Exploring Contemporary Social Issues in a High School Drawing Curriculum

Grade Level: 10-12 (Drawing 2)

Length of unit: 3-4 weeks
Task Description:
Students will identify and examine various contemporary social issues in their
own lives and in their local and global community.
Students will choose a topic relevant to them and will plan and create a work
of art that investigates meaning to the theme/idea. Students will identify, locate and
examine the work of contemporary artists who have addressed this theme.
After in-progress class critiques, students will revise and complete their art
and write an artist statement. Students will then curate and display their art around
school grounds.
Instructional objectives aligned with the National Visual Arts Standards:
Creating:
Experiment/Imagine/Identify
1. Students examine and identify themes in contemporary artworks.
2. Students summarize the themes in contemporary artworks.
Investigate/ Plan/Make
3. Students plan, experiment, and shape an artistic investigation on a social
or contemporary issue
4. Students select and use a contemporary art making approach to create a
work of art.
Reflect/Refine/Continue
5. Students share, explain, and discuss in-progress artwork.
6. Students critique and use feedback to make decisions about revising
and/or refining art work.
7. Students compose an artists statement.
Presenting:
Select/Analyze
1. Students identify and apply criteria for selecting art and artifacts for an
exhibit or display.
2. Students explain reasons for selecting key art and artifacts for an exhibit
or display.

Prepare/Curate
3. Students investigate and identify a site or space for installing an exhibit or
display.
4. Students compare a variety of factors and methods when planning an
exhibit or display.
Exhibit/Share
5. Students work with others to plan and create a physical or digital exhibit
or display of selected works of art and/or artifacts for an identified audience.
6. Students evaluate what they learned from the process of curating and
presenting the exhibit or display.
Responding:
Perceive /Analyze
1. Students identify approaches for shaping interpretations.
2. Students analyze responses to works of contemporary art.
Enduring Understandings in alignment with standards:
Creativity and innovative thinking are essential life skills that can be
developed.
Artists and other presenters consider various techniques, methods, venues,
and criteria when selecting works for presentation.
Artists and designers shape artistic investigations, following or breaking with
traditions in pursuit of creative art making goals.
Vocabulary:
Artist Statement

Artist investigation Contemporary Art

Contemporary issues

Social issues

content

Context

Critique

Engage

Innovative thinking Activist art

Curate

Materials:
Color pencils
Erasers
paper
Newsprint
Resources:

Graphite pencils

Tortillions

Color pencil blenders

drawing paper (various sizes)

Newspaper

Ink

other supplies as needed

Colored drawing

Art 21 http://www.pbs.org/art21/
Artist websites/ museum websites/ blogs /Pinterest
My personal Pinterest collection and Scoop.it board
http://www.scoop.it/u/alicia-bagley-1
https://www.pinterest.com/abagley0619/
Instructional Procedures:
Lesson 1 (Introduction and the research)
Day 1
Students will begin class by responding to writing prompt What do you
know/remember about contemporary drawing? Following sufficient time for each
student to respond in his or her sketchbook, the teacher will then initiate a class
discussion on contemporary drawing. Following this the teacher will then present a
PowerPoint to the class on Contemporary drawing based off of the book
Contemporary Drawing: Key Concepts and Techniques by Margaret Davidson.
(Contemporary Drawing PowerPoint located on website).
For the remainder of class students will be given the opportunity to play in their
sketchbook. The class will be able to experiment with various mediums available to
create mini-contemporary drawings.
Day 2
Students will begin class by responding to a questionnaire form (attached). The
form will encourage students to begin thinking about various issues.
After ample time has been given to the students, the teacher will then present a
PowerPoint to students on social, contemporary issues and activist art.
(Contemporary/Social Activist Art Project located on webpage under lesson plan)
As a class we will compile a large list of topics that fall into the categories. Each
student will be allowed/required to go to the list on the smart board and write down
a few topics. Some class discussion will guide the students and help create a brief
understanding of such topics.
Students will then be introduced to Art21 on PBS. Students will watch a small clip of
from season four on change and will respond to some questions in a PowerPoint
(questions are from the teacher resource guide on the website and Art21 Change
PowerPoint is located on webpage)
The teacher will then present a PowerPoint created on the topic of Racism. Students
will be able to see how different artist portray race in many ways. Students will then
create a mini drawing in their sketchbook about what race means to them. (Racism
PowerPoint is located on webpage under additional resources)
Day 3-6

