Swimming Through Printmaking

I. OVERVIEW

LESSON TITLE: Swimming through Printmaking

LESSON SUMMARY: In this lesson, students will explore the human impact on ecology through
the work of Robert Rauschenberg and the process of reductive relief printmaking, creating a
magazine collage as the base on which reductive prints based on sketches of moving fish will be
printed. Students will learn about ecology and movement through the repetitive and meaningmaking purposes of printmaking to send a widespread message about an aspect of ecology that
interests them.
TEACHER(S) NAME: Elizabeth Tripod, Rachel Bouton
GRADE LEVEL:

7th

CLASS NAME: 7th Grade Art

CLASS TIME/DATE: 40 Minutes
A. BIG IDEA: Ecology

CLASS SIZE: 13
2 Days/week 5 # Total Session(s)/Days

B. ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS:

Ecology is the branch of biology dealing with the relations and interactions between organisms and their
environment. Our environment is ever-changing, and most changes are influenced by our own actions. We
have changed everything about our planet, from melting polar ice caps, to raising global temperatures, to
exterminating entire species of plants and animal, to genetically modifying other species to suit our own
needs. We have done this to the point that we have created the dawn of a new era, and not for the better.
Artists are especially suited to how we communicate with the world, how we express what we care about
in the time period we are in, and what we contribute to society, to culture. Artists make statements that
people listen to, and can change minds. When artists care about ecology, the world can care about
ecology, and do something to change our impact on nature.
C. ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:

What is the anthropocene, and what does it have to do with ecology?

The Anthropocene is a proposed epoch that begins when human activities started to have a significant
global impact on Earth's geology and ecosystems. We are entering a new era, marked by huge change on a
global scale, in which humans control everything that happens on this planet, changing our relationship
with ecology and society. We control weather- hail- because of the frequency and massive destruction
caused by hail in Alberta, insurance companies pay for cloud seeding planes that spray silver iodine to
make the rain fall before it becomes hail. We have bleached our coral reefs, melted our polar ice caps,
eliminated species of plants and animals, and changed others to suit our needs.

Should humans change their relationship with nature? Why or why not?
Our ecology is atrocious. We have polluted, killed, engineered, and destroyed the ecology of earth. The
harm we have created is life changing, but if we act now and put in the effort, some of the effects we have
had on nature will be reversed or improved.
Can artists make statements about ecology in their work?
The purpose of art is to send a message, to get people to see a new perspective, and as such, artists are
specifically well suited to make statements about ecology in their work. Environmental artists are a group
especially devoted to working with the environment, and they raise awareness as to issues of ecology.

D. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Students will have had experience in making sketches and still lifes, drawing fish.
Students will have had the experience of working with collages and similar mixed media techniques.
Students know to take their assigned seats and sit quietly as the instructor begins the lesson.

E. MATERIALS/EQUIPMENT, ROOM ARRANGEMENT

1. MATERIALS/EQUIPMENT:

4.5x6 sheets of tracing paper

4.5x6 sheets of styrofoam board
18 x 24 Final Paper

Printmaking ink
Brayers
Barens
Boards for inking
Scissors
Glue Sticks
Magazine Pages
Pencils
Powerpoint
Color Example Poster
Betta Fish (or video alternative)
Teacher Examples
Soap
2. ROOM ARRANGEMENT:

Tables will be arranged in a circle around a center table with the fish on it.
If fish are unavailable, tables will face the projection screen while a video is played
F. VOCABULARY and REFERENCES/SOURCES

1. VOCABULARY:
a. Ecology- the branch of biology that deals with the relations of organisms to one another and to their
physical surroundings.
b. Movement-an act of changing physical location or position or of having this changed.
c. Printmaking- the process of making multiple artworks by printing with a matrix, normally on paper.
d. Matrix- The object (usually linoleum, metal sheets, or wood) used to create/carve the image to be printed,
also known as the printing plate. In this lesson, the Styrofoam is the matrix.
e. Juxtaposition- Placing or combining contrasting imagery in such a way as to create new meaning from the
2.
a.
b.
c.

d.

interplay of clawing concepts.

