Unit Title: Self Expression Sarah Skidmore

Grade level: 9-12

Length of unit: 4 weeks
Stage 1 Desired Results

Meaning
Enduring Understandings/Generalizations:

Visual art is an expression of human experience and emotion,
and has its own language.
The Elements of Art and Design are a foundation for expression
and directing ones ideas and emotions.
Artistic expression has universal themes that span all cultures.
Artistic self-expression is a means of communication and self-
healing.
Essential Questions:

Universally, why do people make art?
What universal themes are expressed in art?
Why are the Elements of Art and Design important, and do they
have to be present in every piece of artwork?
How do you communicate personal experiences through art?
How do artists express their ideas and emotions without language?

Knowledge & Skills Acquisition
Learning Goals: (e.g., Iowa/Common core standards.)

1. Demonstrate skills that utilize the characteristics and expressive features of art and design to communicate meaning (DOK 1-3)
2. Incorporate personal life experiences through aesthetic responses to works of art (DOK 3-4)
3. Evaluate the emotional significance generated by characteristics and expressive features of art and design (DOK 1-3)
4. Identify ways in which art is basic to thinking and communicating about the world (DOK 1-3)
5. Discuss how characteristics of art are used in specific ways to create meaning (DOK 1-3)
6. Make inferences about the artist's feelings and perspective (DOK 2-3)

Students will know

the Elements of Art (Line, Shape, Value, Form, Space, Texture,
Color)
the Principles of Design (Rhythm, Emphasis, Pattern, Unity,
Movement, Contrast, Balance)
that art has its own language and what that language is.
that art expression is a means of self-healing and
Students will be able to

make a piece of artwork that uses the Elements of Art and
Principles of Design that expresses an idea or an emotion
identify themes and concepts in artwork
research and write about artists intent and emotions evoked
through artwork
show understanding of symmetry, blending analogous colors, and
communication.
How to interpret emotion in art.
Identify and incorporate nature symbolism.
What symmetry is and how to blend analogous colors in a
symmetrical manner.
Effective research strategies including primary and secondary
sources, cross referencing sources, documenting and citing
sources for both information and images use.
how to verbalize reasoning behind artists purpose while using
art vocabulary.
nature symbolism within the final mandala project.
support aesthetic choices they have made and developed in their
artwork with appropriate use of art vocabulary. (Provide vocabulary
sheet for them to fill out and use in final critique.)
Resources/Materials:

Drake University School of Education building exhibit, Trauma, Trials and Triumph As Evidence Through Artistic
Expression with artwork from students coming from the Iowa Juvenile Home.
Video connected with the Trauma and Art exhibit.
Photos and examples of Mandalas and the how the Tibetan Buddhist Monks use them for healing of the self and or the
earth
Videos of Buddhist monk and mandala construction and deconstruction (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10084L3Pqsc,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10084L3Pqsc)
The Scream and The Voice by Edvard Munch
Vocabulary sheet for students to fill out/use in final critique


Stage 2 Evidence (Assessment)
Types of assessment: Selected-Response (tests, quizzes); Personal Communication (interview, oral exam, discussion);
Written Response (short constructed response questions, entrance/exit slips, essays); Performance Assessment (role-play,
Simulation, labs, dramatization)
Pre-assessment:

Formal (Given the week before the unit begins)
1) Give the students a pre-test on the Elements of Art and the Principles of Design, review material if needed. Give Pre-Test.

Informal (Given the day before the unit begins)
1) TIPS Activity on self-expression and its importance in the lives of artists globally. Have them turn in these notes.
2) Have an exit slip having them address the question How do artists use the Elements of Art and Principles of Design to communicate
themselves through their art?

Formative Assessment: (will be incomplete until Stage 3 is completely done)

1) Choice board on the Elements of Art and Principles of Design Have students choose 3 elements and do a thumbnail sketch
exemplifying each. Choose 1 of these sketches to create a larger piece from. Have critique over choice board assignment.
2) Written response to artistic images, artist statements, and video from the art exhibit Traumas, Trials, and Triumphs from the Iowa
Juvenile Home
3) Socratic Seminar on EQ What universal themes are expressed in art?. Frontload this conversation with article they will all read and
base discussion on. Give article as homework the Friday before the discussion, then give 10-15 minutes before Seminar on Monday to
come up with 5 talking points.
4) Research project find a piece of artwork that you feel expresses emotions in a unique or powerful way. Write 2 page essay the first
page about the emotions it evoked in them and the second page with some information about the artists intent in making it.
5) Compare/Contrast the technical and conceptual aspects of The Scream and The Voice by Edvard Munch. What emotions do they
evoke? How do they evoke them?



