Unit Plan

Course Name

Title: Exploring Watercolors

Length: Two Weeks

Grade Level

Painting

sophomores, juniors, seniors

Standards 1. Observe and Learn to Comprehend 2. Envision and Critique to Reflect 3. Invent and Discover to Create 4. Relate and Connect to Transfer

Grade Level Expectations 1. Visual art has inherent characteristics and expressive features 2. Historical and cultural context are found in visual art 3. Art and design have purpose and function 1. Reflective strategies are used to understand the creative process 2. A personal philosophy of art is accomplished through use of sophisticated language and studio art processes 3. Interpretation is a means for understanding and evaluating works of art 1. Demonstrate competency in traditional and new art media and apply appropriate and available technology for the expression of ideas 2. Assess and produce art with various materials and methods 3. Make judgments from visual messages 1. The work of art scholars impacts how art is viewed today 2. Communication through advanced visual methods is a necessary skill in everyday life 3. Art is a lifelong endeavor Creative Process in Visual Art Studio Thinking Develop Craft: Learning to use materials, tools and techniques Engage and Persist: Learning to embrace problems and not give up Envision: Imagine the possible next steps; see what is not there Express: Convey an idea, feeling, personal meaning Observe: Seeing things that otherwise might not be seen Reflect: think, talk and evaluate your work and the work of others Stretch and Explore: Reach beyond ones perceived capacities Understand Art World: Learn about contemporary and past art(ist)

Colorado 21st Century Skills Critical Thinking and Reasoning: Think Deep, Think Different Information Literacy: Untangling the Web Collaboration: Working Together, Learning Together Self-Direction: Owning Your Learning Invention: Creating Solutions

Lesson Titles and Description Watercolor Techniques Painting: Students will utilize 16 different watercolor techniques to create a watercolor painting. They will have to unify their various techniques to create an interesting composition. Imitating Illustrators: Students will bring in childrens books and illustrations that are done in watercolor. They will choose an illustrator and identify their artistic style, and re-create it in their own watercolor illustration. Students will focus on imitating the main artistic characteristics that make the illustrations unique to the various artists. They will emulate characteristics and elements such as the paintings texture, patterns, line quality, colors, and the painting style of the artist. Painted Recollections: Students will write about a nightmare, dream, daydream, or childhood memory that is very vivid to them. They will then illustrate their recollections using at least three of the watercolor techniques they used within their first painting. They will also be required to alter at least three references either from life or from an image.

Lesson Length Three class periods/ 4.5 hours Two class periods/ 3 hours

Sequence Lesson 1 Lesson 2

Five class periods/ 7.5 hours

Lesson 3

Unit: Focusing Lens/Lenses: Timeless, Transferrable and Universal (I.E. Beliefs/Values,

Identity, Relationships. Tension/Conflict, Freedom, Design, Aesthetic, Patterns, Origins, Transformation, Change, Influence, Collaboration, Intention, Play/Exploration, Synergy/Flow, Choices, Balance, Inspiration, System, Structure/Function, Reform)

- Design - Illustration - Exploration

Unit: Prepared Graduate Competencies

Comprehend: - Make informed critical evaluations of visual and material culture, information, and technologies - Explain, demonstrate, and interpret a range of purposes of art and design, recognizing that the making and study of art and design can be approached from a variety of viewpoints, intelligences, and perspectives - Recognize, articulate, and debate that the visual arts are a means for expression - Analyze, interpret, and make meaning of art and design critically using oral and written discourse Reflect: - Critique personal work and the work of others with informed criteria - Use specific criteria to discuss and evaluate works of art - Recognize, demonstrate, and debate philosophic arguments about the nature of art and beauty (aesthetics) Create: - Develop and build appropriate mastery in art-making skills using traditional and new technologies and an understanding of the characteristics and expressive features of art and design - Recognize, interpret, and validate that the creative process builds on the development of ideas through a process of inquiry, discovery, and research - Recognize, compare, and affirm that the making and study of art and design can be approached from a variety of viewpoints, intelligences, and perspectives Transfer: - Transfer the value of visual arts to lifelong learning and the human experience - Explain, compare and justify that the visual arts are connected to other disciplines, the other art forms, social activities, mass media, and careers in art and non-art related arenas

Unit: Standards and Grade Level Expectations

(Unit must have all standards; NOT all GLEs.)