REFERENCES/SOURCES:
PowerPoint
Video of beta fish (if necessary)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_P_W
VY4E

Robert Rauschenberg

e.
Robert Rauschenberg, Retroactive I, 1964, oil and silkscreen ink on canvas, 84 x 60 in.
(213.4 x 152.4 cm)

II. STANDARDS and OBJECTIVES

A. STANDARDS

NJCCC Art:
1.2.8.A.3 - Analyze the social, historical, and political impact of artists on culture and the impact of

culture on the arts.

Ecology is a political and social issue. This lesson will challenge students to think about ecology and
concerns for the planet can affect an artists work (i.e. style and choice of media, as well as subject

matter). We ask the students what ecology means and why it is important.
1.3.8.D.1 - Incorporate various art elements and the principles of balance, harmony, unity, emphasis,
proportion, and rhythm/movement in the creation of two- and three- dimensional artworks, using a broad
array of art media and art mediums to enhance the expression of creative ideas (e.g., perspective, implied
space, illusionary depth, value, and pattern).

Students will be incorporating magazine pages into their prints, combining traditional media with
unconventional media. There will be emphasis on movement of the fish and the overall balance of the

piece.
1.3.8.D.2 - Apply various art media, art mediums, technologies, and processes in the creation of
allegorical, theme- based, two- and three-dimensional works of art, using tools and technologies that are

appropriate to the theme and goals.

Students will be using magazine pages as part of the creative process to add to their fish prints. Over the
prints, the number of fish will decrease and the amount of trash will increase. These small prints are an

allegory for what is happening around the world.

1.4.8.B.1 - Evaluate the effectiveness of a work of art by differentiating between the artists technical

proficiency and the works content or form.

We are working with 7th graders who, though talented, have room to improve. We are mostly looking for

content, not quality of the work, as the main focus of this lesson is the message that the works convey.
NJCCC Non-art Subject:
MS-ESS3-3 - Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human

impact on the environment.

This lesson will challenge students to think about how their impact on the worlds oceans, animals, and

ecosystems can be minimized.

National Core Visual Arts Standards (NCCAS):
VA:Re8.1.8a - Interpret art by analyzing how the interaction of subject matter, characteristics of form and
structure, use of media, art- making approaches, and relevant contextual information contributes to

understanding messages or ideas and mood conveyed.

Students are working with a mixture of materials and practices. This will challenge students to think and
problem solve beyond just what their making and explore the ideas behind the message their project is
conveying. WHY are we having them do this project? Why is ecology important? What will happen if all
the fish in the ocean disappear? We will also have them look at and analyze Rauschenbergs work.
B. OBJECTIVES:

The learner will demonstrate the ability to analyze the works of Robert Rauschenberg in an in-class

discussion, as well as human impact on the environment and what artists can do to combat this.
The learner will demonstrate the ability to remember and apply knowledge of composition, line, and color

by designing a collage of magazine pages and prints.

The learner will demonstrate an understanding of Ecology by creating collages with magazine pages and

printmaking that represent human impact on the world.

The learner will demonstrate the ability to create relief prints through Styrofoam printmaking techniques
by printing at least two different fish drawings, one with a background and one cut out, and at least two

ghost prints.
The learner will demonstrate the ability to evaluate each others prints in a group critique, and discuss the
difference of meaning between a traditional drawing and their collages.

III. LEARNING EXPERIENCE

A. INTRODUCTION: (Motivational Dialogue)

Hook: The Anthropocene is a proposed epoch that begins when human activities started to have a
significant global impact on Earth's geology and ecosystems. We are entering a new era, marked by huge
change on a global scale, in which humans control everything that happens on this planet, changing our
relationship with ecology and society. We control weather- hail- because of the frequency and massive
destruction caused by hail in Alberta, insurance companies pay for cloud seeding planes that spray silver

iodine to make the rain fall before it becomes hail, food, plants, environment, animal and plant species.
Art focuses on how we communicate with the world, how we express what we care about in the time
period we are in, and what we contribute to society, to culture. It is insane that we get the witness the
dawn of a new era, that we get to be alive for this, it is a great thing to make art about. The really cool
thing about printmaking is that it first opened up art to the public. When artists could only make one
painting every few years, art was reserved for the very wealthy. When printmaking allowed artists to
make many copies of their work relatively cheaply and quickly, they were able to get their work out to a
wider population. The benefit of this is that you can now get your message out to a wider group of people.
Art is all about sending a message, what do you want to say or express with your art?
B. SEQUENTIAL DAY-BY-DAY PLANNER
DAY 1