6) Vocabulary for Critique Give students the vocabulary terms, that they will be responsible for filling out and bringing to
critique/incorporate vocabulary when talking about others works.
7) Have students do another TIPS activity addressing the same issues of self-expression and its importance in the lives of artists globally.
After they have finished, hand back their original notes and have them compare and contrast how their thinking has changed. Students
will write a page paper on these connections, and self assess how their thinking has changed.

Summative Assessment:

1) Self Expression Mandala Project for the Performance based summative assessment. (Assignment sheet and Rubric included)
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Foimal pie
assessment -uive
stuuent pie-test on
the Elements of Ait
anu Piinciples of
Besign, ieview
mateiial if neeueu.
Infoimal pie-assessment -
TIPS Activity on self-
expiession anu its
impoitance in the lives of
aitists globally. Stuuents
will tuin in notes. Exit slip
having them auuiess the
question ""Bow uo aitists
use the Elements of Ait anu
Piinciples of Besign to
communicate themselves
thiough theii ait."

1 2 S 4 S
Choice boaiu on the
Elements of Ait anu
Piinciples of Besign.
Complete Thumbnail
sketches in classas
homewoik.
Come to class having chosen a
thumbnail sketch to enlaige. Woik
on it in class.
Continuefinalize pioject on
the Elements of Ait anu
Piinciples of Besign that
they chose.
Show samples of
woik fiom "Tiauma,
Tiials, anu Tiiumph"
anu talk about ait
theiapy anu self-
expiession being
useu to heal.
Watch viueo fiom Iowa
}uvenile Bome. Complete a
wiitten iesponse to images
fiom the uay befoie anu
viueo (to be tuineu in at the
enu of class).
uive stuuents aiticle to ieau
foi Sociatic Seminai on
Nonuay.
8 9 1u 11 12
uive stuuents 1u-1S
minutes at beginning of
class to ieview aiticle.
Pick S talking points to
biing to table uuiing
Sociatic Seminai. Conuuct
Sociatic Seminai.
Intiouuce ieseaich pioject.
Biscuss ieseaich stiategies.
PPT on piimaiy anu seconuaiy
souices, types of souices, cioss-
iefeiencing, uocumenting, anu citing
souices foi both infoimation
ieseaicheu anu images useu.
Reseive the libiaiybiing in
mobile lab foi stuuent to
stait finuing the woiks of ait
they will be
ieseaichingfocusing on.
Come to class with
finalizeu piece of
aitwoik that they
will focus on in theii
ieseaich pioject.

Woikshop
timequestionsinuiviuual
meeting with teachei.

Biing final papei in Nonuay
to shaie with class.
1S
Bave stuuents woik in
small gioups to shaie
theii piecespapeis about.
Bave gioups choose one
membeis papei to shaie
full class.
16
Bave stuuent compaiecontiast the
technical anu conceptual aspects of
"The Scieam" anu "The voice" by
Euvaiu Nunch. Neet in small
gioups then shaie full class.
17
Intiouuce ciitique stiategies
anu impoitance of
consoliuating language by
using vocabulaiy woius
uuiing ciitique.

uive stuuents vocabulaiy
sheet to stait filling out in
paiis.

18
Bave stuuents tuin in
completeu
vocabulaiy sheets.
Check foi
unueistanuing anu
hanu back.
Intiouuce Nanuala
pioject. Show
examplesviueos -
give assignment
sheet.
19
Woik time touay thiough
the next week. Summative
Self Expiession Nanuala
pioject uue at beginning of
class on Fiiuay the 26
th
.
This uay will be spent in a
whole class ciitique,
stuuents using the
vocabulaiy sheets they
weie to fill out anu
incoipoiate into theii
analysis of theii peeis'
aitwoik.

