Art Educators: Kelsey Shields and Brooks Anderson

Project Title: Getting Into Character

Grade Level: High school

Estimated # of students: 14

 

Pennsylvania Visual Arts Standards:

Choosing and evaluating a range of subject matter, symbols, and ideas

• students will explore and understand prospective content for works of art through the idea of challenging stereotypes and illustrating that in their character’s shoe

• Students will select and use subject matter, symbols, and ideas to communicate meaning through their depiction of symbols and sculpture to depict a stereotype

       Making connections between visual arts and other disciplines.

• students will create a work that ties closely to the discipline of film, specifically in costume and character development

 

 

Project Hypothesis and Significance: This project is about the prevalence of stereotypes in our society, specifically high school, which is something all of our students are immersed in. High school is heavily about creating an image to portray to the world and there are specific stereotypes that arise. The movie, The Breakfast Club, illustrates that while stereotypes do exist and may contain some truth; they do not define people. People challenge stereotypes and the cliques that they find themselves in, and this project is about exploring what lies underneath. The learners will be asked to observe characteristics of stereotypes that they see around school and then evaluate different ways in which those stereotypes may be challenged. In groups of two, they will choose a pair of shoes that represents the stereotype that they choose (ex. Jock, princess, nerd, etc.).  On the inside, they will create challenging characteristics, by altering the shoe. They may choose to add materials in a collage manner, paint, include text, or place objects inside of the shoe.

 

Questions to consider: We chose this theme because it is something that is very prevalent in each of our students lives. High school is a difficult time because finding identity in the clothes you wear or the group you are associated with leaves you feeling even more lost. The concept of stereotypes and how each and every one of us breaks those stereotypes everyday is important when recognizing what makes us unique and also aids in understanding that you should also refrain from judging other people based on their appearance as much as you can, because they too are unique.

 

LESSON AND LEARNER OUTCOMES

The learners will experience through this project what it means to look beyond the obvious answer or conclusion. This concept is more clearly portrayed in people and the ways they challenge their own stereotype, but it can also be connected to any other question they desire answered. They will specifically gain knowledge about the downfalls of stereotyping, and they will be asked to look further into identity of others, and also be asked to consider their own identity along the way. These outcomes are:

• Understand what a stereotype is by observing their peers

• Create a piece that both displays the stereotype on the outside of the shoe, and challenges it on the inside

• Choose materials that illustrate the point they are trying to get across

 

MATERIALS NEEDED FOR LESSON

Learner Materials:

• Old pairs of shoes that they can choose from to portray the stereotype they choose (14 pairs)

• Needle

• Thread

• Acrylic Paint

• Paint brushes

• Collage materials: newspaper, magazines, textbooks

• Glue

• Scissors

• Cloth

• Paper

• Sketchbooks

• Pencils

• Pipe Cleaners

• Buttons

• Puff balls

• Styrofoam balls

• String

• Old clothes

• Sequins

 

Art Educator Materials:

• Powerpoint

• Clips/Images from The Breakfast Club

• List of common high school stereotypes and characteristics

• Projector

• Computer

• High school aged magazines

 

Instructional Resources

• Internet

• Movie Analysis of The Breakfast Club

• High school experience

 

PROJECT ORGANIZATION

Pedagogical Approaches: This project will utilize group discussion as well as partner work in order to aid in the work that students complete individually. We will open with a group conversation about observations of peers at school and what stereotypes or cliques they noticed as well as potential characteristics of people who supposedly fit in those categories. We will then look at The Breakfast and observe ways in which each of the characters specifically challenges the stereotype they fall under. This will begin as a more direct lecture with a power point as a visual aid. They will also be asked to pair up in order to work on one stereotype together. They can discuss with one another, work together and help each other out as each student completes one shoe of their own.

 

Initiating the Project: The students will be engaged in this lesson first by a discussion about the stereotypes or cliques they see around school. Observing their peers, talking about their peers, and evaluating their peers is something that every high school student loves to do. We will then watch clips from The Breakfast Club, which is a fantastic movie about teen drama and will hopefully grab their attention.

 

ENDING THE PROJECT

Closure of the Project: At the end of the project, each pair will create a character to wear their shoes. They will come up with a name and a personality for their character through stories, activities, or what their home life is like. To end the lesson, we will have each of the groups set up their shoes around the room along with a list of some of the characteristics that belong to their character. Everyone will have a chance to walk around and see what his or her classmates have created.

 

Transition to the Next Lesson:

This project is a step into the collaboration that will take place in the television project. Students were asked to work in partners, which will get them used to working together, listening, and helping each other out. These are all skills that will help them to complete the television project as a whole group. They were also asked to consider their own identity throughout the project. Something that defines people is what they watch, and they will be asked to be creative in regard to television shows that they watch or watched and think about how important that is to who they are.

 

DOCUMENTATION AND ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT LEARNING

• Did the student grasp the concept of what is visual on the outside versus what is visible on the inside?

• Did the student utilize the materials available in order to illustrate their point?

• Did the student work well with his or her partner in a way that led them both to success in creating their pair of shoes?

• Did the student take away some knowledge about who he or she is?

 

Questions to consider: We will display the shoes as if they are a part of a prop room or costume store for a movie. They will be about 3 feet high and tilted in a way that the mirrors hung behind them reflect what is on the inside of the shoe.