Introduce Robert Rauschenberg, his work, his message, collage, printmaking, using PowerPoint

presentation
Discuss current issues regarding human impact on nature- ask for volunteers
Examples: overfishing, oil spills, pollution, boat damage, weather, extinction
Go over composition
Fibonaccis Spiral (Golden Mean), Rule of Thirds, Triangle Rule
Students take their folders with their magazine pages collected last class from their yellow bin, then

collect paper from the front table and glue sticks and scissors from the cabinets.
Students cut out and glue down magazine pages on final paper, demonstrating the proper way to glue

down the pages so the edges all stick properly, explaining the importance of this for printmaking.
Closure- ask for volunteers to share what they found and how they arranged it, have students help each
other finding meaning in their works. Students place their collages on drying racks for next time.
DAY 2

Intro printmaking with PowerPoint- explain the difference between the different types of printmaking,

and how they work.

Show slides demoing drawing fish from life, how to transfer to Styrofoam, how to print, how they look

when printed.
Discuss how students will draw fish from life or video if not in a position to see fish clearly.
Students will create at least 5 sketches on transfer paper, one fish per page, emphasizing movement.
(Discuss importance of visual interest of movement.)

Review Composition
Students pick at least two sketches to collage one on top of the other- with fish touching- to show

movement.
Place tracing paper on top of styrofoam
Use pencil to trace image. Be sure to press firmly enough to make marks on the styrofoam, but not so

hard as to knock a hole in it!

Students will have at least one fish with background, and at least one fish without background (cut out)

but they are encouraged to have more.

Closure- Ask students how far they got, show of hands, who has one, two, or three fish transferred? All
students have at least one fish transferred, so we will be printmaking next class. Does anyone have any
questions? Review what we did this class, and what we will do next class.
DAY 3

Review printmaking PowerPoint-Finish sketching and start/continue printmaking in groups of 4-5

students, show each group proper printmaking technique, have the step-by-step technique up on board for

reference.
Show color poster- explain how different colors look layered on top of other colors
Demo Printmaking
Pick one fish to be the background (do not cut the matrix)
Cut other fish out
Students pick the color for the background fish.
Show how to charge the brayer (listen for the sticky velcro sound!), and how to evenly apply the ink.

(Be sure to run the brayer in perpendicular directions across the matrix!)
Show how to store the brayer when not in use. (Roller up, never down.)
Have students print, one color per fish.
Due to classroom size, supplies, and counter-space, students will be shown the printmaking demo in small

groups as they complete their sketches.

Students will be required to make at least one print with a background (not cut out from the Styrofoam)
and one print without a background (cut out from the Styrofoam) as well as at least one ghost print of

each.
Prints will need to overlap each other to show movement and depth, but consider the placement so as not

to completely obscure magazine pages.

Review tool terminology- brayer, baren, matrix
Clean up- wash out Styrofoam, dry, wrap in dry paper towels and store with tracing paper in folders.

Work goes on drying rack, brayers and barens washed and dried.
Wrap up
Review ecology and the big ideas of the lesson- what message are you sending with your art? How are

you sending it? Do you think you are successful? Why or why not?
Review tool terminology and processes
Any questions?
DAY 4

Continue printmaking- review PowerPoint, Rachel intros info about coral reef.
Have students remember process for printmaking, allow them to continue.

If students finish early, they may make another print, of anything they want, on 9x12 paper.
Clean up- wash out Styrofoam, dry, wrap in dry paper towels and store with tracing paper in folders.

Work goes on drying rack, brayers and barens washed and dried.
Wrap up
Review ecology and the big ideas of the lesson- what message are you conveying with your art? How are

you conveying it? Do you think you were successful? Why or why not?
Review tool terminology and processes
Any questions?
C. CLOSURE/CULMINATING EXPERIENCE (Sharing & Reflecting)
Students critique both their own and each others artwork through a snapchat critique. Students place
their artwork on the table in front of them, and receive a stack of post-it notes. Students are then asked to
comment on each work of art. Discuss what the difference is between a comment, a meaningful critique,
and a compliment. Stress that each student must comment on each work, including their own. All three
comments go on the same post-it note with their name on the back for grading purposes. Students rotate
when they finish, going to next available picture to critique. Then we asked

What is the artist exploring or expressing? Why is s/he exploring

this topic? How is the artist exploring this topic?

