OverviewModule Eighteen: |
Time Frame: 20 hours This module focuses on the social functions of art. Works that react to the times, reveal humanitarian or political concerns and attempt to change conditions within societies are studied. |
| Foundational Objectives | Vocabulary and Concepts |
The students will:
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| Common Essential Learnings | Resources |
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| Instruction | Assessment |
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Student assessment in visual art is based on the foundational objectives. Teachers should take into account students' perceptual development, procedural and conceptual understanding, and personal expression. Assessment should be ongoing and include a wide range of assessment techniques focusing on the students' creative and responsive processes, as well as on any culminating product. In visual art, teachers must rely to a great extent on their observation and record-keeping abilities. Students should be encouraged to take an active role in their own assessment.
The teacher should:
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In this module students investigate the social functions of art. They look at works that reveal humanitarian and political concerns, works that depict or react to the life of the times, and works that aspire to change social conditions. Students will also analyze journalistic images in mass media. Teachers may find that integrating with other subject areas will give more relevance to the ideas discussed. Through this study, students become aware of the wide range of the arts and art forms that can influence and support people in their ideas and behaviour.
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| Raising Public Awareness
The students will:
Many artists make valuable contributions in promoting awareness of issues they find to be important in their world. Artists deal with such issues as the environment, war, violence, social injustices, unemployment and racism. View videos, slides, presentations, etc. of artists exploring some of these issues in their work. Look for examples in their own community of works which raise public awareness. Show the video Rebels from Clip Art Series. Sometimes artists use unorthodox procedures to get their audience's attention. Discuss this in relation to other art forms and controversies students might know about (Jana Sterbak's "Flesh Dress", for example). |
W5: The Art of War (video) Atomic Artist (video) Arts Education: Visual Art Resource for Grades 9 and 10 (slide set) slide #25
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| Examine propaganda in art as it relates to the history of art and today's society. How have artists, governments, manufacturers, etc. used art works to influence people? Look at the mass media and other art forms for examples. Examine Canadian war-time advertising in magazines and newspapers from the 1930s and 1940s. War from the Clip Art Series has many good examples. | War from Clip Art Series (video) |
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| Mass Media and Issues
The students will:
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| Examine the news media for images of war. How do the students respond to the images? Discuss the concept of "desensitization". How do images in the news media contribute to this?
View the video Manufacturing Consent. This video deals with the mass media and how the news media determines what we see, know and think. Determine how successful the video is in raising awareness and doubt about the reliability of the information reported on news broadcasts. Activities the students may be interested in pursuing in relation to the media include the following:
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Local and national newspapers, television news broadcasts, etc.
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Photography and Photojournalism
The students will:
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| Examine the life and work of a photojournalist. Compare subtle and more obvious or shocking photographs. Why would a photojournalist choose to shoot disturbing images? How and why would another photojournalist shoot subtle pictures that express more than the initial impression suggests?
Compare the work of a photographer to the work of a photojournalist. Interview a local photographer. Have students practise shooting images in the community which comment on social issues. As a class, reflect on the results. Are the images subtle or blatant images? What are the strengths and weaknesses? Have students use the previous photographs as starting points for another project. Students could choose to create another series of journalistic photographs, shoot a short journalistic video, or incorporate ideas from their initial photographs in a new work using a different medium (painting, editorial cartoon, etc.). Have students compare the first photographs with the new works. How did their ideas develop? |
CNN Profiles: Artists and Authors (video) |
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| Contemporary Issues
The students will:
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| As a class or in small groups, have students select a contemporary social issue they wish to explore further. Examples include apartheid, land claims, racism, poverty, etc. Learn as much as possible about the issue. In their group, have students create an art work reflecting what they have learned and feel about the issue. They can use photography, video, performance, installation, etc. | |
Other activities students may be interested in pursuing in relation to this topic include the following:
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Ideas and Inspiration: Contemporary Canadian Art (slide set and CD-ROM) slides #6B, 10B, 21B, 35B, 37B Indian Territory: The Art of Edward Poitras from Expressions: Visual Art and Artists Series (video)
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| Murals
The students will:
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| If possible, look at murals in the community on the exterior or interior of buildings. Determine the focus and the intent of the murals as they relate to the community. Look at murals from other centres and times, such as murals on public buildings (Moose Jaw), graffiti murals (New York subways), ancient wall paintings (Pompeii), etc. Determine the various purposes for these murals. Do any have a social purpose? If so, what is the specific purpose?
Examine murals by artists such as D. Rivera, whose work deals with social injustice in Mexico; P. Picasso, whose work "Guernica" deals with the Spanish Civil war; A. Janvier, whose mural at the Museum of Civilization deals with Aboriginal concerns. Research print materials and critical writing to understand the murals further. View and respond to the murals as they relate to the contexts in which they were made. What methods were used to communicate meaning within the works? Brainstorm ideas for the production of a group mural and draw the mural to scale. Create the mural. Each student will have specific tasks within the group and students will be aware that their evaluation will be based on their processes as well as the finished product. Use the "Student Self-evaluation Form for Group Work" as an aid in student reflection and self-assessment. |
Saskatchewan Art Works: A Visual Art Resource for Kindergarten to Grade 8 (slide set) slide #70
Arts Education: Visual Art Resource for Grades 9 and 10 (slide set) slide #30 Ideas and Inspiration: Contemporary Canadian Art (slide set and CD-ROM) slides #29A, 29B War from Clip Art Series has examples of "Guernica" The Frescoes of Diego Rivera (video) Diego Rivera: I Paint What I See (video) |