UNIT PLAN | WRITTEN & DESIGNED BY MINJI KIM

About This Unit Plan

This unit plan contains rationale, 4 lesson projects, and assessment. Each lesson project booklet includes quotography, materials, project description, key questions and resources.

Rationale Project 1 Cactus pattern sculpture Project 2 Cactus pot installation Project 3 Drawing with thread Project 4 Defensive mechanism Assessment Criteria

Rationale

Rationale
Cactus is the sub theme under the main theme of Touch for this Unit Plan. The cactus survives in tough conditions like the desert. For this reason, people may think that a cactus plant does not require any care. The cactus pointy sharp texture warns people to keep away, but at the same time its unique appearance evokes curiosity of what the plant is really about. This unit plan provides an opportunity for students to discover the hidden beauty of the cactus that we often ignore. Through this unit plan, students will take a great amount of time to look at different kinds of cacti in order to uncover new means of perceiving an ordinary object. The very word cactus represents patience, endurance, and persistence. These symbolic meanings can be extended into many art lessons based upon the enduring ideas of survival, power, emotion and nature. Many teachers may find that a conceptual idea dealing with human nature is too challenging for younger students, because younger students may find enduring ideas difficult to understand and express in their art practices. However, Stewart (2005) argues that the enduring ideas would not be remote or distant from elementary students if taught with topics within their realm of experience (p. 28). Thus, this unit plan supports the idea that young children are capable of understanding conceptual ideas such as relationships and emotions because they experience these things in their lives too. Teachers need to view young children as individual thinkers who are able to communicate their understanding of the world around them with others. On that account, the curriculum will make connections between students personal experiences and the natural world that surrounds them. Elementary youngsters with a variety of experience in art will gain the ability to turn their thinking into a visual form. Contemporary visual culture can be engaging to students learning experiences because it provides new and pro-

vocative ways of visualizing artists personal statements with unusual materials. Furthermore, students will be able to express themselves in their own unique way that connects to the world around them. For this reason, this unit plan will focus on contemporary artists in order to create a strong connection of the curriculum to current visual culture. This unit plan will be taught in an art class at a standard public school where art is mandatory for all students at all age levels. The class duration is fifty minutes and students attend art class once a week. This unit plan is designed for nine and ten year old students. One of the significant characteristics of this age is that children discover that they are members of society, a society of peers (Lowenfeld, 1987, p. 306). During this time, children gain an awareness of the fact that they can achieve more powerful things within a group than as a single person. Therefore, teachers should give support to this awakening feeling for group cooperation and the discovery of social independence (Lowenfeld, 1987, p. 306). This unit plan further provides opportunities for students to participate in collaborative projects that will contribute to the development of student social interaction. One idea that can be explored within the cactus theme is the concept of opposites. The cactus is a contradiction because it is dry on the outside and full of water on the inside. This creates an interesting juxtaposition. There are many artists who use juxtaposition as a central theme in their work. For example, Salvador Dalis, Lobster Telephone creates the same tension by joining an electronic phone body with the exoskeleton of a lobster. Juxtaposition can be further extended with texture concepts. For example, plant spines can be both soft like a dandelion and rough like a cactus. Students can explore many different kinds of materials to create different textures. Rather than giving students a particular material for the project, they will be encouraged to experiment with various materials. According to Lowenfeld (1987), the inspiration for working with materials should come directly from the structure and nature of that material itself. Establishing relation-

