Full Lesson (Revolution)

Name: Nikita Luedke
Exploring Revolution
Grade Level(s): Secondary
Standards:
National Visual Arts Standards:
(1) Understanding and applying media, techniques, and processes
(4) Understanding the visual arts in relation to history and cultures
(5) Reflecting upon and assessing the characteristics and merits of their work and the work of others
(6) Making connections between visual arts and other disciplines
Showme Visual Arts Standards:
(1) process and techniques for the production, exhibition or performance of one or more of the visual or performed arts
(2) the principles and elements of different art forms
(5) visual and performing arts in historical and cultural contexts
Grade Level Expectations (GLE’s):
I.1.A; I.1.C; II.1.A; II.2.A; II.2.B; II.2.B; III.1.A; III.2.A; IV.2.A;

Rationale and Goals for this lesson:
Our students have grown up in a society, which revolves around technology. It is every changing, and it an integral part of their lives. They interact with it constantly, and although this is the case, they are never asked to question if it is good for their well being or not. Adults (especially older adults) consistently question and critique our technology driven youth, yet they rarely get the chance to critique themselves. With this lesson, I intend to let students do just that. They will build not only critical thinking skills, but also come up with an opinion of how and why technology drives their lives. They will then work through conceptual—visual skills to depict this opinion using some of the very technology they have been asked to critique. My hope is that they will improve critical thinking skills while becoming aware of the impact that technology has on their lives.

Enduring Big Idea: Revolution
Revolution: a changeover in use or preference especially in technology; a fundamental change in the way of thinking about or visualizing something
We will be working with the idea of “Revolution”. This lesson in particular will focus on the digital/technological revolution taking place within the US and/or globally. Students will be asked to take a positive or negative stance on how this type of revolution affect our lives now and where our future is headed, and will then animate their ideas through simple pictures using a stop-animation format.

Essential Questions:
-Is technology more helpful or harmful to our lives?
-Do you think technology is becoming too powerful for human good?
-What positives can come of digital and technological revolutions?
-What would our lives look like if we lived before the latest technological/ digital revolution? (say… in the 1930’s).
-Why do artists use stop animation today? Why did they use this in the past?
-How does using stop animation related to the idea of revolution and changing society?
-If you had the choice to live in the distant future (3010) or the distant past (1010), which would you choose and why?
-What part of society do technological and digital revolutions affect the most? Why?


Knowledge base and key concepts:
-What stop—animation is and how to create it
-Who are some current artists working in stop animation
-How to use basic technology such as cameras and computer programs to create videos.
-Current issues being explored by artists through stop-motion
-How to use dry erase materials in an aesthetically pleasing way
-What aspects make a stop-motion video powerful and aesthetically pleasing
-How to think critically about an every day occurance
-How to form and visually articulate an opinion on a given topic

Objectives:
-The students will learn about stop motion animation through hands on experience as well as through exploration of working artists and historical references.
-The students will learn simple animation techniques and tricks.
-The students will gain experience in utilizing non-classical art media (dry erase boards and dry erase markers) to produce video art.
-The students will look critically at our technology driven culture and form an opinion on whether it is a positive or negative thing.
-The students will learn to use digital cameras as well as computer software for making slideshows.
-The students will engage in peer reviews.

Vocabulary:
Revolution, Stop-Motion, Stop-Animation, Frame, Transition, Flash Photography, Digital Photography

Lesson Vignette:
Anticipatory Set
-The Student will research the recent advancements in technology both at the national and international level.
-The student will form an opinion on wethere he or she believes this technological revolution has a more positive or negative impact on society as a whole.
Body of Lesson
-They will then express their opinion in a short narrative using stop animation style
-First they will sketch out ten basic frames in a simple comic style sketch
-Second they will begin to transfer their ideas onto the dry erase board. They will take each of their original sketches and put the transition into ten movements to get from the first frame to the second and so on. (this should leave them with 100 frames total, give or take depending on individual needs)
- They will photograph each of their drawings before they erase it and move onto the next one.
Closure
-Finally, they will put all of the photos in order from start to finish into a slideshow/film short.
-To end the lesson, the students will have a “movie day” where we will watch and discuss each of the film shorts.

Assessment/ Rubric:
The students will be assessed based on the following ideas. They will have the opportunity to see this rubric before they begin work on the project.
Assessment: 1 2 3 4 5
90-110 Frames
Completion of video
Clear stance on technology
Detail/power of drawings
Smoothness of transitions
Critique/Class participation
Turned in on Time

Student engagement and adaptations for special needs:
How will you differentiate for your diverse classroom population?
This lesson is easily diverse enough for all various backgrounds and population because it is something that every child will have an individual connection to regardless of their cultural background or life experiences.
How will you keep students engaged?
Not only will students have incentive to work quickly because of time constraints, but they will also be graded based on participation. I believe since they will be working off of their own ideas, and due to the fact that they will be working in a cartoon-type style, both of which are pieces that make students more comfortable, they will be more interested and more self-confident, which will in turn keep them engaged.
What will you do to challenge students who are highly talented?
Exceptionally gifted students will be encouraged to create more detailed and conceptually rich ideas through their videos while still remaining in the same time constraints. This will be assessed on an individual basis.
What will you have planned for those that finish early?
Those that finish early can help photograph for others, help others with video compilation or editing, or will have the opportunity to create a comic based off of their same ideas and basic frames to work in combination with their video.

Materials:
-Paper
-Pencils/Pens
-Dry erase boards
-Dry erase markers
-Digital cameras
-Paper Towels/other cloth
-Video making software (iMovie in this case)
-Smart board or overhead with computer connection

Resources:
http://www.i-am-bored.com/bored_link.cfm?link_id=40497 - link to student made art work set to viva la vida
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ovvk7T8QUIU&NR=1 - stop motion of various old school video games using food as props… really cool!
http://www.eraseboards.com/content/view/12/1/ - longer stop animation video on youtube (semi-professional work)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Moving_Penny.gif - moving penny ; most simple example of stop animation
Artists:
http://pharosproductions.com/aosma/aosma_masters_aupperle.html - Jim Aupperle – one of the “masters” of stop animation- this website features photographs of him working on some major motion pictures.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8JexiISPNk - amazing stop motion video of man going through his day. Choppy. (Eriq Wities) (If you are working in a conservative high school, be warned that this video does have one point where the main character drinks from a beer bottle, and another where he is smoking a cigar)

Preparation Required:
-The students will need to be shown how to download images from the camera onto the computer, and then they will need to be shown how to load pictures from a file into iMovie. Some instruction about basic non-flash photography may need to be given as well.
-In preperation for the class, the teacher must have access to a smart board or overhead projection stystem with a computer connection, and will need to have the “Resources” links found and ready to play (so as not to waste time searching the internet for them while students are in the classroom). The teacher will also need to assemble all materials and have them ready to be distributed.

Teacher Reflection:
This lesson will be deemed successful in my eyes if students remain engaged and interested throughout the process, complete strong—themed videos, and if they all form strong ideas and opinions about how the technology revolution is positively or negatively impacting their lives by the end of the unit.