by Michele Maines
Middleton High School, Middleton, Idaho

RATIONALE:
Why Teach the Arts? The arts are the embodiment of human imagination, the record of human achievement, and the process that distinguishes us as human beings. We form human communities and cultures by making art— through stories and songs, drama and dance, painting and sculpture, architecture and design.

The skills to create these works and to understand their meanings must be taught. Every flourishing culture and civilization has done so for its children, providing the necessary formal instruction. In order to compose, perform, or respond to a poem or piece of music, the human imagination must be awakened, nurtured and trained. The language of the arts—word, sound, visual image, movement, structure—has to be learned and mastered. The way art has been made over time and what expresses it must be illuminated. New works of beauty and delight can then be made and appreciated. Through this process, the child bonds to the human community and acquires the dispositions of adulthood.

Education in the arts is one of the fundamental purposes of schooling.

National Art Education Association Philosophy Statement: This human imagination and achievement, these human cultures and civilizations, include women. Our arts curriculums must also include women.

Traditionally, few women were allowed roles as artists, and so-called "women's arts" such as quilt-making and embroidery were discounted as not being true art. If we wish for our daughters the fulfillment that comes with being able to realize their dreams and their potential, we must provide for them the knowledge and the role models.

This curriculum is a step in that direction.

TIME TO COMPLETE LESSON:
Five 45-minute class periods

FINE ARTS GOALS:

1. All students will learn and apply the processes and tools necessary for the understanding and analysis of the fine arts.
   
2. All students will have knowledge of the various racial, ethnic and historical aspects of the fine arts in varieties of time, form, context and application.

INTEGRATED:

1. American History
   
2. Geography

INTERRELATED:

1. Drawing
   
2. Painting

VOCABULARY:

1. Shape


2. Viewfinder


3. Balance

DESIGN ELEMENT TO BE LEARNED:
Shape

MATERIALS:

PREREQUISITE SKILLS:
Enlarging techniques: Using grids to change size.

TEACHING THE LESSON:
Display examples of O'Keefe's work and show students the O'Keefe video. Discuss her life and her work. Remind the students the definition of the element shape. Ask students how O'Keefe used shape in her paintings. Tell the students that they will be doing shape pictures. Explain that they will be looking for interesting shapes in magazine pictures. Stress that they should not look for small pictures within their picture, but instead look purely for interesting shapes. Give examples of what not to look for. For instance, show a viewfinder framing a model°s mouth, a small face, or a flower. Then show the viewfinder framing good examples of interesting shapes. Show examples of finished projects from previous classes that were particularly successful.

PROCESS:

CLOSURE:
As students begin to finish, remind them to take their coloring to completion, working to build their color up to approximate that in the original, and filling the entire composition. Also remind students to use good craftsmanship: trim ragged edges, clean up smudges and fingerprints, and correct any mistakes to the best of their abilities. After students work has been put up for display, discuss the wonderful abstract shapes that have appeared from the original, non-abstract magazine pictures. Students will begin to appreciate the idea of abstraction when they recognize the amount of work that goes into even non-representational work.

CLEANUP:
Paper scraps recycled, colored pencils put away.

ASSESSMENT:
Did the student choose an interesting segment of the magazine picture? Did the student choose shapes, rather than "little pictures"? Was the student's craftsmanship good? Did the student take the work to completion?

EVALUATION:
Did the students have some success with their drawings? Did the students demonstrate an understanding of the element of shape?

DISPLAY:
Finished pieces can be trimmed so that a small (about an inch) border remains around the image and then displayed on the bulletin board. The pieces seen all together create an attractive array.

TEACHER NOTES:
It is recommended that the teacher choose the magazine pictures to insure appropriateness. Be sure to check the reverse side of the pictures as well. Pictures can be collected throughout the year for use in this assignment.

VARIATIONS:
Work in a larger scale. Have students use a 2" x 2" original and enlarge it to12" x 12" and use paint instead of colored pencil.

ENRICHMENT:
Have students do this project in conjunction with an American History unit. Or, tie in photography by including Alfred Steiglitz, O'Keefe's photographer husband, in the lesson.

REFERENCES:
Adato, P. M. (Producer) & WNET/Thirteen for Women in Art Production. (1977). Portrait of an artist: Georgia O'Keefe [Videotape]. New York: Public Media/Home Vision Educational Broadcasting Corporation.

Bry, D. (1965). Alfred Steiglitz: photographer. Boston: Museum of Fine Arts.

Bry, D. & Callaway, N. (1989). Georgia O'Keefe: in the west. New York: Barnes and Noble Books.

Neilson, W. & Neilson, F. (1969). Seven women: great painters. Philadelphia: Chilton Book Company.

Sparrow, W. S. (1976) Women painters of the world: from the time of Caterina Vigri 1412-1463 to Rosa Bonheur and the present day. New York: Hacker Art Books.

WEB SITES:
http://georgia.internal.org/sw/index.html
http://happyshadows.com/okeeffe/
http://www.ionet.net/~jellenc/okeeffe4.html

NATIONAL STANDARDS:

1. All students will communicate in the four arts disciplines: dance, music, theater, and visual arts.


2. All students will communicate proficiently in at least one art form.


3. All students will develop and present basic analyses of works of art.


4. All students will have an informed acquaintance with exemplary works of art from a variety of world cultures and historical periods.


5. All students will relate various types of art knowledge and skills within and across the arts disciplines.

FURTHERMORE...

1. Fine arts instruction helps students become more literate and productive members of society.


2. Students with historical perspective are better able to analyze and reflect on the events and circumstances of their own lives and times.


3. The fine arts and humanities provide for intellectual development, self-discovery, and creative expression.


4. Students need to be able to make decisions about ethical and aesthetic matters, using relevant standards of evidence.


5. Students need to distinguish clearly between personal tastes or preferences and critical judgements based on accepted criteria.


6. Students should consider ideas and issues on their merits and be prepared to give (and to expect from others) reasoned support for their claims and judgements.


7. Students need to be familiar with historical, intellectual, and artistic contexts.

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