How is your interpretation different or similar? Is your

interpretation wrong if it differs from the artists intentions?

What challenges or surprises did you encounter (materials,

subject matter, etc.)?

What did you learn through this process?

Summarize the collage and printmaking process, what was learned, the importance of the lesson/learned
content, and praise the students. Students are dismissed by the bell, and receive their rubric and comments
back with their artwork next class.
D. ADAPTATIONS/MODIFICATIONS

1. Adaptations and Modifications:

We do have one student where there is a minor language barrier issue. We feel the Snapchat Critique
approach to critique, instead of a traditional group critique, is more effective in helping the student earn
their participation grade as well as understanding their classmates comments. We also rely more heavily
on body language and gestures to show the student how to do the project, and making sure they

understand before letting them go on their own.

Students who need extra time can finish their work on the final day while classmates begin writing their

comments for the Snapchat critique, the work is labeled as Wet, Do not touch!
If a student cannot roll the ink themselves due to lacking the motor skills to do so, the instructor will roll

the ink for them and the student can place the inked matrices where they wish on their project.
For possible ADHD students, we broke down or chunked information, asking for student participation
and feedback after short periods of presentation, and allowing for artmaking breaks between instruction,
so as to keep attention and interest.

1. Differentiated Instruction:
Demonstrations for every step of the printing process are made for visual learners
Snapchat Critique helps students who benefit from interpersonal activities, but may be too shy to speak

up in a group
Auditory listeners will enjoy listening for the velcro sound when inking the brayer to know when they

have a good amount of ink on the tool.

Students who benefit from bodily-kinesthetic instruction are asked to repeat the motions the instructor

gives when rolling the brayer and using the baren. (Circular motions and even pressure.)
Students will use water-based, non-toxic ink to reduce risk of bodily harm if contact with skin is made, or

ingested.
For gifted/talented students and those who like tactile projects, a modification can be made for students to
find trash and glue it to their project after all other elements (glue from collage and ink from printing) are
dry.
IV. LESSON ANALYSIS
A. STUDENT ASSESSMENT
1. Pre-Assessment: Ask students as a class what they already know about printmaking and ecology.
Students can build off of one anothers answers. Whats the general way to do a print? What does
ecology mean? What are some current events that deal with ecological issues? What is the Fibonacci
spiral and how is it used in composition?
2. Formative Assessment: At the end of Day 2, students are asked to identify and define printmaking
and ecology vocabulary. At the end of Day 3, they are asked (in preparation for Day 4) questions on
good criticism. On the final day, students will participate in a class snapchat critique at the end of
the lesson. Students are asked to write down one thing they noticed about each artwork, one thing
they liked, and one thing they felt could be improved. After they are done, the class is brought
together to discuss the comments they received. Ecology, printmaking, and composition terminology
are all reviewed one last time to access learning, and how each one is present in the students works.

3. Summative Assessment:
Criteria/Objective

Exemplary (A)

Good (B)

Satisfactory (C)

Needs Improvement

(or point system-

(or 9 points)

(or 8 points)

(or 7 points or

10 points)

below)

Students will

The artwork contains at

The artwork contains The artwork is

The student did not

demonstrate the ability

least two prints of betta

prints of betta fish

missing a fish,

meet the two color

to create relief prints

fish, one with a

one with a

and/or does not

requirement and used

through styrofoam

background and one cut background and one

meet the two color

only one color for their

printmaking techniques

out, and at least two

cut out, and at least

requirement, but

fish and/or is missing

by printing at least two

ghost prints in two

one ghost print, and

still conveys the

a/some fish.

different fish drawings,

different colors and

magazine clippings

importance of

one with a background

magazine clippings that that address the

Ecology with the

and one cut out, and at

address the importance

importance of

magazine clippings.

least two ghost prints.

of Ecology.

