATING/ARTMAKING
that will help students explore subject matter, media, and techniques in their own work.
Materials Needed: Lesson slideshow, Found object that can make sound, colored construction
paper, scissors, adhesive, recording device (cell phones work great!)
The teacher will talk about rhythm and demo a down beat (home) and various rhythm patterns
with found objects for the class. Have each student tap along, keeping the home beat and discuss
unity as a group. Explore different rhythm patterns while everyone is tapping along to talk about
variety within the whole group. As the class moves through each activity, it is important to
remember that some students will get very anxious with this activity, encouraging them to create
a simple rhythm could be helpful. (Heres a great script to use if you like)
Activity #1: Students will be paired in groups of two. Give them 10 minutes to create a unique
rhythm with their found objects.
Activity #2: Student groups of two will be paired with another pair (pair-pair). For this activity
each group member will trade their instrument with someone else within their group. They will
be given 15 minutes to come up with a blended group rhythm. They will need to record their
final rhythm.
Reflect on Activities #1 & #2 will help the student make connections to the big idea of Unity. :
How was your experience trying to make and maintain a rhythm with a peer?
How did your experience change when you joined another group?
Explore different ways in which sound can be visually represented. Show video examples of
symphonic visualization in the slide show. VTS could be incorporated to one of the videos
during this portion of the video. Encourage students to think about how sound can be
represented through line, shape and color.
Activity #3: Each student will have 10 minutes to individually create a representation of their
rhythm using line, shape, and color. They can only use colored construction paper and scissors.
Activity #4: Using their individual representation from Activity #3, students will reconvene in
their groups of 4 to collaborate on a visual representation of their group rhythm. Students may
use an adhesive along with paper and scissors for this portion.
Reflect on the process as an individual and as a group:
What struggles did you encounter as an individual? As a group? How was your group able to
create a sense of unity in both your sound and visual compositions?
Group discussion/Artist Journals
4. Assessment
What evidence from performances and products demonstrate deep understanding and
generalizable new knowledge? What evidence of pre-thinking, in process ideation and
development will be required? How will you know what your students have learned about:
TEACHER REFLECTION
6. How does your curricular design foster skills for the Conceptual Age?
Describe how your curriculum design helps students understand our visual culture.
How is this art experience relevant and meaningful to the iKids lives as they explore
imagination, artistic thinking, and creativity?
How are your students making meaning through meaningful making?
Students use their senses of hearing and touch to define what they cannot see in their rhythms.
By doing so, the are symphonically bringing together multiple parts to create a visual illustration
of what otherwise cannot actually be seen.
Each student works simultaneously as an individual and together as a collective. Meaning is
created by the individual through their rhythmic contribution to the musical composition and
then visually to their illustrative composition. Essentially, the part affects the whole as much the
whole is inseparable from the part.
Students directly use imagination in that what they are creating visually is not something that can
be seen without translation through their other senses. Students translate sounds to imagery,
the abstract into the concrete.