Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Slotted Color Sculptures with Josef Albers



Lesson Objective
Work with elements of art: Color 
Work with principles of Art: Scale 
Create a Slotted color sculpture exploring color relationships 

Key Vocabulary: 
Hue
Value
Intensity
Chroma
Saturation
Contrast 
Complementary Colors
Simultaneous Contrast 
Successive Contrast 
Color Schemes (relationships)

Materials: 
Foam Core 
Paint
Exato Knives

Focus Artists: 
Josef Albers 

Beg: Project Requirements: Create a Slotted color sculpture exploring color relationships 
Sketchbook: Students will draw color plans for each side of their slotted sculpture and
submit plans for approval. Required: 
Square slotted format for each side (Construction)
Color Relationships (5 different schemes minimum)
Color Placement (Neighbors/Scale)
All sides and angles of the sculpture (Details)
Scale as it pertains to final look of sculpture
Create Free-standing Slotted Sculpture exploring Josef Albers studies on color
Precision (Painting and Slot Construction)
Scale (How color looks from ALL sides)

Adv: Project Requirements: Create a Slotted color sculpture exploring color relationships 
Sketchbook: Students will draw color plans for each side of their slotted sculpture and submit plans for approval. Required:
Slotted, one shape format for each side (Construction)
Color Relationships (8 different schemes, minimum)
Color Placement (Neighbors)
All sides and angles of the sculpture (Details)
Scale as it pertains to final look of sculpture
Create Free-standing Slotted Sculpture exploring Josef Albers color studies 
Precision (Painting and Slot Construction)
Scale (How color looks from ALL sides)

Assessment: 
Informal: Written Peer Critique
Formal: Artist Statement
Formal: Grading final sculpture

CA STANDARDS: 
1.1 Identify and use the principles of design to discuss, analyze, and write about visual aspects in the environment and in works of art, including their own. 
1.3 Research and analyze the work of an artist and write about the artist's distinctive style and its contribution to the meaning of the work.
1.5 Analyze the material used by a given artist and describe how its use influences the meaning of the work.
2.2 Plan and create works of art that reflect complex ideas, such as distortion, color theory, arbitrary color, scale, expressive content, and real versus virtual. 
4.5 Employ the conventions of art criticism in writing and speaking about works of art.
5.2 Compare and contrast works of art, beyond the obvious and identifying psychological content found in the images

Modifications: 
English Language Learner: Handout for project, project samples, Power point with visuals, Critique for additional understanding, Demonstration of techniques
Special Needs: Handout for project, project samples, Power point with visuals, Critique for additional understanding, Demonstration of techniques
Accelerated Learner: Expand on skills learned to create a unique project. 
Advanced art students will be asked to increase the difficulty of their final sculpture They will also be expected incorporate 8 color schemes in final sculpture. 

Scaffolding adaptations: 
Students will revisit color and line from the earlier learning. We will use similar visuals to refresh earlier learning.  Notes on color, scale and artists will be taken throughout discussions for added understanding. Creating sketchbook plans and Constructing final sculpture will be demo started in class using guided instruction. 

Art Link: 
Science and Art
How have we used science in the course already? 

INTRODUCTION to lesson (Anticipatory set): 
Watch a video on Josef Albers and his work 
Use discussion form to enhance learning

OBJECTIVE: Using Slotted Sculpture as your 3-D Form 
Create Free-Standing Artwork exploring 6 different color Schemes/Relationships
Must Complete Sculpture from all Angles
Discuss Science and Art as pre-assessment
Discuss and practice drawing your final project on paper
Work closely with teacher before moving to foam core
Students will understand new vocabulary as is relates to visual art: 
PURPOSE: Complete Free-Standing, Slotted sculpture exploring color relationships. 

INSTRUCTION: 
Students will discover review the elements of color and Scale. they look at the artwork of Josef Calder and create a Slotted sculpture piece as a final art project. 

DIRECT INSTRUCTION:
Day 1 and 2: Power Point Presentation Color and Albers
Pre-assessment: Science and Art
Opening: Art Link: Quote from Albers on Science and Art
Review: Elements of art 
Discussion: Color
Key Vocabulary featured on PPT with visuals: 
Hue
Value
Intensity
Chroma
Saturation
Contrast 
Complementary Colors
Simultaneous Contrast 
Successive Contrast 
Color Schemes (relationships)

ART HISTORY: Josef Albers 
German-born American artist and educator 
He worked, both in Europe and in the United States
Taught at Yale University
He formed the basis for the most influential and far-reaching art education programs of the 20th century.
Studied color with paper
Avoids mixing paint
Saves time and materials
Gain active interest, no prep
Precision of tone, light and surface quality
No texture (i.e. brush strokes)
Huedoku: Students play the app Huedoku to see their learning at work. The app is created from Albers studies and allows students to place colors in the right order based on hue. Students will both watch and play. Student playing will be active in color placement students watching will observe how color changes based on its neighbors. 
Review each Color scheme on last slide to check for understanding 
Teacher Models: 
Color throughout discussion 
Students take notes in their sketchbooks 
Teacher Monitors throughout discussion
The game Huedoku on how to play with three color boxes 
Check for Understanding: 
Monitor room during Pre-assessment in sketchbook
Monitor throughout discussion ensure comprehension and active note taking 
Students play the Huedoku App with 4 color boxes and higher

