Modified Silhouette Self Identify Introductory Information Grades: 11 and 12 th graders Class Size: 24 students Length of Class Period: 60 Min Lesson Topic: Figure 1 - Julio Cesar Morales, Undocumented Interventions #6, (2005) In this lesson students will explore the relationship between identity and culture. Students will be exposed to art works by artists whom explore cultural and historical experiences as they reflect on their own identity in relationship to cultural expectations and stereotypes. Students will be asked to trace each other to create life-sized silhouettes as they reflect upon what it means to be defined by another person or people. Then each student will create lists about significant events, people, places, objects or symbols that they feel have influenced their Identity. After brainstorming, researching, and selecting ideas and images, the students will personalize their own silhouette as a way to express their own identities and practice self-definition. Once every student has modified and personalized their silhouette, they will be installed as a wall mural representing the class identity as one of a group of individuals. This lesson would be taught at least ¾ into the year and would serve as a final project focusing on concepts and the creative process while reviewing and asking students to demonstrate understandings from previous lessons in drawing, composition, collage, and others. STAGE 1 DESIRED RESULTS A) Enduring Understandings: Artists use art to explore and reflect upon the relationship between cultural experiences and their own sense of identity. Artists use their social-political context and cultural experiences to make work that challenges cultural expectations and stereotypes. Contemporary art work invites people to reflect on their assumptions about social norms and stereotypes by utilizing culturally loaded imagery. B) Essential Questions: What can works of art tell us about the relationship between cultural expectations or stereotypes and an individual s sense of self? 1
How does art work that uses stereotypes as subject promote stereotypes or call them into question? How does art work about social norms or stereotypes help us reflect on the notion of individual identity? C) Massachusetts Frameworks: Connections Strand 6: Purposes of the Art. Students will describe the purpose for which works of dance, music, theatre, visual arts, and architecture were and are created and, when appropriate, interpret their meanings. Learning Standard 4: Drafting, Revising, and Exhibiting. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the processes of creating and exhibiting their own artwork: drafts, critique, self-assessment, refinement, and exhibit preparation. Figure 2 - James Luna, Take a Picture with a Real Indian D) Learning Objectives: Students will participate in an inquiry-based exercise examining images dealing with cultural experiences, stereotypes and their connection to identity. Students will brainstorm as a class on the definition of a stereotype. Students will discuss whether the art works promote or question cultural expectations and stereotypes. Students will discuss whether they feel cultural expectations and stereotypes affect a person s sense of identity. Students will have their silhouette traced by another student as they contemplate being defined by another person or people. Students will brainstorm about the cultural expectations, stereotypes, personal and historical events that have influenced their sense of identity. Students will have the opportunity to express their own sense of identity by filling the stereotyped silhouette and filling it with images that are personally significant to their sense of identity. 2
Students will participate in one-on-one discussions of their works in progress with each other and with the teacher. Students will use the silhouette as a canvas in which to express their identity incorporating various skills learned in previous lessons like drawing, collage, cut outs using negative and positive space, assemblage and other methods of mixed media. STAGE 2 ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE A) Performing Tasks as Evidence: Students will create a paper cut-out silhouette of themselves which they will modify by adding personal content through collage, drawing, painting and any other art skill learned in previous lessons throughout the school year. The modified-silhouette will demonstrate insights into the external and internal influences that shape the student s identity. Students will create meaningful modified-silhouettes and will be able to demonstrate understanding of the themes by articulating the significance of their art work. Students will develop vocabulary about cultural expectations, stereotypes, and silhouettes. Figure 3 - LD Soltero, Silhouette (2010) B) Other Evidence/Continuum of Assessment Strategies: Students will participate in class discussions to generate different ideas about the meaning of identity in relationship to cultural and personal influences. 3
