Level 3: ART 309 & Student Teaching

Collaborative Exploration of Location Based Artwork

Central Focus Students will explore the artistic process and site-specific artwork through collaborating together
to produce an installation on their school campus.
Grade Level 9-12 high school
Class Size TBD
Time Over several class periods
Class Demographics TBD

National Visual Arts Standards Addressed

VA:Re8.1.Ia
a. Interpret an artwork or collection of works, supported by relevant and sufficient evidence found in the work and its various contexts.
VA:Cn10.1.Ia
a. Document process of developing ideas from early stages to fully elaborated ideas
VA:Re.7.1.Ia
a. Hypothesize ways in which art influences perception and understanding of human experiences.
VA:Re.7.2.Ia
b. Analyze how one’s understanding of the world is affected by experiencing visual imagery.

Forms 2D 3D 4D
Frames Cultural Subjective Structural Postmodern
Conceptual
Artwork Artist Audience World
Framework

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As a result of this lesson, students will be able to:
1. Students will be able to interpret meaning in artworks through writing and discussion using vocabulary.
2. Students will collaboratively plan and create an installation
3. Students will document their process through video
4. Students will present their plans for approval by administration
5. Students will analyze art from different perspectives
6. Students will write a statement about their artwork

TEACHER MATERIALS
 Images of artists works  Video Camera  Found Objects
 Google Maps  Writing utensils  Materials students use
 Visual Process Journals  Nature to respond to their
 Video editing software environment (Choice)

STUDENT MATERIALS
 Images of artists works  Video Camera  Found Objects
 Google Maps  Writing utensils  Materials students use
 Visual Process Journals  Nature to respond to their
 Video editing software environment (Choice)

ARTISTS IN CONTEXT
Key Artists Andrew Rogers
Robert Smithson
Christo & Jeanne Claude
Walter De Maria
Judy Chicago
Olafur Eliasson
Key Artworks Andrew Rogers, Rhythms of Life Land Art Project, 1998-2015
Christo & Jeanne Claude, Running Fence, 1972-76
Robert Smithson, Spiral Jetty, 1970
Olafur Eliasson, The Weather Project (2003)
EE = Early Elementary grades K-3 • LE = Late Elementary grades 4-6 • MS = Middle School grades 6-9
EHS = Early High School grades 10-11 • LHS = Late High School grade 12
Level 3: ART 309 & Student Teaching

Walter De Maria, The Earth Room 1980

Judy Chicago, The Dinner Party (1974-1979)
Key Critical Questions 1. How does the artist respond to their environment?
2. How do artists work with communities to create these works?
3. How are cultures represented?
4. How will these artworks withstand time?
5. Is the temporary nature or disintegration key to the artwork?
6. How does the temporary nature affect the work?

VOCABULARY AND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

Vocabulary Abstract Art- art that does not attempt to represent external reality, but seeks to achieve
its effect using shapes, forms, colors, and textures.
Collaboration- the action of working with someone to produce or create something.
Installation Art- designed to transform the perception of a space
Site-specific- artwork created to exist in a certain place
Geoglyphs- a large design or motif produced on the ground and typically formed by
clastic rocks or similarly durable elements of the landscape, such as stones, stone
fragments, live trees, gravel, or earth
Public Art- art in any media that has been planned and executed with the intention of
being staged in the physical public domain, usually outside and accessible to all
Permit- an official document giving someone authorization to do something
Language Functions analyze, critique, describe, interpret
Language Demands Syntax Discourse
Language Tasks and 1. Students will use split page notes during their readings to record observations
Activities and questions on the reading.
2. Students will discuss/share their interpretations of earth art with the class
3. Students will write statements about the meaning in the artwork they create
4. Students will write statements of intent on their plans for their installation
5. Students will present their statements of intent to administration
6. Students will create a documentary explaining their process and their planned
message
Language Supports 1. Vocabulary will be presented and explained as well as a handout to be put in
their Visual Process Journals with the vocabulary on it.
2. The students will have posters to support their use of vocabulary in discussion
as a class

INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES AND LEARNING TASKS

Launch Activities Instruction Methods
 Students will be presented with images of earth art, environmental art, and  Think Pair Share
installation art and prompted to create and write their interpretations of the
artwork.
 Students will share these interpretations with a partner and then the class for
discussion
Instruction Instruction Methods
 Students will be asked to read text from The Art Story and take split page notes  Split page notes
on the reading. After reading the teacher will ask questions to ensure the  Concept maps
students understood the vocabulary in the text.  Visual process journals
 Students will collaboratively create concept maps as a class mapping out the  Cubing
ideas presented in the text and in their interpretations.  Video documentation
 Students will once again be shown images of artworks and will be presented with  RAFT
a dice. They will roll the dice and examine the artwork from different perspectives  Human Barometer
based on the number it lands on, such as audience, world, artwork, government,  Observational notes
student, etc.
 Students will be presented with possible interpretations on artworks along with
statements about the movements. They will move to different areas of the room
labeled agree, disagree, not sure, etc. to indicate their opinion on the statement.
This will gauge understanding.

EE = Early Elementary grades K-3 • LE = Late Elementary grades 4-6 • MS = Middle School grades 6-9
EHS = Early High School grades 10-11 • LHS = Late High School grade 12
Level 3: ART 309 & Student Teaching

 Students will write observational notes while watching a film (Rhythms of Life
Land Art) on recent earth art, writing their interpretations, descriptions, etc. And
afterwards share how they believe this may have impacted those involved lives.
 Students will be broken into groups to collaboratively plan installations for their
campus, they will use their visual process journals to create sketches and written
plans.
 Students will create a final sketch of their intended project with a statement of
intent to be presented to the school administration for approval. (Will submit
again if not approved).
 During their planning, creating, and reflection process students will document
their experiences through video.
 Students will be periodically stopped to ask about the perspectives they are
considering as they create their artwork.
 Students will plan and collect materials to create their artworks.
 Students will create their installations on the school campus.
 Students will individually write artist statements about their installations.
 Students will collaboratively rework their individual statements into a
collaborative statement to be presented with their artwork and discussed in their
video.
 Students will take a tour of each others installations after they have finished each
installation.
 Students will edit and present their videos to the class.
 IF NECESSARY students will disassemble their installations with no trace left
after they are up the allotted time.
Closure Instruction Methods
 Students will discuss how their fellow schoolmates may have been impacted by  Questions and discussion
their installations
 Students will consider how they may make an installation in their community that
reflects the community as a whole

ACCOMODATIONS FOR SPECIFIC DIVERSE LEARNERS

Adaptations and Accommodations
 All resources will be adapted to accommodate students with visual or hearing impairments because video and online
resources are used.
 Students with visual impairments will be able to create installations based on an experience through texture.
Enrichment and Extensions
 Advanced students will be able to further explore the use of video and documentary to make their video into an artwork in
itself
 Advanced students will further develop statements and integrate them into the presentation of the artwork.
 Students artwork can respond to a specific environmental issue in their community.
Activity for Early Finishers
 Early finishing students will be able to further explore the use of video and documentary to make their video into an artwork
in itself

OBJECTIVE-DRIVEN ASSESSMENTS
1. Describe the specific tools and methods you will use as formative and summative assessment of students’ mastery of the
2. Students will write statements of intent utilizing vocabulary from the texts.
3. Students will write individual statements of meaning utilizing vocabulary from the texts, then adapt these to create a
collaborative statement.
4. Students will create an installation incorporating methods of earth art and utilizing their campus surroundings.
5. Students will document their process through a documentary video.

INTERDISCIPLINARY CONNECTIONS
 English
 History
 Science

EE = Early Elementary grades K-3 • LE = Late Elementary grades 4-6 • MS = Middle School grades 6-9
EHS = Early High School grades 10-11 • LHS = Late High School grade 12
Level 3: ART 309 & Student Teaching

RESOURCES

The Art Story: Earth Art

Robert Smithson Artworks

Nancy Holt Artworks

Andy Goldsworthy Artworks

Robert Smithson Film

How to: Public Art

Robert Smithson Spiral Jetty

Christo and Jeanne Claude Running Fence

How to write an artist statement

Rhythms of Life Land Art

Nancy Holt Sun Tunnels

Google Arts and Culture Earth Art

* Developed and written by Annie Otto, Art Education, Illinois State University, 2018 *

EE = Early Elementary grades K-3 • LE = Late Elementary grades 4-6 • MS = Middle School grades 6-9
EHS = Early High School grades 10-11 • LHS = Late High School grade 12