Jillian Keyes

Self-Expression Totem Poles

 

Unit Theme: Expressions of My World and Me

Lesson Title: Self-Expression Totem Poles

Media: Model Magic clay

Grade Level: 10-12 years

Number of Sessions: 2

Date: Fall 2014

 

Lesson Content: This lesson is about the students expressing themselves through the form of sculpture. They will use objects, symbols, or animals that relate to their own lives to construct a totem pole.

 

Materials Needed:

• Wooden platforms with poles

• Model Magic air-dry clay

• Scissors

• Acrylic paint

• Sketchbooks

• Pencils with erasers

• Paint brushes

• Foam plates for paint

• Cups of water for cleaning brushes

 

Resources: (PDF downloads!)

• Powerpoint introducing totem poles Download

  • History- Native American traditions

  • Modern artist- George Gulli Jr.

• List of Native American animal meanings Download

 

Skills/ Objectives:

PRODUCTION:

The students will construct totem poles with Model Magic air-dry clay using 3-4 objects of their choosing that they will create. The students will paint the totem poles with acrylic paint.

ART HISTORY:

The students will participate in a conversation about the history of Native American totem poles. The students will view artwork from George Gulli Jr., a modern totem pole artist.

AESTHETICS:

The students will construct a three-dimensional sculpture and paint it with an expressive choice of colors.

ART CRITICISM:

The students will describe what they learn about the totem poles shown through their sketches and the construction of their totem poles.

STANDARDS ADDRESSED:

The student will demonstrate competence in the use of ideas, materials, techniques, and processes in the creation of works of visual art. The student will examine the content of works of visual art and use elements from them in creating his or her own works.

 

Extension Activity: The students will write about their totem poles in their sketchbooks. They can write a story, poem, or just the reasons for choosing the objects and animals they created.

 

Materials Needed for Extension Activity:

• Pencils with erasers

• Sketchbooks

 

MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES:

Day One:

1. The teacher will introduce the lesson with a PowerPoint about the history of Native American totem poles and give examples of traditional and modern totem poles. George Gulli Jr., a modern totem pole artist, will be introduced here.

2. The teacher will present a pre-made list of animals and their Native American meanings on the board.

3. The teacher will explain what a symbol is and give examples: Heart=love

4. The teacher will introduce the lesson. She/he will tell the students to think of an animal from this list that represents them and why, then think of 2-3 other objects or symbols that they like or that represents them.

5. The teacher will show her example and explain why each object or animal was chosen.

6. The teacher will pass out sketchbooks and pencils and ask them to write their names on the front of their sketchbooks.

7. The students will plan and draw sketches of their selected items.

8. The teacher will demonstrate how to use the Model Magic on the provided platforms- explain that it might be easier to put a very thin layer of Model Magic on the dowel before they begin adding objects because it will help the objects stick to the pole better.

9. The teacher will distribute the platforms and ask the students to write their names on the bottom.

10. The teacher will distribute scissors and one Model Magic pack to each student and ask that they raise their hands to let the teacher know when they need more Model Magic.

11. The students will construct their totem poles.

12. The students will raise their hands when they are done and the teacher will collect their sculptures and place them in a designated area.

13. The students will clean up their area by throwing away empty packs of Model Magic and placing their scissors in the basket on the table.

14. If there is time, the students will do the extension activity- writing about their totem poles in their sketchbook.

15. The teacher will collect sketchbooks and the rest of the sculptures.

16. The teacher will conclude the lesson and ask questions- What is a totem pole? Who was the artist we talked about? What is a symbol?

17. The teacher will explain that the students will paint their sculptures during the next class.

Day Two:

1. The teacher will review day one of the lesson. She will ask questions: What is a totem pole? Who was the artist we talked about? What is a symbol?

2. The teacher will distribute the students’ sketchbooks and sculptures.

3. The teacher will show the class what colors are available and the students will plan in their sketchbooks what colors they want to use and where on their sculptures.

4. The teacher will demonstrate how to paint their sculptures and explain to do it carefully because the sculptures are fragile.

5. The teacher will distribute paint and paint brushes to each student.

6. The students will paint their totem poles with the acrylic paint.

7. The teacher will demonstrate how to clean the paintbrushes and will collect the extra paint from each student.

8. The students will clean their paintbrushes.

9. With any extra time, the students will write a story or poem about their totem poles in their sketchbooks.

10. The teacher will conclude the lesson and ask for volunteers to present their totem poles and tell the class about them.

 

Vocabulary/ Definitions:

• Totem poles- a wooden structure made up of different animals and symbols stacked on top of each other to tell a story

• Sculpture

• Symbol- a thing that represents or stands for something else

• Shape

• Size

• Colors

• Representation

 

Assessment/ Evaluation:

Checklist:

• Totem poles will have 2 or more objects

• Totem poles will have at least one animal

• Totem poles are painted with different colors

• Students will be able to explain the reason or meaning behind each selected object

 

 

REFLECTION/ SELF-EVALUATION:

 

This first lesson was the first class I’ve ever conducted and taught before. The day got to a rocky start, but it ended up being better than I thought it was going to be. I learned that my classroom had nothing but a blackboard in it. Next week I will now know to rent a projector from the Media center and make sure I bring my laptop. I should have visited the classroom before the day of the lesson, but now I know to do that in the future. The two hours before the kids got there was very helpful because I wouldn’t have had time to resolve my issue with the projector. After that was done, I think everything else went fairly smoothly. I was surprised that the kids actually gave me their full attention when I introduced the lesson. I was also surprised that they actually raised their hands to be called on when I asked questions. I didn’t know how this age group was going to react to this lesson, but they seemed to have a lot of fun with it. I noticed that a lot of the class really enjoyed drawing in their sketchbooks, so I should definitely do a drawing lesson for my second lesson. This group of kids was extremely talented, which also took me by surprise. Their totem poles were definitely better than my example. They seemed to grasp what I asked them to do because I didn’t get many questions about the instructions. Most of the questions were if they could do more or wanting ideas for techniques in using the Model Magic clay. They were amazingly creative and I am thrilled about how the lesson went. I think it makes a huge difference for a teacher if the students actually want to be there and participate in the activity presented to them. I didn’t get any negative feedback from the students about the lesson, so I think it was pretty successful for a first lesson. The only thing I would have done differently was to watch the clock because they worked in their sketchbooks for too long before actually constructing their totem poles. Although this set them back a bit, it showed me their interest in drawing, which is very good to know for the future lessons we will have for them. The second day went pretty smoothly for the most part. Some of the students were on different stages of the art making, so some had to finish constructing their totem poles before they could start painting which set them back quite a bit. Other than that, the only problem was that some of the students did not want to write about their totem poles in their sketchbooks and they flew through their painting. Only a handful of them didn’t finish, but if there is time at the end of another lesson, they should be able to finish them.