ships between a child and materials will be crucial in enabling the child intuitively to create designs that utilize qualities inherent in the materials (p. 319). Functional art is another concept that can be further explored. Today, we are living in a world where green products are popular and many designers borrow ideas from nature. Students can be more socially responsible by considering human needs through focusing on nature-inspired functional art. As Stewart and Walker (2005) suggest in Visual Culture and the Curriculum, without the inclusion of visual representations beyond traditional fine art forms, art students would not be fully equipped to understand the contemporary world and thus purpose matters in artwork (p. 124). Through incorporating functional aspects in art, art becomes more than a form of self-expression, and students will understand the importance of having a purpose to their art practice. To discuss functionality in the class, contemporary design work by The Minister of Municipal Affairs & Agriculture Building by Aesthetics Architects Go group can be shown to inspire students that even architecture can take the form of a cactus. The round, robust, and organic form of a cactus creates a comfortable environment. There are furniture designs that are also inspired by cacti such as Cactus Chair by Deger Cengiz and Prickly Pair Chairs by Valentian Gonzalez Wohlers. The idea that functional art can take its form from nature has great potential for lessons. Artists who use sharp objects for their works will be also interesting to focus on. Students can study the intention of using sharp materials for art pieces. This will give them a better understanding of the use of materials within the work. Within this concept, students can also think about whether the artists got their ideas first and then decided on materials, or the other way around. An artist who uses sharp objects as the main material for her artwork is Mona Hatoum, who created a doormat with sharp needles. The doormat is like a cactus because it is charming and invites people, but it also has protective and dangerous elements. The idea of using sharp or dangerous things as a protection for animals or plants

can be exciting for young children. Students can learn about animal and plant defense mechanisms and create their own self-protection clothing that incorporates safety features inspired by nature. Students can develop observation skills through looking at different kinds of cacti. Cactus plants have many different features on them, which will be challenging for young people to describe. It will be exciting to look at the plant very closely, using a magnifying glass, to discover interesting shapes. We seldom look at cactus plants very closely because of the sharp spikes. Through the observation exercise, students will discover new things about the plant and can create pattern design using the found shapes from the observational drawing. Instead of looking at the cactus as a whole, we can use the strategies of deconstruction so that students can reveal the values and meanings that were once concealed under the dangerous spikes. The main goal of this unit plan is to give young children the opportunity to communicate their understanding of the conceptual ideas in their world with their own visual language. Gude (2007) noted in Principles of Possibility: Considerations for a 21st Century Art & Culture Curriculum that young people learn how to play, not just with materials, but also with ideas (p. 14). As students explore the Cactus theme, they will gain the ability to see an ordinary object from multiple perspectives to discover new meanings through playing with ideas of opposites, juxtaposition, functional art, protection, nature, environment, and texture.

REFERENCES Gude, O. (2007). Principle Of Possibility: Considerations For A 21st Century Art & Culture Curriculum. Art As History. New York: Routledge. Stewart, M. G. & Walker, S. (2005). Making it count: Unit foundations. Rethinking curriculum in art. Davis: MA. Lowenfeld, V. & Brittain, W. L. (1987). Creative and Metal Growth. Englewood Cliffs, N.J. : MacMillan.

project 1 cactus pattern sculpture

Project 1: Cactus pattern sculpture Quotation

One of my greatest passions and inspiration for my design? Garden! My gardens are very lush and passionate ... I base much of my creative storytelling on the rich green hues of my surroundings. - Amy Butler, Where women create magazine, autumn 2010 issue, p. 30.

Materials
Small cactus plant for each student, magnifying glasses, 2B pencils, black sharpies, small water containers, paper-mache paste, newsprint paper, masking tape, corrugated cardboard (minimum 10 x 10 inch), drawing papers in 3-inch square size, lettersize print papers.

Description
The class will begin with looking at microphotography of cacti to reveal a pattern-based image of a cactus. The concept of this lesson is to deconstruct the cactus subject into its most basic element as a pattern. At the end of the lesson, students will break off into groups and reconstruct the subject into a sculptural form using their pattern drawings. This project is inspired by the texture and repetitive patterns that can be found on the cactus plant. For this assignment, each student will be provided with a cactus plant and a magnifying glass that will be used to seek out patterns on the cactus. Students will deconstruct the elements of the cactus plant by only focusing on one particular element of the plant at a time, such as the cactus spikes, stems, points, lines, or shapes. As students look at the plant closely with a magnifying glass, they will produce mark-making drawings on a 3-inch square paper with a 2B pencil. After the students produce the mark-making drawings, they will look at designer Marian Bantjes and illustrator Nate Williams work and discuss their technique of

Project 1: Cactus pattern sculpture

pattern making. Students will learn the elements of repetition and color combination from the artists work. Using the mark-making drawings, students will design patterns on a 3-inch square paper to create a stack of paper tiles with sharpies. Then, they will photocopy them for the next part of the lesson. The second part of this lesson is to create a cactus plant sculpture as a group of four or five. Students will be supplied with newsprint paper and masking tape which they will manipulate to the shape of a cactus in a minimum size of 15 inches tall. Students will make the cactus sculpture stand using a cardboard as a base. Once the cactus has been shaped they will cover the sculpture with their paper tiles of patterns using a paper-mch paste. Every student will contribute as a member within a group to achieve the shared goal of making a sculpture. The cactus sculpture covered with abstract patterns will demonstrate the concept of deconstructing and reconstructing the subject matter to investigate a different and new way of seeing an object.