Ecology. Beta prints

with two different

are in at two colors.

colors on top of
magazine clippings that
depict human impact on
nature.
Students will be able to

The composition of the

apply their previous

work is complex and

knowledge of

interesting. The student

composition, line, and

used line and color to

color to complete their

further develop their

design and create depth

design to create depth

and movement.

and movement and goes

Students will evaluate

beyond expectations.
The student actively

The student was

The student was

The student was not

each others prints in a

engaged in the class

engaged in the class

occasionally

engaged in the class

group critique,

critique, offering

critique, and had

engaged in the class critique and/or made

commenting on the

constructive comments, three comments on

The composition of
the work is
interesting. The
student used line
and color to further
develop their design
and meets
expectations.

The composition
of the work could
use some
improvement, but
the student used
line and color to
further develop
their design.

The composition of
the work is lacking
and the student did
not effectively utilize
line and color to
develop their design.
Did not meet
expectations.

critique and/or had

irrelevant comments.

work and discussing the critiques, and opinions. most students work.

2-3 comments on

Student had little or no

difference of meaning

Student had three

most students

coments on some

between a traditional

comments on each

work.

students work.

drawing and their

students work.

collages with post-it

notes.
Students will analyze

The student actively

The student

The student did not The student did not

and critique the works

participated in the

participated in the

participate in the

participate in the

of Robert Rauschenberg discussion about the

discussion about the

discussion, but their discussion nor drew

, as well as human

artist and their artwork

artist and their work

work shows

upon Rauschenbergs

impact on the

drew upon what the

hinted at what they

understanding of

work for inspiration.

environment and what

student learned of

learned of

Rauschenbergs

artists can do to combat

Rauschenbergs work.

Rauschenbergs

work.

this.

work.

in an in-class discussion
Effort
Craftsmanship- The

The paper is neat,

The paper is a bit

The paper is in

Participation

paper is neat, free of

free of bends and

roughed up and/or

unacceptable condition

Craftsmanship

bends and tears. Careful tears. Stray ink flecks contains stray ink

and not much care was

Sketches

attention was paid to the are rare and hard to

marks, but overall

given with the

final professional look.

does not detract

application of ink.

notice.

(looks pristine)

from the overall

Sketch-The student

The student

image.

completed 5 sketches

completed all 5

for ideas and carefully

sketches and

The student

and did not carefully

considered which 3 to

strategically picked

completed 4 of 5

consider their options

select for the final

the 3 used in the final sketches and picked before going ahead

design. The student did

design.

3 or fewer sketches

3 after receiving

not just go with the first

help from the

idea and just fill in the

instructor.

other sketches.
Total Points or Grade:
Teacher Comments:

B. ASSESSING ARTWORK

The student completed

A Grade Work- This work incorporates found images of the human

impact on nature. The magazine pages are glued down well, and are
neatly cut at the edges. There are a variety of cut and uncut fish prints

with their final piece.

that are carefully drawn, transferred, and inked in several colors, going
above and beyond, creating a sense of movement and depth. The
message is clearly conveyed, as prints do not completely obscure
magazine pages

B Grade Work- This work incorporates some found images of

human impact on nature, but the pictures only loosely relate to each
other. The student made minimal prints and ghost prints, with some
overlap and little sense of movement and depth. The message is
slightly obscured, with the prints over the pictures.

C Grade Work- This work incorporates some found images of human impact on nature, but the pictures
do not relate to each other. The student made minimal prints and ghost prints, with some overlap and little
sense of movement and depth. The prints are all with background, with none cut out, and one print has
multiple fish on it. The message is slightly obscured, with the prints over the pictures.