Present Rubric through Power Point Slides: 
FINAL PROJECT:  Using color relationships considering colors will be placed next to each other on final sculpture 
Students will draw  plans for their Color sculpture before moving to paint stage
They must consider:
Color Relationships
Color Placement
All sides and angles of the sculpture
Scale as it pertains to final look of color on sculpture
Create Free-standing Slotted Sculpture exploring Josef Albers studies on color

Day 3: Students receive a full day to create and label their five color schemes 
Students show me their color schemes to show understanding and receive foam core
Day 4: Students measure and cut slots based on model I presented or their own ideas. 
Student will use exact knives to achieve slot cuts
Safety Measures in place: 
Watch a video about how to cut slots on youtube
Teacher passes out and retrieves exacto knives 
Students must have a partner also ready to make cuts before receiving 
exacto knife
Students are reminded about keeping thumbs in and watching partners
throughout exacto use
Teacher monitors exacto knives by observing each table throughout 
class time. 
Day 5: Slot Cutting Continues
Day 6: Students begin paint planning
Once slots are in place and structure is complete
Students will begin to add paint lines and details on the final sculpture
This planning will help complete painting of each color scheme
Paint is applied in the style of Josef Albers Squares
Day 7: Painting Continues
Albers Reflection through Art Link (15 Minutes)
Students read a quote from Josef Albers
They are reminded about how we got to this stage of our sculpture
They are asked to read through their notes and find their favorite fact as a table 
group
They discuss and expand on the fact and present their discussion to the class
This will prepare students for upcoming Critique
Students are asked to take notes on this process for Friday sketchbook checks
Students return to their stage of the sculpture 
Day 8: Full studio Day
All students should begin the painting Process today
Check the room for students who are lingering in the slot phase or color 
planning phase
Day 9: Critiques: 
Peer Critiques
Directions: Present to the class first by Power Point
Show the rubric on Power Point 
Review Rubric Goals
Remind students to critique by rubric
Students can partner with anyone in the room but a table mate
Students will exchange sculptures 
Each student will create a written critique about their partners work
Each student should address goals achieved and goal 
opportunities
Students should use the name Albers at least once
Students should refer to a Rubric Goal at least twice
Students should incorporate key vocabulary throughout. 
Critique is based on Rubric Goals
Students will exchange their written critiques
Read and discuss new goals with their partner
Day 10: Full studio Day 
Focus on New Goals from yesterday critique
Focus on getting to the halfway mark of your painting process
Day 11: Full studio Day 
All should be at the 3/4 way mark by the end of the day 
Day 12: Final day of sculpture (November 10)
Students should complete sculpture today and be ready for Artist Statement 
Turn in completed sculptures at the end of the period. 


Day 13: Artist Statement (November 12)




Cool new App for Art Education


         Cool new Art App for your classroom: Huedoku. The application is a color puzzle that puts Josef Alber’s experiments into practice. Alber’s insisted that education should be a practice of search vs. research. This app finally puts his ideas into motion at a teenagers pace. Students search for the solve to the color puzzles without realizing they are discovering color theory. The app works for all learners. While advanced learners may solve the puzzles more quickly, special education and ELL students are pulled in by the visuals and excited to play along. By using apple TV to project the game on the large white board, students can play as a large group or table by table. 
        After studying Albers theories and practices on color for a full class period, I needed a fun in-between to pull students into the concept of working with color for a 3-D project. This app was the perfect solution. It incorporated all students and was immediately engaging. We started by completing the three sided puzzles together, as a large group. Using my iPad and a projector, I picked up the color and students would tell me where to place it in projected puzzle. As soon as the puzzle was solved, we moved on to the next one. The students loved the app. We solved all three sided puzzles together, as modeled practice, then we went into small table groups for the four sided puzzles. I gave the first table the iPad and they worked as a four person group to solve the puzzle. While this group was actively working on the puzzle, the classroom was watching them solve the projection on the large screen. More importantly, they observing how colors change when they are placed next to a new background. It was Albers in action and the students had no idea how much they were learning as they played along. These were the strengths of the activity. I ran into only one challenge, after students played a first time with their table groups, they really wanted to play again. It led me to contemplate how I could get more iPads so we could have students playing at each table simultaneously. This was a small challenge considering that by observing and waiting, these students were gaining so much from watching the color interaction. 

I will continue to use this app. I will also use this success as an opportunity to grow. I would like to find more apps like this to use in the classroom. I believe students today need relatable, technology to be included in their learning. It allows me to increase understanding using a familiar, everyday item (iPad) that students utilize and comprehend. It was exciting to see the energy and camaraderie in the classroom. I would love to grow by finding more art application opportunities for the 3-D classroom.  Check it out: http://huedoku.com/