Community

Lens for
Design
Introduction
In both agriculture and in art it is important to think about your surroundings.
In both contents, the strongest thinking comes from making connections between
organisms, society, environment, and relationships. In this unit students will
understand the importance of plant selection, environmental factors, and landscape
design materials in the agricultural classroom. They will be given a plot of land
located around the school to repurpose and design. In the art class students will
think deeply about the school community and its importance. In this site specific
unity they will design a sculpture, mural, or other creative element to implement
into their landscape design.
Art: Essential Understandings, Standards
and Objectives
Artists use expressive features to communicate connections
between art and place.
Artists use different media to communicate their ideas
Clemson clay nest by Nils-Udo (2005)
1. Observe and Learn to Comprehend
GLE 3. Art and design have purpose and function
LT: I can interpret place and community to create art and design as a means to
express my interpretation.
This means I can make a model that communicates my school community and
culture.
2. Envision and Critique to Reflect
GLE 1. Reflective strategies are used to understand the creative process.
LT: I can use ideation strategies to understand my creative process.
This means I can create a sketchbook and research proposal for the execution
of my model.
3. Invent and Discover to Create
GLE 2. Assess and produce art with various materials and methods
LT: I can choose media to communicate my ideas.
This means I will choose a media that best communicates my interpretation of
school community and culture, and fully integrates into my landscape design.
4. Relate and Connect to Transfer
GLE 2. Communication through advanced visual methods is a necessary skill in
everyday life
LT: I can use sketches, research, plans, and models to create and design a
functioning work of art
 Agriculture: Essential Understandings,
Standards and Objectives
Essential Understanding 1. Understand plant environment and impact on plant growth
and development.
Environment sways ideology. LT 1: I can identify temperature, nutrient, light, and water
requirements for plant growth.
Utilization of tools is important to design outcomes. LT 2: I can relate the environmental requirements to specific plants to
be used in a design.
Selection choices influence design.
2. Understand the selection, placement, and installation, of
plants in the landscape.
LT 1: I can evaluate how plants will interact together.
LT 2: I can apply my knowledge of plant, selection, and placement.
This means I can design a landscape including plants that work
well together.

3. Identify and explain utilization of landscape drafting tools

and equipment.
LT: I can identify landscape drafting tools.
This means I can design a landscape using specific drafting tools.
http://adulted.nybg.org:8080/cart65/jsp/images/course/landscape-design-history-lan301.jpg
Inquiry Questions
Art:

Is there a relationship between art and the environment? Why?

Where do artists get inspiration from the environment?
How could art change the experience of an existing environment?
How could artists find inspiration in nature? How can artists encourage
others to notice what they might otherwise overlook?
Above: Christo and Jeanne-Claude Below: Andy Goldsworthy
How does site-specific art reflect or connect with the place it is made for?
What is the purpose of this kind of art?
Agriculture:

What aspects of community influence design?

How do we evoke emotions/ feelings in our audience?
How do we express community and cultural dynamics?
What environmental relationships impact design?
Possible Misconceptions
Art:

Public art and personal artwork have the same

motivations and considerations during the
creative process.
Site-specific art has to be a large scale
sculpture.
Art is not interdisciplinary.

Agriculture:

Landscape designs are purely aesthetic.

You have to be an artist to be a landscape Stacy Levy

designer.
Selection and placement of plants can be done
randomly.
Formative Assessment
1. Sketchbook Proposal

Before students create their models, for the unit I will have students create a sketchbook entry that
documents their ideation process. Students will brainstorm possible media's, content, and representation of
their ideas for the site specific art piece. Students will have to show in their planning how their design will be
informed by the school community and how it will be incorporated into their larger landscape design. Their
sketchbook should include these considerations through writing, lists, sketches, and any necessary research
for their proposed art piece.

Students will have a brief individual meeting about their sketchbook proposal before they continue to their
research proposal.
Formative Assessment
2. Research Proposal.

As part of the ideation process students will create a research proposal of their chosen media of expression
for the model of the site specific piece. Students will research a minimum of 3 artist that work in a similar
process to their chosen expression. Students will additionally identify all the known and unknown aspects of
their chosen media and technique through research in their proposal. Students will need to create a list of
what they already know about the media and technique. As well as, a list of what they still need to learn
about the media and technique to complete the model of their site specific piece.

Students will have a brief individual meeting about their research proposal to identify any questions for
media or technique instruction that will be needed from the instructor, before they begin creating their
model.
Formative Assessments- Agriculture
1. KWL

Near the beginning of the unit I will have students create a KWL chart in their Ag notebooks. I will have
students write everything they think they know and wonder about plant selection in the first two columns. I
will continue into an activity where we look at some good and bad landscapes and have students try to work
out what aspects of selection created these outcomes. We will then work through the important
requirements for plant selection and they will fill out the L portion of their chart.

At the end of class I will collect their notebooks and identify what weaknesses the class still has in the
selection process and discuss them in the next class.
Formative Assessments- Agriculture
2. Journal entry explaining landscape design considerations and questions.

I will ask that my students write in their Ag notebooks after I provide them with the criteria for this
assignment. They will be responsible for writing out some of the considerations and questions they will have
before designing the landscape. I will be looking for a list of these things. I hope to see some deep-thinking
like, what defines the schools culture, how would the school like to be perceived by the public, what kind
of art feature and design techniques would best represent this community, and what is the best use of this
area?

After reviewing their entries it will become quite clear where the students misconceptions are and what
they are completely skipping over. I will use some of their best considerations as examples as we begin
talking more about this topic. I will also be able to see where the students are at and add to their thinking.