C. SELF-REFLECTION
Rachel:

We changed the content and goals of this lesson many times, and it had me worried for awhile

that it would end up not working very well. I am very pleased to say that it went very well. The students
walked away with amazing pieces of art and knowledge of Rauschenberg, ecology, and printmaking that
they did not previously possess. In the end, I am definitely happier with the final edition of this lesson
plan than what we had originally planned.
During the lesson itself, I found it really surprising how quick the students picked up the new skills.
Compared to the elementary lesson, these students needed far less additional help and were quite happy
working on their own. Even with how chatty they were at times, I am very impressed with the quality of
the work that came out of this class. They did a great job.
Something that I found personally challenging was trying to get the students attention and maintaining
it when trying to do a group discussion on something related to the big idea. Some students were not
paying attention or still chatting with their neighbor and I didnt notice or didnt hear them, so I continued

on without knowing. In the future, I will make absolutely sure everyone is silent and looking at me before
continuing on with the discussion. Wrap-up was also difficult for the same reasons, in addition to the fact
that I kept blanking on what I was trying to say, even though we had gone over it prior to the start of the
lesson. So students would start to distract one another while I was scrambling to keep their attention and
make sure what I was saying made sense and was meaningful.
Regardless of this, I really enjoyed this lesson. The students didnt make nearly as big of a mess as I
anticipated, and their works were mostly free of inky fingerprints and accidental smudges. Students
listened well to instruction and werent afraid to ask for a refresher if they couldn't remember how to do a
certain step, like the proper way to use the baren.
Overall, according to our objectives, most students met all the requirements and went above
expectations. Many were very interested in the lesson. It was great that we got to tie this lesson into the
work they had started in the lesson they were working on previous to us coming in! As far as grades, we
only had two Bs, which leads me to think we may have been too generous in our grading or our criteria
were too generous to begin with, or it may just be that the students went above and beyond our
expectations and we just had our expectations set too low. For example, we had set the objectives for the
critique thinking students would be hesitant to participate in the Snapchat Critique and/or forget to
write their name on their comments. Thankfully, that only happened to one student, and we wrote on their
rubric that they should try to remember to write their name next time.
The area we saw the most struggle was in composition, as many students opted for more static
compositions instead of dynamic. They put elements in the center, along the edges, all oriented according
to the dimension of the paper, et cetera. Some did break away from this, and those I believe were the most
successful. Regardless, I am very proud of all of them. They met our expectations and went beyond.
So, overall, I think this lesson went well. I still have a lot to learn, but I felt that I have become
stronger as a teacher over the course of this lesson and Im really happy with the works that came out of
it.

Elizabeth Tripod
Self Reflection
Day 1
What surprised me most when I taught this lesson was the staggering difference in how long it
took each student to complete the assignment. Some students rushed through the assignment, and had to
be constantly nudged back on task, given more and more suggestions of things to fix that they did
sloppily the first time. They were bored, out of their seats, and disruptive. Other students were incredibly
meticulous in the care of their project, and did not have enough time to finish. They had to be told to wrap
it up, and they tried to go over.
One thing I feel we need to improve on is better communication between Rachel and I. She told
them they could finish gluing next time, but I didnt want them to do that because I didnt want the glue to
be wet when they started printmaking. I found when making the teacher example that if the glue was wet
when printmaking, the print would pull the magazines up from the paper. I didnt know how to correct her
without contradicting her in front of the class and undermining her authority, which I didnt want to do.
For next time, I would make sure to tell the students exactly what I expected of them in regards to
clean up. I think I assumed that too much information would go in one ear and out the other after I spent

