Aesthetic Valuing
Lesson Title:
Aesthetic Valuing
Lesson Goal and Description:
In their groups, students will present their social issue mural to the class; the will follow the four steps of the Feldman Model to describe and critique their artwork. Before doing so, students will learn about the Feldman Model - a process for critiquing artwork - that includes the following four steps: description, analysis, interpretation, and evaluation. The students will use a worksheet to summarize their thoughts about the artwork. For homework, students will create a haiku poem inspired by another group’s mural, to display alongside the artwork.
Grade Level:
High School - Beginning
Time Frame:
3 2-hour class periods
Focus Artwork:
Diego Rivera (1886-1957). Sugar Cane, 1931, mural
Objectives/Student Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to:
- Identify and describe the four steps of the Feldman Model - description, analysis, interpretation, and evaluation.
- Describe and analyze an artwork in order to determine meaning and success.
- Present an oral critique of their artwork.
- Create an original haiku poem inspired by the group mural of their choice.
Instructional Resources:
- Reproductions of Diego Rivera’s work
- The Visual Experience (pages 20-27)
- Art criticism worksheet
- Critique Rubric
- Haiku worksheet
Procedures:
DAY 1
Anticipatory Set
- Teacher asks the students to recall a time they made a judgment about something, such as a movie or song, and what they based their judgements on.
- Teacher states that art is also judged by a set of criteria. There are formal methods of critique and more informal, personal critique.
Direct Instruction
- Teacher explains that they will learn about the Feldman Model, which is a process of evaluating and critiquing artwork. In groups, the students will use the Feldman Model to write critiques for social impact murals. Lastly, the groups will use the Feldman Model when presenting their project and critique to the class.
- Teacher breaks students up into their mural groups and asks each student to bring a pen or pencil and textbook.
- Teacher distributes an image of Diego Rivera’s Sugar Cane to the groups.
- Teacher summarizes art criticism and the Feldman Model
- Teacher asks students to turn to page 20 (2.3 A Critical Method) in The Visual Experience
- Teacher explains that each group will review each step of the Feldman Model and apply it to Diego Rivera’s painting.
- Teacher explains that one of the important parts of the evaluation step of the Feldman Model will be to determine whether the mural was successful in disrupting the social status quo and impacted a response from the viewer.
Guided Practice
- Students read about the Feldman Model in The Visual Experience and apply the method to the Diego Rivera piece. The teacher circles the room and provides assistance when necessary. The teacher will also listen in on the group’s discussion to make sure they’re on track.
- As groups finish the activity, the teacher explains that they will use the Feldman Model again to critique their social issue mural. Students will use the provided worksheet to write their mural critiques as a group. The group will also present their mural and critiques to the class. The students may use their worksheet to reference during their presentation.
- Students work on their group critiques until the end of the class period. Teacher walks around the room to answer questions and makes sure groups are thorough.
Independent Practice
- Groups who do not finish their mural criticism worksheet in class may finish as homework. They are due the following period.
DAY 2
Direct Instruction
- Teacher asks students to recall the four steps of the Feldman Model.
- Teacher asks students to recall things that are important to remember when giving an oral presentation and the rubric for their critiques.
- Teacher explains that the students will be writing a haiku inspired by their favorite group mural.
- Teacher breaks the students up into groups and gives them a few minutes to go over their presentations and to walk around the room looking at all of the murals. After 1 hour, the students will begin giving their presentations.
Guided Practice
- Students work in groups to refine their critiques and presentations. Teacher walks around the room checking in and answering questions as needed.
- Teacher makes sure that students spend time looking at the other group’s murals to gather inspiration for their haiku. Students may use their smartphones to take pictures of the murals for reference.
- Students take turns presenting their critiques to the class.
Direct Instruction
- Teacher explains that students will create an original haiku inspired by one of the murals in class as homework.
- Independent Practice
- Students complete the haiku assignment as homework. It is due the following day.
DAY 3
Direct Instruction
- Teacher asks students to turn in their haiku assignment.
- Teacher explains that remaining groups will present their murals.
- Teacher explains that students may choose to share their haiku for extra credit.
Guided Practice
- Students take turns presenting their critiques to the class. All groups have presented.
- Students may choose to take turns presenting their original haiku for extra credit, until the end of the class period.
Closure
- Teacher wraps up the lesson by reiterating the points of the Feldman Model. The students and teacher briefly discuss the benefits of art criticism, particularly for the artist and viewer.
Accommodations and/or Modifications:
- English Language Learner: may be partnered up with another student who speaks his or her native language. He or she may also request the worksheets translated into their native language.
- Students with learning disabilities: make sure that they have at least participated somewhat in the written portion of this group assignment. Ask that they share one sentence of their critique with the class.
- Students with public speaking anxiety: May share one sentence with the class on their artwork critique and have the rest of the group finish the presentation.
Multiple Intelligences:
- Interpersonal: addressed through group work
- Verbal/Linguistic: addressed through reading and presenting oral critiques
Vocabulary:
- Art criticism - (noun): systematic discussion of an artwork
- Feldman Model - (noun): a four-step method for critiquing art that was developed by Edmund Burke Feldman. The steps are: description, analysis, interpretation, and evaluation.
- Haiku - (noun): Important form of traditional Japanese poetry dating from the 16th century. Specific metric (17 syllables divided over 3 lines: 3 syllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables). Does not rhyme.
Criteria for Assessment:
Did Students:
- Identify and describe the four steps of the Feldman Model- description, analysis, interpretation, evaluation?
- Describe and analyze an artwork to determine its’ meaning and success?
- Present an oral critique of their artwork?
- Create an original haiku inspired by another group’s mural?
Method of Assessment:
- Teacher checks for understanding by monitoring the progress of students as they are working in groups to apply the Feldman Model to Diego Rivera’s work (formative assessment). Teacher will clarify information, when needed. The group worksheet will be evaluated based on completion (summative assessment). The oral group critiques will be evaluated according to the rubric (summative assessment). The haikus will be evaluated based on completion (summative assessment).
California Visual Arts Standards:
- 4.0 Aesthetic Valuing
- 4.3 Formulate and support a position regarding the aesthetic value of a specific work of art and change or defend that position after considering the views of others.
- 4.5 Employ the conventions of art criticism in writing and speaking about works of art.
- 5.0 Connections, Relationships, and Applications
- Careers and Career Related-Skills
- 5.4 Demonstrate an understanding of the various skills of an artist, art critic, art historian, art collector, art gallery owner, and philosopher of art (aesthetician)
- Careers and Career Related-Skills