At the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
- see a project through to completion.
- look critically and respectfully at the artwork of others.
- revise and modify artwork as needed to convey an important message.
Enduring Understandings:
- A work of art is finished when an artist feels that his or her message is communicated.
- Artists can tell if their artwork communicates their message by asking others. If people looking at the art understand the message, then it was communicated successfully.
- What does it mean to “finish” a work of art?
- How can I tell if my artwork has communicated the message I hoped to get across?
- pencils
- paint
- long, mural paper
- other art materials (optional)
This lesson is part of the series Art and Activism.
Vocabulary
activism [ak-ti-viz-uhm] (noun) intentional actions geared toward creating change
communicate [kuh-myoo-ni-keyt] (verb) to pass along information so it is understood by others
community [kuh-myoo-ni-tee] (noun) a group of people living in the same area, such as a town or city
mural [myoo-ruhl] (noun) a large painting made on a wall
perspective [per-spek-tiv] (noun) a person’s point of view
Procedure
1. Remind students that the goal is to be finished with the mural at the end of this work period. Give them a brief chance to share their individual goals, remind each other of the mural’s message, and talk about any particular ideas that occurred to them after the last period.
2. Give students a chance to work uninterrupted on the mural for as long as possible.
3. Gather students together to admire their own work and that of their classmates. Ask them how they can tell whether the mural is done, and what it feels like to finish a project like this. Congratulate your students on a job well done.
4. Now that students have engaged in an activist art project on their own, they will have a different perspective on the art that they see in their school and community. Ask them to pay attention to art that they see around them—and encourage them to explain how it seems different to them after engaging in their own collaborative art process. When you meet again, ask students to share examples of how their perspective might feel different.
Common Core State Standards: SL.1, SL.2, SL.3, SL.4
