UNIT INSTRUCTION PLAN

utilizing the
MU Art Education Lesson Plan Format
Developed by Dr. Kathy Unrath

Name: Alison Caselman

TITLE OF UNIT: Relationships: Humans and the World around Us
GRADE LEVEL (S):6-8 Grades

NATIONAL VISUAL ARTS STANDARDS

(http://nationalartsstandards.org/sites/default/files/Visual%20Arts%20at%20a%20Glance%20-
%20new%20copyright%20info.pdf):
VA:Cr1.1.6a VA:Cr2.2.6a VA:Pr6.1.7a
VA:Cr1.1.7a VA:Cr2.3.7a VA:Re.7.1.5a
VA:Cr1.2.6a VA:Cr2.3.8a VA:Re.7.2.7a
VA:Cr2.1.7a VA:Cr3.1.8a VA:Re8.1.6a
VA:Cr2.2.5a VA:Pr5.1.6a VA:Cn11.1.6a

NETS (http://www.iste.org/standards/standards/standards-for-students):
ISTE 1A ISTE 3C ISTE 5B
ISTE 1B ISTE 4A ISTE 6A
ISTE 2A ISTE 4B ISTE 6D

RATIONALE and GOAL(S) FOR THIS UNIT: The rationale for the big idea of
Relationships was to show students that relationships didnt only have to be based
around humans relating to other humans. Instead, I wanted students to think about the
relationships between humans and the world which we live in and how humans can
either positively or negatively affect the outcome of the planet. With my students, they
might not always have the best relationships with other human beings but they do, even
if they have never thought of it, have to have some sort of relationship with the world.
So this unit was to get students to think a little outside the box. This unit is also getting
students to get a basic knowledge about landscape art. This unit is meaningful for
students because it will get them to create a landscape artwork where it is all about
them and what they think about the world, and possibly solve a problem they might see
within the world. I believe this will serve them beyond the classroom by getting them to
individually think about art and how it can make people aware of a problem or situation
they see in the world.

ENDURING BIG IDEA:

The Big Idea is Relationships. When thinking about this unit, I thought relationships
alone would be a very broad topic so I scaled it down to just relationships between
humans and the world around them. I have connected this big idea with landscape art
and will allow students to use a medium that they feel fits this big idea best. I am also
connecting Relationships: Humans and the World around Us to the artist Frederic Edwin
Churchs painting Heart of the Andes and horizon line/viewing points of a landscape.
This idea was found on The Met Museum website so students can also have access to
this as a resource. Digital thinking and new media are intertwined into the big idea
because students are asked to do their thinking partially online. Students are also doing
a bit of research to figure out their ideas along with creating the blogs/vlogs to help
others understand their reasoning for creating what they have.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
Can you have a relationship with something other than humans?
What is your relationship with the world? Why do you think this?
Can you have multiple relationships with the same object/human?
Can the medium you pick to create with change or make the message you are
trying to say within your artwork?

KNOWLEDGE BASE and KEY CONCEPTS:

Students will know:
More information about Frederic Edwin Church.
How to create a draw snapshots of human interaction with the world and
describe it.
How to find the horizon line by using cubes or photographs.
How to articulate their relationship between them and the world verbally and
visually.
How to pick and create within a medium of their choosing.
How to articulate their thoughts about the lessons through blogs/vlogs.
How to turn in their images.
How to respond to peers images and blogs with a WOWIE and WHAT IF.

OBJECTIVES:
Students will:
Complete their social media composing a landscape assignment.
Practice finding where the horizon line would correctly be with a cube in a space.
Sketch out four different ideas they could use for their final idea.
Respond to peers sketches to help build community and communication
between students.
Create a landscape artwork from their own experience and relationship between
them and the world around them.
Articulate their thoughts and actions they took within this project through a
blog/vlog.
Turn in their images to blackboard to be assess.
Will reply to peers to give a WOWIE and WHAT IF.
 UNIT AND LESSON VIGNETTE:
Note: With online education there are no transitions to consider. Our agenda is set up
weekly, so Ill be breaking the unit plan into weeks so it is realistic and applicable for my
current teaching situation. I estimate students spending around 3-5 hours working on
their art each week (45-60 minutes per day). Each weeks structure will look similar
because my students work better when they have a routine that they have already
become familiar with. Students are also allowed to work in an alternative setting if they
determine that it better fits their design and after communicating this to me.

Middle School
WEEK FIVE
Try to complete all assignments by Friday.

Folder Watch Do
Week 5 Big Idea for this If you haven't already done so, respond to 3 peers' for
Week Week 6 project with a WOWIE and WHAT IF
Answer Relationship: Humans and the World around Us
Essential Questions
Week 5 Complete the Met Museum: Social Media Composing a
Landscape Assignment

Video for Complete Practicing Horizon Lines Assignment and turn in

Practicing your paper
Horizon Lines (In the video he refers to lines as parallel lines, but we know that parallel lines NEVER
intersect, so please ignore that he says parallel lines but the way he find the horizon line
still works and is correct.)