Final TIPS auuiessing the
same issues of self-
expiession anu impoitance
in the lives of aitist globally
that they uiu as a
pie=assessment. Banu back
theii oiiginal notes anu
have them
compaiecontiast how
theii thinking has stayeu
the same oi changeu. Wiite
a page papei on these
connections foi homewoik.
Come in ieauy the next uay
to stait new unit.


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Mandala translated from the original Sanskrit, means circle or completion. Mandalas
are used in Hindu and Buddhist ceremonies. They are a tool for meditation in many
cultures and are even becoming more popular in the Western world. In this article, we
will discuss the uses for mandalas and lessons they can teach you.

Buddhist monks will painstakingly take hours, weeks and even months creating beautiful
mandalas with colored sands. These beautiful sacred geometrical patterns will be used in
ceremonies and then, in an instant, the sand will be thrown to the wind. Why? Because,
the monks believe that only in giving up the mandala will the essence (the good
energies) be sent out into the world. To them, the mandala is more than simply art. It
has a spiritual message born out of the hearts and consciousness of those who created
it. So, in a sense, in tossing it to the wind, they are generously sharing the beautiful parts
of themselves with the world around them.

Each mandala truly is a piece of artwork. They are composed within a circular (although
sometimes invisible) frame and the designs within that frame are symmetrical. These
designs range rom simple to intricate and some have spiritual symbols with in like the
lotus flower, the yin-yang, monks in meditation, the Christian cross and Star of David.
All are beautiful and can teach us lessons about ourselves, and the world we live in.

The mandalas we will make will focus on radial symmetry, nature symbolism, and
blending of analogous colors in a symmetrical manner. I will also be looking for
creativity, craftsmanship, and effort in the final grading or your mandala.



Rubiic foi Final Peifoimance Baseu Assignment (Stuuents self assess fiist, teachei seconu, in uiffeient coloi pens.)

Stuuent Teachei 2S-2u 2u-1S 1S-1u 1u-u

Cieativity
Ny piece is totally
oiiginal anu shows
eviuence of highei level
thinking anu cieativity
Ny piece is oiiginal
but I playeu it safe
with the iueas I was
thinking about
Ny piece was veiy simple.
I uiun't push myself
oi my skills when
cieating it.

Ny piece was put
togethei veiy quickly
anu is lacking cohesive
thought oi uiiection.

Effoit
I tiieu something
uifficult oi challenging
that pushes me to a
highei level of thinking
anu ability.
I pusheu myself a little
but stayeu within my
comfoit zone.

I uiun't push myself
beyonu what I have uone
in othei piojects. I was
unwilling to tiy a
challenging pioject

Ny pioject was below
my ability level. I pickeu
it because I thought it
woulu be easy.

Composition

Ny piece uses the
elements of ait anu the
piinciples of uesign to
cieate a uynamic anu
exciting composition.
Ny piece uses some of
the elements of ait anu
piinciples of uesign.
Spenuing a little moie
time on my composition
coulu have maue my
manuala bettei.

Ny piece has a simple
composition. It may be
lacking in balance, a focal
point, unity, oi
symmetiy.
Little to no thought was
put into the
composition oi cieating
symmetiy within the
manuala.


Application
Ny piece showcases anu
combines my leaining
fiom past piojects. It is a
goou summaiy of my
leaining in the class anu
shows my peisonal style.
Ny piece combines my
leaining fiom othei
piojects, but I coulu have
showeu off moie of my
skills. I coulu have put
moie of my peisonal
style into the piece.
Ny piece isn't a goou
summaiy of my leaining
fiom the othei piojects.
Little peisonal style is
eviuent.
Little effoit oi thought
was put into how to
showcase anu
summaiize leaining
fiom this unit.