The teacher will begin the class with a PowerPoint titled Historical Activist Art on
how art has been used in the past to create a difference or promote change. (On
website under additional resources)
Following the brief history of art lesson the teacher will then present the students to
artist, Scott Erickson via PowerPoint/artist website and a YouTube video. The teacher
will emphasize how Erickson works with various non-profit organizations as
motivation to create a difference. During this time the students will be working in
their sketchbook taking notes. (Erickson PowerPoint on website, link to video is on
Scoop.it!)
Students will then refer to the list they made as a class the previous day and pick
out some of the topics that is relevant to them and society. In their sketchbook the
students will document how their chosen topics are relevant to them and society.
For the remaining of class and the next four days the students will be allowed
access to individual laptops (checked out from the library) to construct their
research. Guidelines of the research will be presented/reviewed from the PowerPoint
showed on Day 2. Guided resources will be provided to students on various artists
and museums to look out through handouts, Art21, Pinterest, Scoop.it, Delicious,
and the teachers website.
Note: Days 2-4 will begin with a recap of what is required and introduction to a new
artist.
Goals by days (to keep students on track, **some adjustments may be made)
All information will be dated and recorded in the students sketchbook.

Day 1 of research: Narrow down your list of topics to one strong topic you
wish to work with
Day 2 of research: Locate and document a minimum of two strong sources
that inform you of your chosen topic and find a minimum of one artist with
annotation. (All must be in your sketchbook)
Day 3 of research: Locate further information required and find at least two
more artists that work within your theme.
Day 4 of research: Find additional artists as required, post research on artists
to Pinterest. Finish collecting any data needed.

Lesson 2 (Day 7-9)

This day will begin by presenting another artist to the student and discussing their
work and techniques used. (PowerPoint on Chris Jordan)
The class will then discuss what they have learned through out their research. What
ways did the artist make the work effective? How can art promote change? What
ideas does this provide them with?
Students will then begin creating various thumbnails on the topic they chose. These
thumbnails will be constructed in their sketchbook and will help them work through
any dilemma they may occur.

Following the completion of four various thumbnails the students will seek advice
from their peers. Each student will approach a minimum of three classmates who
are unaware of their topic and evaluate the thumbnails. They will be searching to
see if the topic is clearly understood in the artwork. Following this discussion the
classmates will provide the students with any suggestions on how to make the art
stronger. Any peer feedback given will be document in the sketchbook for the
teacher to see and for the students to look back at as they continue to work. Once
the peer feedback has been addressed the student will present the strongest two
thumbnails to the teacher before proceeding to the final paper (for their artwork).
On these thumbnails will be what medium they plan to use and what materials they
will need (colored paper, paper size, etc.)
Once all suggestions have been thought through the students will then be able to
begin.
Days 10-16
Students should all be working on their final paper (their final artwork) for the
project. At the beginning of each class students will be allowed 10-15 minutes to
talk among their classmates to receive in-progress criticism. Each student should
seek a different classmate each day. In the middle of class 4-6 students will be
selected to receive a class critique. (Again all criticism should be dated and
documented in their sketchbook). The final rubric will be displayed on the board for
the students to reference through out the project.
In-process critiques will be provided along the way and teacher feedback will be
administered on a regular basis.
Following completion students will create an artist statement evaluating their
artwork and their understanding of the topic. Students will also include how their
research on contemporary artists and the issue assisted their artistic creative
journey.
A rough checklist to keep student progress consistent:

Day 1 of the art project: Students should have completed the contour of their
drawing
By the end of day 3: Students should have 1/3 of the drawing completed.
By the end of day 5: Students should be close to having 2/3 of the drawing
completed.
By the end of day 7: Students should be done with the project or close to
completion. What ever left to be done will be considered homework. Finished
product and artist statement will be required in two days.

Lesson 3 (Day 16-20)

Students will then scout a place around the school (or community) to display their
work. Students will think about their audience and how the location of the art will be
associated with the audience.
Students will correspond with people (admin or community members) to establish a
location and date to set up their exhibition.

Formative & Summative Assessments:

Formative assessment will consist of the teacher walking around and working with
students. I will be checking to see that all students are focused and on task at all
times. Students should be meeting daily goals provided by the teacher.
Sketchbooks will be collected every 4-5 days to evaluate that work is being done
and assessed with a checklist (provided below).
Summative assessments will be based on rubrics provided below. The research,
finished artwork, and presentation will all be analyzed by a rubric.
Accommodations:
Accommodations will be established based on the needs of the students. Most
accommodations will allow the students to have extended time on projects.
Attachments: checklists, grading instruments, questionnaire form.