Week 5 Relationships: Start sketching 4 different ideas that you could use for your
Humans and final project that you will start next week
the World - I suggest to take 1 piece of printer paper, fold it in half hamburger
style and use the front and back side for your different sketches. Ms.
around Us Caselman's example is located in the Week 5 folder.
Video - Needs to show you took time on these sketches by adding color or
shading

Middle School
 WEEK SIX
Try to complete all assignments by Friday.

Folder Read Watch Do

Week 6 Finish four sketches you started last week.
- I suggest to take 1 piece of printer paper, fold it in half
hamburger style and use the front and back side for your
different sketches. Ms. Caselman's example is located in the
Week 5 folder.
- Needs to show you took time on these sketches by adding
color or shading
Respond to at least 3 peers with a WOWIE and
WHAT IF
- Make sure to give evidence of WHY you think what you do to
receive full points for your response. Points will be removed.
Week 6 Submit what medium you will be using for this project
Week 6 Look at Relationship Start and finish working on your Relationship:
Ms. Requiremen Humans and the World around Us Landscape
Caselmans ts Video - Important task for this project are located in Week 6 on
Example Ms. Blackboard.
- Turn project into Relationships: Humans and the World
Folder Caselmans arounds Us Landscape Discussion Board
Vlog Turn in your blog/vlog
- Questions you could answer are located in the Week 6 Folder
- If attaching your vlog, you might have to reply to your thread
post with your images. Then your vlog can be attached when
you click 'browse my computer'.
(45-60 minutes per day should be spent on your art
assignments)
Week 6 Respond to at least 3 peers with a WOWIE and
WHAT IF
- I suggest your format look like this:
WOWIE: Then say what you like about their work and WHY you think this.
WHAT IF: Ask them a questions on what you might have changed/done if
you were creating this.

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AND ADAPTATIONS FOR SPECIAL NEEDS:

Differentiate Tools for My Diverse Classroom:
o Text to Speech apps for their readings
o Students using Speech to Text apps for their blogs
 o Making sure the materials that students use fit their small and large motor
abilities
o Allowing the students to create what has meaning to them and being open
to the unknown outcome.
Keeping Students Engaged:
o By allowing them to create artwork for personal reflection
o By making computer art lessons more hands on with less text to read
o By giving them the ability to make choices and problem solve for
themselves.
Challenge Highly Talented Students:
o Ask them to try an unfamiliar medium
o Encourage them to continue to research the Big Idea and to dig deeper
into the content.
When Students Finish Early:
o One great thing about online education is student can finish early without
needed busy work to keep them from bothering others.
o They need to make sure to login each day for attendance
o Work on other work from previous units
o Work on other work from a different class

ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES: (both formative and summative)

With this class being online, it is hard to really get substantial formative
assessments. I am able to see what they are thinking and the steps students take by
reading and responding to their blogs. How the students receive points is if they hit the
word count and stay on topic for their discussion board writings and explanations of
what they did that week and turned in their image(s). If they do both of these tasks,
100% is awarded to the students.

Examples of Summative Assessment for this Unit:

Students need to think about how Frederic Edwin Churchs work has to do with
the big idea of Relationship: Humans and the World around Us (if any) and say what
they think and answer a few questions about the artwork, Heart of the Andes. When
students answer all parts of the questions, they will receive full credit.
When student complete the social media composing a landscape assignment,
their submission will need to have an image they draw from life and a couple sentences
explaining what is going on in the image.
When students understand how to find the horizon line with only an image of a
cube given nine times they will receive full credit.
 When students turn in their sketches, they need to have color or shading and at
least 6 sketches to receive full credit. They also need to give a WOWIE and WHAT IF to
three of their peers.
Before students turn in their final artwork for this unit, they need to decide what
medium they will be using for the project and why it would help the artwork in this big
idea to receive points.
When students complete the Relationship: Humans and the World around Us
Project, they will be graded on if their project followed the objectives within in the videos
and if their blog was on topic and met the word count minimum. Then when they
respond to their peers work.

EXEMPLARS:
Ms. Caselmans Relationships: Humans and the World around Us artwork and vlog:

Whole image

Favorite part: The shadows created with the blue and

commentary orange highlights.
Least favorite parts: The lack of paint in the corners and the brown, colored sky in parts.

Student Examples:
RESOURCES AND LINKS PAGE

Links for contemporary artist:

Frederic Edwin Church
o http://www.metmuseum.org/learn/educators/lesson-plans/composing-a-
landscape
o http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/09.95/

Link to The Met Museum: http://www.metmuseum.org/

Link to Social Medial Composing a Landscape:

http://www.metmuseum.org/learn/educators/lesson-plans/composing-a-landscape

Link to finding Horizon Line and Viewpoints: https://www.ctrlpaint.com/videos/horizon-

line-and-viewpoint

Links to videos created specifically for my class and students:

Relationships: Humans and the World Around Us Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wV2jYNp64Xk
Relationship Requirements: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6zAC0j6DV0

Link to my exemplar vlog video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUL6ZXLi328