so much time lecturing, and I was eager to get to the art making. Unfortunately, this led to chaos at clean
up time, with lots of noisy students out of their seats, confused as to what to do. Also, I spent a lot of time
repeating myself, so next time I would make sure to get the entire class attention before announcing
important directions.
Ms. Durr has been invaluable as a resource for telling how long the students would take to
complete assignments, what to do to ensure comprehension, and how to streamline the process. I designed
the lesson plan to do sketches first and then the collage, but she suggested collage first and I think that
worked out a lot better. The students, who have trouble with abstract thought at this point in their
development, better understood the final product when working on the actual composition and collage
than when completing sketches for the printing.
Day 2
I began this lesson by reviewing what we did last class, and checking student understanding and
work. Everyone had glued down their magazine pages, so I moved on to discussing the printmaking
PowerPoint and art making activity. I think I took too long with this, and/or could be more engaging and
enthusiastic, as I could see student attention start to wander while I was talking.
For this lesson, I took into account the differing rates of completion across students, and built in
extra for those students that would finish early. Unfortunately, this happened to be the one day I didnt
need to do that, as students took much longer to finish than I thought they would, plus explaining the
PowerPoint and activity took a lot longer than I imagined. Time management is also something Id like to
work on, as I seem to always finish too early, and need to elaborate and explain again later, or I take too
long and we run out of time. Hopefully that is something that will come with practice.
Honestly, the thing I liked best about this lesson is teaching it by myself. I think the experience
better prepares me for teaching on my own, and Im not stepping on anyones toes. One thing I would like
to work on is classroom management. I got the attention of the class, asked them to please sit down, and
they ignored me. It took Ms. Durr raising her voice and threatening lunch detention to get them to listen,
and I aim to get better at classroom management so I can manage the class on my own, without help.
Day 3
This was our first day of printmaking, and for the most part, I think it went well. I began this
lesson by reviewing what we did last class, and checking student understanding and work. I noticed that
most students did not transfer the drawing to Styrofoam by pressing hard enough for it to print, so I
demoed how to press hard enough, and different ways to imprint on the foam. I told the students that they
should be able to feel all the details of their fish and trace it with their eyes closed, thats how they would
know they pressed hard enough. I also passed around one of my examples so they could feel for
themselves what it should feel like. This tactic worked, and everyones prints came out great, with
everyone pressing hard enough to register.
For next time, I would discuss this before they started to transfer, so they wouldnt have to do it
twice. We had students finish that, then took them in small groups to demo printmaking again. I think this
worked a lot better than the whole class demo, because the students could get a lot closer and see better. I
think this also forced them to pay attention, instead of goofing off and chatting in the back of the crowd.
Also, we should have left more time for clean up. I wanted the students to have as much time as possible
for the art making activity, but that left little time for clean up and closure, and as a result, the closure
suffered. We reviewed technique, but we should have also reviewed ecology and how their work relates to
the big idea.

Day 4
This was our last day of printmaking. I need to work on communication. I suggested to Lora that
we specify only one color per fish matrix, so as not to mix up and muddy the colors, as students were not
very careful cleaning their matrixes after last class. I did not communicate this effectively enough to
Rachel, who told the students it was okay to print multiple colors on one matrix. This meant that we had
to rework the rubric a bit, but overall the prints still came out well, so Im okay with it. For the most part,
the students did very well, and worked efficiently. They did need a lot of help reviewing printmaking,
how to place and how to burnish, which I think is something that will come with practice. It was very
helpful having three teachers in the room to work with thirteen students. Im a bit nervous to have a
classroom of my own and have to deal with all of that by myself.
Day 5
This was our critique day. Although it turned out a bit chaotic, I think the critique had merit, and
with practice, would be a helpful institution. As we had the same three students raising their hands to
answer every question, I thought that a written critique would be better to evaluate student learning and
participation. I also compared it to snapchat comments to make it more relatable to students.
We let students comment in any order, but we found we should have specified the order and allotted
specific time for each comment. Some students rushed through, and others dawdled and chatted; only
commenting on a few. Also, we still need to work on classroom management. The students were very
rude and rowdy, calling out after we had asked them to be quiet, and not going where we asked them to
go.
I need to work on classroom management and communication. I underestimated how much
instruction and demonstration the students would need. I had the students each in turn read out a line of
instructions from the PowerPoint, asked them questions to make sure they understood what they read,
gave examples, and asked for any questions, and the students still did not do the activity correctly until it
was physically demonstrated for them. The activity being: write down one observation, one think you
liked and one thing that could be improved upon for each work of art in the class.
I think this was a successful activity, as students seemed excited to comment on each others
work, and also very excited to read the comments left on their work by other students. It was also much
easier to evaluate participation, as they all had their names on their comments, and it allowed the quieter
students a voice.
V. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL
A. TEACHER EXEMPLAR:

A.
Elizabeth TripodUntitled, 18x24, Mixed
Media, April 2016. This
work incorporates found
images of pollution,
juxtaposed with prints of
betta fish to communicate
concern for
environmental issues.
The repetition of the fish
prints, along with the
different prints and colors, creates a sense of depth and movement.

Rachel Bouton - Untitled, 18x24, Mixed Media, April 2016. I used found imagery of ecological issues,
tied them with siamese fighting fish prints, in the style of Robert Rauschenberg.

A. INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES:
Powerpoint
http://alchetron.com/Robert-Rauschenberg-1034225-W#-