Key Questions
(While looking at the microphotography of cacti) What do you think that you are seeing in the photographs? What do these photographs remind you of? What would this world look like if we had special eyes that magnified things?

Project 1: Cactus pattern sculpture Resources

Microscopic photographs of different kinds of cacti.
http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artjan07/bj-cacti.html

Caitlin Sherwood,
black and white drawing, 2008 http://caitlinsherwood.blogspot. com/2008/09/b-drawings.html

Project 1: Cactus pattern sculpture Resources

Marian Bantjes http://www.bantjes.com

Er will mich, 2008, cover of Zeit magazine.

Tcs: the moon, 2008, oil painting.

Project 1: Cactus pattern sculpture Resources

Nate Williams http://www.n8w.com

From top left: Blue Q Tote Bag Pattern, Circles and Lines Surface Pattern, Surface Pattern Vertical Waves, Surface Pattern Cloulds, Zig Zag

Project 1: Cactus pattern sculpture Resources

Jungil Hong http://jungilhong.com

Supermarket Spirit Ship http://jungilhong.com/index.php?/sculptures/supermarket-spirit-ship-aka-the-possibility-seed/

project 2 cactus pot installation

Project 2: Cactus pot installation Quotation

Design becomes the fashion, and designers are given a free hand. Very soon everything is over-designed and people back away from design. There is no situation in which design should harm functionality. That would be a true contradiction since design is meant to aid function. So design excess is absurd. - Bono, E. (2004). Design Excess, http://www.thinkingmanagers.com/management/design-function.php

Materials
Air dry clay, plastic knives and forks, water cups, acrylic paint, paint brushes (small round, medium flat, large round), drawing papers, 2B pencils.

Description
The main goal of this lesson is to acknowledge the functionality of object design from a designers perspective. This will be achieved by creating a cactus plant pot. The class will begin with a discussion on the functionality of a pot for plants, and students will write down the key things that need to be addressed in order to hold a plant, for example plant pots need to be level to stand, and they must hold a certain amount of weight in order to house a growing plant. For this lesson, children will use the little cactus plant that they used in the previous lesson. Cornelius Lemmer and Matteo Cibics unique pot design will be used as inspirational visual resources. These pots are not ordinary shapes but designed into unique dolls that in a way personify the plants, so that they appear more alive and personable. The challenge for making a plant pot for this lesson is not only to consider the functionality of the pot, but also to give it a character and personality that suits the cactus plant. Students will discuss their concept for the pot design before the actual making begins. The class will be encouraged to think of the cactus as an integrated part of the art piece,

Project 2: Cactus pot installation

since only once the plant is placed into their pot design will their artwork be complete. Students will begin with sketching their ideas for the pot design. Using air-dry clay as their material for the pot, students will need to measure the plant to consider the size of their pot. They will have to make sure that all sides are an even thickness to avoid cracks after hardening. After a day or two when the clay pots have dried, students will be able to color and design images on it using tempura paint. The second part of the lesson explores the idea of placing a plant in a particular location. The students designed cactus pots, with cacti inside them, become an installation piece. Students can look at Edgar Orlainetas installation work that consists of cactus plants placed with a skeleton of chairs to create a different mood for the plant. Inspired by Orlainetas work, students will explore the concept of combining functional and organic forms and create a new story of their characterized plant and designed pot.

Key Questions
Why do people keep plants indoors and how? What do designers have to think about when they design an object?