Stuuent Scoie _______1uu

Comments:



Teachei Scoie _______1uu

Comments:
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Arrangement -

Foreground -

Background -

Symmetrical -

Balance -

Organic -

Geometric -

Balance -

Contrast -

Harmony -

Pattern -

Repetition -

Rhythm -

Unity -

Variety -

Value -

Form -

Color -

Space -

Line -

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I believe self-expiession anu honing into who we aie anu what we have to
say is one of the most impoitant things that we can teach oui stuuents. Because of
this ueep seeueu belief, I chose to cieate a 4-week unit focuseu aiounu self-
expiession. This unit will be placeu towaius the enu of the semestei, so the stuuents
will alieauy have a basis of what the Elements of Ait anu Piinciples of Besign aie
anu how they aie useu to expiess meaning anu emotion in aitwoik. I want stuuents
to consiuei the Essential Questions, "Bow uo we communicate peisonal expeiience
thiough ait." anu "Bow uo aitists expiess theii iueas anu emotions without
language." I stiive foi stuuents to unueistanu that the way in which theii emotions
anu iueas aie communicateu without language is thiough use of the Elements of Ait
anu the Piinciples of Besign. This is the basis of oui unit so we began with a ieview
of the 14 Elements anu Piinciples that we continuously to go back to thioughout the
unit.
I begin the unit with a foimal pie-assessment of the Elements of Ait anu
Piinciples of Besign to ieinfoice that these will be veiy impoitant to consiuei anu
iemembei thioughout the unit. The pie-test will not be giaueu, but will show me
wheie each stuuent is anu how much ieview I will neeu to uo foi them. I will give
this foimal pie-test a couple uays in auvance in oiuei to be able to aujust my
teaching accoiuingly. Aftei ieviewing the pie-tests, I will conuuct moie of an
infoimal pie-assessment wheie I will fiontloau stuuents by having them uo a think,
ink, paii shaie activity on self-expiession anu its impoitance in the lives of aitists
globally. I think it is impoitant to biing to light the fact that self expiession is not
only ielevant to one gioup, one class, oi one iace - it is something that is useu
univeisally anu globally to help inuiviuuals expiess themselves, heal themselves,
anu feel as if they aie affecting the woilu in a positive mannei. I think now woulu be
a goou time to have stuuents uo an Exit Slip ovei the Essential Question "Bow uo
aitists use the Elements of Ait anu Piinciples of Besign to communicate themselves
thiough ait." I will let stuuents know that on Nonuay they neeu to come ieauy to
jump iight into oui next concept unit on self-expiession.
The next Nonuay we will stait out with a choice boaiu assignment on the
Elements of Ait anu the Piinciples of Besign. The stuuents will be given a choice
boaiu sheet with all 14 Elements of Ait anu Piinciples of Besign on it. I will instiuct
stuuents to choose S that they will cieate thumbnail sketches of. The next uay they
will come having ueciueu which thumbnail they think will most successfully be
tianslateu into a laigei 8"x1u" piece, using mateiials of theii choice. I will give
stuuents woik time foi the next two uays in class. I ueciueu it was impoitant when
talking about self-expiession to also talk about ait theiapy anu the healing that can
happen when inuiviuuals who have gone thiough haiuships anu tiaumas aie able to
ielease some of those emotions thiough theii aitwoik. I will biing in examples of
aitwoik, along with aitists statements, fiom the exhibit "Tiauma, Tiials, anu
Tiiumph". We will have a uiscussion about the stuuents' ieactions to the aitwoik,
as it ueals with some pietty heavy stuff. The next uay we will watch a poition of the
viueo fiom the Iowa }uvenile Bome that goes along with the exhibit. viewing the
aitwoik anu watching the viueo coulu possibly biing up some pietty intense
emotions, so I think some time to iesponu thiough wiiting afteiwaius will be
effective heie. I will also tell stuuents that if they have any questions, conceins, oi
neeu to talk about what they hau just seen, I will be available to them aftei class.
We then will go into a Sociatic Seminai focuseu aiounu an aiticle I pioviue
stuuents with to ieau as homewoik ovei the weekenu. They aie to come up with S
talking points about why self-expiession is impoitant. I will mouel how to
paiticipate in a Sociatic Seminai anu then they will conuuct one of theii own. This
Seminai will allow stuuents to uiscuss how chaiacteiistics of ait aie useu in specific
ways to cieate meaning. Stuuents will also be iesponsible foi incoipoiating
peisonal life expeiiences into theii talking points - which is an aspect incluueu in