(Visual Arts Standard # - Name; GLE #, # and #) Visual Arts Standard 1 Comprehend; GLEs 1, 2, and 3 Visual Arts Standard 2 Reflect; GLEs 1 and 3 Visual Arts Standard 3 Create; GLEs 1 and 3 Visual Arts Standard 4 Transfer; GLE 2

Unit: Inquiry Questions

(Engaging-Debatable: In art, what does it mean when something is beautiful? How can something be so ugly it is beautiful?)

(3-5 questions; at least 2 from each lesson) Lesson One: Why do artists experiment and try new techniques when they may already have discovered their style? If there are no representational elements in a work of art, only form and color, what can the image communicate to its viewer? Are abstract works interesting to look at and engaging for the viewer or not? What are some examples? How can unity be created in a work of art that utilizes many different types of painting styles and techniques? Should a painting be completely planned out before the artist starts it? Lesson Two: Why do you think the most famous and well-known illustrators are so widely known and loved? What makes their illustrations special and universal? What characteristics and expressive features make an artists illustrations unique? Is simplicity or detail more important in childrens book illustrations? How do illustrators tell a story through their images? Would illustrations still be interesting and still get the point across, if there was no story accompany it? Would the story survive without the illustrations? When does this happen, and when does it work well and when does it not work well? Is text ever incorporated effectively into the illustration? Lesson Three: Why are some memories, dreams, nightmares, daydreams, or childhood memories more vivid in our minds than others? What are the most powerful images you recall or emotions you feel from these memories? Can art be playful, childlike, and whimsical, or is that just for childrens book illustrators? Why or why not? Why is it important for artists to paint from personal experiences? How can exaggeration be utilized in a painting about a memory or past experience? Do illustrations belong in a museum? Why or why not? How can certain painting techniques express an idea or an emotion?

Unit Strands Unit: Concepts: Timeless, Transferrable and Universal (I.E.

Composition, Patterns, Technique, Rhythm, Paradox, Influence, Style, Force, Culture, Space/Time/Energy, Line, Law/Rules, Value, Expressions, Emotions, Tradition, Symbol, Movement, Shape, Improvisation, Observation)

Comprehend/Reflect/Create/Transfer

- composition (create/comprehend) - techniques (create/transfer) - unity (create) - memories/storytelling (reflect/transfer) - illustration (create/transfer) - style (reflect/create) - exaggeration (comprehend/transfer) - repetition (create) - space/time/energy (transfer) - emotions/expressions (create/transfer/comprehend)

For each statement you create below align with Standard (S), Grade Level Expectation (GLE), and Evidence Outcome (EO). Include Numeracy, Literacy and Technology, when appropriate, at the end of the alignment.) : It would be written as S.#-GLE.#-EO(s)._,_-GLE.#-EO(s)._,_ (Literacy/Technology) or separate with ; and begin with new standard. Refer to Inquiry Questions, Relevance and Application and Nature of Statement when writing statements.

Enduring Understandings: My students will UNDERSTAND... (Timeless, Transferrable and Universal. Shows a relationship between two or more concepts.) Students will understand that artists utilize various techniques and processes when creating artwork and a successful composition. (S. 3 (Create) GLE 2 EO A and E, Numeracy) Students will understand that every artist has their own style that helps communicate their intended messages and unify their works. (S. 2 (Reflect) GLE 2 EO B and C) Students will understand that art can be personal and can tell a story through the composition they create. (S. 4 (Transfer) GLE 2 EO B, Literacy) Students will understand that artwork and images can be universally understood and enjoyed. (S. 1 (Comprehend) GLE 2 EOs E) Students will understand that imitation and studying other artists works can benefit their artwork, artistic skills, and thought processes. (S. 3 (Create) - GLE 2 EO A, B, and E, Technology)

Conceptual Guiding Questions Why is experimenting with the various watercolor techniques important? Why is experimenting with any new material an artist uses important? Why is it important for artists to develop a specific style? Is it necessary? Can it change? How do you show yourself and your personal experiences in your artwork in various ways? Is this necessary for artists to do? How can artwork be universally understood if there is no written component? What makes visual images connect with people all over the world? Is imitating existing images and artworks necessary for artists? How can including images from life or a reference help convey the message you desire?