Project 2: Cactus pot installation Resources

Comsai by Matteo Cibic http://cargocollective.com

DOMSAI WHITE / Matteo Cibic, 2009, ceramic, pirex, cactus, 5 1/2 x 5 1/2 x 10 inches

Project 2: Cactus pot installation Resources

Cornelius Lemmer http://www.corneliuslemmer.co.za/

http://www.designindaba.com/ news-snippet/its-pot-doll

Project 2: Cactus pot installation Resources

Deger Cengiz http://www.degercengiz.com/

Selfish & Devoted, Galvanized Metal, 14 x 16 x 8 inches

Project 2: Cactus pot installation Resources

Edgar Orlaineta http://www.sarameltzergallery.com/artist.php?artist=orlaineta

Harry, 2006-2007, Seats from Bertoia chairs, steel, electromagnetic paint and Moon Cactus, 17 1/2 x 21 x 12 1/2 inches.

Karl, 2006-2007, Thonet chair, wood, bees wax and Jade plants, 34 x 16 x 42 inches

Spirits, 2008 Installation view at Sara Meltzer Gallery, New York

Jorge Luis, 2006-2007, Butterfly chair, steel, electromagnetic paint and Agave plants 48 x 42 x 55 inches.

project 3 drawing with thread

Project 3: Drawing with thread Quotation

Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect - Seattle, C. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/thread.html

Materials
Brown craft paper (40 lb weight, 20 x 30 inches), white foamboard (20 x 30 inches), ball point pins, black sharpie fine point marker, white acrylic 4-ply thread

Description
The main goal of this project is to awaken students perception of drawing by introducing thread as new medium for line drawing. There are two parts to this lesson; first, drawing with sharpies and second, drawing with the thread. From the provided visual sources, students will choose one cactus image for the first part of the drawing. Each student will use a sheet of brown craft paper for the drawing this material will create the plane of a desert environment. The reason for choosing to work in large scale is to get the children to experience the enormous desert setting that the cactus lives in, and also the scale is inspired by the contemporary artist, Kwangho Lee, who captures and enlarges the textures of cactus on canvas to make abstract images. Lee typically works with large format art. Children will start with observational drawing with a black sharpie from the chosen photograph of a cactus. Students will be encouraged to draw big to fill up the page, and to outline the contour of the cactus spikes as they draw. This observation drawing should not be concerned with tones, shading or too much detail and it should avoid coloring in with the sharpies. The primary goal is to keep the students focused on the cactus shape and where the placements of the spikes are on the plant.

Project 3: Drawing with thread

The second part of this lesson is using ball point pins and thread to create lines. Students will place their finished observational drawing on a foam board and affix the drawing by tacking in pins to each corner of the paper. Students will then continue to put more pins on the parts of their drawings where the cactus spikes are. There should be a gap of at least two inches between each pin so that there is enough space for thread to go around each pin. Contemporary artists Katie Lewis and Beili Liu who use thread as their main medium will be the inspirational sources for the next stage of the lesson. After indicating where all the sharp points on the cactus are with pins, students will use a white thread to create lines which will elaborate the shape and texture of the cactus. The thread introduces a new concept of line drawing that brings a layer of 3-dimensional space to the line drawing. As a finishing touch, the display of the finished art pieces will be illuminated by a spotlight, much like the sun, placed above the drawings. This light source will bring an added layer of shadow to the thread, while enhancing the effect of layered lines and also highlighting the interesting textures on the cactus drawing.

Key Questions
Have you touched a cactus before? How did it feel? How can you describe the texture of a cactus? What lines or types of shape can you find from a cactus? How can we draw a line on a piece of paper without using pencil or pen?

Project 3: Drawing with thread Resources

Kwangho Lee

Cactus no. 47, 2010, 98 x 118 inches, oil on canvas.

Cactus no 44, 2010, oil on canvas, 51 x 38 inches,

Cactus no 45, 2010, oil on canvas, 51 x 38 inches,

Cactus no. 40, 2009, oil on canvas, 15 x 38 inches.

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/10/view/9991/kwangho-lee-touch-exhibition-at-kukje-gallery-seoul.html

Project 3: Drawing with thread Resources

Emil Lukas http://www.emillukas.com

Peeling, 2008 thread on wood frame, 24 x 16 x 2.5 inches.

