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Lesson Title: African Unit

Name: Jean Cuseo-Fields

Discipline: Creative Arts

School: Ballenger Creek Middle, Fredrick County

Grade Level: 7th Grade

I. Conceptual Framework

Big Idea: Continuity and Change

Rationale: The study of African Art and how it is continuous and yet shows change not only reflects the art in a community but the values and concepts important to the times and the region. The students will become aware of elements that affect art production: materials available, influences from other cultures, and supply and demand for items and how that might change production.

Essential Questions:

• How has African art been affected by change and continuity?
• What evidence shows change and continuity in African art?
• Where can change and continuity be seen in African art?
• Who were the cultures involved in the change and continuity of African art?

Key Concepts:

• Continuity and change are evident through systems of economics within communities.
• Continuity and change are affected by cultures sharing goods and services.
• Continuity and change reflect human adaptability to environmental and cultural conditions.
• Continuity and change are reflected in the arts.
• Continuity and change reflect materials available to artists.

State and Local Standards
FCPS Standards

Criticism
CA.700.53 Demonstrate the ability to make informed aesthetic judgements.
CA.700.53.01 Generate vocabulary for critical thinking and aesthetic judgement evaluate examples of artistic expression.
CA.700.57 Focus on and emphasize the distinctive aesthetic contributions of various social and cultural contexts.

Aesthetics
CA.700.23 Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the conventions of artistic performance (music, dance, theater) and of artistic products (visual art), with an emphasis on the relationship of performance/production to our daily lives.
CA.700.23.01 Describe ways in which art is used as an integral part of life.
CA.700.23.02 Identify the environmental factors that influence the characteristics of a society’s art.

Historical/Cultural
CA.700.30 Recognize how the arts reflect social, political, and ethical issues of individuals and society’s.
CA.700.30.01 Demonstrate how the people of various geographic regions and multicultural backgrounds use the arts to express ideas and represent their culture (s), places, and events.
CA.700.30.33 Analyze and classify artists and artistic products by factors such as style, subject matter, historical context, and technique.

Creative Expression
CA.700.43 Identify, classify, and select the appropriate tolls and materials, and techniques for creating artistic products.
CA.700.43.01 Demonstrate the correct use of tools and materials.
CA.700.43.02 Recognize and select appropriate materials needed to complete assigned projects/products.
CA.700.50 Create images based upon observed and imagined experiences
CA.700.50.05 Experiment with a variety of techniques and materials in 2-D and 3-D works of art.

II. Topics

• Artistic items are valuable in West African culture.
• Visual images show importance in society.
• Art and economics are related through system of supply and demand.

III. Artworks

Various posters and art resources from classroom text, two specifically noted are the Benin bronze portrait sculpture and the Mask of the Bamana called the Tyi Wara.

IV. Lessons

Day 1, Introduction to unit

• View and discuss visual images that represent West African artworks through teacher mini-lecture to create a vocabulary of descriptive art terms.
• Complete worksheet having read text info. This helps identify various cultures and the art they are known for; for example, the Benin are known for their bronze portrait sculptures.
• Read unit description; explain purpose of building a sculpture is to create your own meaningful item that reflects a celebration that they enjoy, in the style of African artists. Generate list of descriptive words; abstract, colorful, non-proportional, textural.

(Materials needed; various images of African sculptures and masks, Text book-Understand Art, worksheet for text work, unit description and rubric handout)

Day 2

• View film - African Art, complete worksheet with questions that indicate student has an understanding of function of artworks/cultures they are becoming familiar with, i.e. Bamana.
• Create 3 rough draft ideas, for ideas for a sculpture, using influences from the text pictures and film.

Day 3

• Review criteria for project.
• Demonstrate building techniques (papier mache).
• Explain set up of materials for sculpture.
• Reading assignment on “Bartering and History of Money”; relate that items needed for sculpture or everyday use have to be bought or obtained and contributed to the value of the artworks or everyday lives.

Day 4, Lesson on "bartering"

• Define bartering as a method of economics (worksheets).
• Read Historical Development of Money, complete worksheet.
• Show examples of classroom items used for sculpture--feathers, beads, raffia, rocks, sticks, cloth--that will be used for bartering.
• Explain procedure students will use to barter for items needed to complete sculpture.
• Split class into groups of 4; give each group an item to barter with, like beads. The group will get first pick from the items they have, then as a group they will make a ‘shopping list’ that the two who will ‘travel’ around the room will shop/barter for; explain 2 people will stay at table and barter away, ‘sell,’ their items and 2 people will take half the items and go barter for the items the group needs from list generated.
• Demonstrate how to barter in a friendly manner, become a salesman, use an accent, use humor, have fun. Rules; you can’t tell someone NO; you can’t get more than you need (don’t ‘hog’ materials); treat people how you want to be treated.
• Barter for items, approx. 15 min

For extended history of Bartering in Africa, the following Website can be used;
http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/educators/lesson_plans/currency/essay4.html

Day 5

• Start sculpture, using building techniques appropriate for project (sculpt, paint, add texture).

Day 6

• Complete sculpture.

Day 7

• Catch –up day: self-evaluation, enrichment project: create a weight (have a station with directions and materials available--pre-cast pieces of plaster, shaped in egg carton, carving tools-like dental tools or toothpicks, photos of gold weights used in Africa, for trade).

V. Assessments

Text assignment
Rough draft sketches
Film worksheet
Bartering reading assignment
Sculpture
Self-evaluation

Materials List

Maps of Africa
Text book - Understanding Art

Handouts:

• unit intro and rubric
• worksheet for book work
• worksheet for film
• reading assignment for history of money
• paper for rough drafts
• self-evaluation

Supplies for sculpture:

• Cardboard/tagboard (tubes and flat)
• Glue, scissors, paper mache paste, newspaper, paint and brushes, feathers, beads, raffia, shells, metal hangers, string, paper bowls

Resources for African Unit:

• African Art. Dir. Aminatta Forna. Videocassette. Public Media Incorporated, 1995.
• Mittler, Gene, and Rosalind Ragans. Understanding Art. Mission Hills, CA: Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Co., 1992. 129-142.
• Money. The Volume Library, A Modern, Authoritative Reference for Home and School Use. The
  Southwestern Company, Nashville, Tenn., 1994. 311-312.
• http://www.nmafa.si.edu/index2.html
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartering