CONCEPTUAL AGE LESSON PLAN 8th grade

Brewer 1

SETTING GOALS & EXPECTATIONS

Conceptual Structure
Big Idea:
Awareness Being aware of what is going on around us: school, community, current
events, natural disasters, politics, world news disease, etc.
Key Concepts:
History can teach us about cause and effect
Current events can teach us about empathy
Making a stand for what you believe
Appropriation
Essential Questions:
How can we find out whats going on in the world?
How can we bring about awareness for certain causes?
Why should people be aware of whats going on in the world?
How do you want to tell your target audience about your cause?

RESPONDING AND CONNECTING

Instructional Activities
Students will know:
Students will know how to look up current events
They will know what resources to use to bring about awareness
They will be able to articulate either verbally or in writing why people need to be aware
of whats going on around them.
How to create a storyboard
How to use iMovie
Student knowledge acquired:
Knowledge about current events in other cities, states, countries
Knowledge about past events and how certain decisions shaped the future
More knowledge about their specific area of interest
Artist Exemplars:
Alfredo Jaar Protest Art:21
Banksy
Public Awareness Ads - VTS
Emily Brewer

CONCEPTUAL AGE LESSON PLAN 8th grade

Brewer 2

Connections to prior knowledge and other disciplines:

History
Social Students
Geography
What questions would help your students work through the big idea?
What is going on in your school, community, the world that you want people to know
about?
Who do you want your target audience to be?
Do you want it to be subtle or in your face?
How would students get to respond to art?
What area are you interested in?
Which artwork made you really stop and think?
Did any change your mind about what you believe? What was it about it?
What ideas could you pull from the examples to use in your own work?

CREATING
Art Making
Students will create: (working in groups of 2 or 3)
1. Proposal sketches of their ideas along with a written statement (possible research)
2. A poster using images and/or text to relay their message about their chosen cause
3. A storyboard for their awareness video
4. An awareness video using iMovie video clips, interviews, photographs, voiceover,
music
Assessment:
Evidence of deep thinking for each art making section through proposals (written and
sketches) and interviews (formative assessment).
o Consideration of audience
Collaboration and teamwork

PRESENTING
Students work will be presented:
Posters will be hung in the classroom and if appropriate, in the hallways. The class will
VTS it to see if it communicates what the artists intended. Then the artist will be able to
talk about their work and any research they did.
Videos will be shown in the classroom and uploaded to class website

CONCEPTUAL AGE LESSON PLAN 8th grade

Brewer 3

o Ideal would be to have them located in public places where they would reach
their target audience for posters and use social media to share their videos. Get the
word out!

TEACHER REFLECTION
How does your curricular design foster skills for the Conceptual Age?

Creating awareness about something is important to you encourage empathy and purpose.
Using iPads and other technology to communicate beliefs and connect to others
Creating works of art that can potentially make a difference in their community
VTS public awareness ads to help teach visual culture
Connection to the community through student interviews for their videos