STRATTON ACADEMY OF THE ARTS LESSON PLANS

Portfolio of Work & Documentation

LESSON PLAN ONE: ARTIST SKETCHBOOKS

The first lesson provided an opportunity to find out what students think about belonging, where they belong, why they belong, how belonging makes them feel. This sketchbook lesson was designed to practice motor skills involved with basic bookbinding while also serving as a time to get to know students. Designing the cover of the book will included the choice of imagery and material, and this project will establish the sketchbook as the student’s own space to draw and explore the thoughts and ideas that are significant to them when they come in the classroom each week. Students considered the following questions: How do I communicate ideas and moods through drawing? How does the use of art in everyday life affect and influence me personally? How can I share my identity of belonging with others through art?

LESSON PLAN TWO: BOARD GAMES & TEAMWORK

Lesson Two focused on the spatial aspects of Belonging. The project provided an opportunity to explore ideas of Belonging further, as well as connections between where their peers find their own Belonging and what we can learn by sharing these spaces with each other. This project was designed to further increase motor skills, serve as a time to get to know students, and work on social collaborative skills through teamwork. Designing the game board included the choice of layout and framework planning, and project established the use of avatars as representation of the individual, the construction of the board as a working artpiece, and the decoration of spaces as representation of spatial belonging. Students considered the following questions: How do I communicate representation and self- reflection through sculpture? How can teamwork benefit a project, when everyone’s ideas matter? How does the idea of play in art affect what I make? How can I share my identity of belonging through space with others through art representation?

LESSON PLAN THREE: PERSONAL PILLOWS

The Personal Pillow lesson provided an opportunity to think about the idea of comfort, safe spaces, and reflecting and sharing our dreams and memories in these places. In this lesson, students designed and created pillows that represent the comfort of their belonging in this space with their classmates, and their ability to share parts of themselves from their dreams and memories, past and future. In this project students utilized practical skills of tying, cutting, gluing, and embellishment, as well as important artist processes in reflection on and presentation of their work. Students considered the following questions:What does “Comfort” mean to you?What is a “safe space”? Why do you Belong there?What are my Dreams? What are my Memories? Why are they important to me and to share?How can I share my Dreams and Memories?