Andrea Johnson

Unit Title: Artistic Growth

Grade level: Drawing I
Length of unit: 4 weeks (50 min periods)
Stage 1 Desired Results
Meaning
Enduring Understandings/Generalizations:

Essential Questions:

Careful observation is necessary when

creating and evaluating art.

What is the relation between perception and art?

The ability to perceive edges, spaces,

relationships, lights/shadows, and the gestalt
are all parts of the fundamental seeing skills.

How does training ones eye lead to increased

perception?

Is drawing important?

How do you enhance your artistic growth?

Drawing can help one learn in many areas

throughout life.
By training the right and left side of the brain
to work together, one can increase perception
which leads to artistic growth. Using tools
and techniques lead to artistic growth.

Knowledge & Skills Acquisition

Learning Goals: (e.g., Iowa/Common Core standards.)
National Visual Arts Standard 1 - Understanding and applying media, techniques, and processes
National Visual Arts Standard 2 Using knowledge of structures and functions

 National Visual Arts Standard 3 Choosing and evaluating a range of subject matter, symbols, and
ideas.
Students will know

Perception
Proportion, sighting proportion
Observation
Abstract drawing/Realistic drawing
Line, edge, contour, depth, value,
lights/shadows
Tools and techniques (viewfinder, grid,
picture plane)
Reflecting on drawing exercises
Left/Right hemisphere of brain
Personal style
Organization of a portfolio

Students will be able to

- Understand what artistic growth is
- Practice several drawing exercises in order to
enhance observation skills
- Compare and contrast personal styles
- Identify the relationship between the left and
right side of the brain when perceiving.
- Practice using tools and techniques to aid in
artistic growth.
- Understand how the fundamental steps in
drawing leads to increased perspective.
- Perform close observation when creating art.
- Organize a portfolio that documents their
artistic growth.
- Reflect on merits of work and artistic growth.
- Create a relationship between art and
perception.
- Participate in debriefing discussions

Resources/Materials:

Right side of the brain exercise worksheets

Transparent picture plane (grid)
Still life objects (furniture, fruit, flowers, jewelry, horns, dishware, feathers, etc)
View finder
Portrait, action shot, and plant photo
Paper, pencil, ruler, eraser, charcoal, paper towel
Portfolio folder/binder

Computer/Internet

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:

Entrance slip, Discussion and Self-portrait

-

Entrance slip: student will answer the question, Why is drawing important? Why or why not?
What do you wish to draw?
This tells me their attitudes about drawing and can help me strategize which angle to present lessons
This tells me their interests to touch on throughout the unit.
After viewing examples of artistic growth, students will have a discussion about artistic
growth.
This will tell me what students already know about fundamentals of drawing (and art).
Student will be given a mirror and a workbook to complete a self-portrait. Student will tape a
6 x 8 mirror to the wall at arms length. Student will draw a portrait of themselves to the
best of their ability, using the mirror.
This will tell me areas of strengths and weaknesses for each student. This will help me gage how in depth
to go with certain exercises.
This will be a reference to use at the end of the unit when reflecting on their own artistic growth.

Formative Assessment:

Drawing exercises/Drawing on the right side of the brain

(edges, negative space, relationships, lights/shadows, gestalt)
- Vase/Face
- Upside-down
- No-Looking
- Hand, using picture plane
- Negative space name
- Negative space plant
- Negative space sports photo
- Hallway proportions
- Still life (mapping)
- Table/Stool
- Profile of a neighbor
- Egg shadows
- Face Proportions
- Magazine/Photo Portrait
- Self Portrait
Group Activities
- Jigsaw/Graphic Organizer over lines/edges and personal style
- Graphic Organizer of right/left brain/drawing techniques/perspective
- Cultures with symmetry
- T-P-S
- Class Discussion (debriefing)
- Small Group Discussion (debriefing)
Reflections
- Entrance/Exit Slips
- Journal Entries
- Notes
- Sketches
Portfolio completion
- All exercises, sketches, notes completed and organized

Summative Assessment:

Artifact reflection and connection to perception

Rubric
-Student will choose one artifact that they completed within the unit.
-Student will write a 5-page paper or give a 10-minute presentation to the class analyzing the
artifact in relation to perception and their artistic growth. They will reflect on the connection
between art and perception through their chosen artifact.
-Student will reflect on their own merits of work and their artistic growth throughout the unit.
**Student has choice of which artifact to reflect on.
**Student has choice to either write a 5-page reflection or they can give a 10 minute oral
presentation to the class.
**For more of a challenge, reflect on the growth throughout entire collection and how/why their perception has
increased. Has this led to better art? Why or why not?

(This will get class ready for the next unit which will be observing and critiquing other peoples art.)