Videos - Lesson Plan

Overview: 

Videos are a great tool to help students transition from passing time into learning time. They get to take a few minutes to passively learn new information. They are still thinking and learning, however they do not have to be "on" in terms of participation. It's also a great idea to mix up delivery methods for information in the classroom so they stay engaged throughout the whole unit. 

This lesson is one about public art. The idea is to get students to start recognizing that art is everywhere. The video I created is based on sculptures located through Birmingham, Michigan, however it could be expanded to include street art (e.g., Russell Industrial Center, Illumination mural), graphic design (Shepard Fairey's mural, menus, billboards, etc.), fashion, monuments, architecture, etc. Art integrates culture, environment, math, science, history, literature -- everything. It touches everything we touch in one way or another. Through this video, students will see sculptures that are readily available and that many may have driven or walked by in the past (especially those closest to Woodward). They will watch the video and brainstorm on other public artworks they know of (Washington Monument? Mackinac Bridge? cool buildings?) 

Objective: 

• Students will learn about public art that is in the neighboring city
• Students will brainstorm about public art works they have seen
• Students will analyze the images from the side of the Russell Industrial Center for the elements and principles of design
• Students will evaluate the value of the artwork on the side of the building and determine whether or not it should stay up on the building if the artists' studios were closed 
• Students will create their own sketch and mini model for a public work of art to go somewhere within the city of Berkley. It can be any medium (digital, painting, sculpture, etc.)

Creativity

This is an art lesson so it is innately creative. Students will be viewing, analyzing, and critiquing local works of art. They will also be creating their own sketches and models of proposed public works of art within our city. Their thinking will also be documented through sketches, notes, and visible thinking routines. The students will also have class critiques to analyze and provide feedback to each other regarding their sketches and models. 

Time is one of my biggest considerations. My video is about 2.5 minutes which is perfect for a 45 minute class. Once they come in, transition into their seats, we discuss the day's goals, and watch the quick video, they will have about a half hour to work on their brainstorming and group discussions. This kind of a project takes several weeks when you only see students once a week. The benefit to extending the lesson is that students have time to notice their surroundings and will start to see the artwork that is around them every day. 

Application
When designing the video for my lesson plan, I purposefully chose not to add words so students could just look at the artwork. I labeled each piece and kept the text close to the actual image, if not right on top of the image. Using different delivery methods helps keep students engaged. For a lesson like this, showing images is critical because they may have already seen some of these and can make that connection with their own prior knowledge. It will also give them an idea of what to look for while in the car with their parents.

Reflection
I have been thinking about using more video clips to introduce new artists. Some days I teach 10 classes in a row and don't have even 5 minutes in between. Showing a quick video gives me a few minutes to be able to catch up with simple things like cleaning paint brushes between classes or putting one classes papers away in my back cabinet while grabbing the next class. It is a way to get students engaged without having to lead a lecture.

Using videos also helps students by looking at artwork in a new way. We see images on the smart board and in books, however a walking tour of the Louvre is going to offer a much different perspective than a still photo.

Videos also enable family sharing and student-directed learning. Using ipads, class and home computers, and mobile phones, students can watch these videos again and can share them with their family. My video includes a map of the walking tour in Birmingham. This would be helpful for parents who want to take their children to actually see the art that was featured in the video.

I enjoyed taking the walking tour on my own. It was cool to see how close some pieces were and how different they looked in person than online. One piece in particular, gave the coolest shadow late in the day and that's not something you would experience just by watching the movie.