Students will co-operate with one another and share the projector effectively as they trace each other s silhouette. Students will interview each other in order to brainstorm about significant images to include in their silhouettes. Students will demonstrate their engagement with the creative process by keeping notes with lists, research resources, and brainstorms. Their lists of significant objects, people, place, experiences will be collected along with the final modified-silhouette. Students will be encouraged to ask themselves questions about their pieces. o Is the piece a meaningful impression of your identity? If not, what is missing? What can be changed? Does the modified-silhouette communicate an important aspect of your identity? C) Criteria: STAGE 3 LEARNING PLAN A) Art Materials Did the student actively participate in the inquiry-based discussion of the images presented? Did the student contribute by helping at least one other member of the class draw their silhouette? Did the student generate an insightful list of significant objects, events, places, and people to generate ideas for the project? Did the student do the research necessary to provide more depth to the images later selected for the silhouette? Did the student participate on productive one-on-one discussions with another student or the teacher in order to further develop their creative process and ideas? Did the student create a modified-silhouette that was meaningful and insightful about their own identity? 24 large pieces of construction paper 6 x3 3 Sharpie markers An overhead projector 24 Scissors Magazines Glue 24 Pencils Colored Pencils 24 Sets Chalk and oil Pastels 12 sets each Watercolor, Acrylic, Tempera paints 4
Brushes Access to photocopy machine Access to internet resources and books Figure 4 - Carlee Fernandez, Self Portrait: Portrait of my Father, Manuel Fernandez (2006) B) Vocabulary Identity: the condition of being oneself, the sense of self, providing sameness and continuity in personality over time. Silhouette: a two-dimensional representation of the outline of an object, as a cutout or drawing uniformly filled in with black. Stereotype: a simplified and standardized conception or image invested with special meaning and held in common by members of a group. C) Cite visual references as resources Books: Images: Gonzales, R (2008). Phantom Sightings: Art After the Chicano Movement. China: Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Walker, K (2007). After the Deluge. United States: Rizzoli International Publications, Inc. Carlee Fernandez, Self-Portrait: Portrait of My Father, Manuel Fernandez, 2006 Julio Cesar Morales, Undocumented Interventions #6, 2005 James Luna, Take a Picture with a Real Indian 2001 Kara Walker, Work on Progress, 2008 D) Learning Activities and Instruction: First Day Teacher will begin by showing images on the screen and asking the students to participate using an inquiry-based approach. Through the discussions students will discuss issues of cultural expectations, stereotypes, and how a person defines their own identity within those structures. Following discussion, students will be asked to make a list of significant people, places, events, and objects that have influence or inform their sense of identity. 5
While the majority of the class works on the brainstorming process, a small group of students will begin taking turns using the projector and tracing one another. While being traced, students will be asked to reflect on how they feel about another person having the power to define them. Students will be encouraged to continue being reflective and to continue working on their lists for homework. Second Day Students will discuss their lists with one another for further reflection. Students who did not get a chance the day before, now get to help each other create their silhouettes. The class will discuss how the lists they have created can be translated into visual information. (How do we represent a place? Does it just have to be a picture of it? How else do we represent it?) By the end of the class everyone should have a silhouette and more solid ideas for their content. For homework, students will be asked to generate more research and more images based on their lists, talk to a parent, do research in the library, gather images from the internet or magazines, bring in actual significant objects. Third Day Students will begin to make sketches (in drawn or collaged form) of different ways to apply images and content on the silhouette. Students will have one-on-one discussions with teacher about their intentions with the piece. Students will begin working on their pieces. Fourth and Fifth days (Maybe more) Students will continue working on their modified silhouette while until completion. Final day Students will install all of their silhouettes on the school hallways, representing their own identity as individuals but as a cohesive united community of students. 6
Figure 5 - Kara Walker, Work in Progress (2008) E) Questions to generate conversation What is happening in this picture? What cultural stereotypes or social norms do these artists explore in their work? Does art work that uses stereotypes as subject promote stereotypes or call them into question? Is there a particular stereotype that you feel people apply to you? Does your culture influence your identity? How do stereotypes or social norms affect an individual s sense of identity? What have been some significant people, events or places that have shaped your sense of identity? Which cultural stereotypes affect the way other people define you? What are the significant things about your identity that you would like for people to know you for? F) Cleanup Students will be asked to stop work 15 minutes before class ends and will be given different responsibilities in putting away materials Students will be asked to reflect on the day s work and will be given the day s homework assignment. 7
Reflection Sheet Lesson Which cultural expectations or stereotype affect the way other people define you? (About your heritage, nationality, gender identification, sexual orientation, race, class status, religion, group of friends, and style of dress) List significant influences that have shaped your own sense of identity? Significant places Significant events Significant people Significant Objects (symbols) 8