As we begin talking about important considerations I will have the students refer back to these lists and
highlight the most important consideration and questions so they can begin working through them. They will
also be asked to add to their lists.
Summative Assessment
Final Landscape Design Drawing and Site Specific Art Piece

The summative assessment for this unit will be a finalized landscape design and art element. Both the design and the art element should
work together to represent the community or cultural aspect the students used as a lens to interpret the space through. In both art and
agriculture the summative assessment involves using design to represent community and culture.

Art:

The final creation in the art lesson will be a model of the site specific artwork. Students will show documentation in sketchbook and
planning preparation. Students will use their chosen media in a small scale model of their final design for the art element aspect to inhabit
their landscape design. Students model will show clear consideration of communicating school community and culture through their
model, in design and media decisions. The final model will be evaluated along with, ideation, reflection of school community through the
design, and the quality of studio habits throughout the creative process.

Agriculture:

The landscape design will need to include all of the important plant selection, design, and scale elements. Students will have had to choose
at least five different plants to add to their designs. These plants will have to have similar environmental requirements that coincide well
with the plot of land chosen for them to design. They will also have to have a description about how the design choices that they made
create the culture they decided upon for the school. I will need to see a space designated for a design feature they will have created in art.
The final design will need to be colored and presented to the class along with the art piece they created in their art class.
 Rubric of Summative Assessment- Art
Criteria Advanced
Studio Habits -Student was exceptionally self-directed and
made best use of time, materials and resources on
a daily basis.
-Student was exceptionally focused and worked
enthusiastically each day toward project goals.
Ideation -Exceptional use of research and references to
inspire project.
-All required sketching was completed in
preparation of final design.
Representation -Student exceptionally interpreted the project in
of School order to communicate school community and
Community culture. -Representation is clearly communicated
through final design.
Model -Model representation is an exceptional
Craftsmanship representation of site-specific designs
- Materials used in model representation are
manipulated with exceptional craftsmanship.
Proficient
-Student was mostly self-directed
and made best use of time, materials
and resources on a daily basis.
-Student was mostly focused and
worked enthusiastically each day
toward project goals.
-Mostly used research and
references to inspire project.
-Most required sketching was
completed in preparation of final
design.
-Student interpreted the project in
order to communicate school
community and culture.
-Representation is mostly
communicated through final design.
-Model representation is an accurate
representation of site-specific
designs
- Materials used in model
representation are manipulated with
craftsmanship.
Developing
-Student was somewhat self-directed
and made best use of time, materials
and resources on a daily basis.
-Student was somewhat focused and
worked enthusiastically each day
toward project goals.
-Somewhat used research and
references to inspire project.
- Some required sketching was
completed in preparation of final
design.
-Student somewhat interpreted the
project in order to communicate
school community and culture.
-Representation is somewhat
communicated through final design.
-Model representation is somewhat a
representation of site-specific designs
- Materials used in model
representation are manipulated with
some craftsmanship.
Basic
-Student was rarely self-directed
and made best use of time,
materials and resources on a daily
basis.
-Student was rarely focused and
worked enthusiastically each day
toward project goals.
-Little or no use of research and
references to inspire project.
-Little or no required sketching
was completed in preparation of
final design.
- Little or no interpretation of the
project in order to communicate
school community and culture.
-Representation is unclearly
communicated through final
design.
-Model representation is an
unclear representation of
site-specific designs
- Materials used in model
representation are manipulated
with little to no craftsmanship.
Rubric of Summative Assessment- Ag
90-100 points
Plant Selection -5 (or more) plants are used in the design. -These
plants have similar environmental requirements
and match those of the plot of land designed.
-Plants also have an appropriate color scheme
that fits well with the area being designed.
Organization -An appropriate scale is used consistently
through the design.
and Drawing
-Accurate landscape design symbols are used to
represent all elements of the design.
-One art element is added to the design.
-The use of specific drawing tools is obvious.
Representation -A consistent theme is used throughout the
landscape design to represent the schools
of School
community and culture.
Community and -All colors, plants, design features, and additions
Culture represent this idea.
Presentation of A presentation is completed addressing
-What aspect of school culture and community is
Design
being represented
-The model created in art and where it is placed in
the design and why
-What important considerations were made
when designing
-How plant selection and environmental
requirements impacted the design.
70-89 points
-Less than 5 plants are used in design.
-Some of the environmental requirements match
the plot of land and other plants chosen.
-Some of the color choices do not make sense to the
design.
- Scale is not consistent through the design, but
there is an apparent attempt.
-Some symbolism is used, but is lacking accuracy.
-Art element space is provided, but there is no visual
representation.
-Drawing is missing features of drawing tools.
-Theme is difficult to understand through drawing.
-Theme is missing school community and culture
ideology.
-Some elements of the design do not represent the
theme chosen.
-Landscape design is presented but audience is still
left with questions after the presentation.
-The model of the art piece is not complete or not
presented.
-Presentation lacks depth relating to selection
decisions.
0-50 points
-Between 0 and 2 plants are used in the design.
- Environmental requirements of plants do not work
together or for the area.
-Color choices clash or are unapparent.
-There is no scale, or drawing is completely
free-handed
-No symbolism or inaccurate symbolism is used.
-No art element is represented.
-No drawing tools were used to create design.
-There is not a clear theme to the design.
-Elements of the design do not work well together
and do not make sense for the project requirements.
No presentation of final landscape design.