Art Appreciation Activities (Click links provided below to download the Art appreciation lessons)
LESSON PLAN
Lesson Topic:
Olive Cotton-Art Appreciation 1
Date:
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VELS Domain(s):
Discipline-based learning
Grade(s)/
Year Level(s):
4,5,6
VEL Dimension(s) or Religious Education Guideline:
The Arts
Duration
of
Lesson:
60 mins
Learning Outcome(s)/Standard(s):
The students will be introduced to Olive Cotton, learn to understand and appreciate her as an artist in terms of her era/history, life, environment and motivation for her subjects and photography. Students will begin to develop their own opinion on the life, times and inspiration behind Olive cotton, the woman and her work and begin to extend into knowledge of her subject matter. Cross-curricular opportunities for history knowledge, skills and inquiry learning will also be accessed here.
Indicators
· To demonstrate a basic, yet thorough understanding of Olive Cotton as an artist, her life and work
· To understand Cottons’ choice of subject matter based on her knowledge and characteristics, and its common elements
Assessment:
Criteria
· Successfully produce a small homework project within the week; an annotated poster including a few various facts and pictures relating to Olive Cotton, her life and work, to be collect the following lesson. This taps into research and use of literacy knowledge and can be used to assess multimodal, challenging text interpretation if necessary.
· Create a completed A4 sheet of around 3 magazine cut-outs with annotations of the reasons for their inclusion, in relation to presence of similar elements used by Cotton in terms of subject matter (in class, collected at end of lesson).
Teaching Focus:
The aim is to successfully deliver the material to the students in a format which they can understand and somewhat relate to.
· Ennis, H & S McInerney, S. Olive Cotton: photographer, National Library of Australia, Canberra, 1995.
Pupils do not have any previous learning/knowledge in regards to Olive Cotton and her art practice
Lesson Resources:
· Glue
· White A4 paper
· Printed or digital resources for viewing some of Olive Cottons photography
· Magazines/newspapers
· Black textas
· Coloured poster paper
· Various photographs (mostly recent styles)-printed or from magazines, to pass around
Content of Lesson:
A. Introduction 10 mins
Display various images of Olive Cotton and her photography, perhaps bring in a camera of some equipment from the early 1900’s to display for interest. Give important biographical details and briefly outline details of the unit of work
B. Development 10 mins
1. Provide a short biography to students on Olive Cotton as an Artist her life and work. Talk about how they will incorporate similar information into a short homework project. Whiteboard discussion on completion. What do we know about Olive Cotton (so far)?
2. Compare Cotton’s type of art with other medium of art that students may be more familiar with or more generally see ‘art’ as. Is photography art?
3. Go through various types of (more recent) photography work students are used to seeing and compare this with Olive Cotton’s work. What are the differences? Similarities?
4. Discuss Cottons work in particular, take students on an in-depth and informed picture chats (again drawing on literacy knowledge) briefly for 3-4 of Cotton’s main works (included on website) and discuss the immediate concepts, objects etc., students can see. What can you see in the photograph?
5. Branch into common elements, discuss Cottons use of nature and light as her subject and her equal treatment (focal point) of subject matter, balance and harmony. Talk about her use of similar related elements present in much of her work. These concepts may begin to create connections for the students between subject and artwork. What common things do you see in all of Cotton’s photographs we have looked at? Can you find these types of objects and practices used in photos in magazines or the newspaper?
6. List instructions for activity on whiteboard:
-Find as many photograph as you can that use the same ideas as Cotton did, think about light and focus on object, nature and environment
-Choose your best 3 and paste them into the A4 paper up the front
-Write underneath of beside the image why you chose that photograph
Take any questions students may have at this point…?
C. Consolidation and Practice 35 mins
1. Complete discussions based on development questions above, use the whiteboard to display knowledge shared, collections, discussed and learnt
2. Give and example of the type of photograph students should be looking for in magazines and newspapers, one object, nature and environment, multiple objects, shared focus of objects, a focus on light almost as an object in the photograph
3. Students collect a few of magazines or newspapers from the front of the room and begin searching, identifying and collecting these types of photographs
4. They will then choose there three best and most representative of Cotton’s subject matter, stick then onto a white A4 sheet and beside or underneath briefly explain their choice in one sentence.
Early Finishers – Extension Activities
· In computer labs, begin research for take home project
D. Closure 5 mins
Students will be reminded of learning outcomes, including that of Olive as an artist and her subject matter. Various students will share their findings followed by teacher critique. Students will be reminded about take home project and its requirements and due date. Handouts regarding this information will be provided. (See Appendix A)
VEL Dimension(s) or Religious Education Guideline:
The Arts
Duration
of
Lesson:
50 mins
Learning Outcome(s)/Standard(s):
Students will take knowledge of what was learnt about Cotton and her subject matter in lesson one, refine this and focus in on effects and practices used in the artwork ‘Teacup ballet’. Students will develop a deeper understanding of Olive Cotton’s photography and understand and identify principles and elements used with reference to ‘Teacup ballet’, as well as the audience they attract and are intended for.