Factual Guiding Questions What are the twenty different watercolor techniques you can utilize? How can you unify all twenty techniques within a painting? What are some specific elements of some different artists styles? What are elements of your artistic style? What artists and illustrators use personal memories and experiences in their work? How are images and illustrations universally understood? What are some well-known artists and illustrators that are enjoyed around the world for their storyrelated artwork? How can imitating texture, artistic style, and colors exactly the way they are, benefit you as an artist? Why must artist imitate and observe this closely?

Critical Content: My students will KNOW... (NOT Timeless, Transferrable and Universal. Factual information in the unit [topics] that students must know.) - Students will know how to utilize 16 various watercolor techniques in a successful watercolor painting and will recognize various watercolor techniques in other artworks. - Students will know what composes an illustrators specific artistic style. - Students will know that memories and stories can be shown within an illustration utilizing images and references from life and from their memory. Lesson one: - Students will be able to observe a demonstration on creating the 16 different watercolors techniques and experiment creating each of them in their sketchbooks. - Students will be able to describe the various characteristics and expressive features of art and design they applied to create unified and interesting watercolor

Key Skills: What my students will be able to DO... (Timeless, Transferrable and Universal. What students will do AND be able to transfer to new learning experiences as a result of learning the unit.) - Students will be able to create 16 different watercolor techniques and utilize them in a successful composition. - Students will be able to create a painted illustration of a memory, dream, nightmare, or daydream they have had. - Students will be able to re-create the style and composition of an artists illustration of their choosing. Lesson one: - Students will be able to unify the various techniques within their painting to create a successful composition. - Students will be able to create a watercolor painting utilizing the 16 different

painting. Lesson two: - Students will be able to observe various illustrators painted works, and be able to describe and explain what identifies that artists illustrative style. - Students will be able to debate and describe why their painting imitates and reflects a chosen illustrators style. - Students will be able to explain how an illustrator shows emotions, time, a narrative and mood through their use of colors, lines, and exaggeration of forms. Lesson three: - Students will be able to identify and describe their artistic style that they will apply within their illustration to better express their intended meaning. - Students will be able to describe and explain the characteristics and expressive features of art they utilized to create their desired mood and emotions of their illustration.

watercolor techniques. Lesson two: - Students will be able to create a watercolor painting that imitates an

illustrators style and composition. - Students will be able to effectively identify and employ the watercolor, drawing, and other techniques their illustrator uses to their own painting.
Lesson three: - Students will be able to create a watercolor illustration expressing a memory, dream, nightmare or daydream they wrote about. - Students will be able to apply a minimum of three different watercolor techniques to create their final illustration. - Students will be able to observe the various ways to alter images within various artists illustrations (simplification/minimization, exaggeration/magnification, distortion/deformation, animation) and apply at least two of the alteration techniques to three different reference photos they utilize within their composition.

Academic Vocabulary Technical Vocabulary Literacy Integration

Numeracy Integration

Compare/contrast, read/write, illustrate, express, explain, describe Unity, composition, repetition, exaggeration, style, techniques, resist, dry brush, graded wash, wet-on-wet, wet-on-dry, frisket Students will write about childhood memory, daydream, nightmare, dream they have had and then illustrate their written description. Students will reflect upon and critique their work and their peers work verbally and in written form. Illustrations accompanying written stories, and artwork that incorporates text, will be discussed in-depth within this unit. How an artist communicates their intended message and how the viewer reads their image will also be discussed in-depth. Planning is an essential component of this unit. All students will be required to create, reflect on, and refine plans before and after creating their work. Students will need to estimate, measure, and observe as they plan their composition. Students will use logic and critical thinking as they respond to visual cues in their artwork.