Formative Checklists
= meets
=excee
ds

Items I will be looking for. (End of day 3)

Mini contemporary drawing

Questionnaire worksheet
Notes from PowerPoint
Art 21 response
Mini drawing on what you think race is
Notes on any discussed artist
Historical activist notes
Narrowed list of topics
Thoughts on these topics and relevance
= meets
=excee
ds

Item I will be looking for. (End of day 7)

Notes from research day 1

Notes from research day 2
Notes from research day 3
Notes from research day 4
Contribution on Pinterest
= meets
=excee
ds

Item I will be looking for. When thumbnails are showed to teacher

(around day 9)
First thumbnail thumbnail
Second thumbnail
Third thumbnail
Fourth thumbnail
Criticism from student 1
Criticism from student 2
Criticism from student 3

In progress critiques- teacher will collect sketchbooks at the end but will walk
around throughout the class to make sure student participation is checked off each
day (therefore students will not wait to the last day).
= meets
=excee
ds

In progress critiques (Did the student acquire sufficient in progress

critiques in the beginning of class from their peers and document it in
their sketchbook?)
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4

Day 5
Day 6
Thoughts on these topics and relevance
Rubric for Art Work and Artist Statement
Student Name:_______________________________________________
Yes
Experiment (10 possible points)
Forms new creative work
based on inspiration (5)
Selects a range of
materials and work
methods (5)
Investigate (10 possible points)
Organizes ideas and
develops a plan in their
sketchbook (thumbnails)
(10)
Reflect (30 possible points)
Participates in critique
constructively (5)
Revises works (5)
Connects work to personal
interest/theme/idea and
provides description (20)
Technique (30 possible points)
Student mastered the use
of the medium as
previously learned (20)
Student addresses
composition and craft (10)
Interpret/Apply (20 possible
points)
Evaluates the
effectiveness of art in
artist statement (10)

Interprets and presents an

issue contextual
information in artworks (5)
Applies relevant criteria to
evaluate art(5)

No

Point
s

Comments

Total
Teacher
Comments__________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
__

Rubric for Research

Student Name: ______________________________

Sketchbook/journal
contains research
to support the
development of
artwork

Sketchbook/journal
shows a variety of
possible solutions
and approaches

Sketchbook/journal
shows

Exceeds Standards
(3)
Student has
identified their
chosen topic.
Student has found
an exceptional
amount of
information on
their topic
(including
statistics,
organizations, and
outreach
programs).
Student used
reliable sources to
gather information
and included their
sources
Student has
created multiple
thumbnails on
around their topic
and sought
criticism from
multiple
classmates
Thumbnails and
designs illustrate

Meets Standards
(2)
Student has
identified their
chosen topic.
Student has found
adequate
information from
reliable sites.

Needs
Improvement (1)
Student has
identified their
chosen topic.
Research lacks
statistics,
organization or
other key
information.

Students created
1-2 thumbnails on
their topic.
Students sought
criticism from 1-2
classmates

Students created 1
thumbnail.

Thumbnails and
designs show some

Thumbnails show
little to no personal

personalization of
the topic selected

Sketchbook/journal
makes connections
between theme
and contemporary
artworks

clear
understanding and
several personal
connections to the
topic.
Students have
identified a
minimum of four
contemporary
artworks by
various artists that
address the topic
they chose to
research.

personal
connections to the
topic.

connection.

Students have
identified a 2-3
contemporary
artworks by
various artists that
address the topic
they chose to
research.

Students lack
adequate research
on artists.

Total
Teacher
Comments:_________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
___

Rubric for Presentation

Student Name:_________________________________
Standards
Analyze,
select, and
curate artifacts
and or
artworks for
presentation
and
preservation

Analyze and

Evidence
Analyzed and
curated
completed art
works in
preparation for
preservation
and
presentation
and includes
artist
statements.
Analyzed and

Not Observed

Date:_______________________
Observed

Comments

evaluate the
reasons and
ways an
exhibition was
presented.

evaluated the
effectiveness
of the chosen
plan and
location for
displaying
works of art
and provides
rationale.

Questionnaire form

Name:_________________________

For a daily grade based on completion and genuine answers please answer the
following questions to the best of your ability. Underdeveloped answers will not
receive credit.

1.Have you ever done a project that addresses a social issue or problems in the
world? Briefly explain.

2. Do you like talking about social issues, or problems in the world? Why or why not?

3. How do contemporary social issues present in what we see today affect how we
think?

4. In addition to the 1 thing you would change in the world if given the chance,
what other social or contemporary issues are important to you? (You cannot say I
do not know {or any sort of answer in that way}, you must answer).