Indicators (2 or 3)
· To understand Cottons’ practice and portrayal of her artworks and its common elements and principles, particularly those of ‘Teacup ballet’ and identifying their use within the photograph and within everyday images
· To identify the audience and intentions behind Cotton’s work
Assessment:
Criteria
· Successfully and clearly identify at least two of Cotton’s photographic principles on a given ‘Teacup ballet’ handout. Create a second completed A4 sheet of at least one magazine cut-out, with annotations of the reasons for their inclusion in relation to presence of similar elements used by Cotton in terms of specific elements and principles of her artwork, focusing on ‘Teacup ballet’ (in class, collected at end of lesson).
· Contribute to class discussion and class poster based around Cotton’s audience and intentions (observation).
Teaching Focus:
A. The focus will be around constant guidance and support, the knowledge and skills learnt here will be essential for the future art practice lessons therefore it is essential students progress is monitored
· Ennis, H & S McInerney, S. Olive Cotton: photographer, National Library of Australia, Canberra, 1995.
Pupils current knowledge is solely based on the information provided and learnt during the previous week art appreciation lesson 1 session
Lesson Resources:
· Magazines/newspapers
· Printed/photocopied copies of Cotton’s ‘Teacup ballet’ for each student
· Black textas
· Glue
· White A4 paper
· Printed or digital resources for viewing some of Olive Cottons photography
· Large poster paper for class poster
· Large ‘Teacup ballet’ image
Content of Lesson:
A. Introduction 5 mins
Frame and display a large image of ‘Teacup ballet’ at the front of the classroom to bring students attention to the main focus of the lesson. Recap Olive Cotton and her life and work, collected students lesson one projects. Bring the focus in to the photograph ‘Teacup ballet’. Give overview of the lesson including discussion of audience and work on ‘Teacup ballet’ as the focus artwork/photograph.
B. Development 10 mins
1. Recap Olive cotton and her works, focus in again on the elements used and on her famous work teacup ballet. Take answers from students, what to we already know about the subject matter of many of Olive Cottons photographs?
2. Talk about use of focal point (shared among objects), balance in her photographs, harmony, angles (‘Teacup ballet’) shows a superior view), structure, harmony and the way that similar related elements are presented. Talk about contrast through light, and proportion in terms of perspective and angle. What are some other characteristics you can see in ‘Teacup ballet’?
3.Explain the story behind ‘Teacup ballet’ and how Cotton produced it (story on website bio and provided within included references). Explain the activity students will be doing. Hand out images of ‘Teacup ballet’. Can you find circle and annotate principles apparent in teacup ballet? (See Appendix A)
4.Discuss about how teacup ballet uses all these principles and how students will attempt to find these elements present in everyday images. Can you find examples of these ideas and principles in ‘Teacup ballet’ in everyday images in magazines and newspapers and annotate where they are apparent?
5. Discuss Cotton’s audience, Cotton herself, members of the public, web users (when this is discussed, mention that the students were also web users when doing their projects), us as teachers and students. Who do you think Olive Cotton is taking these photographs for? Who looks at them and enjoys them?
6.Create and construct class poster with the title ‘Olive Cotton’s Audience’, about who her audiences is, link this back to her artwork and what sorts of people it might attract as previously discussed. Add additional points? (Society in her era, people wanting to enjoy the beauty of nature, and observe the simple things around us). Cross-curricular opportunities exist again for history in the form of discussions about Australian past culture of early 1900’s.
C. Consolidation and Practice 30 mins
1. Make a list of elements of Cotton’s work apparent in ‘Teacup ballet’ (displayed at front of class)
2.Hand out ‘Teacup ballet’ image and instruct students to- find and circle as many artistic principles used my Olive Cotton that have previously been discussed, make sure to label what you think the principles is called. Encourage students to draw lines/arrows/labels where required. (Ideas/answers-Appendix A) Go through possible findings on completion of this activity before starting the next.
3.Hand out A4 paper and magazines/newspapers; find at least one picture that show one of Cottons principles from ‘Teacup ballet’ and annotate-circle and label the principle and where/how it is used.
4. Make class poster based on ‘Olive Cotton’s audience’, link this back to her artwork and what sorts of people it might attract.
Early Finishers – Extension Activities
· Investigate and list from the magazines and newspapers provided, all the other ways which photography is used (for example, advertising, news stories, etc.)
· Make a list of all the ways photographs have changed since Cotton’s era and the different things that photographers can do with photographs (for example Photoshop programs and tools). List characteristics of then and now.
D. Closure 5 mins
Collect A4 sheets from magazine/newspaper activity. Summarise what had been learnt about Olive Cottons Artwork and audience, focusing on the elements and inspiration behind ‘Teacup ballet’ and congratulate students on their work where relevant. Hand back Olive Cotton posters briefly and recollect to display in the classroom. Mention the art practice activity that they will begin the following week, giving them something to look forward to.