Detail view

Project 3: Drawing with thread Resources

Katie Lewis, http://katiehollandlewis.com/

201 Days, 2006, thread, pencil and pins, 70 x 36 x 1.8 inches.

Project 3: Drawing with thread Resources

Beili Liu, http://www.beililiu.com/

Bound #2, thread, needle, read oak, 6 x 10 x 18

Project 3: Drawing with thread Project example

project 4 defensive mechanism

Project 4: Defensive mechanism Quotation

I dont even call it violence when its in self defense; I call it intelligence - Malcolm X. Retrieved from http://thinkexist.com/quotes/with/keyword/self_defense/

Materials
Aluminum foils, wood sticks, Styrofoam, toothpicks, masking tapes, papers, colored papers, scraps of cardboards, corrugated boards, staplers, plastic bags, rubber bands, pipe cleaners, papers, scissors, variety color of fabrics, patterned fabrics, fabric glue, elmers glue, cottons, Q-tips.

Description
The key idea for this lesson is to create something that looks dangerous and tough as a self-defensive mechanism. Through this lesson students will learn that being aggressive or resorting to violence is not a necessary line of self-defense. The class will begin with discussing strategies that animals or plants use as self-defensive mechanism. Make a list of the strategies on the chalkboard, or on a big piece of paper as students discover them. The list may consist of animals or plants that use unusual things as self-defense mechanisms. For example: animals that morph to make their body appear bigger than their actual size, animals that can camouflage their skin, animals that appear rough textured, and animals that are hyper-bright colored in order to intimidate potential predators. After this discussion segment, students will take a mind journey to an exotic place where they need their own protective mechanism to survive in a dangerous environment. Using the key questions as a guide, this will stimulate the children to think up possible ways of protecting themselves. The goal of this lesson is to create a self-defensive mechanism that is wearable. For example, contemporary artist Kate Kretzs defense mechanism coat is made out of

Project 4: Defensive mechanism

nails to have an armored and threatening look. Punk fashion uses spikes, chains and leather as a metaphor for self-defense mechanisms, a fashion statement that gives a tough impression to strangers. Artists who use sharp objects to create art pieces can be used as an inspiration source, such as Mona Hatoum who created a doormat with sharp needles. The doormat is like a cactus because it is charming and invites people, but it has a protective and dangerous element. John Bisbees artwork could be used as one of the inspirational visual sources. Bisbee uses steel nails as the primary material for his work. Dutch designers Kathy Ludwig and Florian Krautlis wearable defense mechanisms are another great visual resources that can also inspire the class to create wearable objects for themselves. Students will be provided with a simple template to create a hat, vest, or pair of shoes as a simple wearable structure. They will choose to make one among the lists, but students who manage to finish earlier than others can continue making others to create a set. There will be a demonstration of the technique of making a basic form from the template with heavy construction paper. After making the basic form, students will add special features by using only one material, like Bisbees work, to create their self-protection device. Students will be encouraged to explore several provided materials and discover for themselves the best way to attach them to their structure in order to produce a functional and wearable piece.

Key Questions
Why do cactus have spikes on their body? Do you know any other plants that have spikes on their body? What are some of the strategies that animals or plants use for their own protection? If we were to live in the Amazon Jungle alone, what would it feel like? What do you do when you feel scared? What do you need to make yourself feel comfortable or strong when you feel scared or nervous?

Project 4: Defensive mechanism Resources

Animal and plant defense mechanism websites

Useful Links: Animal defense mechanism stock photos and images http://www.fotosearch.com/photos-images/animal-defense-mechanism.html 10 of the Most Bizarre Animal Defense Mechanisms: WebEcoist http://webecoist.com/2008/11/04/9-of-the-most-bizarre-animal-defense-mechanisms/ Plant Defense Mechanisms http://www.botany.org/plantimages/PlantDefenseMechanisms.php

Project 4: Defensive mechanism Resources

Mona Hatoum

Door mat, 1996, 1 1/4 x 29 3/4 x 16 1/2 inches, stainless steel, nickel plated pins, canvas and glue. http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot_details.aspx?intObjectID=4658292 Pin Rug, 1999, 1 3/4 x 47 7/8 x 73 5/8 inches, stainless steel pins, canvas, and glue. http://www.sfmoma.org/artwork/100220

Project 4: Defensive mechanism Resources

John Bisbee

Welded steel nails

Slack, 12 inch nails

Each sculpture in his Ton series was created by welding together one ton of nails http://dailyartmuse.com/2010/04/16/john-bisbee-nails-it/

Details of sculpture and a work-in-progress

Project 4: Defensive mechanism Resources

Kate Kretz http://www.katekretz.com/

Defense mechanism coat, 2001, velvet, wool, nails, embroidered veins, 45 x 28 x 12 inches, Belger Foundation Collection.

