Teacher-Librarian and Art Teacher will collaborate to help students develop familiarity with the Modernist Movement in Art. Together they will help students explore the topic through an introduction via PowerPoint where they will survey the history of the movement, and the sub movements that resulted. Students will then further engage in learning through independent research, which will form the basis for students producing a painting (work of art) in the style of their selected modernist artist. Paintings will then be featured in a local venue, possibly a local library, center for the arts, municipal facility, or even a local bookstore (The location for the show will vary depending on the resources available within the community). Project will also be followed up with a surprise field trip (of course students will have to receive notification in time to get parental permission) to the local museum to view their Modernist collection where they will be able to apply their knowledge for full appreciation of art work viewed.

Instructional Goals:

• Student will practice using their information literacy skills to locate literary resources.
• Students will be introduced to literature that they may have previously overlooked.
• Students will learn about Modernism in Art History.

 

Learning Objectives:

• Students will have to locate 6 resources in the library: 3 literary works from the Modernist era, and 3 resources on/about a modernist artist.
• While students are selecting resources they will need to look through Modernist Literature, selecting one (as their muse/source of inspiration) as outlined in the assignment, to base their art project on.
• Students will be able to identify and select qualifying resources on the subject of Modernism based the information learned as a result of the Powerpoint presentation.

 

Motivational Goals:

• Students who are bound for art college will have another relevant piece of artwork to add to their portfolio.
• The project is designed to allow for relevance in that there are plenty of choices allowing students to customize it to their personal tastes or liking.
• Build confidence in students as they develop a broader range of knowledge.

• Pre-select an abstract image that will be thought provoking and suitable to the assignment criteria.
  
• A large screen to project an image of an abstract painting on.
• Powerpoint presentation, “Making Sense of Modernism” and proper equipment to show it on.
• Assignment worksheet also entitled, “Making Sense of Modernism.”
• Students should have turned in their completed resource worksheets and selected two items for their project. One of which will be a literary work they will have to check out.
• All art supplies needed for the creation of their project will be handled through their art teacher/department or may need to be supplied by students depending on the nature of their project.

Introduction

• Students will be notified by their Art teacher that class will be held in the library, in preparation for an upcoming assignment. Their instructor will then accompany them to the library (so that he or she will be present to answer any subject specific questions that may arise).
• When students enter the library there will be a projected image of an abstract painting.
• The Teacher-Librarian will ask them what they think it is a representation of. He or she will then call on students for answers and ask them why the feel the way they do.

Body

• After a brief discussion the TL will begin the accompanying PowerPoint entitled Making Sense of Modernism.
• Upon completion of the PPT, the assignment sheet will be handed out and questions from the students about the assignment will be addressed. Page 2 of the assignment form is a worksheet where students need to document 6 resources they explored in consideration of use for the assignment. That sheet needs to be completed and turned into TL, who will notify their Art Teacher when they have all been received. Note: The resource worksheets need to be completed and handed in before student can proceed.
• Those students who can’t/didn’t complete it during class time should come into the library on their own time to do so.
• Brief description of the assignment: Students will select 1 literary resource and 1 artist whose style they like (both from the Modernist Era) and use them to create an original work of art by using the literary resource as their source of inspiration and their selected artists style as their adopted style in their creation. So if their selected artist worked in collage format then the piece they create would be in that format. (See handout for more detailed description).

Conclusion

• Once students have created their original works in the Art Classroom, they will need to complete the project by composing a 500-800 word essay in reflection explaining the choices they made. This will be turned into their Art Teacher.
• Art work will then be presented in a gallery showing. The location will be up to the Art Teacher to choose. Ideally it should be held somewhere within the surrounding community like a public library, municipal facility or community center.
• Students will be invited on a surprise fieldtrip to a museum to see Modern art up close. The trip could be a visit to a local museum. However, given the age of the students, it could also be adapted into something more elaborate like a visit to a famous museum located in another state or country that would be held over Spring-break or in the summertime.

Note: Assessment is based on the learning objectives. If they are altered then so to must the measure for assessment.

- The final project, an original work of art, will demonstrate the students' ability to grasp the concepts presented, discussed, and researched.

- The completed worksheets will determine if students were able to efficiently locate 6 resources, and gauge whether or not they were appropriate in terms of content and quality.

- Final essays (in reflection) will assess how well students understood the concepts presented about Modernism in Art.

Teacher-Librarian and Art teacher