one of my leaining goals.
This next uay I will intiouuce the ieseaich papei that iequiies stuuents to
focus on a specific piece of aitwoik, of theii choice, that they believe expiesses
emotion. Stuuents will be iesponsible foi biinging in the photo as well as uoing a
wiite up about what emotions they believe the aitist was tiying to uepict, anu also
infoimation about the aitist themselves. Stuuents aie fiee to choose any aitist they
uesiie, as long as theii content is appiopiiate to shaie with the class. Befoie
beginning, I will have a PoweiPoint piepaieu anu ieauy foi stuuents in oiuei to
intiouuce them to effective ieseaich stiategies. We will uiscuss piimaiy anu
seconuaiy souices, uiffeient types of souices, cioss-iefeiencing souices,
uocumentation, anu citing of souices foi both the infoimation they accumulate as
well as the images they use. The next uay we will be in the libiaiy so they can begin
ieseaiching, anu the next two uays will be spent finalizing theii 2-page wiite up. 0n
Nonuay the ieseaich papeis aie to be biought back in anu shaieu with small
gioups. Fiom theie, each gioup will choose one of the papeis fiom the gioup to
shaie full class. I believe this ieseaich papei will help pioviue all stuuents with a
foim of uiffeientiation anu choice that lenus itself to uiveise stuuent leaining neeus.
This assignment woulu align with my leaining goal about making infeiences about
aitist's feelings anu peispectives.
I will then tiansition to compaiing anu contiasting aitwoik by Euvaiu Nunch
in his woiks "The Scieam" anu "The voice". These two pieces of aitwoik both
uisplay extieme emotion, but aie both open to inteipietation. I will have stuuents
focus on the similaiities anu the uiffeiences between the technical anu conceptual
aspects of these woiks. They will also be askeu to think about what emotions each
piece evokes anu how they evoke them. Fiom heie, stuuents will meet in small
gioups to uiscuss these similaiities anu uiffeiences anu then shaie full class. This
compaiecontiast pioject woulu align with my leaining goal about evaluating the
emotional significance geneiateu by chaiacteiistics anu expiessive featuies of ait
anu uesign. The next uay I will intiouuce ciitique stiategies anu let stuuents know
the impoitance of using oui ait vocabulaiy in ciitiques in oiuei to most effectively
anu succinctly expiess what we aie tiying to say. I will pioviue stuuents with a
vocabulaiy sheet they will be iesponsible foi filling out, tuining in, anu using latei
on in the ciitique.
Beie we come to the final summative pioject baseu assessment of the unit -
the Self Expiession Nanuala pioject. Within this pioject, stuuents will leain about
the histoiy of manualas anu theii use in expiessing emotions. I will infoim stuuents
of how manualas can be useu as a tool foi meuitation in many cultuies. I will
fiontloau stuuent knowleuge by showing them examples of photos of manualas anu
viueos of sanu manualas being constiucteu anu ueconstiucteu. I will also
uemonstiate exactly how to constiuct anu use symmetiical blenuing to cieate a
beautiful anu meaningful piece of aitwoik that expiesses who each stuuent is anu
what they wish to expiess to the woilu. When making these manualas, I will piompt
stuuents to think of a wish oi an intention that they have. Stuuents will be giaueu on
cieativity, effoit, composition, anu application as outlineu in the iubiic. Stuuents
will be given the iubiic aheau of time in oiuei to know exactly what they neeu to uo
in oiuei to get the giaue they uesiie. I expect these manualas to use iauial
symmetiy, natuie symbolism anu blenuing of analogous colois in a symmetiical
mannei - as outlineu in the assignment sheet. I believe that this pioject will be
effective in having stuuents uevelop anu uemonstiate theii unueistanuing of the
impoitance of self-expiession anu the use of ait foi healing anu meuitation.
The unit will concluue with a final ciitique wheie stuuents will biing theii
vocabulaiy sheets they filleu out. The ciitique will be baseu aiounu these
vocabulaiy woius, as well as the Elements of Ait anu Piinciples of Besign we have
been stuuying. Aftei this ciitique, stuuents will be given the same think, ink, paii,
shaie piompt they uiu at the beginning of the unit - auuiessing the same issues of
self-expiession anu the impoitance of it in the lives of aitists globally. Stuuents will
be given back theii initial iesponses in oiuei to compaie anu contiast what they
have leaineu thioughout the unit. Aftei analyzing the similaiities oi uiffeiences in
theii answeis they will wiite a page papei on these connections. I will let them
know to come ieauy the next Nonuay to begin a new unit.