Cultural Communication Unit December 2013 Olivia Vitale 1. Cultural Communication Unit 2.

I designed my unit for an eighth grade classroom. I imagined a class of twenty to thirty students in a school with an adequate (most likely running at minimal) art department with access to a computer lab in a library or separate. There would most likely be students with issues, like behavior, learning, or even physical. 3. I feel as if the big ideas covered in this unit are appropriate for the students to begin addressing at their age. Beginning to establish identity and viewing themselves as consumers is not abstract for students at that level. Through current advertisements and cultural objects students are able to identify the big ideas and investigate the essential questions. By providing the students the opportunity to create current popular art and self-portraits, the students are engaging in art that is relevant to themselves and the twenty-first century. 4. Andy Warhol is an American born artist who is often used as the face of the Pop Art Movement that took place in the 1950s and 1960s. He manipulates cultural objects to convey a message about objectification and celebrity. I chose to use Warhol because he is a well-known artist that explores the ideas of consumerism and objectification Shepard Fairey is an American born artist who works with street art, graphics and illustration. He is most known for his depiction of President Obama during the 2008 election. Fariey works in a variety of media and explores the big ideas of curiosity, manipulation and relationships using popular images and concepts. I chose to include him in my lesson because of his use of text and popular images. Banksy is a graffiti artist based out of the United Kingdom. I chose to include him as a model for my cultural communication unit because he often uses satire to convey a message relating to current events. Annie Leibovitz is an American born portrait photographer who is known for her portraits of celebrities. Annie held positions at both Vanity Fair and Rolling Stone Magazine. While she is known for her celebrity portraiture she photographs to depict her subjects with their true identity, not their celebrity identity. I wanted to include her as a contemporary example of portraiture so students would experience the idea of identity as an idea explored by all walks of life. 5. Throughout time and across cultures artists have wrestled with ideas about cultural communication. It is a natural act for humans to communicate, but this communication has changed and developed over millions of years. In the twenty-first century communication has evolved to include verbal, nonverbal and technological communication. Art is a form of communication that may outlast the artists, the subjects, the society, or even the culture from which the communicated message originates. Cultural communication includes ideas of identity, consumerism, objectification, manipulation and choice that are covered within my unit. These enduring ideas can be applied to current events and popular culture. 6. Students are investigating art as a form of cultural communication and an expression of identity. Investigative essential questions to guide this unit include, but are not limited to: What is art? Who can create art? Can art be used as a tool? Is art confined to museum? What is identity?

What is consumerism? What do our choices communicate about our identity? What is popular art? What is irony? How can we communicate through artwork? How is identity reflected through our decisions? How do we package ourselves? How can consumerism affect our identity, opinions, choices and ideas? Students will discover how their identities are affected by cultural communication. Through advertisements, memes and other forms of cultural communication, identities are influenced in positive and negative ways using manipulation and objectification. 7. The key concepts of my unit are as follows. Advertising is an art with a purpose. Advertising is often created to manipulate the viewers ideas and opinions about a product in order for the viewer to purchase said product. Manipulation in advertising is intended to change the opinion or make a consumer think something about a product. Objectification is often referring to the objectification of a person and is often related to gender. Advertising uses manipulated communication to sell a product. This manipulated communication can result in the purchase of a product; or the refusal of the purchase of a product. A consumer identity is compiled of consumer goods and reflected through purchases. A consumer is one who consumes, or uses, a product. Communication in advertising is often connected to a target market. As many different messages can be communicated, the sole purpose of advertising is to get someone to buy the product being sold. Therefore, opposing marketing techniques does not mean that the products are unrelated. Annie Leibovitz is an american portrait photographer who has held positions at major magazine publications. Annie Leibovits often photographs celebrities, but aims to capture their identity not their career. Identity is the condition of being oneself. Identities are individualistic. Identities, to an extent, can express meaning. There can be different identities (internal, external, consumer). A self-portrait can differ in style than just a drawing or painting. Symbols can convey meaning. Communication can be manipulated through symbols. Choices can communicate identity. Objectification and manipulation can affect identity. The popular art movement from the 1950-1960s communicated ideas about consumerism. The pop art movement used elements and principles including, but not limited to, color, composition, repetition, collage, unity, emphasis, and line. A meme is an ironic communication of an element of current popular culture. While media and artistic style may change, many ideas and communications stay the same. 8. I anticipate some resistance from student about the examples being provided being identified as art work. This resulting from what I assume their prior ideas of what art is and looks like (a more classical view versus a less graphic and consumer view). There are other constraints I feel I will experience as a teacher not necessarily for the students: Is there too much prep work? Will students not want to investigate their identities? What do I do with students who are not as heavily exposed to popular culture as other students?

9. I can connect this unit with social studies through use of current events. I can also connect the exploration of identity to psychology classes. 10. I think the assignments are appropriate for the age of the students because they are challenging but meet many national and state standards. 11. This unit provides many opportunities for students to view and respond to art and art objects. Viewing art occurs within each lesson, including the artist examples, meme examples, and advertisements. 12. I will be able to gauge success through formative and summative assessments including class discussions, artist journals, exit slips, class participation, rubrics, self-assessments and original artwork. Success will look like students excited and engaged in lessons, creating original artwork that will communicate the big ideas of this lesson.