Project 4: Defensive mechanism Resources

Kathy Ludwig & Florian Krutli http://www.klfk.nl

Constructed out of pockets, the skirt acts as a tree camouflage when it is lifted over the head. The pockets form the leaves of the crown and your feet symbolize the trunk. The skirt also forms a space around your upper body, shielding you from the outer world. Material: cotton

Project 4: Defensive mechanism Resources

Kathy Ludwig & Florian Krutli http://www.klfk.nl

The wrinkled bag serves as a hiding place, and is expandable to about two and a half times its size to fit a full-sized adult. Material: cotton, elastics, leather

Assessment rubric, circle graph

Learning assessment
50 % Sketchpad 40 % Project 1 - 4, (each project: 10%) 10 % Class participation: Attendance and punctuality

Mid-term Review
Students will be provided with a checklist for the mid-term review. This will help students understand what they will need for their final portfolio review. Students will self-evaluate themselves, as well as evaluate their peers in the classroom. Based on this examination, students will be able to understand what areas they can improve in. This will also provide students an opportunity to adjust the rubric if necessary. Checklist: Following list should be included in a sketchpad Research collection Idea development Written reflection Finished work

Learning assessment Sketchpad (50%)

Students will keep a sketchpad that will be used for both the process: including sketches, research collections, idea development (written and drawn), and for the written reflection of each project. Students are required to record their dates and timing on the top right corner of every page. For the written refections, students will be given a worksheet with questionnaires. All worksheets must be kept in the sketchpad. Reflection worksheet questionnaires example: Drawing project: What was the most challenging thing from this lesson and how did you face the challenge? What is the most successful thing that you achieved from this project? Did you learn anything new? How can you describe drawing?

needs improvement Entries are missing or too short to provide a picture of the work that the student has completed

mediocre Lists all of the decisions or activities that the student has completed, but there is no reflection included

well done Includes some reflections on the students decisions, but would benefit from deeper and/or more frequent discussion of the successes and challenges the student faced

outstanding Includes thoughtful reflections on the students decisions. It discusses successes and challenges evenly and shows deep insight into the students process

Assessment rubric for project (10% each) Project 1

Performance Criteria Creativity / Originality

needs improvement States ideas or information about the creative process with few details and traditional points of view

mediocre Communicates and expresses ideas and information about the creative process with some details and some new ideas Piece was created with few pattern design

well done Communicates and expresses ideas and information about the creative process with many details and some new ideas Piece was created with mark-making drawings and some pattern design

outstanding Communicates and expresses ideas and information about the creative process with original and insightful perspectives Piece was created with various pattern design with markmaking drawings

Concept Piece was created Understanding but does not depict understanding of a pattern design

Craftmanship

No attempt of exploring mark-making and distractingly messy Contributes to the group only when prompted

Well crafted sculplimited number of mark-making draw- ture with interesting ing and didnt apply pattern design it into pattern design Works toward Contributes to the group with occasion- group goals without prompting. Accepts al prompting and fulfills individual role within the group Raises relevant questions and contributes meaningful observations

Exceptionally attractive in terms of pattern design, sculptrue form and neatness Consistently and actively works toward group goals. Willingly accepts and fulfills individual role within the group Poses pertinent questions and adds meaningful observations with insight Clearly discusses or explains in writing why choices were made and describes with insight what did or did not work

Effort

Participation

Asks some questions Asks few if any questions, and states and makes relevant observations few if any relevant observations

Self-Evaluation No attempt or interSkills est in reflecting on development of own work

Can describe key Has little difficulty aspects of decisiondescribing his/her own creative process making and problem-solving process

Project 1 | Cactus pattern sculpture Circle Graph Rating Scale

Use performance criteria Creativity / Originality
4

Self-Evaluation Skills

Concept Understanding

Participation

Craftmanship

Effort / Perseverance